The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-01-01
AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

1HE ylelu OI mix ana Dutter In the
summer depends greatly upon winter
feeding. All the feed given to cows is
not consumed without return The
manure gives good dividend upon the
outlay, and the animals are storing up
energy and strength to be made availa-
BILE afterwards. The winter is the sea-
son for liberal and judicious feeding,
and not "short commons" which is
but another term for half starvation.
BEARING ALTERNATE YEARs.-From
the discussions of the Massachusetts
Horticultural Society, and from infor-
nation through other sources, the fact
is becoming established that the bearing
year of old apple trees can not be per-
manently changed by removing or
shearing off the blossoms in the bearing
year. They are found to return to their
old habit in short time. But when the
work is performed on young bearing
trees, and repeated, if necessary, the
change has become permanent. 1t will
| be observed that the labor is far less on
the young and smaller trees. In con-
neetion with this treatment, top-dressing
| with manure and good cultivation, as
may be necessary to maintain good
healthy growth, will be quite sure to re-
suit in the best success. 8aE.se
7 SEED CORN.-Rarely do farmers ques-
ton the quality of the seed they use,
though oftentimes it would be profita-
BILE to discard the seed at hand and pur-
chase anew, even at high price. In
DIR. Sturtevant's experience, as given in
Land and Home, he has had crops cf 55
bushels and 410 bushels of shelled corn
per acre from the same field; one half
planted with seed from one source and
the other half with seed from another
source. He asserts emphatically that
the most important, and the most diff
cult to attain, of all the conditions nec-
essary to secure yield of 100 bushels
OF corn 10 the acre, is this one of good
seed. In order to obtain it we must use
seed which has come from prolific
plants, and whose parents have inherited
prolificacy from both sides. Of course,
every one knows that the tassel bears
the male element, the pollen; while the
silk is the female organ, which is to re-
celve the pollen and transmit it to the
ovary AS the conditions are such that
the plant seldom self-fertilizes, the i'm
portance of securing pollen from pro-
lific plants is recognized as being in ac-
cordance with correct theory and sound
practice. In order to secure these prac-
tical conditions, the good seed must be
bred. just before commencement of
the bloom-before the silk is ready to
receive pollen-we should pass through
the field and cut away every infertile
stalk, or every one which does not bear
distinct signs of large caring capacity
Thus, the pollen which falls few days
later, will be only from desirable plants
from plants bearing ears-as all others
have been removed from the field
ABOUT PorAToEs.-Wishing to as
certain just how much waste is occa-
stoned by boiling potatoes with their
coats off, an Englishman selected two
pounds of fine tubers, of the same kind,
peeled one pound, merely washed the
other, and cooked separately When
done both lots were dried and again
weighed-the skins of the unpeeled
pound being first removed as is the
practice in such cases before sending to
table. The result, and reflections sug-
gested, he reports in the Gardeners
Chronicle: "The tubers boiled in their
coats had lost 3-4 o., and those after
peeling just l IA o., giving in favor of
the former half an ounce. On the other
hand the coated tubers had gained a
hot unpleasant taste that was far from
palatable, and they looked yellow and
close in appearance. The peeled tubers,
on the other hand, had nice, pleasing,
mealy aspect, and were the driest and
most palatable eating, and were, in my
Judgment. by far preferable, notwith
standing the half-ounce loss. The sort
was Magnum Bonum, and the tubers
had been but few days lifted from the
ground. / regard the talk about waste
as trivial, whilst cleanliness, appear
ance, and flavor are long way more
than compensatory. The coats of pota-
toes come into contact with manures of
all kinds and many pungent compounds,
and in the case of imported tubers are
much exposed to the air and to nui-
sances, therefore reasons in favor of
peeling before boiling or even steaming
greatly preponderate.
POULTRY FARMING.-No other bust
ness connected with agricultural pur-
suits seems so attractive as poultry farm
my. Even lluSc WuO I'LL III Tie Uusl-
ness and retire from it aver that they
are certain they could succeed in new
trial; their mistakes having taught them
how to succeed in future. TLis may be
true, but it is noteworthy that they do
not try again. Still, we have almost
daily inquiries, especially from young
men, as to the possibility of making
living from poultry; to all of which we
are forced to give unsatisfactory replies.
The profit in poultry lies in keeping
small focks From such it is easy to
make an income of 81 from each hen
annually, even after buying food. But
no account must be taken of the waste
and damage done to crops, nor of the
value Of the free foraging done by the
fowls; and these amount to eonsidera-
BILE sum if figured up closely. Then ac-
cidents are to be taken account of. For
instance, the writer once kept flock OF
80 light Brahma hens, which did well
for three years and paid excellentlv;
but the unfortunate introduction of a
cockerel from distant yard brought a