Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 July 1877 — AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC. [ARTICLE]

AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC.

Around the Farm. Six quarts of soot to a hogshead of water makes a serviceable manure for watering forced plants—as well as for most bulbs, flowering plants and shrubs. —American Garden. My experience in planting com has been that more can be raised per acre where there is but one stalk in the hill than where there are six; better two than five; three than four; that is, three stalks per hill give the best yield. —Prairie Farmer. About seven years ago Mr. Stratton began to plant eucalyptus trees near Haywards, Alameda county, Cal. He is now selling railroad ties, telegraph poles and firewood at handsome figures. One-fifth of the trees are left standing for future use.— Pacific Rural Press. The First Food fob Chickens.— Just, before the chick breaks from its narrow cell, the last of the yelk is taken into the stomach, which gives it the strength to make its own grand effort for freedom. This foot! will certainly last twelve if not twenty-four hours after it is free. During that time no other food is needed ; only rest is required for the little stranger after its exhausting labor. —Poultry World. A Suggestion to Gkape Phunebs. — A correspondent of the Ohio Farmer gives as the results of liis experiments with grapevines that it is of the greatest advantage to prune them so as to have the main arms ns long ns possible. He has trained some to a length of twentyfour feet, and purposes letting them grow longer. The advantages are that much less summer pruning is required when there is no time for it, they are more easily protected in winter, and they bear more and larger bunches than vines set closer together, cohering the same extent of trellis. In France a gentleman owned a grand country estate ; surrounding ljis mansion were orchards containing fruit trees of all kinds that could bo acclimated, about three acres iu plums, which were healtliy-looking frees, blooming each spring, but none of the fruit coming to maturity. He became disgusted find turned the plum orchard into a chicken vard, leaving the trees for shade. To liis profound astonishment the next season the trees were fairly breaking down with ripe, full-matured fruit. The poultry had accomplished what man had utterly failed in—successfully battling the curculio. Ventilation of a Smoke-House.— But little ventilation is needed for a smoke house ; a smoldering fire that will make a dense, cool smoko is what is wanted. If there are any openings needed for the admitting of air, to sustain the necessarily slow combustion, they must be very small, and may be at the bottom instead of at the top, where smoke only is wanted. Flies must be kept out by all means, and, if any ventilating openings are made, cover them with fine wire gauze, and provide something to close them with when the tire is not used. To protect the meat the house must be quite close and dark. — American Agriculturist One pound of corn is equal as food to about three and three-quarters pounds of potatoes, or eight and one-half pounds of cabbage, or to eleven and one-half pounds of white turnips. Analysis gives the nutritive value of corn to be, compared with that of oats, as 70 is to 60. An average of several tables takes tlie value of a given quantity of oats to represent 100, while the value of the same quantity of com would be 95, weight being identical in each case. In practice, one bushel of com is equal to two of oats for fattening, but oats arc altogether better for the growing animals than com. Standing Water. —A very important work is to let off any water that accumulates upon the surface. This requires constant attention, and the use of a hoc or a shovel. Whether there is a crop in the ground or not, it is equally necessary to do this thoroughly, else the soil is soaked and dries very slowly. The amount lost through water remaining upon fields would each year buy for every farmer who permits it a good paper and more books than he could well study in a year. Barn-yards, especially, should be freed from water ; the wash from the* roof should be carried off before it has soaked through the manure and dissolved out all the valuable parts of it.— Canada Journal.