The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-08-02

cow than to save it for her." and we
wonder that all sensible farmers do not
heed his advice.
Fruits gathered in the afternoon are
less aerid than when gathered in the
morning, because fruits are ripened by
the conversion of the acid they contain
into the sugar, and, since it requires the
aid of light and heat, the intervening
hours between morning and afternoon
produce the difference in their ripeness.
AIR. Chas. Downing says that, as a
rule, no variety of apple can bear large
crops annually, except on rich, deep
soils, or where made so by enriching
materials annually and even then. he
thinks, at the expense of life or age of
the tree; that is, trees bearing large
crops annually, viii not live as long "a
trees bearing moderate crops annually.
or full crops alternate years.
There is nothing that will induce earlv
laying in pullets better, if as well, as to
be fed with raw bones pounded in pieces
of proper size. 1t strengthens them and
prevents leg weakness, which is often
seen in cockerels. But for chickens in
tended for exhibition we would rot
recommend its use, for it is conceded
that growth ceases when the pullets
commence to lsy. In these, bone dust
will be found to answer better, as it does
not have the same effect on their ten.
dency to lay.
The variable effects of plaster on diff
ferent lands are well known. Is not this
fact Of itself proof of the value of ex.
periments with commercial fertilizers 2
Why does plaster benefit se=-ee-r,,
not others? Isit because it fixes certain
gases OF the earth Is acid available
Suppose on one plot plaster is fused, on
another potash, on a third superphes-
phate, on a fourth potash and suPerPhos-
phate, on a fifth potash and plaster
does it not seem reasonable TO suppose
that the best yields will enlighton US az
to what manurial Ingredient is more
needed on the experimental field 7
There are 100000 beehives lin the
United States. Every hive yields, upon
an average, a little over twenty-five
pounds of honey. The average price at
which honey is sold IS twenty five cents
a pound. So that, after paying for their
own board, our bees present us with
revenue of over IS, 500, 900. To reckon
it another way, they MAKE clear gift Of
pure honey to every man, woman and
child in the vast realm of the United
States. In 1860 over %, 333, 1873 pounds
of wax were made and given to US by
these industrious workers. The keeping
of bees is one of the most profitable in
vestments that our people can make of
their money. The profits arising from
the sale of surplus honey average from
fifty to two hundred per cent. of the
capital invested.
If farmer does not know what special
fertilizer mis- land is deficient in, and
can not experiment, stable manure is the
safest and the cheapest for him. This
furnishes all the ingredients OF plant
food, though probably not in the guam
titles needed by his crops. This can
only be ascertained by experiment. In
very small plots, potash, nitrogen and /
phosphoric acid may be used separately, /
and the crop 50 treated which yields /
most answers the question what fertiliz-
ing ingredient the land most needs for I
that particular crop. An experiment |.
with potatoes may be made at a small /
expense and may lead to valuable knowl
edge. Plant one section and use only
old stable manure upon another sow a
small quantity of muriate of potash.
Fifteen or twenty pounds of this may
be purchased for fifty cents, which would
suffice for tenth of an acre. Compare
the result of the two crops.