Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1868-07-02
Agricultural.
Farm. Garden. and Household.


lures, while giving the objections urged
against the plan their due weight
The farmers Cabinet says piece Of
lard as large as a walnut, mixed with dough,
will cause hen TO commence laying imme-
diately after she has been broken up from
sitting; and by giving hens fat in this way,
they may be kept laying all winter
A MoTHERLY GoBBLER. Prank Ford, of
Ravenna, has turkey gobbler that last
season set upon nest of hens eggs,
Matched brood of four chickens; two
were killed after Matching by accident, but
the remaining two he has raised with all
the care and devotion that their natural
protector could have bestowed This is
the most singular instance of the develop
ment Of maternal instincts by turkey
gobbler on Tecord-and nest of hens eggs
too.-Rduenna Democrat
FARM BELLs.-On our large western
farms a good, clear-toned bell is great
convenience-almost necessity Such
bells are now sold at so low aprice that any
large farmer can obtain one. The farmers
wife who has one at command, well knows
its utility and convenience, as well as its
advantage over the old fashioned tin horn
Every school house in the west should also
be furnished with good bell Hardness
among pupils would then be inexcusable
from rundown clocks and unsteady
watches. .-Prairie Farmer.
To SAVE GRDLED TREEs.-It is recon-
mended by the Farmers Club of New York.
''to cut away the edges of the wound till a
fresh, healthy bark is seen, then take bark
from the large limbs of any tree of the
same kind, and cut the edges 80 as to fit
the gap exactly; having the ends of the
strips pressed against the fresh bark of the
tree, wind the whole tightly with band
age" This, in other words, is restoring
the bark. 1t is also recommended to con-
meet the upper and lower bark by gratis
(scions)
RooT CROPS IN THE WEST --Of the great
value of root crops for feeding to milch
cows, sheep, and to some extent to other
stock, there is no question; but while corn
can be raised so much more easily and
cheaply as it can in the West 1t is likely to
continue to be more popular and the favor
ite feed of stock Again, root crops gener-
ally donot succeed SO well in this latitude
as they do further north The ruta baga
at the north yields immense crops, but here
we have never known it to do quarter as
well, and frequently nearly fails entirely
Journal Of Agriculture.
THE APPLE TREE BoRER.-W. Day, Nor
ristown, N. j., tells how to kill the apple
tree borer, through the New York Obser-
yer. The process is as follows Dig out
thoroughly with a pocket or jack-knife,
chisel and knitting needle then, in the
earliest possible time in the spring inclose
the trunk of the tree with two thicknesses
of hardware paper dipped in whale oil, soap
or gas-tar partially dried, IL or Is inches
wide, from the roots up, and loosely tied
top and bottom with bass mating. This
will require about twenty minutes to tree,
and will last one season.
PROFITABLE PEAR CULTURE. Hon.
NJ. p Wilder states that in 1862 his pear
orchard produced one thousand bushels,
and that his most sanguine expectations
had been realized. This garden contains
fourteen acres, and consists of 900 varieties
in bearing state, forminga perfect mu-
scum for those who would study this fruit.
In 1866 there was scarcely half crop, yet
the surplus fruit of the market varieties,
not needed by the proprietor, sold for
$4,000. W. r. Austin, ofDorchester, Mass,
has pear orchard on the ounce which has
borne regularly for six years, producing,
from 500 or 600 trees, upward of $4,000.
The FARMER LIBRARY. What precious
thing is little library of books in farm
er's book case 1t does not take a great Ii
brary. The shelves of many man may
groan with books, and yet they may be
nearly all useless trash to him We have
sometimes looked over large bookstore,
and not found single book that we wanted
A single book adapted to our wants is a
great library Of itself, for the time being.
The books now accessible to the farmer
are full, not only of practical farming, but
Of writings of the most scientific character.
A dozen books of the right character, on
agricultural subjects, willmeet the demands
of nearly every farmer in the state-1he
Rural Vest.
SAVE THE PLUMs.-A correspondent OF
the Rural New Yorker says that for the
last three years he has succeeded in grow
ing as fine crop of plums as need be de-
sired by smoking the trees from the time
the blossoms began to fall until about the
lst of July. His manner of treatment was
as follows: He procured a large sheet iron
pan in which he made fire of chips, OF
anything else that would kindle freely
When the fire was in full blast he covered
the blaze with grass, which produced q
dense smoke. He carried this pan around
among his trees and smoked every part Of
them completely. He made this applica-
ton every evening and morning, giving
the trees thorough smoking, and contin.
uing the process until the curculio season
was over.
ABOUT FoALs.-DExTEB, Schoharie Co.,
N. Y, May 8, 1868.-At what time of the
year is it best to have foals dropped?
That depends on the purpose for which
you are breeding. Race-horses are entered
at certain ages, according to the year in
which they are foaled; and such should
come, if possible, in January or February
as they will be classed with horses foaleC
in December of the same year.
It is most convenient for farmers to have
their colts come after the pastures are fl
for the mare to be turned out.
Many prefer, and with reason, we think
in raising horses of good quality for thu
road, to have them foaled in the fall, tt
keep the mare with grain in the winter
and to wean the colt on grass after the pas
lures are well up.