Democratic messenger., 1881-03-12
FARM AND GARDEN.

successful results must possess the lIi-
organic substances, such as lime and
potash and goodly portion of vegetable
mould. Apples and pears thrive best,
other conditions being equal, ON o dry,
deep. substantial soil, between sandy
and clayey loan and possessing among
its inorganic parts o considerable por-
ton of lime. Peach orchards thrive
best and live longest on dry, sandy
loans. The plum as rule delights in
somewhat stiff, clayey loan, though
some sorts, as the Mirabelle, succeed
well on light soils. A light, dry, warm
soil suits the cherry. In orchards where
the various hardy fruits are planted pro-
miscuously q sandy loan, with sandy
clay subsoil is favorable. Peaty, or
mucky and damp, cold and spongy soils
are unfit for fruit trees of any kind.
The ground designed for an orchard
should be broken up the previous season
and re-plowed before the trees are set
out. Two plowings are advised, for the
soil ought to be deep and in good tilth.
ADVICE ABOUT PRAs.-James J. II.
Gregory, Marblehead, Mass, whose ex-
pericnce in all matters pertaining to the
vegetable garden renders his opinions
worthy of consideration, says, concern
ing garden peas Hancock Early,
tested side by side with fifteen of the
earliest varieties, proved in purity, earli-
ness, productiveness and quality to be
one of the best. The Little Gem is one
of the most desirable of the early
wrinkled variety, popular for the family
garden. McLean's Advance is a first
rate second early for market or family
use; pods large, well-filled and numer-
Gus. One of the sweet wrinkled class,
Browns Early Dwarf Marrowfat pea, is
the earliest and most dwarf of the mar
rowfats. This is one of the very few
varieties of American origin. The dwarf
wrinkled pea known as the Alpha, in
yield probably surpasses any of the
first early sorts it is distinguished for
earliness and productiveness."
CoRN.-Robert Buist, Philadelphia.
Pa, says concerning the Golden Dent
corn: "This variety was introduced
several years ago especially for the
Southern States, where it has become
equally as popular rs it has at the North.
1t is not quite so productive an article
as the Chester County, but regard it
as far superior. It is earlier, requires
less strength of ground and makes q
fine quality of golden-colored meal.
The grains are deep and the cobs are
thin"
TREES DESTROYED BY A SMALL INSECT.
The Bangor (Me.) Commercial says:
Our primeval forests are now attacked
by small but exceedingly destructive
insect that insidiously cuts into and
kills the monarchs of the woods. It is
noticeable that on forest lands where
cutting has been prosecuted and the
sunlight has been let into the tangled
wild woods, the trees are not attacked,
and the sun appears to be the natural
annihilator of the pests. They, as yet,
attack only spruce trees. 1t Is tie tes-
timony of Mr.. Jack, the Crown Land
Agent of the Province OF New Bruins
wick, that the destroyer attacks the
forest primeval. 1t is natures design
that the old trees should be cut down
to make room for new generations.
The operation of the insect is as fol-
lows: In July or August gay little
beetle settles upon the bark Of the no.
blest trees, and lays a few tiny eggs :;
after short time small worm similar
to maggot is hatched, and then the
busy work of the destroyer begins.
The worm eats its way to the very heart
of the tree, until at last it falls wreck.
So insidious is the operation that many
trees which are bored through and
through are green at the top and appar-
emily sound, but blow of the axe, or
the force of gale, causes them to fall,
and their worthlessness is revealed. At
present, the trouble with these pests is
confined to the timber country watered
by the Upper Kennebec, and that in
parts OF AroostOok and the Provinces.
In consequence of the forests of New
Brunswick having been attacked, Alex
ander Gibson, Esq, will cause so. 000,-
600 feet of spruce to be cut this winter
on the Nashwaak, for if left standing
longer, the worms would render the
lumber worthless.
FENCES. --G. s. McCann, Elmira, N.
Y, said recently at the Farmers Club !:
{" The best movable fence l have any
knowledge about is made of pine rails,
for they are strong, light and easy to
handle. ii fence is made of board
panels with the design of moving it
often it is important that the lumber be
pine. Hemlock is vexation and dis
appointment.
STEAMED FODDER VS.. ENsILAGE.
AS so many are now "running wild"
over "ensilage," and as DIR. Baily has,
in The Massachusetts Ploughnan, Civ
en- the cost per day of feeding with en-
silage to be "for n COW yielding 25 lbs.
of milk per day IL 1t cents" allow me
to give the cost of feeding "steamed
fodder" based upon repeated trials and
weighings during a period of twenty
consecutive years-made for our own
information, not for the papers. We
have in one barn the equivalent of fifty
COWS and they consume per day
307 ID of hay valued at $40 per ton. 81 53
153 ID OF hay valued at S15 per ton. . ! Is
200 ib of cornstalks vaurd at $40 per ton. 90
80 ib cottonseed meal at so per tom. IS
Cost per day for so COWS s...... 81 43
Cost per day for one COW 80. ... S<s
With this ration young cattle and dry
cows gain in flesh very rapidly, and are
in good health with vigor of constitution
unimpaired. The mich COWS will also
give 25 lbs. of milk per Gay, but as we
are not satisfied with so small yield we
feed one half bushel of roots and two
quarts of cornmeal to each COW and OBJ
tain from 40 to 80 lbs. of milk from each