Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 August 1879 — AGRICULTURAL [ARTICLE]

AGRICULTURAL

The formers of middle Florida propose turning their attention to sheepraising. v ♦' ' j v ; Apples are foiling badly in many parts of Michigan owing to the hot dry weather. Coleman’s Rural advises against setting out willows for wind breaks, as the trees will appropriate all the substance and mototure for two rods on either side to themselves. . f The formers in the vicinity of Newark, Delaware, are puzzled over an unknown dtoeasease which has attacked their cows. The maylady to accompanied by a swelling of the head. Small quantities of bones may be utilised by burning them a few at a time in the kitchen fire. This will greatly increase tee value of the ashes, and the only expense.* will be that of time in collecting the bones. One thing to produced in abundance these dog days and that to dust, one of the beet deodorizers that can be employed In many places. It should be gathered and stored in boxes or barrels for future use. The production of strawberry runners is largely at the expense of the parent plant and the formation of good crowns is thus prevented for another year’s crop. Henoe, if one wants berries the runners should be pinched off frequently. The practice to commonly recommended of cutting out -the canes Just after they have borne a crop of berries, to give the new canes a full chance to develop themselves. The propriety of this practice to questionable, and it should be fully tested by trying the experimentside by side with cutting out after the leaves are dead or have follen, or early the following spring. A stranger, whose horse succumbe to the heat near Altoona, not wtohiug to Incur tbe trouble or expense of having the dead animal hauled out and buried, purchased a gallon of coal oil, and, after pouring it over the defunct 5 animal, applied a match. In oue hour the cremation was complete—nothing remaining but tbe boofa. The animal’s sot, in addition to the oil, proved sufficient fuel to consume the carcass. We are inclined to think this simple way of cremating dead animals will prove a great sanitary blessing during the warm months. A gentleman of Everett, Mass., has pursued successfully the following manner of raising squashes. He first digs a small hole for each hill, into which he puts a liberal quantity of manure and covers it to the depth of an. inch or two with soil. The u hole to then covered with coal ashes, with which the hole is filled. and the soil on the manure is covered. The seed to planted, or plants set, in the ashes directly over the manure. At each hoeing a fresh supply of afebes is gathered around the plants, which are kept entirely free from grubs, while in hto experience every hill pla'.ted without ashes will be destroyed. Boussingant calculates the value of the urine annually yielded by a oow at SSO. There to no doubt but that the urine to generally undervalued. It to an important matter to save it. Our formers need it as a means of replenishing their pockets. Various methods are adopted for this purpose by eareful formers. The most common practice to the use of dry muck, loam, sand, sawdust and various kinds of muck. Any of these will answer the purpose, if used in proper quantities under suitable conditions. They will not insure against loss through leaky floors, nor in drenching rains, if exposed to them uncovered by tbe side of the barn. , Speaking of making apple trees bear fruit on alternate years or. every year, tbe Rural New Yorker relates this: Many years ago a friend of mine had a dozen apple trees that were bearing heavy crops ofapples every otheryear. He wished fruit every year, so he took a long pole—the trees were large—and gave them a heavy beating on one side, or half of the tree, just as the fruit was about the size of hickory nuts, knocking off all fruit on tbe south side of the trees. Tbe result was, as I saw for several years, that these trees bore heavy crops on the one side one year, and on tbe uextyeaca heavy crop on the other side, so that for many years he had plentyof apples for home use every year. Hto trees stood in a rich soil that was annually cultivated —no grass sod to cover the roots.