The National tribune., 1882-06-17


Germany shows that the annual yield Of
milk rises gradually from the birth of the
first calf to the fifth, reaches its maximum
after the sixth, sinks gradually till after the
tenth calf, when it is about the same as at
the first calving and after the thirteenth or
fourteenth calf is only one-fourth or one
fifth of the maximum yield.
GROUND LIMEsTONE.-The practice of
using finely ground limestone on land in
stead of first burning it is advocated by
many, while others condemn it as of no value
Whatever. We see much said on both sides,
but not much which is derived from prac-
teal tests. One thing we have had frequent
occasion to observe is, that in the vicinity of
roads made with oyster-shells which have
been pulverized into fine dust by passing
wheels, and then blown over the adjoining
lands, that the portions under the receipt of
such dust are much richer by it. On grass
this is very apparent. The same result has
been noted in the vicinity Of turnpike roads
built with limestone.
A writer in the Practical Farmer says that
"raw ground limestone contains As per cent.
of carbOnic acid, and this is readily held in
solution by water, and conveyed with the
sap into the plant from the roots. OF course
to do this the raw limestone must be fine.
Lumps of limestone contain the carbonic
acid the plant wants, but it cannot get at it
until the limestone is made into dust. OF
course in burning the limestone all the car
bon is destroyed, and the farmer loses IS
per cent of plant food.
at has been asserted that plants only get
their carbonic acid from the atmosphere, but
any one who has read How Plants Grow
can find abundant evidence that plants get
carbonic acid from the soil more than from
the air. 1t is very certain that there can be
nothing in burned limestone that is not in
the original raw limestone BY burning
you can destroy 46 per cent. of carbonic acid
and deprive the plant of that amount OF
nourishment, but you cannot certainly add
anything to it by burning. Parties who
recommend burned lime tell farmers that
| they must 'air-slack' it, which simply
means that they must expose it to the
atmosphere that the burned lime may draw
back again as much carbonic acid from the
atmosphere, for which it has great affinity.
In other words, burned lime when exposed
to the air tries to get like raw limestone,
but of course, only gets back very little of
the carbonic acid that was lost"
TJr- .pNrptS nT A III Apply 0NE-'Thn
Sringlield Repubticdn thus sums up the
advantages of the farmers occupation
"There are advantages in being farmer
that he ought to think of these times.
His lot may be hard work and no end
/ of it, but he is the only man in the
/ country who can command safety. The
! forehanded farmer has always the assurance
| of his living, and it may be a very good
! living, while he is equally sure that what
! he produces will be wanted by others; and
/ if times are hard and prices low, he doesn't
/ have to shut up his shop, fold his unwilling
| hands and see his property depreciate in
/ idleness as many a manufacturer does He
| does not need to venture highly, and if he
makes 10 brilliant profits he runs no risks.
1t is estimated from actual figures that out
| of | ,000 traders but seven can acquire wealth.
| OF / ,112 bankrupts who took the benefit of the
bankrupt law in Massachusetts only IA were
| farmers, and of $3.50 in New York only DC
were farmers. Less than two per cent. OF
the bankrupts belonged to the agricultural
population twenty-five years ago, though
that population so largely exceeds that OF
all other vocations."
NEW WINE-MAKING PRoCESS.-AdOlph
Reihlen. Of Stuttgart, has invented a process