Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 76, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 May 1899 — AGRICULTURAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AGRICULTURAL

Spraying: Fruit Tree*. The spraying of fruit trees in order to destroy injurious parasitic fungus and destructive Insects has now almost become as regular a part of gardening work as weeding and In other ways cultivating the garden crop; but it requires just as much judgment as any other department of gardening. Sometimes Injury results from the strength of the copper solution. It is well, therefore, to use a small portion of lime, which is believed to be a security against the excess of the other articles. And again, spraying Is often a failure through the application not being thorough. The under surface will sometimes be missed, or the spraying machine put In a position where the upper surface of the leaves receives little of the spraying mixture. It Is not wise to spray where there is a probability of rain soon following, as in that case the mixture is washed off, and if by chance rain does follow, another application should be made.—Meehan’s Monthly.

Valuable Jersey Cow. The above Illustration, reproduced from the London Live Stock Journal, shows the Jersey cow Mabel 23d, the property of Mrs. Cyril Greenall, Walton Hall, Warrington, which won the first prize at the London dairy show and

also numerous other leading prizes. She is a fawn, ten years old, and is one of the best all-around cows of the breed in the country, possessing considerable constitution, level outline and quality, with excellent udder.

Seed Germination. If all the grass seed usually sown were to germinate there would be about 2,000 plants to the square foot. It takes about 74,000 seeds of timothy to weigh an ounce. Careful experiments have shown that timothy seed covered by two Inches of dirt cannot shoot into growth. Covered from three-quarters to an inch only about one-half of the good seeds will come forth. Red clover seed cannot get through two Inches of dirt White clover seed covered 1% inches deep will not come through, and only about half will grow when covered from one-half to three-quarters of an inch deep. Alsike clover seed will not push through 1% inches of covering. The above results were obtained by sowing the seed in Andy sifted dark loam, which was kept moist during the process of germination. From onequarter to one-half an inch is the right depth to cover grass seed.—Hartford Times.

A Handy Stanchion. An excellent and handy stanchion for cattle Is shown in the illustration from the American Agriculturist. The feed

rack is made of vertical bars 1% or 2 inches thick, bolted both at top and bottom between two side strips. The stanchions are made the same as the other bars, or heavier if prefer-

red, but bolted only at the bottom, leaving the upper end to swing freely. When vertical, the stanchion is held in place by a block nailed between the side strips on the right and a hinged strip on the left In the cut this is raised, but when the stanchion is vertical it drops between the side strips and holds it steady. Whenever desired, the notched strip may be raised, the stanchion pushed aside and the cattle are free. Always be careful to leave just enough space by the standSion to admit of easy motion of the animal’s neck. How Deep to Plant Potatoes. Except for the very earliest planting it is better on rich, dry soil to cover potato seed at least four Inches deep. Then there will be no temptation to throw the earth around the potato as it grows, making a hill through which the tubers will grow outside the soil, and be made worthies for cooking by exposure to the sun. A potato that has been “greened” properly makes the best seed, but in some of the potatoes that are greened in fall the eyes appear to be destroyed, so that the potato is not even good for seed. Pia Pork. Among the many radical changes in farm management during the last quarter of a century there are few that have brought the farmer greater profit than that of marketing pigs at six or Seven months old instead of keeping them three times as long. The best market demand at present is for good fat pigs, and they command the highpat price. It has been demonstrated

over and over again that the coat peri pound Increases with the age of the and so it Is in the line of economy to f push the pigs from the start and seffi early.—Practical Farmer. Bird* Eat Poisonous Fruit. A correspondent in Nature the rather Interesting question why birds are not killed by eating poisonous! fruit. It Is held by some that birds eat only the surrounding pulp, which IO many cases Is perfectly harmless, as, for instance, In the case of the yew, whe»O as the seed Is very poisonous. The real facts, however, appear to be that the-, birds actually eat largely of the berrles, both pulp and seed, and that they very shortly afterward eject the seeds and skin by the mouth, thus avoiding any poisonous effects. Instances arg recorded of finding the ejected seeds and skin of poisonous berries, although no Instances are on record of any one having actually seen the birds eject the seeds. It has been asserted, although the evidence is by no means strong* that blackbirds have been known to eat the berries of Atropa belladonna, the well-known deadly nightshade. O Making Corn Hows Straight. It does not pay to make crooked corn rows, despite the well-known old saying that ‘■‘the most corn always? grows in crooked rows.” That is 4 reminiscence of days when stumps and stones obstructed the surface and made it impossible to do neat work in marking out. A strong horse, easy on the bit, is necessary In doing good work tti;marking rows. Still more is a dear sight to the end of the field on the part of the man driving the horse. Unita® the surface >ls very uneven four can be made at once, of which the inside one will follow the mark made 1® going around last time. This three rows for planting gained In going ; across the field, and six in going and returning. It does not take long mark out a large field In this way. But’ if the surface is uneven it is better hi mark rows with markers having only three teeth. When Petting Out Plants. An Important point In setting out I plants Is to firm the soil well about the | plant after setting it in the ground?] This can be best done with the feet, tamping the soil gently Immediately] about the base and against the stalk off I the plant This serves to keep the plant In position, so that it will not be whipped about by the wind, and prevents the air from getting at the roots. I As the plants are knocked out of the pots dip the ball of soil surrounding! the roots in water, and pour a little I into the hole Into which the plant Is to I beset Fill the soil in about the plant I and compress it as suggested above,] and If no water is applied for a week! the plant will not suffer. By the for-1 mer method only the surface of the soli I is wet and the roots of the plant re-1 main dry.—Woman’s Home Compatt-1 ion. |

Buckwheat for Low Grounds.' I The buckwheat crop is peculiar in the I fact that it can be put in after July and I still make a crop of grain that furnishesl excellent food for man. It is almost al-1 ways sown on low, wet land that could I not be tilled earlier in the season. B»| fact, it is more often a failure than not I if sown on high, dry land, even in tbefl East,’where there is usually plenty of fl moisture. It cannot be grown withl profit beyond the region of the jnwi lakes, and the two States of Pennswfl vania and New York produce y early! more buckwheat than all the other I States in the Union. I • Soft Ekks. The laying of soft eggs—that is, eggs I covered with a membrane rather than fl a shell—is easily ascribed to overfat-l ness, but some hens persist in the habit,! whether fat or lean, even if well sup-1 plied with lime, and such fowls are! doubtless affected with chronic disor-l der of the organs of reproduction.! While these are all right for table poul-l try, they are good for nothing else. If I several hens in a flock lay soft eggs, It! is a sure sign of overfeeding.—Live! Stock. I Restoring an Old Orchard. I It is sometimes cheaper to restore an! old orchard than to plant a new one! and wait for the young trees to grow.l This may be done by judicious pruning! and removing all of the dead wood,! then manuring the ground In the fall! and applying fertilizers in the spring.! The manure must be used first lightly stirring the surface soli arid! then applying the manure, which! should be well worked in when spring! opens. g ■ Wonders of the Bee. ! Every bee carries his market basket! round his bind legs. Any one examto! Ing the body of the bee through a ml! croscope will observe that on the hindj legs of the creature there is a fringes® stiff hairs on the surface, the hairs ap! proaching each other at the tips, so a! to form a sort of cage. This is the basket, and into it, after a journey, he will cram enough pollen i<! last him for two or three dayjSl Graftins Tomatoes on to Potatoes. I The United States Government at&B experiment stations has succeeded ®

JERSEY COW MABEL 23D.

STANCHION.