Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1878-11-28
HOUSE AND FARM
Agracultural Notes.

49,
AgracuItural Notes.
PrOpaqating Plants By Cutting = The
season is approaching when this mode OF
increase is practiced by those wishing to
do so. The class of plants capable OF In
crease by cutting is very large, including
among trees. eatalpa, mulberrv, cotton
wood, lombardy poplar, and many others,
as we'll ar culrants, gooseberries, grapes,
blackberry roots, ounces, and frequently
apples and pears, as well as roses. wiege-
lea roses. snow ball or viburnum, and
many of the ornamental plants. By far
the best mode of doing this is to take OF
the cuttings in fall, and bury all winter
in dr., place in the ground. An ac-
auaintance takes off currant cuttings very
early; as soon as the leaves drop in Au-
gust or September. buries them, and
plants out next spring. He claims that
they then grow better than if ses out with
weli-formed roots-T., IN Prairie Farmer
To Produce Heagy, Fine and White
Flesh Poultry.-We translate the follow
ing from late German paper: use for
their feed only -four of fresh grain and
mix the paste with salt water e 1-2) ozs.
of salt to 3-4 pints of water). Mix with
the paste a small quantity of rough sand
to assist digestion; feed your poultry at
least twelve hours before you intend to
kill. Poultry if killed during the pro-
gresss of digestion, will keep. at the
most, only eight days. Don't be in
hurry about pulling the feathers; if they
are pulled before the blood is curdled,
the duct on the end of the feather will
fill itself with blood and the skin will
consequently look stained. By observ-
ing this rule, poultry will keep, even in
moderately mild weather, from two to
three weeks, and a great deal longer In
cold weather; the keeping quality OF the
meat may be increased vet more by fill
ing the inside with small pieces of char
oal."-Rural Neao Yorker.
The Food Of the Robin.-Lieut. Lyle, of
the United States Army, has made some
interesting observations on the food Of
the Robin. He details In the american
Naturalist the experience in feeding
young birds and testing their decided
preference for beetles and other insects,
showing that they ate seeds only when
there was lack of insects, and that for
every cherry or grape they ate they de-
stroyed thousands of Injurious insects.
In the Springfield armory grounds twenty
three pairs OF robins were known to be
nesting in one mouth. 1t was estimated
| that. as one young robin was found TO be
capable OF eating seventy-two large bee
ties in one day, it is not unreasonable to
assume that each bird would destroy at
| lest one hundred insects per oay, taking
| them as they come small or large.
| Hence the forty six birds known to be
fed on these grounds and vicinity would
| require 4 600 insects each day, or in
thirty days they would dispatch $4,000
| insects.
Reasons for FruitfutneSs.-The Gard.
ner,s Monthly gives the following as the
philosophy of fruitful strawberry Every
one knows that some strawberries bear
more abundantly than others; but few
could give any intelligent reason why.
The leading reason is, the capacity of
plant to stool or make crowns. When a
tall strawberry plant goes to rest III the
| the fall, il generarly seems content with
one good terminal eye; but some varie-
| ties will make half q dozen or more.
These multiplied eyes seldom make good,
| strong stalks, throwing the fruit we'll up
rom the ground, but having generally
a number of smaller ones. The Crescent
SEEMS ONO of this class, IS we judge by a
plant sent u.s.. 1t is last years plant.
| 1t had ten of these sub-crowns of II, and
the first crop was In proportion. This is
why it is such an abundant bearer. OF
course, the reason Why these crowns are
so multiplied is another question; but
we generally have to go down good
many steps to get to the bottom Of the
we'll in which truth lies. 1t is a gain
when we have successfully made one.
Culture of Orchard Trees.-Mr. T. T.
Lyon, q well known and an excellent
Western fruit grower, and who was one of
| the genealogical judges at the Centennial,
gives some good advice in the Rurdt Ne,s
Yorker on the management of orchards
during the summer. He shows how the
| common recommendation of mulchlng
orchard trees du,ing the summer can not
be so good a. stirring the surface soil, and
we quite agree with him. We have al
ways regarded ''mulchiug" orchards on
any very extensive plan, as imprscticable,
and never saw any large orchards so
treated. On these large plans we regard
the choice to be, first, between giving up
the ground wholly to the trees and keep
ing the surface stirred by the cultivator.
in order to pulverizs the soil and keep
down weeds. Secondly, p!oughing mp
and growing vegetables, fruits or grain
among the trees. Thirdly, cultivating
grass in the orchard for hay, or pssturing
it with hogs or cattle. Mulching for
large orchards, we regrad as one of the
things out of all calculation in profitable
fruit-groWipp --(9ardaner,s Hoafblu