Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-04-30
AGRICULTURE.

HYBRIDIzING WHEAT Another
maxim which farmers generally ac-
cept as ali axiom is, that by sowing
wheats of different qualities together,
they will 80 hybridize as TO produce a
mixed breed; while even little Obser-
vation would teach them the error of
this conclusion, and that each gram
produces its own like, and that really
no hybridization takes place at all, and
that the mixture of seed produce the
unmitigated evil of mixing wheats
which perhaps ripen at different pc
riods, or perhaps require different treat
ment when they come to be reduced to
flour. 4 little study of the nature of
plants would seem to be necessary TO a
knowledge Of their proper treatment
during their growth. OF the flowers
of plants some are male and some fe-
MAZE. In some the staminate and pis-
tillate flowers occupy different parts of
the same plants, as IN Indian corn. In
the larger number OF plants the male
and female organs mature at the same
time in the same flower: and of these
some are subject to Standardization
and others TO cross-fertiliZatiOn. Such
plants as Peas, Beans, Wheat, and Bar
ley have the male and female organs
within themselves, and are not subject
to cross-fertiliZatiOn, and therefore it
is that wheats do not mix their quail
ties at all by being planted together; /;
and as it is Objectionable for other reas-
ons. it should never be done. The leaf
or flower which prOtrudes from the
glume of wheat Is neither an anther, a
pistil, nor a stamen, and neither emits
nor receives the fertilizing pollen.
BURNING GREEN WOOD GREATLY
WAsTEFUL.-Wateri in passing into va
pOr absorbs and hides nearly 200 de-
grees of heat. 4 cord of green wool
produces just as much heat as a cord of
the same wood dry. In burning the
dry wood we get nearly all the heat,
but in burning the same wood green,
from one half to three-fourths of tine
heat produced goes off latent and use
less in the svaporating sap or water.
Chemistry shows this, and why, very
plainly. Therefore get the winters
wood for fuel or kindlings, and let il
be seasoning, as soon as possible, and
put it under cover in time to be dry
when used. Ii will Of course season
or dry much faster when split fine. \
solid foot of green elm wood weighs 90
to 65 lbs, of which 30 to 35 lbs, is sap
or water. As ordinarily piled up, ii
we allow half of a cord to be lost in the
spaces between the sticks, we still have
a weight of about two tons to the cord,
of which nearly one ton is water or
sap. Such wood affords very little
useful heat; il goes off in the ton of
sap. The great saving of hauling it
home dry is evident-as we get the
same amount of real fuel for half the
team work. Beech wood loses one
eighth to one-fifth its weight in dry
ing; oak, One-quarter TO two-fifths.
BENE PLANT SoUTH.-The production
of the bene plant is again attracting at
tention in the South. 1t yields a large
amount of oil, that retains its sweet
ness when old, and is excellent in the
place of olive oil. We think it used 10
be cultivated to a considerable extent
years ago in some sections, and there
seems no good reason why il should
not be again lfpeanuts may be sue
cessfully cultivated for their oil, there
i ilp ItdsOH WHY bCIit Shbtlu Hol bts
Bene is plant of Arabian origin, and
in Oriental countries it is extensively
used as food. 1t is rich both iii oil and
mucilage, and the green leaves stepped
in cold water form thick, Ielly-like |
mucilage useful in dysentery and diar-
rhGa. Its oil is tasteless and slightly |
laxative, and is often used in prefer
ence TO olive oil. Its cultivation is |
simple, being planted like cotton, or in |
beds 3 = to 1 feet apart |
from the burrows, and one foot apart |
in the rows. Twenty-Five per cent. of |
the beans are oil, and 20 bushels per |
acre, il is said, may be easily raised.
SALT To SwINE.-A writer in the |
Country Gentleman advocates the regu- |
lar feeding of salt TO swine. He SAYS |
hat their food should be salted at least |
once a day, and that, when they are |
being fatted, if they fail to clean out |
their trOTghs as they often do, if what
food is left be sprinkled with salt they |
will eat 1t readily. He also RECON-
nends salt and charcoal as great pre-