The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-03-22
FARM AND FIRESIDE.

FARM AND PRESIDE.
Hoes IN ORCHARDs.-An observing
farmer, who lives in Kansas, condemns
the somewhat common custom of pastar-
ing hogs in the orchard, because he says
they will invariably kill the trees if kept
in the orchard long, and especially in hot
weather, for the hog must have cool
and shady place il he can End it. When
the sun begins to shine, therefore, he
will resort to the shade of the trees and
root up the cool earth around the roots
to make his bed, which gives an I'M
natural heat to the fibers, which is I'M
healthy, and If long persisted in the trees
will surely die. spent the summer of
last year up in the northern part Of ILL
nois. There l noticed great many Or
chards of large trees that were spotted
over with dead trees. asked some OF
the owners what was the cause OF the
trees dying, and the reply was, my
hogs killed them," and from my own ex-
perience and observation am sure they
are right.
But turning hogs in the orchard at the
time fruit is falling is benefit to the
sects that inhabit the falling fruit. But
turn the hogs out when the fruit season
is over and you will have healthy trees,
for when an orchard has been planted
and properly tended until it gets
healthy start, and is then seeded down
to some good grass, that will enliven the
ground most and not disturb the roots of
your trees, for they never have any more
roots than they need to keep them
healthy.
SMUT IN WHEAT.-A correspondent
of the California Agrioulturist claims that
the cause or origin of smut in wheat is
cracked grains, which have just vitality
enough to terminate and grow, but not
enough to mature the grain. Very few
scientists or scientific farmers, we think,
agree with him on this point; for it will
require very little observation and but a
few experiments to show that the theory
has no facts for its support. He also
says:
"Wheat threshed on the ground by
the tramping of horses, and sOwn with
out the application of any preparation
| for it, does not produce smut. Wheat
that falls to the ground in the field and
makes volunteer crop does not produce
smut. Such wheat, like any other, may
blast-that is, black substance is found
in the place of the grain, which blows
away before harvest; but the real smut
remains in its sack till after threshing.
Probably the cause of blasting is high
winds during the time the growing grain
is in blossom"
The author of the above paragraph
could never have read anything about
wheat culture before the introduction of
threshipg machines, else he must have
known that smut in wheat did not make
it's appearance with the implements in
question.
The ancient Romans trampled out their
corn with muzzled oxen, and still their
agricultural writers inform us that wheat
was soaked in the urine of animals to
prevent smut; just as thousands OF far
mers of the present day soak it in brine,
and for the same purpose. The salt in
the urire, or the salt dissolved in pure
water, acts not only as stimulant and
fertilizer, but at the same time destroys
the spores of the smut plant with which
it comes in contact.
|
peras) are of later introduction, and at
present more generally used for prevent
ing smut than salt.
The writer, however, of the article al
ready referred to, throws out some good
hints to farmers in the following
81 have known farmers to sprinkle
wheat with a solution of sulphate OF
copper and Immediately apply lime.
This method will not prevent smut, be-
cause the sulphuric acid unites with the
lime Immediately, forming sulphate of
lime (plaster of Paris), leaving the cop
per in a metallic state, and the last
chemical arrangement renders the whole
inert. Lime may be used in the follow
ing manner: Pour the wheat into a
trough, sprinkle, and stir till well wet
add lime, and stir well. If properly
done, the lime adheres to the grain like
plastering. Lime applied in this way
not only prevents smut, but also stimu-
lates the young plants. The dust from
lime in sowing is very offensive to the
eyes, nose, and mouth, for which reason
most farmers use bluestone, my method
of using which is as follows: Dissolve
three pounds of bluestone in a wooden
bucket, using hot water. Put fifty tC
sixty gallons of water in a trough and
pour in the solution. Take sacks Of
wheat and divide them into othel
sacks, to make them convenient to han
die. immense them in the trough fol
three or four minutes; then lift them OF
platform where they will drain intt
the trough. Add bluestone and waite
from time to time, so as to use four t.
six pounds of bluestone to each ton o
wheat.
"The cracking of wheat by threshin,
machines can and should be avoided. l
the cylinder and concave teeth are ad
justed so as to pass at proper distance
and the CRATE. bars made smooth and FREE
from sharp angles, and the speed KEEP
down 80 that the grain is not hurled, al
if shot from gun, against the grate-bars
the grain would come out in perfect con
ditiOn for seed. Unfortunately, steam
supplies the power, and job-work thu
temptation, to make one.twelfth of the
crop unfit for that purpose"
Household Helps.
CHICKEN LIVER JELLY.-BOil the