Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-07-01

diet, and then there will be neither sick
ness OF want Of fertility.
ANY time during the present month
the seed of Hungarian grass may be
sown with good prospect of securing a
crop. 1t may be sown on land that has
been in corn, potatoes or small grain,
or on new breaking. It is a good crop
to grow with view of subduing tough
grass sod. The amount Of seed required
for an acre is about half a bushel. It
may be sown broadcast or covered with
et1ltivator OF harrow, or put in with
seeder in the same way as is practiced
with wheat and other small grains. So
far as the seed and labor is concerned, it
is the cheapest crop that can be raised on
farm. The fact that it can be sown
and harvested at times when other farm
work is not pressing is enough to COM
mend it to farmers.
FRANK PRuYN, a wealthy Mechanics
vile farmer, protects his two hundred
fowls from feathered and other thieves
by keeping a flock of a dozen Guinea
hens. The latter are very prolific layers
depositing their eggs in community nests
until late in the summer, when each
bird goes by herself and raises brood.
= A few days since he discovered two fami-
ly nests containing forty three and seven
ty-one respectively. Four of the latter
were laid by pea hen however, she hay
ing affiliated with her Guinea neighbors.
By their unheard OF screenings these
birds drive off hawks and owls from the
farm, and at night they are quick to in
dictate the presence Of strangers on the
premises, one Of the flock standing SEN
tinel while the others sleep. He regards
them as much more reliable guardians
of the night than the best watchdog.
A SPECIES Of weevil or snout beetle.
the Ottor hynchus loicipcs, has of late
years been very destructive to raspberry
plantations in England. In 1873 fruit
grower in Cornwall reported the destruc-
ton of two acres of plants, and since
that time the pest seems to have spread
quite rapidly, and the past season many
plantations in different parts of England
were attacked. The weevil not only
strips the leaves from the plants, but de-
stroys the tender shoots and eats the
bark from the growing canes. Gather
ing the beetle with a sweep-net after
dark, has thus far proved to be the most
eficacious method Of destroying the pest.
Our importers of plants should be on
their guard against introducing this
weevil, as it would undoubtedly flourish
in this country, as we have already sew
eral closely-alled species belonging to
the same genus. Many of the most de-
structve insects that annoy the horticul-
turist were imported from Europe.
To protect vines from bugs: Take
some old screen cloth. (that which has
done duty for window or door screens is
as good as any and cut it into squares
large enough to cover the space where
the seeds are planted. Let it lie very
loosely on the hill, SO as to give room for
the plants. to grow, then lay stones OF
earth upon the corners or sides, and it
is the best protection that 1 have ever
tried. It admits air, sunshine and dew
to the plants, and keeps out all the bugs.
Another good way is to take tin dish
and press the earth down on top of the
hill, SO as to make cavity Of an inch
and half or two inches; then plant the
seed and cover lightly with earth, lay
your screen of cloth over or if you pre-
fer, a light of glass. Either will keep
the insects off. A solution of hen
manure in water is the best fertilizer for
vines of all kinds that I have ever tried,
and it is not agreeable to bugs
MANURE made in the summer should
be kept turned lest it BECOME too dry,
and dry rot, which completely destroys
it's value, occur. It should be kept in
low, fat heaps, and if swamp muck can
be procured to mix with it, its value will
be preserved better than in any other
manner. That made in yards and trod-
den by cattle will keep in the best condi-
ton, as it will not heat injuriously and
Twill decompose slowly; manure that is
|.kept over for use in the fall will be safest
in a compost heap, in +, which, in the alb
mixed and the whole made up in broad
flat heaps, not more. than two feet high,
and dished or followed in the center
and well trodden by cattle, if possible.
t. The lover Of plums may take heart.
An experiment made by. a Canadian
fruit grower shows that of eight plum
trees one treated to the fumes Of coal tar,
or gas tar as it is sometimes called, three
[ times a week, bore a crop of smooth
Eplums, and the seven trees not sotreated
had no: plums hang on till maturity.
The year following he, tried the expert
ment on the seven plum trees, and was
rewarded by full crop from each, while
the eighth tree failed entirely. He places
under each tree q few corn cobs or chips
that have been dipped in coal tar, and in
the calm Of evening". when insects are at
home, he treats them to a, smoke. He
thinks f'lmigation should begin as soon
as the fruit sets, and it should continue
until the fruit is fully developed: Here
lis certainly encouragement to make war
on the little Turk that has robbed us so
long of our'plums: It costs little to try
it, ,%S,,.,.~.x,,
r &EAss =--- ---=--=-- ~
(. The ice famine is showing forth it's
natural consequence, and the ice men
have sold their teams and are now de-
sivering ten pound Jumps of ice by postal
gard. . That is just the way we expected