The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-11-03
FARM NOTES.


California, is the largest private land
owner in the country. He owns 4,000,.
900 acres in Mexico, 5000 In Nevada,
and 23, 600 in California.
An AMERICAN cheese bore away the
prize Of silver medal at the great cat
tie and dairy show at Birmingham, Eng
land. The prize cheese was one Of the
largest ever made, weighing three-fJurths
OF a ton. 1t came from Iowa.
Hoes that are tc be slaughtered should
be kept growing. Feed is worth more
for fatteninq in the Autumn months than
in the severe weather of winter, when
considerable amount of food is neces-
sary to keep up animal heat. 1t is much
the most economical practice TO keeI
hogs steadily growing until they are
killed.
PRoF. ATwATER says with regard to
controverted point among men Of science
"The prevailing opinion among agricul-
tural chemists for some time, and one
which I have shared, have been that
plants get nearly all their nitrogen from
the soil and extremely little from the
air. But there are many facts which
arc very hard TO explain ON this theory,
and am, with many others, coming &c
somehow or other, get considerable nitro
gen from the air.
PRov. BREWER, Of New Haven, que5-
tions il all the money won at agricul-
turul fairs pays more than half the actual
expenses of the winners in entering the
objects exhibited, caring for them at the
grounds, and getting them home again.
1t is not the cup won at a boat race that
incites young men TO perform 30 much
labor, spend 80 much time and money,
and to practice so much self-denial while
training, but the possession Of the prize
is the sign Of victory, and so Of the
prizes won at our agricultural fairs.
COMMERCIAL bones contain about 3.6
per cent. of nitrogen and % per cent. of
phosphuric acid, existing as phosphate
Of calcium. Bones that have been
boiled TO extract the gelatine contain
much less nitrogen, but larger proper
ton of phosphates. Bones decomposc
but slowly in the soil, especially on
heavy land, hence their effect is spread
over several years The finer the bones
have been ground the more immediate is
their effect English farmers usually
employ bones for pasture and for tur-
nips. .
FoUR enormous silos, with total cs.-
pacity OF about 1000 tons, have been
erected at Mahwah, n. J. They occupy
one wing of long COW stable, and cover
an area Of about 40x70 feet, with depth
Of 33 feet They are made of concrete,
1S inches thick, very pure and smooth.
Wooden curbs for shriakage room rise
ten feet above the concrete walls. The
proprietor Of the farm where these silos
are built is q practical chemist and n
wealthy man, able and willing to make
the most careful and exhaustive expert
ments as TO the feasibility of the eIsil-
age system rs well as the feeding value
OF the preserved fodder.-Ameyican
C1itiUdtor.
Mr.. GLADSTONE, in recent speech,
made good point for the English tc
consider. Ho told his audienco that
they imported 60, 200, 900 worth of fruits
yearly from abroad, and he instanced a
fruit grower on the Hudson River, in
America, who has an apple orchard of
200 acres, the produce of which was an
nually shipped to England. This Amer
ican fruit grower could do this because
the land was his own and not rented
from grasping landlord. Twenty-Five
or twenty-six- millions Of dollars sent
away for frp-t for the reason that if a
tenant pfapts fruit trees the product
goes ultipstely 10 benefit the landlords,
and so,Gt is with other things that re-
quire time to mature under present land
laws in England.
As to sowing wheat which has been
swelled and sprouted before, we have
Prof w. j. Beals testimony in sub
stance ms follows: He found that while
the plumule lived the young roots al.
ways died by drying, and new roots
must be pushed out to cause growth.
In one experiment ninety-six per cent
Of wheat which had slightly sprouted,
and become dry, grew. In another
eighty-two per cent. grew where the
plumule had grown half an inch, and
the roots one to two inches. Twice
sprouted and dried, about half grew
There is no doubt that these seeds were
placed under more favorable circum
stances for growing than they would ,bG
likely TO receive in common field cul
ture. r0r.
A COMMISSION was lately appointed il
Belgium to test the comparative merits
Of skimming milk after standing, bott
by following the ordinary method II
porcelain pans and also il specially con
structed pans, immersed in receptacl,
containing running water or susceptible
of receiving ice. The same quantity o
milk-thirty quarts-was used in eacl
set OF experiments. This quantity wa
placed i'm the porcelain pans and allowet
10 throw up the cream during twenty
four hours the pans were then skimmet
and the cream chnhed There was, in
variably, eleven per cent. more butter
and Of superior quality, obtained from
the milk, artificially cooled, than from
that treated IN the ordinary way.
A sucqrssvun fruit grower gives hi
experience n training raspberry bushe
as follo4e I have a splendid piece c
blsekzns spberries, the mammon1k czustel
nipped II gfpss Of during the sum
mer Of lo0 when only two lest higf
and kept nipping an Tie branches an
tops until they had the forms of littl
trees. They went through the har
winter finely, and were not killed, an
in the spring they were one mass {
green and full of blossoms. Some {
my neighbors' raspberry canes were al
killed to the ground. They were left {
grow up all without pinching, and tn
cold weather finished them. 1t is bes
TO prune or pinch in summer. I believ
in pinching, and plenty of it. 1t save
stalking and tying, and makes lots {
fruit. I do not stake my raspberrie
and they stand up as straight as oaks.
In RAISING young colts, it is very e.
sential always to maintain q very kee
relish for food and sharp appetite in th
young animal. This can only be don
by strictly guarding against over-feedin
with grain. For five-months-old foa
OF about medium size, il the weather b
moderate, about one and half pints
oats at meal will be enough. Late
and with the advent of cold weather
one quart at each meal may be fed wit
ms much corn ms could be shelled from