The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1879-09-11
TOPICS ron IME EARL
The Alexander and Amsden Peaehe

TOPICS FOA THE EARE
The Alexander and Amsden Peaches
w. G. Barry, of Rochester, N. Y. says:
I have before me, as write, two baskets
of beautiful Alexander and Amsden
peaches, which have Just been gathered
from young trees in our experimental
orchard. As l look upon this hand
some, lucious. early fruit, l wish your
readers could enjoy the sight. As they
cannot. probably it will be interesting
to them to learn how remarkably fine
these peaches have been with us this
season. We have several trees of each
variety in bearing, and they are weighed
down with fruit, presenting an unusually
attractive appearance. The first really
ripe peaches were gathered on August 6.
To-day. the 9th, there is an abundance
of ripe fruit. In appearance these
varieties resemble each other 30 closely
that it is almost impossible to distin-
guish them. Alexander, however, aver
ages larger and will, most likely, prove
to be the favorite on that account, al
though Amsden is little better in
quality. Compared with Early Beatrice
growing in the same orchard, Alexander
is about three days earlier, and about
six days earlier than Early Louise and
nearly ten days in advance of Hale's
EARLY. Beatrice Is SO small and of such
inferior quality that it must soon be
discarded. and 30 with Early Louise,
Downing and Wilder. These ripened
here about the same time as the Alexan-
der, but are not 81 large. Cumberland
and Musser may ripen a little earlier
than Alexander, but they also are
smaller. Honeywell ripened with the
Alexander, but was entirely devoid of
favor. l think, therefore, judging from
the seasons experience, that next to the
garded as the most valuable of the very
early peaches. What disposition to make
of the Amsden it is difficult to deter
mine. Should it prove in other locali-
ties equally good in quality, it ought
still to be propagated for amateurs use.
We think, after another seasons trial,
the list of early peaches can be still
more reduced.
Young Chickens. This season has
been remarkably dry. Young poultry
have had fine chance. and could for
age for themselves without trouble. !
have not fed brood this year. Too
much soft feed of the mush sort does
| not make the chicks grow in a healthy
manner. They depend upon us for
food, lounge around and do not get ex-
| ercise enough. In wet weather they
should be fed, but do not encourage
laziness or begging among poultry. My
stock of hens-60 in all-have given us
1887 eggs since January l. We have
used all we wanted about 5O0-and the
sales of the balance have paid $50 per
| cent. on the value of the stock, and be-
sides, we have raised good lot of young.
They are never fed, except in extremely
unfavorable weather, and good foragers,
and nothing eatable in their line grain,
seeds, worms, grubs and insects in gen
eral-escapes them. They are always
fat enough to kill: their combs are of a
brilliant red; they sing all day, and are
as happy as clans at high water. / use
no nostrums to destroy hen lice; give
them dry house keep no dog to annoy
them; teach the cats to respect them
aAd have never had disease among
them. They are cross between Hou
dan rooster and Light Brahma hens.
Lime for Poultry.-There are hun
dred wavs proposed to obtain lime fol-
egg shells, bones, ETC.. for our hens
Some of these are of the most curiou.
kind. One would suppose that lime wal
one of the rare substances in this world
Burnt oyster or clam shells, burnt bones
even egg shells themselves, are recon
mended. Teaching hen to eat her owl
eggs is best done by throwing the shell
to her. How many folks in the country
have oyster or clam shells? Then again
gravel-heps teeth-is not as often sup
piled as it ought to be. A later write
actually recommends pounded bits O
glass, or queensware as being better thai
gravel. How strange to see people goin,
so far out of the line of common sense
Now, both of these very difficult thing
to accomplish for the health of ou
feathered bi 2eds are easily done by max
ing a mortar Of small gravel and lime
in the manner of stone masons, an,
when the mortar becomes hard, break
ing it up email with an az. Keep tai
little piece of necessity" always be
fore the hens aud burn all egg shell:
and the moral and physical character O
the hens and their husbands will be il
. /
! the ascendant.
: Gardeners Talk.-Ask a gardepe
what kind of soil you should use fo
: such and such plants, and he will reply
|" a loose, mellow, rich and well draine
one." 1t matters little what plant, bus
or tree you speak Of, that's the cond
tion the soil must be in. Take any sol
on your place, sandy, clayey, 1oamy
grayelfy, or even stony; make it q
2 above, and the plant must do vel
Here is the whole secret of successful
and profitable growth. If you ar
building a house for yourself, piow, sui
soil, drain, manure, plow again, harro,
Z the garden fine, and drain with tiles,
necessary, but let it, before plantin.
r possess the four cardinal virtues, an
!: there can be no such word as fail. tn
I best farms are but fac sirniles of this.