The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-05-05
NO. 4
Late Farm and Garden Notes.


Sugar beets can only be grown to perfection
on deep, rich soil. Poor, shallow soils can be
madefdeeper by deep blowing, and richer with
more manure.
Lice may be destroyed by dipping the plants
IN hot water, so hot that the hand can just
bear it and no more. Dip them in and take
tnem out again instantly, and repeat it two or
three times. 1t will Lot hurt the plants.
| 1t is a law of nature that low forms of herb
age thrive on poor soils, where higher and
better types could not exist. Weeds abound
IN fields almost destitute of fertility-felds
that could not support blade of timothy or
red-top.
SCOT contains large amount of ammonia
When first brought from the chimney. SCOT
| also absorbs ammonia after it has been spread
upon the land; it also contains a large guam
lily OF creosote, which is useful in destroying
insects, besides being an excellent fertilizer for
all kinds OF crops.
As Gardiner. of Ypsilanti, Michigan, in
response to a challenge TO produces an ear OF
corn with 300 kernels, produced basketfiI
OF ears averaging a foot in length and none
having less than 900 kernels to the ear. One
specimen had l 1863 kernels. The variety Is
yellow dented red cob, and was planted in hills
tour feet each way and yielded 100 bushels to
the acre.
The american Catltaoator says all keepers and
feeders OF cows should bear thus in mind that a
cow cannot make ctid when red on shorts or
meal alone. These must be mixed with longer
feed, either in their Manager or in the animals
stomach. 1t is not necessary to mix these
substances before feeding, as the motion OF
the stomach will mix them sufficiently to form
a cud.
Joseph Harris says that an excellent manure
for the garden and fruit grower is made by
mixing two or three bushels of bone dust
through load OF stable manure and letting
the whole ferment together. The bone dust
Increases the fermentation and manure softens
the bone. The whole becomes a strong fertil-
lzer ii the heap is properly attended to.
Speaking of our great wheat crops the
Amerlc0n Miller remarks that few people in our
own country realize how inexhaustible our re-
sources are for wheat growing. The total
area of lands available for wheat culture in
the United States is not less than 470,000,00O
acres. Our entire wheat crop of the past year
would not supply seed enough to sow so vast
an area OF wheat land.
One writer on ensilage truly says at will
assist enormously in making mankind indie
pendent of the weather, for the constant use of
the pillow and the cultiyator, and the raising of
strong growing crops will greatly obviate the
difficulties from drought while the serious loss
and expense OF harvesting crops in wet sea-
sons will be greatly diminished by this method
OF preserving food.
A West Sand Lake On. " farmer writes
that, notwithstanding the many new methods
for Kidding squashes and cucumbers of bugs
he has not yet found mole certain remedy
than the following: Mix fresh COW dung with
water to the consistency of paint; then with
0r no
vines. Besides destroyihg.the insect pests the
above application will invigorate the vines.
Thomas Bacon, of Wauconda, ILL., who took
first remium for best diary butter made in
Illinois, writes that at the time OF manufact-
urlng 1t his cows were in poor pasture; food
with pumpkins and corn stalks.
Always milk in barn. feeding something at
time of milking. Milk strained Immediately
through wire strainers into cans Milking
done, cans are carried to milk room and again
strained through two thicknesses of cloth,
stralner into large pans, each pan holding one
milking OF all the COWS Use water-tight
cover (ventilated) and keep cold water over
and around the milk Skim at twenty -fonr to
5hirty-six hours. Churn when cream is slightly
icld, Use revolving churn; stop the churn
when butter has gathered in small pebbles
about the size of buckshot. Wash with brine
until the buttermilk is all out of the butter
Drain and salt with three-quarter ounce of salt
to the pound ofbutter, Let stand ten to twelve
hours. Remove and pack.
TO DETERMINE THE WEIGHT OF LIVE CATTLE
Measure in inches the girth round the breast,
just behind the shoulder blade and the length
Of the back from the tail to the shoulder
blade. Multiply the girth by the length, and
livide by IA. If the glrth is less than three
eet, multiply the quotient by II; if between
5hree and five feet multiply by IS; if between
nd foot i,,Iy h1rC hot
seven and nine feet multiply by 81. If the an
lmal is lean deduct 1-20th from the result
Fake the girth and length in feet, multiply the
square of the girth by the length and multiply
The product by 1856. The result viii be the an
swer in pounds. The live weight multiplied
by 065 gives near approximation to the net
weight.
The LEONARD SCOTT PUBLISHING Co., Al
Barclay St, N. Y, have Just issued their re-
print of BLacksoo0d's Magazine for April Like
all the preceding numbers of the present year,
it is full of good reading. 1.-The Private Sec
retary' is continued. 'Shadwelrs life of Lord
Clyde" briefly sketches the career of that gal
liant soldier "Vallombrosa" is an interesting
account of the former and present condition
of the famed monastery. "Od Scottish So
ciety" gives lively description of town and
life in Scotland seventy-five or hun
dred years ago. "Greece and her Claims" dis
cuss the present situation in the East. There
is an amusing article entitled Freaks of the
Telegraph" enumerating many provoking
blunders caused 10y carelessness either in writ
ing or transmission, which, however laughable
to read, must haye been truly annoying to the
recipients. They remind us of the printer
who, in an article describing the great lubri-
eating properties of the oil derived from
certain species Of whale, and closing the list
with saying, that sailors use it for oiling their
homes, converted it into "taizors use it to oil
their 6ones'
The periodicals reprinted by THE LEONARD
SCOTT PUBLISHING Co. al Barclay Street
N. " are as follows: The London quarterly,
Westminster, and British Quarterly
Re0aeaos and Blackaooods Magazine. Price 81
A wear for anv one or onlv S15 for all and the