Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-07-29
AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

A Florida paper says that during the
recent dry weather in Mqnatee county the
lower Miaka Lake dried up all but one
hole in the middle thing never known
beforc-which was quite deep, and the
only place in the region where cattle could
obtain water. This hole was full of ALI
gators, and as the stock men feared their
depredations on the cattle, number Of
them went there one day and killed 723
alhgators, from TO IA feet in length.
A successful manager uses the fol-
lowing to destroy the rose slug: Add to
a pail of water half pint OF soft soap
and four ounces of white hellebore.-
Throw it on the under side of the leaves
every morning with a garden syringe.
Watch for the insects in June and in Au-
gust. The soap assists in the adhesion
Of the mixture 10 the leaves, and as the
insects work on the under side, the syringe
applies it where wanted. This mixture
does not injure the plants.
A man of experience says: "tor
the last five years have not lost cucum-
Der or melon vine or cabbage plant. Get
barrel with few gallons Of gas-tar IN
It; pour water on the tar; always have
it ready when needed; and when the bugs
appear give them a liberal drink Of the
tar-water from a garden sprinkler or 9TH
erwiSe. and if the rain washes it off and
they return. repeat the dose. II viii also
destroy the Colorado potato beetle, and
frighten the old long potato bug worse
than threshing with a brush.
The burdock is biennial and pro
duceS seed the second summer, after which
the plant dies. Allow them to make a
full growth, getting nearly ripe; then
cut. gather together before the seed is dry
enough TO shell out in handling, and burn.
Ii cut before fully developed, cheated
nature per>istendy exerts herself in the
reproduction Of burdockS, throwing out
shoots as often as destroyed, and well set
with seeds until frost ends the struggle /;
whereas if allowed TO mature the first crop
they die easily. This plan, if followed
two years, viii leave but few plants.
About the first days of June potato
bugs invaded StanStead and Magog, p.
e., in immense swarns, coming from the
west and flying not very high in the air
towards the east, fight upon flight, rank
upon rank, extending apparently in line
the entire length of Lake Memphrema-
COG, which they had TO cross in order to
keep, as it is said they do, straightfor-
ward course eastward. The noise of their
wings was plainly heard, ike the sound
of bees swarming, and they were in such
numbers that they darkened the air Vast
numbers fell into the lake and were
drowned.
The warm weather viii hatch out
hen lice in swarms, particularly if the
winter quarters have not been very clean.
Take a day and attend thoroughly to
your hen house. If YOU are 100 busy to
attend to it yourself, hire il done; it will
paw. Whitewash every board, roost and
nest thoroughly. 1t need not be done by
a scientific kalSominer. A boy of twelve,
with an old whitewash brush, can do the
work well enough if he have plenty of
lime to throw around. Put earbolic acid
in the Stacked lime, brush the perches
with kerosene, sprinkle plenty Of sulphur
over the clean straw that you have put in
the nests, and YOU will lose fewer fowls
with "cholera" during the hot weather.
William T. Birch, rancher near
Redwood, Cal, discovered curious plant
in his oat field few days ago. The main
stalk, which stood several feet high, was
round and reedy, precisely like that OF
corn. At intervals it sent out the pecul-
lar long, narrow blades of the corn plant,
the only difference being that the leaves
of this plant had no stamen or backbone
like corn blades. At the juncture OF the
stalk with the leaves, where the fruit
appears, instead of an ear Of corn there
was a large bunch of Perfectly-tormed
oats. Altogether it was the most Slngu-
lar freak of nature found in grain fol
many years, and he has presented it tc