Newspapers / The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, … / Aug. 18, 1886, edition 1 / Page 2
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THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER, AUGUST 18, 1886. 2 A HINT TO APIARIANS. ; ; A Canada bookkeeper uses chloro form instead of tobacco in managing his bees. He finds it a very valuable aid in removing old queens or intro ducing new ones. These operations are very perplexing to a novice, but a few whiffs of chloroform blown in to the hive enables them to be per formed without difficulty. NEWLY THRESHED GRAIN. The earliest threshed grain will need careful attention to prevent injury from heating. While the weather is hot the danger is greatly intensified. An outside" temperature among the nineties gives a strong impetus towards heating of grain, and if it begins the process of heat ing makes the grain absorb moisture from the air. COOLING MILK RAPIDLY. The great advautage of the cream ery system is that it cools the milk quickly by means of ice, and thus gets the greatest amount of cream. It is very important that the milk be put in the creamery while yet warm from the cow. In a large dairy every cow's milk should be carried away as fast as drawn by a boy or man employed for this purpose. RYE FOR WINTER FEEDING. If at a loss what to do with ground from which some early crop has been taken, we advise to sow it with rye. This grain can be sown early in August and fed down until cold weather, besides furnishing an early run for sheep next Spring. In places where drought has shortened the hay crop, rye is now the most avail able resource. It is not injured by early frosts, and may be cut late and saved for Winter use in the silo. WATER FOR MILCH COWS. Lack of water is one reason why cows shrink in their yield of milk at this season of the year. Partially dried herbage is more like hay than grass, and even plenty of water to drink will not obliterate the differ ence. If the yield of milk is once allowed to fall off no amount of good feeding will ever quite restore it to what it should have. been. Worst of all, the cow poorly, watered loses flesh and will not be so good another season. DILUTING PHOSPHATE. Owing to the high price of phos phate most farmers who use it mix it with . something cheaper to make a small quantity go farther and dis tribute evenly in the drill. Wood ashes are among the best substances for this purpose. They neutralize the excess of acid which makes phos phate moist and sticky. They scour and make bright the bottom of the fertilizer box, provided they are used dry. But wherever ashes are used the drill must be cleansed thorough ly every night, as they draw mois ture and cause the iron to rust. SAVING CABBAGE FROM WORMS. Most kinds of insects find their favorite food by smell. Any power ful odor is therefore a preventive of their attacks, not perhaps because it repels them, but merely because it throws them off the scent. Acting on this hint, a farmer who had a lot of cabbage plants mixed some land plaster with a small quantity of spir its of turpentine. He left it several weeks, turning it over and over un til every particle was scented. Then a little was sprinkled once or twice a week on the cabbage plants, and the white butterfly that lays the eggs missed them entirely, while other plants in the neighborhood not so treated were overrun. COW DROPPINGS IN THE BARNYARD. Where cows are yarded at night in Summer they will make a good deal of manure during that season, while under ordinary management much of this is wasted. If the yard is not well bedded liquid excrement is soon dissipated in the hot sun, while the solid portions are dried up so as to be nearly worthless. The manure from a cow during a season is well worth $1 per month for the time she is kept in the barnyard at night. This is far too large a sum to be wasted, especially as the ma nure thus lost may make the differ ence between successful and unsuc cessful cropping. Manure;, on the farm ought tobe,and is, worth more to the farmer than its market able value. s : ; :U v "V STEAM AND HORSE BREEDING. , .When steam was first introduced many : farmers thought it' would prove ruinous to" those interested in breeding horses.' This would cer tainly have been thought of horses for speed in traveling if the super ior velocity of railroad engines and trains could have been foreseen. It is true that stage-coach traveling has for many years been in a state of decadence; but it is more because private conveyances have enor mously increased than from compe tition with steam. The world travels a thousandfold more than it. did a few hundred years ago, and though horses are now rather subordinate to steam, more traveling is done with them than in olden times, when they were man's chief reliance for the means of easy locomotion, so that the demand for fast horses is vastly greater than it ever was before. More than this, the enormous increase in the world's wealth which steam has helped to create makes is possible to pay prices for horses which 100 or even fifty years ago would have been deemed incredible. It is wealth which adds thousands of dollars to the value of a trotter for every fraction