The weekly Shasta courier. [volume] (Shasta, Calif.) 1872-190?, 1873-06-28
FARM AND GARDEN.

Ben Public:
An agriculturist has discovered, it is
said, the means of preserving the grape
vine from its most dangerous enemy,
the phylloxera, sort of vine fretter or
vine grub. 1t seems by mixing SCOT
with the earth around the roots of the
vine, the insect is paralyzed and is
killed.
Secondly, discovery curious enough
has been made recently.
An agriculturist has observed that by
watering vegetables and fruit trees with
solution of sulphate of iron, the most
astonishing results are obtained.
Beans have gained sixty per cent. on
their ordinary size, and, what is better,
their taste is much more sarorous.
Among fruit trees, the pear tree is most
benefited by this process of watering.
Third, the Revue dEconomie Rurale
announces that new process of early
vegetation has been tried, with the
greatest success, by horticulturist of
Chatillon, France, who, besides the
heating of the interior air in the green
house (hot house,, heats also the earth
itself, the hot bed on which the plants
grow.
For this, he establishes at certain
depth pipes through which steam cir
culates constantly. The steam pene-
trates the interior of the earth by means
of valves opening from place to place.
Such pipes are from five to ten CEN
timetres two to four inches) in depth,
by the side of the plant beds of straw
berries, flowers and "graminees from
fifteen to twenty centimetres (six to
eight inches) for fruit trees.
The earth thus artifcially heated,
produces vegetables and fruit with an
economy of half the time necessary
when the interior of the greenhouse
only is heated.
Thus every one could see at this ag-
riculturist's, early in April, strawberries
that had blossomed, formed their fruits
and ripened in fifteen days violets that
had developed their flowers in ten days;
asparagus and artichokes which have
been grown and been gathered in thirty
five days.
Finally, within only forty-five days
dwarf cherry trees have budded, bios
somed and brought forth fruits in per-
feet state of ripeness.
This wonderful process of early vege-
tation is new as to its application to
gardening. But it is taken from nature.
1t is well known that in several thermal
stations, and especially at AK, in
France, the gardens which are near or
above the thermal fountains, produce
early fruits and vegetables (primeurs)
in winter-the earth being heated by
water steam, the heat of which rises to
eighty degrees Centigrade.-Maryland
Farmer.
NEWLY SET TREES. - We offer
few suggestions to those who may have
setyoung trees last autumn or this spring,
not as new, but because the necessary
care is apt to be overlooked or forgot
ten. There is a critical period late in
spring or early in summer, when trees
often suffer severely and sometimes
fatally, for want of little timely at
tention.
Trees set out last autumn are some
times seriously injured by winds, which
sway about the stem and form a hole
in the earth by this motion. The air
enters, comes in contact with the roots,
and such trees frequently die. The
remedy consists in throwing the earth
away from the tree, applying fresh,
mellow earth, pressing it down firmly
enough to protect the young tree from
the wind. Sometimes it may be neces-
sary to throw up a mound of earth as
an additional protection for few weeks
until it becomes established. Where
the roots have been cut short in taking
up, it may be necessary to secure the
stem by means of an inclined stake,
but stalking is always to be avoided if
possible. AS general rule, liable to
exceptions, trees should never be so
large when removed as to require stalk
ing; and if the roots have been carefully
taken up and well spread out in trans
planting, they will stand more securely.
Sometimes'it happens that tree hav-
ing large top has retained small set
of roots, in which case the head must
be freely cut back so as to render it
lighter, and to equalize top and roots.
But if the buds have already started, or
are partly expanded, the cutting back
must be omitted, as nothing checks
newly set tree more tnan pruning too
late in spring -Country Gentleman.
SALT FOR CATTLE.-One thing cattle
need they do not get, is plenty of salt
they ought to have some every day, but
| fear many do not get it once month.
Our plan of feeding is to give from four
to five quarts of corn meal, or corn and
oats ground together (the finer the bet
ter), well sailed the first thing in the
morning; the roots, after which the
cattle are turned into the yard, where
they have feed of straw and stalks to
work at, and plenty of water to drink.
At night, they get what good hay they
will eat. They keep in first rate order
on this. Last summer we fed four
quarts corn meal right through the sum-
mer to our cows, each morning, and
they looked well through the season, but
they were none too fat. 1t is something
we never did before, but l think it paid
we'll in the extra quantity, and also in
the quality of the butter. Try it one