Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 May 1894 — FARMS AND FARMERS. [ARTICLE]

FARMS AND FARMERS.

Culture Under Glass. There is no reason why vegetable culture under glass shorn I not now become of equal importance with floriculture, and this means many thousands of dollars annually added to our productive resources. Sub-irrigation was first used with lettuce in order to avoid watering the foliage, thus preventing the much-dreaded lettuce rot. It was found that the lettuce grew much better by this method of watering than when water was applied to the surface of the soil. Operations were then enlarged until entire houses are now supplied with water in this manner. Some later experiments show that the same principle may be extended successfully, beginning as soon as the seed is sown. The seed is sown in shallow boxes with slatted bottoms. Both radishes and cucumbers flourish under the same treatment, although they are not benefitted to such an extent as lettuce. Tomatoes respond less than any other crop, but they show sufficient gain to pay for fitting up the house for sub-irri-gation. Experience has shown that a subirrigation plant pays for itself in one season, or 100 per cent, on the investment. This estimate is for greenhouse crop in general but for lettuce alone the profit is greater. Under the benches the space may be used for mushrooms, dandelion, pie plant and asparagus. The mushroom crop is about as profitable as any that can be grown, and yet it requires no light.

Grapes Under Glass, Meehan s Monthly. The extensive graperies erected by Mrs. Hettie Trimble at West Chest er, thirty years ago, and now owned by Mr. D. McFarland, are still in perfect health, notwithstanding a single vine—Muscat Hamburg—produces about 5,000 pounds of fruit a year. There are two lean-to houses 180x20 feet each, and two span-roof of fifty feet. Thousands of bunches of Gros Coleman were hanging on the vines early’ in December. They are not forced, but simply protected by glass. It is a cool grapery. Th© Grapevine Disease. No greater evidence of the immense value of scientific knowledge to the practical man has ever been adduced which is so conclusive as that in relation to grape culture in France, where thousands of acres of grapevines became absolutely useless. Mainly through the scientific labors of our own Prof. Riley, the existence of a root insect —the phyioxera—was discovered and its whole history decided. It was found to be an American insect, which had perhaps from the creation been in connection with A merican vines with-'

out any serious injury to them. The phylloxera transferred itself to the European vine, which was qpable to resist as the American vines had done. It was only necessary, therefore, to introduce the American vine as well as the Amercan insect, and graft the European forms on the American roots. The InspectorGeneral. Georges Conanon, of the French Department of Agriculture, now states that in consequence of these practical deductions from scientific truths France will soon regain her old position as. a great wine-growing country. The. French wine grower no longer fears the insect. Plantations are now being made with as much confidence as they were before the existence of the insect was known.

Feeding Stock. The following paper by L. Denning was read before the Farmers’ Institute, in Clearfield, Pa. : For instance, take the cow, flesh, bones, muscles, hide, hair, etc., discarding technical names, we will group them in albuminoids, carbohydrates and fat. Now the animal body is composed of these in the ratio of about 1 to 4, 1 pound of albuminoids to 4 of carbohydrates. The nutriments contained in the vegetable foods grouped are composed of about the same, 1 to 4. Every fodder used in feeding animals is composed of more than one nutriment, and these nutriments are contained in very unlike proportions in different feeding stuffs. To feed skillfully we should study to combine these different foods so as to make up a mixture meeting all the wants of the animal. It takes so much of these foods to sustain life, and if the cow is giving milk we have to feed enough to make up for the butter fat contained in it, let it be more or less, and the experiments that have been made in feeding show that the profits come fW>m the last one-third of a full ration, and this full ration has been decided, I believe, to contain from nine to twelve pounds of grain feed to from fifteen to fifty pounds of hay, •traw, corn fddder or ensilage, ac • cording to what you feed. Suppose we take a few of well balanced rations and the feeder could use as much as he thought would pay the best daily, per cow: Ten pounds hay, ten pounds straw, four pounds wheat bran, three pounds cotton seed mealy.four pounds corn meal. Or, sixteen pounds meadow hay, eight pounds wheat brail, three pounds linseed meal.i five pounds corn weal. Or, eighteen pounds corn fodder, six pounds wheat bran, three pounds

cotton seed meal, four pounds corn meal. Or this: Fifteen pounds straw, five pounds hay, three pounds cotton seed meal, four pounds bran, four pounds corn meal. Or, ten pounds porn fodder, ten, pounds oat straw, two pounds linseed meal, two pounds cotton seed meal, 6 pounds corn and oat meal. Or, forty pounds corn ensilage, ten pounds hay, four pounds bran, three pounds cotton seed meal, three pounds corn meal. Cows for beef, should be fed ta make all parts grow evenly. They might get a balanced ration from straw, but it would take three or four hundred pounds daily to get enough of some parts and an excess of others, and as it is impossible for them to masticate so much daily we should mix some more nitrogenous food with it, such as bran, oil meal or cotton seed meal. I believe if we would feed onefourth the hay that we farmers generally feed, and mix a little grain with it, such as bran or oil meal or cotton seed meal, we would reduce the cost of keeping them one-half. I will give a test that I have been making with my driving team which travels fourteen miles a day. Onehalf the hay that I have been in the habit of feeding with bran, corn meal and oil meal. The cost of the grain food has been for two months seven cents per day per horse. They are fat and lively. Farmers, I am convinced that the most profit lies in keeping your animals comfortable. Have a warm place for all. Rhubarb From England. A remarkable feature in the vegetable market of New York, for 8 week or two preceding Christmas, was in the shape of several tons ol forced rhubarb, of which it is said that over ten tons were received from Liverpool. It is something rare to have vegetables exported from the Old World to the New.