of a second gained in trotting a mile, and this wealth is largely the creation of the steam engine. If it were possible to do plowing and other farm work by steam power it would not destroy probably not even detract from the value of horses. Other uses would soon be found for them and the demand would increase. CONCERNING BRISTLES. AVhile the American hog beats the world for pork products, his long course of breeding for this purpose has reduced the growth of bristles so that the German and Russian hog is ahead in that particular. The German, Polish and Russian hog, with plenty of exercise, is thinand muscular and grows bristles which are long, stiff, elastic and of good color. Eighty-five per cent, of the bristles of American hogs are gray, the most undesirable color, the other fifteen per cent, being white. The prices for American bristles range from forty to ninety cents for gray and from seventy cents to 3150 to white. German and Russian bristle. run up from four to" seven inches ill length, and some of the latter are fourteen inches. The value oj a bristle depends as much uponr its color and elasticity as upon its length. The white bristles are wurth more than the black or gray. The French bristles are the best for fine varnish and artistic brushes. They are usually only three or four inches loni but are the whitest and best dressed of all bristles. American bristles are used for counter dusters, cheap whitewash brushes, window brushes and the lower quality of shaving brushes. Russian and Ger man bristles are used in paint, white wash and varnish brushes. Hair and toilet brushes are made of Rus sian and German bristles. When the bristles are sent to the factory they are taken from the cask and are soaked in hot water over night, and then rubbed over a rough stone or iron washboard until they are thor oughly cleansed from dirt. They are then put for a night into a bleach-ing-house and exposed to the fumes of burning sulphur. They are after wards dried and sorted for color and length. DRY DIRT FOR STOCK. Clean, fresh, dry dirt should be plentifully used in the barnyards and stalls. It is not only an excellent disinfectant and absorbent, but the animals will use it to wallow in and clean themselves. The hog that has access to dry dirt will be easier to keep, while lice on the stock and in the stables may be prevented by its use. We do not see how any farmer can afford to dispense with dry dirt if he expects either to save or to utilize the urine that is daily made by his stock. The dirt will arrest the escape of the volatile matter, especially if a small portion of chlo ride of lime or land plaster be added to it. Fresh dirt should be kept in the pens and yards all the time, as it is cheap and plentiful. The Chris tian at Work. Apropos to the expulsion of the French Princes, a lover of statistics has drawn up a list of the monarchs who have come to an untimely or ignominious end. According to this authority the world has had 2,550 kings or emperors, who have reigned over 74 peoples. Of these 300 were overthrown, 64 were forced to abdi cate, 28 committed suicide, 23 became mad or imbecile, 100 were killed in battle, 123 were captured by th e enemy, 25 were tortured to death, 154 were assassinated and 108 were executed. Comspowlciwc. PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. Some Sensible Talk from a Sensible Man. Cool Springs, Iredell Co., N. C, August 10, 1886. Editor Progressive Farmer: I am pleased with the movement to organize the farmers, for they cer tainly need to understand each other better and need encouragement from each other. Every other avocation has its organization in order to fos ter a pride for the profession and to increase its usefulness and elevate its standing. ; ; - I have heard it said that farming was much more poorly done than anything else by any class of our people. If this be so why not organ ize our clubs and get all classes of our farmers together, recount our success and failures, and those that have the least success be stimulated by the experience of those that have had more experience and greater success? I think we should study diversified crops and agree to raise everything needed for sustenance of man or beast. We should give spe cial attention to the raising of grass es, sheep, cattle, and hogs. It is only a question of time how long the farmer who stakes his all on cot ton and tobaccoand has his smoke house in Baltimore and his corn crib in Chicago, will hold out. Time buying at from 40 to 100 per cent, and a lien on the crop to be sold when everything is the lowest, is sure ruin. Some say if cotton c mes down to 7 cents and tobacco to 5 cents then double the crop and make your money by raising the necessary quantity. When anything is below the cost of production, the less the better for the farmer. I suggest, raise your home supplies, have a little cotton and tobacco made using your own compost and the kyou will have some money to school your children ahd. pay the preacher. We have no organizations of farm ers in this county, as far as I know. All are fighting unsupported by each other and remind me of a scattered army. Every one knows how im portant it is to keep the lines