The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1847-03-17

the smut in wheat in former volume,
MANY of our readers do not seem to have
read them, and therefore we repeat them.-
Make brine strong enough to bear up an
egg, be careful that it is not above blood
heat, then let the grain soak in it from one
to twelve minutes, as Is most convenient
! While in soak. stir up the grain occasional
| ly, and every time this is done take off the
scum, foul stuff, and light seeds that rise to
the top of the brine. AS the grain is taken
out, spread it on the floor or in the sun, and
scatter Stacked lime, ashes or plaster over it,
to dry it. Lime is the best for this purpose
X, if to be had. 1t will dry in half an hour
in the sun, and is then read y to be sown.-
Copperas water and urine are frequently
used instead of brine to soak the seed but
we much prefer brine as it is cleanly, and
never dangerous in application. Some
say grain may be soaked twenty-four hours
in the brine without injury; but il it be a
thin skinned variety, we should think it
would endanger its termination 10 soak over
four hours or so. 1t is good plan to pre-
pare rye, barley, buckwheat and oats, for
sowing, in the same way as wheat, espe-
cially oats, as they are frequently as liable
to smut.-American Agrsc~;turast.
Cutting T1MBER.-In cutting timber for
| farm buildings and other purposes, It often
| becomes requisite to know the height of the
trees, more particularly of the straight part
of the trunks, or such as will do for single
straight sticks of timber. Take ten foot
pole, Tor one of any other known lengthy
and measure off the required distance from
the tree, and make mark on the ground
Then measure back the length of the pole
| towards the tree,, let second person hold
it perpendicularly place the eye at the mark
on the ground and ranging with the top of
! the pole towards the tree. If the top of the
pole strikes above the straight part of the
trunk, the stick of timber will be too short !;
if at or below the first crook, it will be long
enough. A simpler but somewhat less ac-
curate way, is to take a stick just long
enough 10 reach from the ground up to the
observers eye, who then PAGES the required
distance from the tree, throws himself on
his back, looking towards the tree, while
second person holds the stick upright at his
feet, and he makes his observations as Just
stated.-Albany Cultivator.
MATERIALS FOR MANURE.-Wm. Todd,
of Utica, Md, writes-"L have long been
of the opinion that every man who is the
owner of an hundred acres of land, (espe-
cially if it requires improvement) ought to
keep man with yoke of oxen. collecting
matters for manure into the barn-yard. for
six months in the year. These matters
should be leaves, sods particularly when
the grass is long,) from the fence rows,
scrapings from the streets or roads, collec-
tions from bitches and ponds. He should
use sand where the land to be improved is
heavy clay, and clay where the land is sandy
No money expended on farm will pay so
we'll as that laid out in making compost in
the barn-yard, where the contents of the
stables are collected and made up in one
great pile"
Broom CoRN-thc seed is excellent to
tatten shcep.--Albert Hubbard, Esq, of
North Hadley, tells US he makes use Of all
the seed of his broom corn to fatten sheep
that they are very fond of it and will fatten
better on this than on Indian corn. Broom
corn is raised in great quantities in the RI
yer towns, where the brooms are made up
and distributed to all quarters Of the country.
We have often raised the corn for the
sake of the brush, but we have never made
much account of the seed, though hens are
always fond of it. Hogs too will eat it,
though we seldom think it has been con.
verted into meal for hogs. Mr.. Hibbard
thinks the broom corn seed more valuable
for sheep than oats or corn.
DRILLING INDIAN CoRN-Extract of
letter from Mr. Alex D. Coulter, Herriots-
vile. Penn, for the Cullivator -" Last sea-
son tried an experiment in planting corn,
by drilling it in rows three feet apart, two
grains fifteen inches apart in the row.
On three acres raised 500 bushels of ears.
After the corn was about foot in height,
some of the old fashioned farmers prophecied
failure. They said it would end as many
other visionary projects of book farming,'
and were very much astonished at the re-.
suit"
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