Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-11-21

NOTES.

Kansas is the principal field for supplies of
castor beans. and the crop this year is esti-
mated up to ten million bushels.
Over seven hundred acres of popcorn were
raised in the vicinity of Loda, Iroquois coun-
ty ILL.,, on contract
The yield Of wool is unusually large in Cal
ifornia this season, and growers are jubant
in view of high prices.
The largest yield of wheat ever recorded
was on James L. Rays farm in Lewis and
Clark counties Montana, this season, one
acre yielding 1872 bushels.
The wheat crop of Oregon is the largest
ever produced in the State, and at the present
high prices will bring to the people of the
State upward of 81 600, 900, or over $500 for
each man, woman and child of the popula-
ton.
Minneapolis Touring mills, with the capaci-
ty of new mills soon to be put in operation,
will have as their yearly capacity the enor-
nous number of 5,O79, 600 barrels, requiring
an annual supply of about 25, 335, 900 bushels
of wheat.
For a good whtewash. slake say one peck
Of lime, and while hot and of the thickness of
cream, add a quart of linseed oil and quar-
ter pound of glue. Let it stand a day before
using. Rains will not wash it off, nor will it
prove such a nuisance on interior walls as
common whitewash. 1t should Of course, be
thinned with water while using as ordinarily.
L. H. Walker, statistician of the Produce
Exchange, after q careful estimate from au-
thoritative reports. places the wheat crop of
the United States for 1879 at about 42j, OOO,-
600 bushels. The amount consumed by As
600, 600 persons plus the amount required
for seed and other purposes, is placed at 2jO,-
900, 600 bushels, leaving 1000, 900 bushels
for export, 100000, 900 bushels for Europe,
and l., 600, 600 for other parts.
Over fifty patents have been obtained for
mixers, thirteen in England and forty in
America. These machines have been divided
into three classes First, tube -milkers; sec
ond sucking machines third, mechanical
hand-milkers. The first are lappers, the sec
ond suckers, and the third squeezers and
strippers. Some devices are formed of com
binations of these classes. As yet no one
machine can be considered a success, as, not
withstanding the apparent success in single
milkings, the constant use seems to forward
tendency towards drying of the COW, while
some injure the COW.
NJ. Menier, the Paris chocolate maker, takes
intense interest in scientific farming Some
interesting experiments in electrical blowing
were recently made on his estate. The mo-
tive power was supplied to the pillow by a
Gramme machine, itself set in motion by va
ter-power, which is abundant on NJ Menier's
estate. The pillow did the same work as if
drawn by four oxen. 1t was a Fowler plow
with six shares. The motive power was sup
piled to it by wire, at distance Of 700
metres.
The latest expedient for Kidding house Of
rats is furnished by a writer in the Scientific
American, who says I'VE clean our prem
4 l. D.
whitewash yellow with copperas and cover
ing the stones and rafters in the cellar with a
thick coat Of it. In every crevice where rat
might tread We put the crystals Of the cop
peras, and scatter the same in the corners of
the floor. The result was perfect stampede
of rats and mice. Since that time not a foot
fall of either rats or mice has been heard
about the house. Every spring coat of the
! same yellow wash is given to the cellar as a
purifier as well rs a rat extermiuator and no
| typhoid, dysentery or fever attacks the fam
| lily"
In regard to allowing leaves to remain on
grass land suburban resident gives as his
experience Leaves should he removed from
! grass land just as soon as the warm days of
spring begin. 1t may not do any harm for
them to remain on the ground during the
winter Saving the looks, though l doubt if
there is any advantage even in that. sin
| gle leaf, lying flat and close to the ground.
| will kill the grass as far as the leaf extends
| l berated myself roundly last season for care
| lessly allowing the leaves to remain longer
than they ought on q certain part of my grass
| lot; the consequence was that when the leaves
| were removed the soil was bare of grass as
| though spira had never grown there, while
| all around the grass was rank and lu1uriant.
Leaves may enrich the soil but they certain
| ly kill the grass, for the time being at any
| rate.
Till the comparison is made in figures it is
| not easy TO appreciate how completely the
| United States overshadows England and the
rest Of the civilized world in its food -produc-
ing power. England has 2,s9O, 900 acres OF
wheat this year, and Australia supplements
this with :, 500, 900 acres. With the excep-
ton of Canada these two countries contain all
the wheat titled by the English speaking race.
| The United States has the rest-33. 600, DOC
acres and over. All Europe, including Russia
has barely 10000, GOO at a rough estimate
based on the wheat production of the differ
ent countries This country alone has nearly
as large an acreage, and at the annual rate Of
increase will soon have more. Taking the
world over and including all sources Of sup.
| ply outside of northern China, abou; whose
wheat nothing is known, the United States
probably grow one bushel of wheat in five
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