closed up to i nsu re success In battle. Our people have had a hard fight this season with General Green. The wet season set in the 18th of May and continued up to the 16th of July. There was hardly two days together during the time that the ground could be said to be in good plowing order. Freshets entirely destroyed the best lowland corn. Upland was cultivated mainly in the mud and General Green was victo rious in many instances. Wheat was not half a crop, and that very inferior, and then badly damaged by the wet. There is but little that is not badly sprouted. Cotton and tobacco promise but little. I am no alarmist, but think it wise for farmers to look at these things squarely at this time and make amends when they can, and shut every door they can to keep the wolf out. I suggest sowing plenty of turnips. Spare no time in gath ering all of the forage possible. Many neglected patches of grass might be turned to good account. Sow white winter oats in August and .Septem ber. Sow immediately a rich lot near the barn in rye and you will never regret it. Then, use a good quantity of economy and you will be surprised how well you will ge aiong. y Farmers are pleased that an effort is being made to establish the Me chanical and Agricultural College at Ealeigh. We feel that the $60,000 that is raised anWally from the tax on fertilizers comes directly out of our pockets an-a weNion't want it all consumed in monthly bulletins and salaries. Would not the Board of Agriculture do a wise thing to cut the $2,500 man down to $1,500, or let him walk and get a good chemist at that price to analyze the fertil izer and let the other salaried officers get into better employment and thus have a nice sum to educate farmers and mechanics'? - II. ECONOMY AND THRIFT NECES . . . . , SARY, ;.,,;... . Elmwood, N.-'.C, Aug. 10, 1886. Editor Progressive Farmer : The present outlook for the farmer is so discouraging that there is scarcely anything to incite him to progress or renewed efforts. Short crops and low prices can only be successfully cam batted by care and the , practice of strict economy. The watchword of our fanners should be to increase the production per "acre and thereby reduce the cost of cultivation. The value and yield of the crops in this vicinity have been seriously dimin ished! by reason; of the unfavorable season and lack of proper cultiva tion. Nothing short of timely action and the careful saving of everything that will satisfy hunger will prevent want and distress in the near future. The limited supply of corn, wheat and oats will necessitate more than usual efforts on the part of the aver age farmer to secure all the forage possible. The present supply, though limited, will, if properly housed, aid much during the winter and spring and relieve a want that will surely exist. The importance of sowing during this month and next a full crop of oats and rye is apparent to every one. The former sown early will escape the danger of being win ter killed, and the latter will furnish late and early pasture and answer as a substitute next spring for both com and hay. There being no average surplus crops this year the farmer should be on the alert, and to avoid disas ter in the future sn control his ex penses as to relieve actual necessi ties and avoid the contracting of debts and the consequent evils at tendant thereto. Yours, &c, G. F. S. THE CHUFA. The chufa is a variety of grass-nut, but not, by any means, nut grass. It is properly known as the earth almond. When planted, one in a hill, it sjrings up just like a sprig of grass, and spreads, growing longer and more bunchy very rapidly. The bunch grows steadily broader and thicker, while the young nuts form at the roots of each sprig. The plants grow all the summer until they are killed by the frost in the II, by which time the nuts are ature, and the hogs and poultry may be turned in upon them. he cultivation is very simple. The land should be well powdered ana laid off in rows three feet apart ami the seed nuts dropped in the drills about one foot apart and cov ered with half a shovel plow. Wnen the plants are well up, they should be worked with a sweep, or culti vated just like cotten, and kept clear of grass until they have spread and taken posession of the ground. The quantity that one acre will produce is unknown, but it is very great, as it has been repeatedly proved that there may be enough nuts on one acre to keep twenty hogs fat for one month. My experience has not led me to consider chufas a desirable food for fattening just before killing, as I have found that when hogs have been fattened upon them principally their flesh is soft and quite inferior. But when they have been got in good order on chufas, they should be penned and fed only on corn for two or three weeks, when their flesh will harden, while the fat will be retained and improved. But I have, found that the value of this crop comes in principally late in winter. Then, if the young hoirs are put into the chufa patch between January and April, they will obtain an abund ance of food, and may be well kept at an inappreciable cost. All stock are fond of these nuts, and as soon as the turkeys and fowls find them out they will