The Osceola times., 1880-10-02
.ACTS FOR FARMERS.
The industrious Bee-I.ike Pr ,duces Like
Bariey-Fsshions In Wool
Minor Notes.
THE INDUSTRIOUS BEr

[ The Industrious Bee-like Pr ,duces Like
Bariey-Fsshions In Wool
Minor Notes.
THE INDUSTRIOUS BEE.
There are 100000 heehives i'm the
United States. Every hive yields on an
average a little over 22 pounds of honey
which is sold at % cents pound. Sc
that, after paying for their own board
our bees present us with revenue OF
sS,000,000, To reckon another way. they
make clear gift OF one pound of pure
honey 10 every man, woman and child
in the vast domain of the United States.
In 1860, over 22,333,342 pounds of wax
was made and given 10 us by these in
dustrious workers. An agricultural ex-
change says the keeping of bees is one
Of the most profitable investments that
people can make of their money. The
profits arising from the sales of surplus
honey average from so TO 200 per cent
of the capital invested.
LIKE PRODUCES LIKE.
Many years ago, and IN period of our
agricultural history when new varieties
OF any farm crop were extremely rare,
an ohservant farmer of Pennsylvania,
acting on the principle that perfect grain
could only be insured by using perfect
seed, originated superior variety of
wheat, which he named "barre wheat"
This he did by holding the sheayes of
wheat in his hands bv the butts and
| beating the tops over barrel. The
large, plump perfect graips would fly
out and none oti ers. This wheat was
used as seed, and the same practice to
procure seed being followed few years
| produced what seemed to be a new vari-
/ ETY. of wheat, but what was only the
result of practical application of the
natural law of selecting the tittest. This
anecdote is a practical illustration of
using none but the very best for seed.
Unripe small potatoes are unfit for seed;
neither are overgiown hollow tubers.
/ The former are weak and imperfect; the
| latter, like all abnormal monsters, are
unhealthy.
BARLEY.
Barley must be cut before il is dead
ripe, as ii left till ripe the loss from
Smelling is very great The best time to
cut il is when about three. quarters of
| the heads have turned yellow. As to
/ the method, if there is a great crop with
long straw, the best way will be to bind
it. If the straw is not long enough to
| bind easily, cut ii with a reaper with a
rake so set that every arm delivers the
grain. BY this means the barley is de-
| livered in a swath clear of the ground
/ the horses will have to travel over the
next round. Being in thin swath the
barley dries quickly. 1t may i've cooked
for ease Of loading or loaded direct from
the swath. Either in cocks or swath it
is in good form for resisting damage by
| a passing shower, but if long rain is
/ threatened the barley should be cooked.
| II this is done well only the top of the
cock will get wet, and htt should be
spread and dried before carrying. But
| the main object in harvesting barley is
| TO get the grain safely in the barn as
quick as possible, but il will not do to
take ii in too green.
FASHION IN wool.
| That the prices of staple like wool
| should be greatly influenced by fashion
seems as improbable at first glance as
that fashions shade the color of cattle
and pigs. A short time ago prices were
so ruled by fashion that long or combing
wool brought better prices than the fine
woods. This year. however, the fashions
have changed, and manufacturers are
neglecting the long woods and inqulring
for the finer grades.
The change has come so suddenly that
producers have had no warning, and
breeders, who by careful selection had
| brought their flocks up 10 high stand.
ard of excellence, DOW find that their
rarest tleeces bring only pitllul sum.
All woods, however, are too low.
Manufacturers have manipulated the
markets shrewdly, and regulated their
| purchases with great caution. On the
other hand, farmers have shown unusual
| pluck in holding on to their wool. The
prices paid have not moved the mass OF
wool out of the producers hands. We
hope such pluck may meet a good re-
ward. The prices of wooden fabrics will
justify better prices for wool. As it is
an article which keeps well, and since
the crop is not so sensitive 10 good or
! bad season, as is the wheat crop, farm
ers are already thinking of holding over.
II the fashion once comes in that
farmers will not all sell at once, then
we may expect greater uniformity in
the prices of wool and all farm produce.
! We sympathize with those who advise
| farmers to mold on TO their wool until
prices advance.
MINOR NOTES.
Two Georgia farmers grew 500 bushels
of Irish potatoes on one acre of land and
sold them for S400.
ENGLISH crop reports show that wheat
is below the average, barley above, oats
and beans slightly above, and peas lit
tie below.
TIE experiment of growing ginger is
likely TO be tried in the South, and it
could be easily grown there. the soil and
climate being suited to its culture.
A "srRINer rattling" voice and constant
disposition to expectorate, indicate incipent