Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-14
interesting to Farmers.

General Grant says he was shown piece
of land in China which had been under culti-
walton every year for 5000 years without de-
terioration of the soil. This result is effected
by returning to the soil everything taken
from it that is not consumed. Here, then, is
the secret of the remarkable richness Of Chi
nese soil.
| The Army WORN REMEDIES. rene
dies are simple. Burning over the field or
| prairie in the early winter or spring will de-
stroy the Larvae and prevent them infallibly.
| But this burning should be done annually,
| for it is impossible to anticipate their coming.
| or rather their occasional over multiplication.
! Like the poor they are always with us. but it
| is only when they propagate extraordinarily
that their existence is to be seriously dreaded.
| Failing to prevent them, their march may
| be impeded by ditch with the side vertical
or sloping inwards towards the field to be
/ protected or even an ordinary furrow with
! sides kept friable by dragging brush in It.
| When collected in the brush they may be
! destroyed by burning straw over them or
covering them with earth and pressing il
on them, or pouring coal oil in the ditch.
The habits of this insect were FIRST thor.
| oughly exposed by Professor Riley, Chief
| of the Entomolagical Commission of the
! United States, in the Eighth and Ninth
| Reports on the Insects of Missouri. Its
ravages were noticed as far back as l743. A
| hundred years later it again distinguished it.
| self, but was peculiarly numerous and vora-
cious in 1861 and 1873.
| VERMIN-A few years since, on going into
| the hen-house and putting our hand into a
nest, we experienced a queer sensation, and
upon a close examination, discovered that a
multitude of minute living organisms were
spreading over our hand and arm. We soon
aseertained that we were infested with them,
and had to change our clothing. We had
never seen anything Of the kind before, but
were convinced that they were mites, and did
not live upon the bodies Of fowls, but fed
upon them at night after the manner of their
cousins, the bed bugs, and went TO work in
earnest to destroy the pest. The first pre-
scription administered was a dose of white
wash, well laid on. We said, "surely that
| has done the business for them But we
| were sadly mistaken, as host still remained.
| A second prescription was to cover she
| floor with finely powdered Stacked lime. But
| they only shook the dust off their feet as q
testimony against US. As dernier resort,
we poured kerosene from the spout oil a can
! all along the perehes, and especially where
! they rested, and into every crack and crevice,
and for an opiate put half pint of kerosene
into watering pot, filled it up with boiling
!
the building, saying, How do you ike that,
Mr.. Louse ?" Everything was kerosened ex.
cept wooden bucket containing water for
the fowls to drink The next morning after
administering this severe remedy, we went to
their quarters TO ascertain their welfare, and
as preliminary to give the fowls fresh wa
ter, set the bucket outside. AS the morn
ing Gun shone upon the top of the
bucket, it appeared to be set around
with beautiful red garnets-we were
surprised and delighted, and wondering
what it could be that was so very beautiful,
and touched with the tip Of our fingers one
Of the apparent garnets, when, 10 and be-
hold, it dissolved into q multitude of mites,
that were filed with fresh blood from The
| chickens. We were somewhat crestfallen,
but gave the bucket thorough ablution,
from the steaming spout of kettle of boil
ing water. We concluded that the bucket
was the only thing within their reach free
| from kerosene. and they accordingly made il
their place of rendezvous. Morning after
morning we gave the bucket dose of boiling
water, and the mites gradually disappeared.
Early the following spring the perches were
treated to liberal dose Of kerosene, and no
mites have since put in an appearance.
" Eternal vigilance is the price of peace y in
rearing poultry as IN other vocations of life.
Mrs. L. Harrison IN Prairie Farmer.