The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-10-05
AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

Delaware for the raising Of sugar beets
and manufacturing of sugar therefrom.
Anything which is likely to make the
"sweets Tin this life cheapand abundant
deserves support.
The time for husking-bees comes
soon. The husking-bee is a delightful
entertainment given by the farmers, and
is generally attended by eighteen young
men, who kiss each of the girls in the
house seven times, husk four ears of corn,
and 60 home as soon as they have dis
posed of what cider they can find.
IT is mistaken idea that pond or
stream is absolutely necessary to success
in raising ducks, for, although it is bene-
fetal, it is not necessity. Those who
have fondness for ducks can succeed with
them without bOuntiful supply fwater,
yet they will not thrive in confinement.
If one has only small yard he should
not keep more than pair or trio, but
a dozen or more can be kept with profit
if they have the range of a pasture OF
meadow.
EVERY bee-keeper is probably aware
of the fact that bees, in regions where
the common Eastwood or Linden tree
abounds, gather large quantities of the
finest honey from these flowers. Know
ing this, we often thought it strange that
farmers did not plant these trees more
abundantly for shade and ornament
about their grounds. Early autumn-sO
soon as the leaves are ripe or begin to
fall from the trees-is as good time as
onu tn fro, \, nj pt tbaao fraaa
FARMERS as class cannot be made to
believe that grass seed will succeed just
as we'll, and often great deal better, if
sown alone than with grain, in the usual
way. If the land is rich and the follow
ing season is favorable to the growth of
grass, then a good stand may usually be
obtained by sowing with grain; but if
droughts should occur the young, delicate
grass is likely to be smothered or to per-
ish for want of water. The grain among
which it is growing being SO much larger
and more vigorous will appropriate to
itself the bulk of the moisture and fer
tility of the soil.
In Australia there is wild plant
known as the Darling Pea Ga species of
Swansonia), which is very injurious to
sheep. II is said some sheep are very
fond of this plant, others do not touch it,
hence it is necessary to Gull out those ami
mails having a depraved taste, putting
them in pastures by themselves. In ex-
amining sheep that have died from eating
the poisoned pea the kidneys are found
in a very unhealthy state. Salt has
proved to be an excellent remedy as well
as preventive, the same as with many
of the affections which are common to
sheep in this country.
The head of the Department of Ag-
riculture is receiving some more severe
criticisms from the agricultural press,
and it is very worthy bestowed. In the
report for May and June an article upon
Cross-breeding of GRAIN" by the Com
is perfect jumble of nom
sense, and exhibits the grossest ignorance
Of practical botany. The following quo
tation from the essay is given especial
attention by the editor of the american
Agriculturist:
The leaf or flower which protrudes from
The glume of wheat is neither an anther, a
Dstil, nor stamen, and neither emits nor
receives the fertilizing pollen.
He says: "The .absurdity of this SEN
,ence may not be SO striking to the un-
reader, but it would be just as
sensible to say the cellar.door or gridiron
which protudes from the chimney of a
house is not bootjack, coffee-mill or
In andiron, and neither mends the cellar
stairs nor puts the baby to Sleep"
PROFESSOR RILEY, the entomologist,
1t recent housekeepers' convention in
st. Louis, stated that bees do not extract
honey ready made from flowers, but make
t. The nectar lying in the flowers, says
he professor, could never be manufac-
,ured into honey, no matter how manip-
llated by men; but it is taken up by the
bees and passed through state of semi
digestion and excretion, resulting in
honey, yet still retaining in part the
1avor or perfume of the flowers from
which the nectar has been extracted, by
which we determine one kind of honey
rom another. This view has since been
by chemist and botanist
If Louisiana, who described the changes
undergone by nectar in its elaboration
INTO honey in the bees stomach. AT the
same meeting Prof. Riley intimated, in
reply to the query. Do bees injure fruit ?
that they do, but only in seasons of
severe drought, and when urged by ne
cessity. The fact, however, is no deroga-
ton to the usefulness of the insect, for
It's utility as a pollenizer more than
all depredatiOns upon
fruit.