The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-02-15
FARM AND FIRESIDE.

the SOMEWHAT COmnOu CustOm VI pdStd1-
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 a cool
and shady place if he can find 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 un-
natural heat to the ibers, which is I'M
healthy, and if long persisted in the trees
will surely die. l spent the summer of
last year up in the Northern part of ILL
nois. There l noticed a great many or
chards of large trees that were spotted
over with dead trees. l 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 l am sure they
are right.
But turning hogs in the orchard at the
time fruit is falling is a benefit to the
orchard, because they destroy many in
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 a
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 A~grioulturist 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 a volunteer crop does not produce
smut. Such wheat, like any other, may
blast-that is, a 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 g~rowinggrain
is in blossom"
The author of the above paragraph
could never have read anything about
wheat culture before the introduction Of
threshing machines, else he must have
known that smut in wheat did not make
its appearance with the implements in
question.
The ancient Romans trampled out theil
| corn with muzzled oxen, and still theil
agricultural writers inform us that wheat
was soaked in the urine of animals tc
prevent smut; just as thousands OF far
mers of the present day soak it in brine
and for the same purpose. The salt il
the urine, or the salt dissolved in pure
water, acts not only as a stimulant anG
fertilizer, but at the same time destroy
the spores of the smut plant with which
it comes in contact.
Lime and blue-stone (sulphate of cop
peras) are of later introduction, and a
present more generally used for prevent
ing smut than salt.
The writer, however, of the article al
ready referred to, throws out some goot
hints to farmers in the following
81 have known farmers to sprinkl
wheat with a solution of sulphate o
copper and Immediately apply lime
This method will not prevent smut, be
aus the sulphuric acid unites with tn
lime Immediately, forming sulphate 0
lime (plaster of Paris), leaving the COZ
per in a metallic state, and the las
chemical arrangement renders the Who'll
inert. Lime may be used in the follow
ing name Pour the wheat into
trough, sprinkle, and stir till well wet
add lime, and stir well. If properl
done, the lime adheres to the grain lik
plastering. Lime applied in this wa
not only prevents smut, but also stint
lates the young plants. The dust fror
) lime in sowing is very offensive to tn
t eyes, nose, and mouth, for which reaso
most farmers use bluestone, my metho
of using which is as follows: Dissoly
three pounds of bluestone in a woode
, bucket, using hot water. Put fifty I
sixty gallons of water in a trough an
pour in the solution. Take sacks
wheat and divide them into otht
sacks, to make them convenient to hal
die. Immerse them in the trough fl
9 three or four minutes; then lift them Q
, a platform where they will drain in
the trough. Add bluestone and wat,
: from time to time, so as to use four
six pounds of bluestone to each ton
wheat.
\ "The cracking of wheat by threshir
r machines can and should be avoided.
f the cylinder and concave teeth are a
: justed so as to pass at a proper distanc
and the grate-bars made smooth and fir
from sharp angles, and the speed Ike,
down so that the grain is not hurled,
e if shot from a gun, against the grate-bal
the grain would come out in perfect CO
dition for seed. Unfortunately, stea
supplies the power, and job-work tt
temptation, to make one.twelfth of Il
crop unfit for that purpose"
!, Household Helps.
a CHICKEN LIVER JELLY.-Boil Il
, liver, hearts and gizzards of fowl tt
) tender, the unlaid eggs of the same tt