Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 August 1891 — FARMS AND FARMERS. [ARTICLE]

FARMS AND FARMERS.

Chicago Inter-Oeeaa. CAPILLARY ATTRACTION, We spoke in a recent article on the' great value of growing crops of a frequent stirring: of the surface soil, but did not gtreo dear and sufficient explanation of the manner in which the moisture escapes from the earth. It always helps us greatly in out efforts to carry out a system if we can see clearly the working of the law that governs the facts. In farming we are dealing constantly with the stubborn facts of nature. All there is of science is a study and understanding of the law that governs facts. The moisture that we would be so glad to have retained about the roots of our apple trees,, our corn, potatoes, or other crops, escapes into the air through little holes in the soil, which are called capillaries. The rising of this moisture is through capillary attraction. Where the soil is undisturbed these capillaries are readily formed* and create minute canals for the passage of moisture. A clear illustration of the power of this Capillary attraction can be seen in the common incident of a wet towel hanging over the side of a dish of water. The fluid will rise up through the interstices of the cloth and drip out at the end of the towel. and soon drain the dish of its water. Take, for example,, .a brick, and set the lower end in water. Soon the top of the brick will be moist. The oil rises in the wick of a lamp by the same law of capillary attraction. The soil is full of these little capillary tubes. When frequently stirred the tubes’ are broken off below the surface, and the moisture as it rises is,caught and distributed to the roots ofth'- plant."

5 DAIRYMEN SHOULD GROW PEAS. A New York farmer who handles a large herd of cows writes that he has spent from SSOO to S6OO a year for several years past in the-purchase of bran and other grain feed for his cows. Being a reader of Hoard’s Cairy man he was greatly interested when that paper took up the question of growing field peas as a substitute for bran. This the paper did two years ago, but did the same work more energetically last winter. He had always accepted the notion whieh prevailed among the farmers of his neighborhood that peas could not be successfully grown. The Dairyman took the ground that this notion was a mistake; that the difficulty with the average farmer was that he did not understand how to grow peas. In the field the pea roots deeply: yet almost every farmer pays no attention! to this law or principal and sows the peas broadcast, with oats maybe, and harrows them in, rarely covering them more than a quarter to a half inch deep. The Dairyman farther advised the solving of peas more than ever, but insisted that the seed must be covered at least two to four inches deep. This can be done with a deep running graindrill when the soil is in good, tilth, but where the farmer has no drill he can do the work just as well by plowing the seed under not to exceed the depth of four inches. The New York farmer says he tried the latter plan. His neighbors all ridiculed him for trying some book-farm-ing notion, but the peas are looking the finest ever seen in that section. It will prove a great bicsssing to dairy farmers if they ever get in the way of growing an abundanceof peas for the use of their cows. Two pounds of pea meal is considered nearly the equivalent of six pounds of ordinary bran. A good crop will produce 2,600 pounds of pea meal to the acre. Father comment is unnecessary. SWINE. Mr. John M. Jameson, of RoxabeJlT Ohio, who is an experienced swine handler and breeder, in touching up some of the ideas that are prevalent about hogs, speaks of the passion- for so many indulge in and says: We can hardly tell how it came about that so many farmers think their hogs can be improved by crossing. Tfie fact of the matter is too many of the hogs iti the country are crossed to death, This rule can be safely followed when a cross is desirable;. Always use a pure-bred male and one of a breed having a longer line of pure-bred ancestors than the sows on which the male is to boused. Then select the male of a type desired for Ihe offspring and in most cases the result will be satisfactory. Crossing a good breed with one of colder blo'od will hardly be satisfactory. We have seen men cross from one breed to another until their animals were a confused mass of type and purpose and practically worthless. Every pronounced breed has certain fixed characteristics,and often crossing brings these opposing characteristics into a warfare with each other. It is better, as a rule, to keep breeding in the line of one breed, striving to get superior progeny by careful selection of the parents. - . v E. A. Bigelow, of Minnesota, in the American Swineherd, gives the following bit of experience in handling farrow sows: 1 bred seventeen sows last fall and winter, all of which were in good healthy condition; fed the sows all winter twice a day, gave them two ears of corn each, and in the morning gave them all the warm slop they would drink. My growing pigs were fed a slop made of three-quarters oat and one quarter com, ground, with | a little oil meal and a pinch of salt. I After I had dipped all of this out of Ike barrel that I could with the swil dipper, I added fi-vo pails of warm water and fed to the brood sows.

