The Iola register., 1880-01-02
AGRICULTURAL.


section OF the country is improved, the
greater becomes the difficulty of pro-
ducing fruit. Nearly all the insects in
FURIOUS to fruit follow in the march of
civilization. The successful fruit-raiser
must now be practical entomologist
and ornithologist. He must kill insects
If he expects to have either fair fruit or
healthy trees. He must also understand
the nature of root-rot and sun-scald,
and know how to prevent them. Hav-
ing preserved his trees through the sum-
mer against the attacks of insects he
must be ready to wage war against
small animals during the winter. Dur
ing the past few years the loss of young
fruit-trees by field-mice and rabbits has
been very large. In some instances en-
tire nurseries and orchards have been
destroyed by them. A hungry rabbit
will girdle 4 tolerably large apple tree
at single operation. 1t may be posi-
BILE to save the life of the tree by the in
'sertion of gratis between the two por-
tions of bark that are still attached to
the trunk by banking earth about the
wound, but the tree, if it RECEIVERS from
the injury, will rarely be of sufficient
value to pay the cost of the surgical
operation and the subsequent nursing.
Ordinarily, the first thing to do with
4 tree girdled by rabbits or
mice is to remove it from the
orchard and set another in its
place. Trees may be protected from the
attacks of rabbits by inclosing the lower
portion of the trunks with pieces of
wood, like lathS or slaves, bound to-
gether with wire. Rabbits may general
ly be kept from injuring the trunks
of trees by smearing them with blood,
green cow-manure or paste that con-
tains tobacco or aloes. As these sub
stances are liable to be washed off by
rain and melted snow, it is necessary to
make a fresh application from time to
time. As field-mice ordinarily burrow
under the snow when they gnaw the
bark of trees, it is not easy to ascertain
the injury they do till the following
spring. Mice may be kept from gnaw
ing trees by inclosing the trunk for a
distance of a few inches from the ground
with pieces of sheet metal or wooden
boxes. Sections of old stove-pipe or
tin cans opened at the seams and bent
in the proper manner make very good
protectors. A little mound of earth six
or eight inches high built round the bot
tom of the trunks will be effectual in
keeping the mice away. If this mound
IS made of manure it will afford protec-
ton to the tree during the winter, and
in the spring it may be spread over the
ground to excellent advantage. Some
manure may be so applied as to afford
protection against both rabbits and
mice. Tramping the snow about the
trunks OF young trees is practiced in
some parts of the country, but, as the
operation must be repeated after every
fall of snow, the practice is not recon-
mended.-Micago Times.
POULTRY RAISING AS A BUSINESS
Ettie NJ, says: "My health is not good,
and want to do something to help my
husband in earning our living" Now,
if this woman is sincere, and will take
mp the poultry business, and has natu-
raj taste and inclination for it, it light
prove successful, and it involves only a
small outlay of labor or capital. Aban-
don the idea of incubators, and procure
two or three light-bodied hens of the
common native breed. They will prove
the very best of sitters, hatchers and
mothers. A half dozen good old sitting
hens are better and more profitable than
all the incubators and mothers ever in
vented. Such hens should cost not more
than 80 cents per head. Procure some
eggs of breed which your fancy die
tates, if not leading you into extrava-
giant prices. There is no stable profit
in fancy poultry. If you set any duck
eggs, put them on the ground, always
remembering that if your sitters are a
cross with considerable Brahma blood
(as are most of the common fowls Of
this day), they may be moved when
once thoroughly settled down to the
business, and set wherever desired.
Ducks are profitable and the common
gray duck is as much so as any. They
REQUIRE a little care at first, and to be
well fed. They may be turned off to
market when from six to eight weeks