Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-08-16
Farm, Garden and Household.
Farm News md Note..

G&AA news anu Nottts
The increase in the wheat crop last
year above the previous one was over
1900, 600 bushels, mostly in California
and Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and
Illinois.
The grasshoppers are devastating the
country near Silly and Worthington,
Iowa. The same pests are in Colorado,
though too young to injure small
grain.
In England street trees are generally
the property of the city, and are plant
ed by the authorities and under the
oversight of the city councils, instead
of being left to individual notion, as in
our free country.
Another horse disease has broken out
in Toronto, Canada, of the nature of
typhoid fever, which is more deadly
than the epizootic. 1t seems that Can
ada has an especial faculty for origin
ating horse maladies.
Bone dust is now exported from Aus
tralia to England. 1t is compressed
into blocks three inches thick and six
inches square, weighing about six
pounds each. A ton of this compressed
bone dust occupies 26 cubic feet. The
query occurs, if the millions of tons of
bones now scattered over our Western
plains could not be thus manipulated
and protitably sent to fertilize our East
ern lands.
Mr.. Mech, the celebrated English
agrlculturist and merchant, recently
used these words: "It is precisely be-
cause British farmers have their GUS
toners, the British manufacturers, at
their doors, and that other food-pro-
ducing countries have not manufac.
turers, that British agriculture is rich
and thriving"
1t is positively asserted that the land
IN California is growing poorer, just as
though this were a marvellous state
ment. When crops have grown ten or
fifteen years there can be no other re-
suit. Besides, the pasture land has
been overstocked, the wild oats have
been eaten out, and only weeds take
their place. In the foot hills the ma
tive grasses have been largely eaten
out, and no other kinds come in. It is
now proposed to SOW alfalfa and keep
sheep, and 1T Is said that by this means
land worth $40 an acre can in few
years be made worth $500 an acre. If
this Is true they had better try it.
A writer in foreign agricultural
paper says that ga sound knowledge
of the principles of his art is needed
more urgently every year to enable the
English farmer to hold his own amid a
development of social and mechanical
force that threatens to sweep away all
the landmarks that have long guided
his practice" These words are Just as
applicable to our circumstances as to
those of our cousins across the water,
and would serve as test for the CON
slderatlon and study of every one who
teels how much we have, as cultivators
OF the soil, to learn not only of our art
Itself, but of others with which it is
so intimately connected.
A correspondent of an English paper
writing of Canada, thus refers to the
effects of the partial destruction of the
forests of that Province "The destruc-
ton OF the neighboring forest has
changed fruitful land into barren
wilderness. Trees afford protection
from the cold and noxious winds. The
early settlers in their small clearances
surrounded by bush, could raise better
melons IN the. open air than we could
under glass. They raised better crops
of every kind, the fertility of the sol
being equal. Where now are our level
winter roads? Gone with the bush.
storm is king. One million of dollars
would not compensate the Canadian
farmer for the damage done by drifts
on roads and wheat fields left bare Of
snow"
Mr.. Mech thinks very well of Ameri
can agriculture, and in recent letter
In which he takes occasion to compare
our practices with those of his English
co-laborers to the disadvantage of the
latter, he talks in this wise: "They are
wonderful, powerful, and rich people
Tor although only century old, they
outnumber us in population, and equa
us In wealth, with only half the amour
OF our national debt. Fortunately fo
them, they are not tied down by an,
ancient prejudices, but, as g. mixed anC
generally educated, and consequent,
intelligent people, they sought the hes
way OF doing things, regardless of pre-
Vlous or ancient customs.
Adding to the Fodder.s
There are many crops that may We
be sown which will add much to tn
supply of fodder in those districts il
which it has been SO greatly curtaile,
by the drouth. The Norfolk white tur
nip, the white globe, and other of tn
rapidly growing sorts may be sown sue
cessfully up to the 10th of August
Rape furnishes most excellent forag
crop, which may be cut and fed in til
yard, or may be pastured. For shee
and mich cows tits especially excellent
and will furnish good pickings unit
covered deeply with snow. White mus
tard is another valuable forage Gro
which may be sown now for fall feed
ing. This crop, however, should b
prevented from seeding, as it is grea
nuisance when once established in tn
soil. All these plants are much bene
flied by a light dressing of bone-fou
and plaster, and three or four acres wi