Result: Five farrowed in March, 8 in April, and 4 in May; total number of pigs, 115; lived to be 3 days old, 104* alive up to date, 97. Have had a larger average sorrowed and raised, [ but never had so even a farrow, no littSr less than five nor more than eight. • Nevernad so even a lot of pigs as to color and make-up: had forty farrowed before a swirl appeared; am feeding the pigs now one ear of corn each and slop made of two-thirds shorts, one-third oats ground, and a little oil meal, and they nave the run of good pastures, are doing well, and are happy. Our early spring was very bad for pigs, it being damp and cloudy. As far as my observation goes I don’t think that over 10 per cent of the March pigs were saved in this part of the country. HOG CHOLERA. Dr. Salmon, ot the Bureau of Animal Industry, has the following to say on the two diseases, hog cholera and swine plague: t There are two diseases, one of which we have called swine plague and the other hog cholera, but which are not discriminated between by the public at large and which are consequently referred to as hog cholera or swine plague without any idea as to whieh disease is under consideration. A hog that is inoculated for swine plague is not in the least protected against hog cholera or vice versa. The inoculation that has been practiced in the West has been with the virus of hog cholera, and as used by the parties who have introduced this practice it produces little if any immunity from the disease.

AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY TO GRAPE GROWERS. One of the most destructive pests in the vineyard is the rose bug, or, as it is called by some, rose chafer. Heretofore it has defied all, at tempts at destruction through every known insecticide not harmful to the foliage. The editor of the Rural New Yorker has made the important discovery that water heated to 122 degrees, entirely harmless to the plant, will destroy them. His detailed account is as follows: On Junp 15, during the hottest part of the day, when the mercury stood at 95 degrees in the shade, the writer noted that the rose bugs on grapevines and rose bushes sought shelter. Comparatively few were to be foufld upon the flowers, and those were sheltered from the sun. Acting upon this, a number of the beetles (twenty-five perhaps) were caught and placed in a white paper box. The cover was placed loosely upon it so as to admit air. and tho box was exposed to the sun. An hour or so afterward the beetles were dead—every one. A thermometer placed in tho box showed the temperature to be a 110 degrees. Our next step was to gather beetles from the shady quarters and drop them upon the soil which was exposed to the direct rays of the sun. To our surprise they were apparently dead in thirty seconds! A tin thermometer placed on the soil showed a temperature of 129 degrees. Some of these were theu carefully placed in an ice-box to sec if they would reeover, but they were quite dead. - Twenty or more beetles were then placed in the white pasteboard box, and a tablespoonful of water ..of the temperature of 129 degrees was poured into the box and .immediately poured out. The beetles were instantly killed. Water at the temperature 122 degrees was then tried. Most of..them were dead in half a minute. The rest died in ten minutes. Water at 119 degrees was .then tried. The beeteis were not seriously harmed and-Soan recovered.,, j Thus far, it would appear, water at a temperature of over 122 degrees is a sure and speedy death to the rose-chafer. The next step was to ascertain if this method of destruction could be put to an easy practical use. Water was heated to 170 degrees and poured into a pail. A small 1 hand force-pump with eight feet of hose aud a half-inch iron tube of five feet (thirteen feet iu all), terminating with a cyclone nozzle, was then used to force the water upon the rosechafers of magnolia flowers (Magnolia macrophylla), in one of which there was not less than 150. The rose-bugs receiving the direct spray were dead in about one minute. The others recovered. The temperature of the water was then raised so that the mercury rose to 140 degrees , when the thermometer was placed 'in t,wo4mflies_ of the nozzle. This was sprayed into a partly open magnolia flower containing fifty or more beetles. All were instantly killed. Neither foliage or flowers were injured. It appears, therefore, that i this terrible pest, which can neither be killed nor repelled by any of the insecticides which may be used in a practicable way, cannot endure a heat of 125 degrees, and that may, therefore, be exterminated by the simple, cheap remedy of water of that temperature sprayed upon it. LATER. Temperature of the air, 85 degrees. Water in the pail, 170 degrees. Forced through thirteen feet of hose, the temperature six inches from nozzle is 128 to 130 degrees. Temperature of the air, 60 degrees. Temperature of water in the pail, 188 degrees. At six inches the spray was 122 degrees; at one foot, 100 degrees. It should be stated that the cyclone nozzle is not suited for spraying hot water, in that it divides the water os soon as it leaves the nozzle into an unnecessarily fine spray—a vapor, In sact —that it gives up its heat so soon that the rose-bugs must receive the spray not over twelve

