The Portland daily press., 1879-01-01
AGRICULTURAL.


~ new u4ttuOO u CVEA Sne
An entirely trustworthy and interesting
correspondent of the RurGl Nep- Yorker,
Col f. D Curtis. has made the valuable an
nouncem. mt in that journal that corn can be
sbelled by the common thrashing machine.
he says:
eau ingenious neighbor thrashes his corn
and Ausks 1t at the same time. He runs the
stalks with the ears on, at the rate OF half
stock at a time, through his three-horse
thrasher, which busks the corn, shells it,
separates the cob, and delivers the shelled
corn 10 the measure, clean and ut tor market.
He can average bushel a minute of clean,
shelled corn. The corn is drawn from the
fields as fast as required. Tue stalks and
husks are torn into shreds and put into good
condition to be economically fed, doing away
with the necessity of any cutting machine,
a. they are thoroughly broken up, and the
stalks particularly are crushed and broken
into pieces. The corn has to be spread or
kliu-dried, as it is liable to mold 1t put into
bins or stored In any considerable bulk.
This is the only serious objection to bis new
plan of huskiDg He uses common thrash
or, cylinder With spikes running against a
copcave, also spiked. He can husk and
shell corn faster than another neighbor can
husk with improved cornhusker.
ALI that is wanted now is simple method
of drying the grain. Some years since hav-
ing occasion to dry quantity OF damp corn 1
used the following method, which might be
used in this case: A frame of loose scant-
lings was made four feet above the earthen
floor OF shed. This was covered with a
floor of narrow boards loosely tackled, with
narrow spaces between them. More than a
hundred Bushels of corn was spread upon the
floor, and box-stove was set below it in a
shallow pit dug 10 the floor of the shed. The
afnUQ nj iod vpdar bo Aoor n
out at the side of the shed. A charcoal fire
was made In the stove, which was kept
closed, to damp the fire and keep 1t only
moderately hot. The corn was raked over
with hay rakes and stirred. In two days it
was thoroughly cured, and was in fact, too
dry. Doubtless this plan could be modified
very easily to suit the requirmen Is OF this
new and valuable discovery.
TO ihe Farmers Boys of York Co.
With an earnest desire to encourage the
farmers boys, propose to offer the following
prizes to bows OF York County of sixteen
years of age and under. To the boy who shall
raise the most Iodian corD on one eighth of an
acre of land in the year 1879, One Hundred
Dollars. To the boy who shalt raise the N xt
largest quantity, Fifty Dollars, and to the five
boys who shall raise the next largest quantity,
Ten Dullars each. The awards will be made
subject 10 the following conditions.
1st-Every contestant must have resided In
York County at least two years, and be under
seventeen years OF age on June LIST. 1876.
End AL entries must b. made and COM
municated to the President of the York Coun-
ty Agricultural Society on or before May l,
1879
3rd-The land shall be measured by some
persOn appointed for that purpose by the Pres
ident OF said society, during the summer OF
1879. The corn may grow to the edge OF the
line, but 10 no case beyond 1t.
4th-The land may be Of any shape, but not
less than two rods wide.
5th-The contestants must do all the work
in raising the corn, except that he may have
some one to drive the oxen or horses in plow-
ing and cutivating.
6th-The contestants may use as much
and any kind Of manure, as he pleases; aud
may hoe the corn as many times as, and when
he chooses.
7th-The corn is to be measured under the
direction of the President of said Society.
Shat the end of the season, each contest
ant shall make and sign a fnll report, giving
shape, description and location of land, when
planted, when and how many times hoed,
when stalks were topped if at all, when har-
vested and how much is raised, aud as nearly
as can be estimated the value of manure and
mum her of days labor spent upon the crop, ex
GLIDING the husking when he may have all
the help he wants from the boys and girls In
the npighborhood.
9th An awards to be made by the President
of said Society at tha end of the season and
his decision shall be fnai. StilEman B Allen,
Boston, Mass.
AssOrtiue Apples.
Vick's Monthly gives Us some interesting
facts on the importance of asserting apples
for marketing, and the profits OF sending on.
~ the finest specimens to Europe. Several
growers, when applied to, refused 70 furnish
selected apples, asserting that to select one
barrel OF fine fruit would spoil three for mar
ket-an obvious mistake, for few snowy
specimens interspersed through quantity o.
worse from contrast. Some marketers have
found a positive gain in price from TAX
ing out the larger apples. The great
secret in asserting is to have the fruit in each
barrel nearly uniform in size an appearance
the larger ones in one barrel; the medium
in another; and if there are any third-rate
ones at all they should be placed by them.
selves. In the instance mentioned by Mr..
Wick, he paid double price tor selected bar
re!s of the Northern Spy. These were again
selected, so as to make one barrel of two, IN
Guiding large highly-colored speci-
mems, and as he remarks, "a
grander barrel of apples we never saw"
Each was wrapped in tissue paper. all packed
carefully with the interstices filed with buck
wheat chat. Five pounds were offered per
barrel in England, where they were sent, OF
$25 OF our money, but they not sold, being
held as presents By the recipient.
Now that the apple crop is likely to exceed
the demand In abundant seasons, owners will
be compelled to give better attention to rails
ing, thinning and selecting, if they expect te
veyance is no greater on barrel of fruit
which sells for $40 than on one selling for 81