The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-02-02
THE FARM.

44OAOOo ~ - &c
Lsh journal. It certainly has much to
commend It its broad, green leaves,
and stately habit, while, should it flower,
its abundance of bloom would be snowy,
and continue long. The tobacco stores
often have it as q sign, which shows that
it will endure neglect.
NITROGEN IN FERTm1zERs.-Natura
manures, dung, urine, etc, contain
scarcely any nitric acid, and but very
little ammonia. Nearly all the nitrogen
is in the form of organic nitrogen. II
occurs as organic nitrogen likewise in
most of the artificial fertilizers, as bone,
dried blood, meat scrap, fish, leather
waste, and in the "~ammoniated" phos-
pilates, in which these are used to sup
ply the nitrogen. Peruvian guano con-
tains considerable ammonia, but the
largest part of nitrogen is In organic
compounds. Indeed in all ordinary nj
trogenous fertilizers, except nitrate Of
soda and sulphate of ammonia, the bulk
of the nitrogen is organic nitrogen.
Usage ORANGE FROM CUTTNas.-The
Usage orange grows readily from cut
tings, both of the branches and the root,
but experienced hedgers only use plants
raised from seeds. The labor of making
the cuttings is much greater, but the
great objection is the lack of uniformity
of the plants thus raised. In setting q
hedge it is important to use plants as
nearly alike as possible in size and vigor,
else those that have q slight advantage
at first, in size and strength, will keep it,
providing the weaker, and preventing
that uniformity so desirable in a COM
plete hedge. For this reason the first
step with hedge plants, when they are
taken up IN the fall, is to carefully assert
them and tie in bundles, 80 that in plant
ing, those in any part of the hedge viii
be as much alike as possible. II a dozen
cuttings were raised from q shoot they
would be very much unlike /; those from
the terminal bud, and a few other buds
nearest the top would be much more
vigorous than those from buds lower
down, and some of them would be of
such slow growth as to be unfit for plant
ing in a hedge.
WHAT FORMS OF NITROGEN DO PLANTS
USE FOR FooD?-Plants can take
their nitrogen as ammonia, as
nitric acid, and as organic nitro
gen. They seem to prefer nj
frates and ammonia. Tho number of
organic nitrogen compounds which they
are able to digest, SO to speak, is limited.
Practically the larger part Of the nitro
genous food of plants seems to consist Of
the nitric acid which their roots gather
from the soil. This nitric acid is derived
mostly from the decay of vegetable and
animal remains in the soil, though part
comes from the atmosphere in the form
of ammonia and nitric acid. The inert
nitrogen compounds, which, until
changed, are useless to the plant, are
gradually altered by the process of nitri.
ication above referred to, and finally
reach the condition of ammonia and
nitric acid, the forms which plants prefer,
And not only is the vegetable matter o.
the soil worked over for the use of plants
but animal refuse, dung, guano, and the
various materials used for fertilizers, in
Guiding even ammonia, are TRANSFORMED
by nature in that wondsrful Laboratory
which we call the soil, and made into thu
compounds best fitted for the plant
american AgriculturdlisG.
FoR ONE CHERRY-"THK KENTIsH." -
"H you have room for but one pea
tree, what variety would You plant |?
The answer to this, In ninety-nine case
In a hundred would be-" Bartlett.
A similar question about cherries woul,
be answered by those familiar with va
rieties by-"Kentish." One can form
some idea of a fruit by the synonyms
or different names that have been give
it. The "Kentish" has over a dozel
other names. It has been ;largel
planted In the Western States as "Earl,
Richmond" and some experienced frni
growers still consider that as distinc
from the Kentish. In some localities
is known as "Early May" The tree ha
a rounded, spreading head, is very pro
ductiYe, and bears regularly. The frui
begins to color towards the end of May
when it is small and very sour, but ma,
be used for pies /; it hangs on the tire
through the month of June or later, in
creasing In size to medium, and becom
ing less acid, and very juicy and rich
This variety is characterized by tn
clinging of the remains of the flower t
the stem, and the tenacity with whicI
the stem holds to the stone. When quit
ripe, the stone may be pulled out b
means of the stem, leaving the pull
ready for drying or canning, for whic
uses it is unequaled. It Is an oil
European variety, and may be found j
~ AuIbcIlcb bo hcAb16A VI % L4n1A
Richmond. 1t Is an exceedingly prof
able market cherry.
The CANADA TH1sTLE.-Probably n
weed is held in greater dread, and just
too, by farmers, than the "Canad
thistle" In localities where it is, TO
tunately, not known, its reputation hs
gone before, and farmers, when a ne
weed makes its appearance in tt
grounds, at once ask if it is not tt
dreaded "Canaaa thistle" The plant
known by the name Canada thistle"
this country only; it was probably intr'
duced from Europe by the way of Cal
ada, and was SO called for this reason
In England it Is known as ''creepin
THISTLE" and ''corn thistle" and
France and Germany by the names
the language of those countries 7whic
translate into "feld thistle" There a
several native kinds of thistle, and b
sides the Canada" one other intr
duced speciesi is common upon our farm
The general appearance of the thist
head should be well known, it being O
ten figured as the emblem of Scotlan,
Numerous tubular purplish flowers a,
collected in a close head, which is su
rounded by a globular, or ~egg-shapet
usually prickly inUolucre, as the GREEN'S
cup.shaped portion at the base of Il
head is called. A plant suspected of b
ing the "Canada THISTLE should have
flower head of this kind. To distinguis
the Canada" from all other thistles, Il
size is sufficient. The heads are rare
an inch in diameter, usually not ov
half an inch. The plant throws I
slender stems, usually two feet hig
though in rich grounds it may be talle
The plant sometimes bears only steril
and sometimes only fertile flowers; Il
heads Of the former are globular
shape, the others being egg-shape
The flowers are of q dingy purplii
color. The foliage is of a pale-gre,
color, each leaf narrow, deeply lobed
margin, and with numerous We
sharp prickles. When the unopen
heads come into flowers their stems elon
ate and raise these flowers to nearly Il
level Of the upper one. The leaves up,
the upper part of the stem are small
and exceedingly spiny. The 'Cana,
thistle" has the reputation of being t
most formidable weed of agricultu
Ghough q native, the so-called "Hor
Nh N n . 4