Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-10-26
Misfellar1ons.


Bricks of an inferior quality may b.
rendered excellent for some purposes BY
saturating them with tar.
It is considered by some experimental
in feeding that abon. one-fifth of grount
corn passes through cattle undigested.
Animals when confined and supplied
with fatfening food always increase large
" in weight during the first few weeks
after which the rate Of increase diminish
es to a considerable extent.
There were sheared in Michigan owe
two millions Of sheep, according To tht
statement of Mr.. Jenny, the Secretary 0
State. He says that the total average cliE
was 1904, 1853 pounds Of wool. which j.
an average ut nearly five and oDe-bal
pounds per head.
IL those farmers whose farms are soils
undertake with clay would sell one-quar
ter or one-half Of their land and put the
proceeds into the judicious thorough tile.
drainage of the rest, they would make
more money from the one-half of the or.
iginal farm under improvement than they
do from the whole area.-Bost0H Cult
cdt0r.
For general purposes on the farm cas-
best lnbricator and preserver. For saws,
mowers, buggies and the like. this mix
ture furnishes more body with less gum
than most other oils The amount of kero.
sepe, If any. to be added, must be govern
ed by the purpose for which it is design
ed.
Referring to the scales which form the
cortex Of wool, and constitute its most
important distinction, determining its
telling power. a recent writer gives the
following table of the average number OF
scales ~ the linear inch in different woods Z:
East Indian wool. 1000 scales tn linear
inch China wool. 200; domestic wool.
,404; Leicester wool, 400; Southdown
wool, 800; merino wool. 2. 200. and Sax
ony wool, 1900.
If a thoroughly hardy rose, with good
roots. be planted in the fall, and can be
insured against being drawn out by frost
through the winter. il will bloom great
deal for being fall planted. All florists
put in their pot roses in the fall for spring
blooming But if the frost is likely to
tell severely on the plants, it will be best
to leave the planting until spring, though
the towering may not be as fine.
Manure should be forked over occasion
ally to make it fine. II is heating, then
muck or loan should be mixed with it to
absorb the ammonia which is formed dur
ing the process Of decomposition. Sprink-
ling the manure pile with ground plaster
is advisable. The plaster will absorb any
ammonia which escapes from the pile and
save it for the use of growing plants. Am
monia is to valuable an element of plant
food to allow ii to be wasted. Again, up
on some lands plaster is an excellent fer
tilizer.
Prof Ira Remsen, of Johns Hopkins
University. has been investigating the ques
ton whether or no cast iron stoves allow
'leleterious gases to escape, and the result
vindicates the stoves. The Professor finds
that carbonic oxide. the gas generally
thought to be emitted. does not pass
through red hot cast iron even if it is not
more than an eighth of an inch thick and
he says. moreover. that after careful ex-
animation he did dot find in any instance
any hurtful gas given out by we'll made
furnace.
There is probably no feed so good for
raising good dairy animals as warm skim
milk with mixture of moderate guam
titles of ground oats scalded The milk
and oates contain large amount of mus
sic and bone material. and rs a conse-
quence. we have good sized frame
Corn meal does not contain enough of
the requisite materials for giving good.
sized and mt the same time a well formed
animal. The oats might be alternated
with linseed and cotton seed meal
An incorporated company for sheep
breeding has been formed in Southern
Missouri. 100 miles from st. Louis The
incorporators propose to locate 10000
acres Of land on the side of the Ozark
Mountains. and to start with 4 100 sheep.
fenced in at less cost than herdsmen can
be employed. They expect to bring the
land under cultivation at an early day.
and to Craze the sheep in blue and tame
grass instead of bunch grass; also to pro-
vide shelter and winter feed for the flocks,
with other necessary improvements as
needed. This is more sensible than the
Colorado system. which relies on pastur-
ing or starvation in the winter.
Legumnous crops have a special pow
er OF accumulating nitrogen in the surface
soil. and are hence of greater value in a
rotation. Red clover is the most striking
instance of this action. Its roots extend
further perhaps than those of any other
farm crop. and being biennial it has a
long period for growth. The accumua-
ton of nitrogen at the surface in the form
of roots. stubble and decaved vege-
table matter is in the case Of a
good crop of clover so considerable that
the whole of the above-ground growth
may be removed as hay and the land vet
remain greatly enriched with nitrogen
and in an excellent condition for produc-
ing crop of wheat.
As TO the manurial value of different
cattle foods we find that the oil cakes yield
the richest manure. rs they contain the
largest amount of nitrogen and phosphor-
ic acid. with considerable amount OF
potash. Next to these beans aud peas.
malt dust and bran. Clover hay Yields n
richer manure than oats, wheat. barley or
corn. while meadow hay stands before the
cereal grains. The various grains and
the roots. like turnips. carrots and
Swedes, contain about the same proper
ton of nitrogen in their dry substance !;
the roots. however. supply much more
potash. Potatoes stand below other roots
in manurial valuer. Straw takes the low
est place rs a manure-yielding food. bean
and pea straw being more valuable for
this purpose than the straw OF the cereals.