Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 87, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1899 — AGRICULTURAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AGRICULTURAL

Blackberry Pennine. I The mistake often made in pruning blackberry canes is to cut them too short, writes Levi Bell in American Gardening. There are in most varieties several buds on each lateral branch nearest the main stem that very seldom produce any fruit, often those nearest the main stem remaining dormant when properly, not- severely, pruned. There are also in many cases several buds on the main stem, just above the highest lateral branch, which haveslightly started to grow in the fall, yet did not make lateral branches. These will not produce any fruit. The main stem above the lateral brandies should therefore be left long enough to secure some good buds above the worthless ones above mentioned; if not it may as well be cut back to the upper lateral branch. If the lateral branches are short and stout, with large plump buds clear to the tips, they need very little pruning, except when it Is de-

sirable to reduce the number of berries produced in order to have them grow larger and finer. In the drawing, which represents an old dead cane that bore fruit last summer, a is the main stem or cane, at b are several bad buds which have thrown out unproductive or blind shoots (e) from small buds at tbeir base; c, c, c, show lateral branches that were pruned too short and having only blind shoots growing from them; d, d, are lateral branches that were not pruned, showing where the berries were produced last summer by the hulls still remaining on the short twigs; at c the main stem was cut, leaving a few (7) good buds on It. If you want blackberries to yield large crops do not plant on rich soil; they are more hardy and productive on rather poor or elevated land. Give clean shallow culture, or thoroughly mulch, and last, but not least, don’t prune too closely. A Strone Whiffletree. Durable whiffletrees never come amiss, and the kind pictured herewith can be made at small expense. All ttjat is needed is a piece of hardwood of proper shape, grooved at the ends so that the' piece of round iron which is bent to a ring in the middle of Its length may be brought over them and there fastened with large staples, work which any blacksmith can do, and the ends of the rod then bent to hooks. In this way the strongest kind of a whiffletree is obtainable, the wood holding the iron in proper form. Best of all, doubletrees or eveners can thus be made. The

illustration, which is from the Ohio Farmer, shows the construction. Keeping Ice from Melting. However procured, even If it be ice thathasbeen put up by the user, ice has cost something, and should be made to last as long as possible. Keep the Ice In a large piece so long as you can, and wrap it in something that is a’poor conductor of heat. Woolen cloths are better than cotton, for they conduct the heat less rapidly. than woolen, as it will not admit air. If newspapers are used to wrap ice in they can be thrown away after they have served this purpose without any loss. Success with Cabbages. After many years of failure in cab-, Lage raising I sowed Maule’s all heqd early, sure head and safe crop cabbage seed. The result is I have cabbage and kraut the year around. For early use I sow in the spring as soon as the ground is warm and dry. I think the plants are more thrifty than if sown in hotbeds. I mix a little wood ashes in the bed before sowing, and always have cabbage ready for use in June.—Mrs. H. Hess. Farmers Growing bweet Potatoes. It is always a surprise to us why more farmers do not grow sweet potatoes, at least enough for home use. The difficulty of keeping the seed potatoes through the winter need not stand In

the way. Almost every large seedsman propagates sweet potato sets, and for a very small sum of money he will furnish enough sets so that a farmer can grow several bushels of sweet potatoes in the fall. It is worth trying. The farmer’s table does not have as great a variety of vegetables as it should, and the sweet potato is so universally liked that It makes an extremely desirable addition during the season it can be easily kept.—American Cultivator. Wounds in Trees. Wounds made in the stems of trees by pruning or otherwise, should have the wood preserved to keep it from decay till the new bark and wood extends over it. Gum shellac dissolved in alcohol is far better than paint. Put the shellac Into a wide-mouthed bottle, cover it with alcohol, and let It stand twenty-four hours, when it may be applied with a swab or brush. It serves, as nearly as may be, as the substance of bark; Is not affected by heat or cold or wet or dry weather, and retains the sap up to tAe cut, healing the wound without a scar. Any limbs cut off square on top will leave a dead end from six inches to a foot, which will eventually die and rot off. Limbs should be cut off slanting—never square on top—as is often done.— Meehan’s Monthly.

Geese Are Prepared for tonic Marches According to a consular report a regular “goose market” takes place at Warsaw during the month of October, through which some 3,000,000 geese pass, some for consumption at Warsaw, but most for export to Germany. One-third of the geese come from the government of Vilna, and many more have come long distances, which would ruin their feet, to prevent which they are “shod,” as it is called, before setting out on their journey to Warsaw. That is, they are driven first through tar poured on the ground, and then through sand. After this operation has been repeated several times their feet become covered with a hard crust which protects them during their long march on hard ground. Perpetuil Blackberry Patches. When a man plants blackberries he has a plantation that with care and spraying with fungicides to prevent blight can be kept for all time. It is very hard to root out a blackberry patch, as any who have planted the wild sorts and who wish to change fol better can testify. But if the best varieties are secured, this tendency of the blackberry to sprout makes it more valuable. At even a very low price the plants can be sold to neighbors so as to bring in nearly as much as a crop of fruit. For Yonag Chicks. Young chicks appreciate a bit of shade during midday and should not

be forced to find it in the coop, whlCu. too often Is almost air tight. Cut a hoop in two equal pieces and to a, ,b and c each tack either end of three pieces ofdath or other light wood. Over this framework stretch cotton cloth, d, or bagging and tack firmly In place. The open ends admit a free current of air, while the cover keeps off direct sun rays.—American, Agriculturist. Feetiine Valnes Compared. An experiment station has found that when cornmeal has a feeding value of 100 per cent, when bran has 85 per cent., where middling from 100 to 110 per cent., according to quality, gluten meal 152 per cent., old process linseed meal 135 per cent., and cottonseed meal 152 per cent. For example, when corn is jvorth 25 cents a bushel, a ton of corn is worth $9, and a ton of cornmeal, counting in the expense of grinding, would be worth $lO. When a ton of cornmeal is worth $lO wheat is worth $8.50, gluten meal $15.20, old process oil meal $13.50, and cotton seed oil $15.20.

Sheep Dipping Preparations. There are a number of most excellent dips on the market These are usually more satisfactory than homemade. Get some one of these and follow the directions which go with each package. Possibly the most satisfactory home-made dip is decoction obtained by soaking tobacco stems in water. These stems can usually be obtained from cigar factories or may be ordered through a druggist Dip the sheep as soon as they are sheared and then repeat the operation in about two weeks to get rid of any ticks that may have hatched after the first pingCow Peas A correspondent in the Practical Farmer says: I hive made a short cut to success in cow-pea growing by sowing at the proper time. If sown before the ground is warm and dry I get a poor stand of sickly plants. Weeds will thrive in cold soil, and as peas will not, the weeds will soon get ahead of the peas. If sown when the ground Is dry and hot, cow peas will outgrow anything I ever saw. Best results are obtained by sowing when the cold nights are passed. .

PRUNING BLACKBERRIES.

HOME-MADE WHIFFLETREE.

A COOL RUN.