Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-11-08
NOTES.


The first State fair of Florida will be held
at Gainesville, Feb. 1921, 1879
The Colorado potato beetle devastated some
fields in Ssuwalki district Poland, this year.
During the last four years the farming iu-
terest has extended itself over %, 2SG, 900
acres of land in the United States This is
indicative of genuine national prosperity.
The success of the large number of fairs
this season in Georgia leads to the conclusion
that the prosperous times so long looked for
in that State have arrived.
Canadian farmers are sending samples of
vegetables to forthcoming fairs in England.
A farmer near Toronto sends one beet that
weighs G3 pounds and four others which
weigh in the aggregate i27 pounds.
The chief industry Of the Argentine Re
public is wool growing, and the numb,r Of
sheep in the country is estimated at 10000,
600. Large shipments of mutton are also
made to England, and the Argentnans say
they can supply 1l,0O0, 900 sheep year.
A tree resembling the cedar. but with To-
liage so full of combustible oil that it goes of
like flash ON application of u match, is ore
of the wonders Of Nevada Within five MINI
utes n beautiful green tree, with spreading
branches, is changed into q chnrred and black
eued trunk.
Tree planting has become popular in Cali
fornia and is rapidly increasing Tho en-
calyptus is the favorite. 1t is easily grown,
is an evergreen and has the recommendation
of keeping its foliage frecr from dust than
any other variety On the dustiest roads tic
leaves of this tree look as if they had Just
been washed by a shower.
In order to keep their butter over the pc
riod of low prices and hot weather Calilor-
MIA darymen simply seal up their products in
tin cans, sinking them to the bottom of cold
streams. Butter made in April comes ont in
October in good order, and continues to keep
fresh in the cool weather of winter. Forty
pound cans are commonly used.
Many mechanics have been sorrly tried,
when pouring lead around damp or wet
joint to have it explode blow out or scatter
from the effects of steam generated 10y the
lead. The whole trouble may be stopped by
putting piece Of rosin the size Of the end of
a mans thumb into the ladle, and allowing
it to melt before pouring.
Notwithstanding the almost lmtless sup
ply of fish in most parts of Japan the ma
tives are SO reckless in their capture that the
number is decreasing rapidly, and the papers
are calling for measures to counteract the
loss The American process of artificial fish
Matching is suggested and may be adopted be-
fore long.
A British bee-keeper lays it down as a rule
that if the honey makers are seen flying in
and out of the hive on rainy or damp days in
autumn, it is a sign that they are in a starv-
ing condition, and the proper thing is to feed
them with syrup made by boiling three
pounds of lump sugar in two pounds Of wa
ter"
The cultivation of the castor-bean has at
tanned considerable dimensions in this coun-
try of late years, though it was originally II
native of Asia. 1t is extensively raised in
Southern Illinois, st. Clair county alone yield
ing about 800, 600 gallons of oil annually.
The Illinois oil is said to be fully equal TO that
produced in the Levant Spain, Brazil or the
West Indies, and is steadily improving in
quality.
A Texas railroad has been exhibiting speci-
mems of the products of the country through
which its line passes the collection including
100 varieties of peaches, some weighing from
ten to fourteen ounces seventy five varieties
of apples ripening all the way from the mid
die of May to Christmas time; clusters OF
grapes fourteen inches long, and over hun
dred different kinds of valuable wood
Tree stumps, says tn Prairie Farmer, are
easily removed by boring two-iuch hole
eighteen inches deep into the stump. Fill
with Il concentrated solution of saltpctra. and
| have permeated every part. Tim fill the hole
with kerosene, set on fire, and the whole
stump, it is .Hd, will be consumed, even to
| the roots. 1t would seem to be feasible and
| it is certainly an easy way to get rid OF
stumps. The ashes will remain to fcrtilize
the soil
The Mexicans have n way of subduing frac-
| tious horses and such RS are inclined to run
away, which might be introduced here with
| profit. A hood or winkcr is 80 arranged that
the driver or rider can in an instant draw il
| directly over the eyes Of the animal. eiTectual
! ly blindfolding him. When this is done tn,
| horse instantly becomes quiet and rcpcti,
ton of the bhndfolding two or three time,
| generally results in their becoming docile auc
quiet. Such m app-ndage should b. appli,C
to the head gear of such horses as are dispos
| ed to run away.
Some Euglishmen in India have tried the
experiment of Telling trees by electricity
| The two ends Of the copper wire Of 4 galyan
lie battery were connected with platinum wire
which of course instantly became red hot
and while in that state was gently seesawc,
across the trunk Of the tree. As it happened
the thickest platinum wire they could Obtain
was only the thickness of crochet cotton
which was burnt up so fast that only one
third of the tree wa, sawed before the supply
iment was demonstrated. by this process
tree that it would take two hours to fell
would be brought 10 the ground in ffteel
minutes.
An indication of the importance OF the os
trich farming industry in South Africa is fur
nished by some prices recently paid for tn
birds at public sale. Twenty pairs OF breed
ing ostriches realized on an average $1,000
pair, the finest couple realizing Sl42j.
was an easy matter, few years ago to pro
cure for museums all the ostrichts and egg
desired at merely nominal price, but nov
even the Geological Society in London doe
not POSSESS an African bird. At recent sal
of ostrich feathers in South Africa, pickle,
lot sold for $40 pound, or about 50. -
feather. In 1850 the amount Of ostrich feath
ers exported from the Cape of Good Hop
was 2297 pounds, valued at 500, 3O5; III 1871
some G0,00O pounds were exported, wort
81, 1867, 030.