The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-11-10

bly, modify this estimate. Among the
greater corn producing States, lowest in
condition, are Kansas, 81 Missouri, SO I;
Tennessee,70 lllinois,7S Michigan,S4 (;
Wisconsin, 50 Kentucky, S. The high.
est among these States are Indiana, l02 ;
Ohio, 80 Pennsylvania. 81 ; Iowa, 96 ;
Texas, 95; New York, 80. All of the
above States reported in July, an increase
in acreage, except Kentucky. 81 Tea
nessee, SO, and New York. 100 Texas
reported an increase of l6 per cent. ;
Kansas, II Missouri. 10; Iowa, 9 In.
diana, 8 ; Illinois, 4 Ohio, . Ranging
highest 10 average condition among the
States producing less amount, are Cali.
fornia. 100; South Carolina, 1913 Rhode
Island and Connecticut, LOG Minnesota
104; Georgia. 1903; North Carolina and
Florida, l02. Lowest, Arkansas. SO ;
Nebraska, 63 New Jersey and Louisi.
ana, 60; Maine, IS; Delaware, So Yer.
mont, and Maryland, SO. Between these
extremes are Oregon, 100; New Ilamp
shire, 96; Virginia, 90; West Virginia,
95; Alabama, 81; Mississippi 80; aud
Massachusetts, SO.
POTATOES.
The only States which report the aver.
age condition above an annual average
are Maine l0l, aud Florida 1l9; Rhode
Island returns 100 all other States fall
below, ranging from % in Wisconsin
down to 90 in Kansas, Among the States
which produce potatoes on large scale,
the returns of condition for October l,
this year and last, respectively, averaged
in New York OF aud 107 Pennsylvania,
81 and 100; Ohio, 81 and SO; Michigan
81 and 80 Indiana. IS and 81 Illinois,
II and SO 4; Iowa, 81 and 81 Missouri.
IS and 81; Maine, l0l and 90; New
Hampshire, 81 and 90; Vermont, "a and
10S; New Jersey, Sc and 101, Lowest
in condition, next to Kansas, are Nebras.
ka. AZ; Arkansas. 46 Kentucky, 81 /;
Mississippi, 81 (; Maryland and Tennessee
So; West Virginia, 60 The average
condition for the whole country is So,
against 80 one year ago. The acreage
reported in July was about 2 per cent.
greater than 10 1873. These figures in.
dictate that the crop will fall somewhat
below that Of 1873, though no definite es.
timato can be made before the November
returns, which report actual production
compared with the previous year
ANTIDoTE FOR SMUT IN wnEAT.--Sono.
ma, CAL: We have neither rust nor
smut in any of our whest.ields. | beg
leave respectfully to differ from the ad.
vice given on page 467 ofthe monthly re.
port of the Department for November
and December. 1871, wherein farmers
are advised to discard ell idea Of mix.
ing Ingredients with it seed. wheat to
destroy smut" This question has been
SO well and thoroughly tested in our State
as to be no longer even matter of doubt.
All our seed.wheat is soaked from eight
to twelve hours in solution of bluestone,
(sulphatc Of "copper" in the proportion Of
six ounces to every 100 pounds Of wheat.
Smut being fungoid growth, resulting
from diseased grains, the germ or vital.
ty of these deceased grain is killed by the
solution of vitriol, and thus prevented
from growing and communicating the sound
grains. A farmer here would be thought
crazy were he to SOW his wheat without
subjecting it to the above process.
PRESERVING GRAPEs.-A French viii.
culturist has lately published a process by
which hD has preserved the freshness,
beauty, and scent of grapes as late as the
month of April. The fruit is left upon
the vino up to the last moment, hut must
be cut before the FIRST frost, at the second
or third joint below the cluster. The
cut end is then covered with wax to pre-.
vent the escape OF vegetable fluids, and
then thrust into bottle of water through
perforated cork. A little charcoal in
the water preserves its purity. The cork
is then covered with sealing wax, air
tight, and the bottles placed in dry
room, where the temperature never falls
below the freezing.point, and carefully
kept in an erect position, the clusters not
being allowed TO touch each other. Ev.
cry imperfect grape must be removed as
fast as it shows signs of failing
ANeyhany, Md. - For years my pear
trees we're blighted with prevalent dis.
ease. l planted them twenty Yeas ago,
but they never matured pear. 10 the
spring of 1873 ] commenced using soap.
suds around the roots, aud last fall had
some pears. then mulched the ground
around the trees with manure, and this
spring scattered peck Of ashes around
each tree, again using soap.suds, This
summer and fall, oil my trees bear full
crops of sound fruit.
FALSE AGRICULTURAL pHILosoPnY.-Th
partial failure of the wheat crop for three
seasons in England has caused English
faSmers to suppose that the sand has be.
come "sick" Of smal.grain culture. and
that it needs the rest off long iallow to
recuperatc. The Mark Lane Express
thinks that the failures Of the past three
years are largely due to improyident cu
ture. and especially to the lack of iertili-
cation The tiue yield Of 1874 is cited
as sufficiently explosive Of the old idea Of
sickness Of the land" an agricultural SUI
perstition dating back to the commence.
ment Of the Christian era Coumella. a
Roman writer of the irat century, wrote
against the croakers OF that day, who tor.
mented themselves and the public with
this absurd chimera. lie charged the
failure Of crops upon the slothiulness and
ignorance of cultivators. 1t ia astonishing
how old errors constantly reproduce
themselves In spite Of the advance OF
science and the diffusion of intelligence,
men who have opportunities Of knowing
better surrender themselves TO childish
delusions, and grayely PROFOUND the most
fanciful hypothesis to account for facts
they do not understand In the present
case, however, the truth lies near the sur.
face. Common sense shows sufficient
cause for the late crop.iailures in the in.
competence or listlessness Of farmers