Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-04-15
NOTES.

Three thousand species Of grass are known
TO botanists.
The flower of the linden tree is great ia.
vorite with bees
The roots of the grasses in a good pasture
will weigh from i've to ten tons.
An insurance company has been formed in
Prussia to insure against loss Of hogs by
trichinn.
The lustre Of morocco leather is restored by
vanishing with white of egg.
Ground bone, fish guano and wood ashes
are excellent fertilizers for strawberries.
Nearly nine-tenths Of rice is starch of In
dian corn and barley more than two-thirds.
The refuse corn, after the glucose has been
extracted, sells in the West at 50 to 81 per
ton for food for stock.
In France it is generally recognized as a
rule that the sugar beet should never be cul-
tivated upon a fresh manure or barnyard ma
nure.
Every acre OF land that farmer owns that
pays him nothing and is not increasing in
value is running him behind, because the tax
es must be paid.
The imperfections of the diamond, and in
fact Of all gems, are made visible by putting
them into oil of cassia, when the slightest flaw
will be seen.
The usual time allowed for lambs to suckle
is four months. When separated from their
mothers they should, if possible, be SO far re-
moved as not to hear each others bleat.
A good acid-proof cement is made by mix
ing concentrated solution of silicate of soda
with powdered glass, to form paste. This
is useful for luting joints in vessels exposed
to acid fumes.
Never feed decayed roots of any kind to
COWS giving milk. One decayed turnip fed to
a COW would affect the milk of fifty COWS if
mixed together.
Among French farmers it is considered
much better to feed beet pulp to sheep and
cattle for production of meat than for milk
Horses will not eat it readily.
A Frenchman is breeding camels in Heva-
da. He has forty camels, all but three natives
of that state, engaged in carrying goods from
railroad stations to mining camps.
The most successful fruit growers East and
West have decided that there is no better
remedy for the codling moth than to pasture
hogs in the orchard, to eat the wormy apples
and the worms therein.
Farmers should now be getting their tools
ready, and they should be sure that their
plows are in good order, their harnesses well
oiled, and examined for weak places, which
should be repaired.
In the matter of sugar-beet seed the Maine
farmers state the German or white variety
proved richer in sugar by per cent. than the
French or red variety, though the French seed
gave somewhat larger crops.
1t is reported that the largest hog in the
country is a Poland China, 4 years old this
spring, lately on exhibition at Junction City,
Kansas. His length is feet girth of neck,
81 feet girth of chest, y feet girth of CEN
tire, feet width across the hips 30 inches,
and weight 1882 pounds.
A hogshead of rain water in which quar-
ter of pound of ammonia and the same
weight of nitro are mixed constitutes a splen-
did fertilizing liquid for strawberries. Apply
it twice each week in the evening from the
blossoming TO the maturing of the fruit.
A good way to keep earth moist in hang
ing basket without the trouble of taking it
down, is to fill bottle with water and put in
two pieces of yarn, leaving one end outside
on the earth. Suspend the bottle Just above
the basket and allow the water to drip this
will keep the earth moist enough for winter
and save great deal of time and labor.
While engaged in pruning your trees keep
lookout for the eggs of the caterpillar which
forms a ring round the shoot, usually several
hundred in a mass. They may be found by
the thickened appearance of the shoot Cut
of the twig and burn it. You will have clean
er trees, aired and healthy with better ap-
pearance and bearing larger, brighter, hand
somer fruit.
A COW belonging to Nelson Hill of Lincoln
brought him a calf with two heads, each of
common size, and joined near the upper part
of the neck. Each head had natural throat
both leading TO a common stomach, and each
head had two eyes, two ears, being natural in
all respects. The single body was like that
of any other calf and well developed.
An unknown disease has broken out among
the cattle in East WATERFOWL, N. Y. The stock
attacked are blooded animals, and were in the
| very best condition. Several have died. They
are taken first with intense coughing, follow
ed by loss of appetite and shrinkage of milk.
When let out where they can have perfect
| freedom, they appear almost crazy and will
bite themselves, tearing out chunks of flesh,
and appear in the greatest agony. The at
tention of the state authorities has been call
| ed to the matter.
The champion bee keeper lives, very APP
| propriately in Beeton, Cal, and bears the
| not unfamiliar name of Jones. In the year
| 1879, from 300 colonies of bees he obtained
| 10000 pounds Of honey, and in 1880, from
400 colonies he obtained 10000 pounds,
| worth $4,000, and the latter was bad year
for honey. During the latter year he'obtain-
| ed 600 new colonies from the 400, and COM
/
ued at $1,000, independent of the cost of the
hives. Mr. Jones says he will clear at least
| $4,000 this year unless some unforeseen acct
| dent occurs.
Kansas papers take a most enthusiastic
view of the prospective harvest of 1881. The
acreage Of grain sown last fall was considera-
bly, in excess of that of any previous year, and
the weather throughout the winter has been
such as to favor rapid growth and abundant
yield. The sheep interest, too, which is an
important one, is in prosperous condition.
Kansas claims 10 have more sheep, in pro-
portion to her population, than any other
state in the Union, or any country in the
world. The cattle interest is also advancing
at a rapid rate, and assuming proportions
that are hardly short of the marvellous.
Southern and Southwestern Kansas have the
major share of this industry, though large
herds can now be found in every county.
Hens like TO be secluded when they lay and
set hence nests sheltered from the vulgar
gaze will be preferred. The nest should not
be so formed that the hen must jump into il,
since this sometimes shakes the eggs so vio-
lently as to break them. A box with the bot
tom and one side out will form a snug nest if
put next a wall and kept well supplied with
fresh straw chopped in short lengths. II rats
abound, raise the nests from the floor. Wire
basket nests are excellent If hung on the
walls of the house a board should be fixed to
the wall, near to the basket, SO that the hen
can get quietly into the nests without jump
ing in. For nest-making such material as is
insect proof is preferable Dried moss is
good, also oat or wheat straw. Barley straw
or hay is apt to produce vermin. Change
the material of which the nests are made Of
ten. Hens appreciate cleanliness. Do not,
however, change the position of the nests, as
Il disturbs laying hens, and they may retail