inches .from..the nozzle, or the he® will not be high enough to kill them It is plain that a coarser, more con. centrated, or less vapory spraj would be far more effective at a greater distance. For grape-vines or other low growing plants a shortei hose would obviously be more es fective. It was found that water of 130 deSecs temperature would not kill poto beetles or their lav®, or cherry aphid®. A temperature of 150 degrees was found to kill both the beetle and the grub. It was not tried upon the cherry aphis. SHEEP ITEMS. At one of the New York Farmers' Institutes questions were asked concerning the management of sheep and answers given by native sheen reisers as follows: ‘‘ls there any remedy for scab on sheep? How does it affect them? What is the remedy?” Mr. Van Alstyne—Yes; crude petroleum rubbed on the parts affected after the wool had been taken off, sc that a thorough application can be made. It appears in the form of a red spot, and causes the sheep to rub and scratch, and is fatal if left unattended to. It is also contagious, and all places where such sheep have - been should be disinfected. “What makes the best cross, a coarse wool ram and a line.wool ewe, or the reverse?” Mr. Van Alstyne—l prefer the ’ former cross. The sire gives the form and general make-up, making a desirable lamb, such as buyers seek. “Can any one give a formula for preparing cow’s milk so that it will be adapted to young lambs?” Mr. Van Alstyne—Add a little melted sugar or molasses. Jt thick-' ens the milk and makes it more like that of the mother sheep. “What is a good Remedy against lice on cattle?’ Mr. Rutherford—Lawford’s Thermo Cresol. It is an effectual remedy for sheep ticks, and is fully as good for cattle afflicted with lice. Another farmer recommended 3 ounces of carbolic acid and 1 quart of soft soap dissolved in 1 gallon of water. Other remedies were recommended. Mr. Dawley—l use Scotch snuff which costs 45 cents per bladder applied on the back of the head and along the spine. Two applications cured my yearlings of lice. Mr. Powell said common dry earth Sprinkled over the cattle is a perfect remedy. HORSE TALK. We are asked to roccomend a ration for horses independant of the nutritive ratio of the German feeding experiments, but tested by practical experience. Nearly equal parts of corn,rye andoats ground together make the best horse feed, judged by experience. Of this ten pounds.mixed with fourteen pounds of cut hay, the mixture wet and stirred in a box or trough, aud fed at three feeds, is the best ratio known for a farm horse in use, in quantity adapted to age and size. A horse at rest wants six pounds of the ground ration or “chop” and fourteen pounds of cut hay, or even oat straw if hay is not on "hand. The standard weight per bushel of corn and rye is the same, viz., 56 pounds, oats 32 pounds. Ol the albuminoids oats contain 129, rve 110, corn 100 pounds per 1,000. The average of the' mixture of equal "weights of each-is 110 per 1,000, or exactly that of rye. So no object tq rye on account of ergotrbufrobservation has convinced the writer that rye in this country is much less subject to it than has been supposed. — Dr. Ellzey. FOOD EOR' SUCKLING COLTS. Please give ration to feed -eoltvin' -addltion-to theirmothor’s -mdk-. They arc at present ou a good pasture of clover and orchard grass. All feeds are available except skim-milk. 1 1 should like the best ration you gtWv oa I-rdo not object to. a small extra cost —II. K., Coolwelll, Va. Prof. Stewart replies as follows in Country Gentleman: H. K. must teach his colts to eat aiuch food as will assist in growing the bone,. .muscle, and frarne, and this is easily done when one has sweet milk in which to mix the extra food. Bran is one of the best foods to grow good muscle and sound, springy bone. If K. had stated the age of his colts it would have assisted in determining the best additional food. He may induce his colts to eat a little bran with a few oats mixed in cwhich is easily done if the colts are 2or 3 months old. He will also findoi little flaxseed jelly, made by boiling fiaxseed fifteeit or tweaty minutes iu eight times it's bulk of water to assist materially in the growth of the colts. When the colt learns to eat flaxseed jelly he usually becomes fond of it. He might begin by taking a handful of bran and a handful of oats, and mixing two tablespoonfuls of the flaxseed jelly with it, and getting the colts to eat this once per day at first, and then after a week or ten days giving this amount twice a day. Perhaps it would be as well to teach the colts first to take the bran and oats, then adding the jelly. If this plan is skillfully carried out, increasing the food as the colts increase in size, K. will be much pleased with the even and rapid growth of his colts. The flaxseed jelly should pot be omitted, as it will aid materially in keeping the digestive organs in a healthy, condition and in giving a fine development to the whole form. It was so intensely hot at San Miguel, Cal., the other day that some chemical in the principal drug store exploded from the hign temperature aud set fire to the building.