The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-09-18
THE PRESS.
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
News and Notes,

John G. Talbot, Esq, at East Mac HAS
owns heifer three years old last February
of the short-horn Durham breed, full blood.
that commenced giving milk about the first
day of July; small quantity per day, until
now she yields about five quarts daily, The
animal is large and fleshy, good judg es think
that she would dress 1000 pounds. The
queer part Of it is the animal has never borne
a calf The milk has been churned and
affords as good quality of butter as any new
milch's COW.
1t is said Maine alone has raised potatoes
enough this year for the whole country.
Mr.. John Witham of South Paris this sea.
son harvests sixty-five bushels of oats to the
acre.
Many consider that ducks are more profit
able than hens for home use, taking into ae-
count the number and size of the eggs laid by
them. The solid matter and oil in ducks
egg exceeds that of hens egg by fully one
fourth.
Clover can be made to answer threefold
purpose; for pasture, for hay, and as fer
tilizer. In each capacity it is first class, and,
being easily grown, its use should become
universal.
California farmers are cultivating fig trees
for the sole purpose of raising and fattening
hogs. This fruit contains large quantities of
saccharine matter, hence is very fattening.
The fg tree, once well started, requires little
attention, bears several crops year and is
very prolific.
Cherry6eld, by estimate, will raise this year
1000 bushels of wheat. Cherryfield con-
sumes annually $500 barrels OF bour, requir-
six bushels to the barrel. If the farmers of
that town could raise $1,000 bushels of
wheat, they would save to the town about
10000. This amount Of money saved to the
people Of one town is of no small Importance.
1t has been calculated that an acre of hops
removes 129 pounds of nitrogen, which is
equal to that supplied by 1000 pounds OF
guano.
A. L. Fish Of Winfield, New York, aver
aged for several years from his cows product
of 300 pounds of cheese each, and during
one year fully 900 pounds. His dairy paid at
even the lowest price OF cheese.
Barn-yard manure must remain. for many
years at least, the backbone of profitable
farming; hence it should be guarded with
especial care. Manures should invariably be
under cover, and in absence of proper shell
ter they should be protected by thick coat
Of dry earth, road scrapings, or suds and
mould.
A new insect pest is announced. 1t is a
worm that eats the blossoms and fruit of the
cranberry. Its first appearance on Cape
Cod, where it is already regarded as a
destroyer of 5000 bushels of cranberries, and
is still at work. The insect has been
examined by Mr.. Taylor, Microscopic to the
Department of Agriculture. he finds that
1t can be extirpated by busting the plants
with mixture of crude napthaline and
flour.
1t must be gradually dawning on the
Maine farmer that it will be profitable for him
to raise wheat enough to supply his own fam.
lily at least with -four. Though the Western
wheat crop be ever so abundant -four has be.
come so general an article of food all over the
civilized world that a reduction of the wheat
crop elsewhere will Immediately send it up te
high figure. Owing to the Russo Turkish
war flour this summer has been the most ex.
pensive article offered in the market, and the
Maine farmer could have saved much money
had he planted few acres OF wheat veal
ago. The experience of the last six months
should teach him valuable lesson.