The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-04-15
FAoTs PROM AL soURoEs.



tain of this. watched the bee very
closely for several years before I could
tell whether iG did any damage or not
but one season, a very dry one, saw
two acres of Herbemont grapes nearly
ruined by them. 1 think it is only on
exceptional seasons that it does any
damage. I would not recommend poi
soning them, but think persons living
on small plot of ground ought not to
keep them IN sufficient numbers to an
noy their neighbOrs at times when bee
forage is scarce. On the whole. [ con.
slider the bee more of friend than an
enemy"
WHY POTATOES RUN OUT so SOON.
A Steuben county, New York, farmer
is reported as saying Some one asks
Why 1T IS that potatoes so soon run out.
There are two grand reasons. There
are but few potatoes in a hill that are
ut for seed. Some are overgrown.
coarse, rank, and viii not transmit the
original quality. Others are under
grown, and not fully developed seed.
potato of medium size, perfect IN all
its parts, with change of ground, will
produce its like, Gd i,lti7litalaa. One
other reason, cutting potatoes between
stem and seed end Continually will de
mOrallze the institution. It requires
the stem and seed to make perfect
seed. If cut, cut lengthwise. Single
eyes viii run out any potato. There is
no other seed that viii bear mutilation
like the potato; the only wonder is, that
it does not run out completely.
A wEED-PULLER.
You may laugh at the sight of MALE.
able IRON nlppers with long handles for
wa DR. 81,
tural stores, but the idea is only novel
to the untraveied. In stPars5n. Pen
and Pencil, journal of an excursion
in France. by an English CLERGYMAN of
good agricultural instincts, published
IN London IN 1910, is pictured French
tool used for nearly the same purpose.
and called thistle-puller. It is made
OF wood, and looks very much like q
PAIR OF blacksmith's tongs. The han
dies are something more than four feet
long. About i've or six old women"
says the author, armed with this in
strument, can clear foul acre in an
incredibly short space of time, and
with hardly more bending of the body
than housemaid displays when sweep
ing carpet.
IHE Japanese persimmon is being in
troduced into California. Gen. Capron.
formerly commissioner of agricuiture'
and since for several years residing in
Japan, states that "the persimmon is
the best of all the native fruits of that
country, and well worthy of introduce.
ton into California" The tree is de-
scribed as finely shaped, having rich,
dark green foliage, and is an ornament
anywhere. 1t comes into bearing from
seed IN Japan IN from six to eight years.
HANDLING WET SOIL.
On this subject the California Agri-
culturist says Better not do it. be-
cause it is an injury to it-an injury
that years of careful culture cannot
remedy. Heavy soil, once puddled and
packed when wet, remains so for a long
time. Every step the horses take on
wet soil puddles it. The pillow turns it
over without pulverizing it, and leaves
stiff glaze on the burrows. Better be
idle few days, or even SOW the grain
without plow1ng, and scratch in when
the surface dries of, than ruin or Sc
rlousIy lnjure the soil by puddle-plow-
ing. This way that many farmers have
of rushing through when thew get
started, rain or shine, mud or mellow.
regardless of consequences, is not &C.
cording to the dictates of common
sense, and is not profitable either.
Better pay your hired man to let it
alone, than to pillow the soil when too
wet.
ROOTS OF ALFALFA.
A California correspondent sends the
Country Gentleman the following de-
scrlption of an alfalfa root washed out
IN Sacramento county, by the late
freshet: 1.-THE seed from which 1t
grew was sown four years ago. The
main root was two inches in diameter,
and extended about three feet into the
soil before branching. At this depth it
divided, sending down a pair of tap
roots to the depth of seven or eight
feet each an inch or more in diameter.
upon which were numerous branches
extending out in every direction, The
crown of the plant threw oul a large
number of stalks, and would cover
from four to six square feet of surface
when IN full growth. The field con
taIns sixty acres of grass, of which this
Is fair sample. There were cut from
1t last summer, five crops of hay"
POTATOES IN ENGLAND.
The Horticulturist states that it is
not true, as popularity supposed, that
the potato was first brought into Eng
land by Sir Walter Raleigh, John
Hawkins first introduced iE in 1865:
next Walter Raleigh, in 1884; finally,
Admiral Drake, in 1886, in England
sent some to friend to plant. with the
remark that the fruit was excellent and
nutritious, SO that it would be very
useful in Europe his friend planted
the tu6ers, and they grew nicely, but
when the seed-balls were ripe, he took
these instead Of the tubers, and fried
them in butter, and sprinkling sugar
and cinnamon over them, placed them
before some company as a great rarity.
Of course these balls tasted disgust
mgly, and the assembly concluded that
IL fruit would not ripen in Europe.
The gardener pulled up the plants and
burned them but a gentleman who
CHANGED 10 be present stepped on one
OF the baked potatoes as it lay in the
ashes, when it broke open, and he
noticed that it was white as snow, and
mealy, and had such an agreeable smell
that he tasted it and found it very pal
atable. The new vegetable was thus
rescued but for a century after il was
only cultivated in his garden, and in
1000 the queen of England made q re-
mark In her house book that a pound
of potatoes cost two shillings.
DOGS in Massachusetts are annuity
taxed to meet damages suffered BY
farmers in their flocks by sheep. killing
CANNES. Male dogs are taxed two dol |
lars each, and females five dollars each. |
When the ownership of sheep killing
dogs can be traced, the damages come !
therefrom but when this cannot be
done, the damage is paid out of the
fund provided by the tax.
COMMISSIONERS Watts, of the national
department of agriculture, declined an |
application by a Tennessee grange for !
seeds, stating that g the rules of the |
department prohibit the employment Of |
any secret society for the purpose of |
distribution.
AT an international agricultural ex-
hibition in Bremen was a collection |
representing the adulteration of seeds. !
1t contained a sample of sand carefully |
washed, colored and put in the best |
manner, for sale as clover seed, under |
which name it brought 81 cents pound. |
s. T. KELSEY, forester of the A. T. |
& s. F. railroad, says the chinch bug
never feeds on fax, and that it has |