spend all the uay in cue paten scraicning tnem K . - - - -j j v tm j( , 111 U. "5 UC ept out of the patch until the nuts mature, for if they discover them thfey will destroy them when barely i-ineu. I have heard it charged that chu- is are an exhausting crop, and dif ult to eradicate from land in which r have once been planted : but I hirve not observed any deterioration i trie son alter a crop ot the nuts as oeen grown, nor have 1 had any : At lx . ' 1 . . . J imc-uity in getting nu ot the volun- ior plants whenever necessary. I iOiisider this crop to be a verv vain. ablb one for the South, and one of the most economical for the winter fe mg of swine that a farmer can sily find. A. P. F. Aiken, S. C. Farm, Field and Stockman: -The man who. drugs his horse to make his hair, sleek and shiny shows very little sense. The ;best means to keep the coat glossy is careful and daily grooming. This, with plenty of oats and water and an occasional bran mash, is all the horse needs when in health. The arsenic groom should be discharged. It ,; ? - BLIGHT ON PEAR ANfl APPle TREES. Editor Newbern Journal: Sovor. i years since I received through th kindness of Kev. James Watson Hyde county, a very fine seedii,,l pear, and by propagating fr01u xtfs by grafting, I soon had 250 trees hoping that I was going to have something rare, fine and profitable but as fast as the trees grew to lxai ing, or even before, they wJrJ destroyed by blighting to such an extent as to make it folly to prosy, cute the project further, and as never like to give up a thing with, out some fight, I made sonic expri ments which I give to the public in this letter, thinking that pear and apple lovers may be benefited thereby even if it causes them some hard work. I took portions of affected bark, sap wood, etc., and with the most powerful microscope could detect no insect life of any kind, but found a fungoid growth extending from the outer bark through to the wood. That the multiplication of this fun.Us changes the fibrous nature of the inner bark to a granular structure when the capilary action of the bark is' destroyed, cutting off the proper transmission of sap, when death ensues. I further found evidence to satisfy me that it is a native and ever-present fungus, in some respects resem bling ergot in grain; that its home is in the thick bark in which it mul tiplies, and under favorable circum stances (usually rain j' weather) sends out its spores which attack and destroy the outer branches until all are destroyed. After making these observations my experiments for a remedy were made thus: I took such an instru ment as sailors use to scrape boats, sharpened it well and peeled the bark off of affected limbs nearly to the wood and waited results on the remaining inner bark ; this soon re sumed its fibrous texture and was perfectly healthy, remaining so for the three years over which my ex perience has extended. I have never known disease to return to the peeled portion of a tree. j I continued to peel other diseased j limbs of both pear and apple trees with the same results, curing per fectly the diseased part peeled and j materially improving the general i health of the tree. i I will say just here that apple and pear blights seem to be identical. My theory is that deep peeling cuts into these fungoid plants and exposes these lower portions to ex cessive drying by evaporation, which kills it altogether. From present appearances, I shall never be forced to loose another pear or apple tree by blight. Yours truly, J. A. Mattocks. CUTTING OATS IN THE MILKY STAGE. "Where hay is plentiful it is not easy to persuade farmers that it will pay to to cut their oats just when the grain is in the milk. We say pay, because when it is considered that the handling and the threshing of the grain, and the waste of straw (which is then used as bedding in stead of food) calls not only for labor but expense in several ways we believe wTe can demonstrate that farmers make a mistake in not cut ting the crop before it is fully ripe, and here are our reasons: In the first place, all the nutritious matter that goes to the grain must pass from the ground through the stalk. After the grain begins to fill, ami while it is in the milky stage the in gredients of the perfect grain are on their way to the heads, and of course the stalk being full of sap, and en tirely unlike that which is ripe and hard, contains all the elements that are to complete the grains. If the crop is cut when the grain is in the milky stage, the farmer secures all the nutritious matter of the grains in both stalk and grain, whic h may be noticed by the succulency of the straw after it is cured. If the crop is treated in this manner, prop- P.rlxr nnvoH rwl A fknfa will be J vwvi, nun HIVI V no necessity for feeding oats at all while the stock will eat every pr- tion especially if the straw and tne u hn fodder cutter. Try the experiment of feed- i"S goa clean oats ana stra in this wav with the best of hay especially to horses and the ani mals will reject the hay and seiett me oats. farm, Field and &tociim"-
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Aug. 18, 1886, edition 1
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