The National tribune., 1882-04-29

STRUCTURE alone That heavy soil differs from
light soil; their chemical difference, which
Is quite as great, lies in that essential par
tIcular that the clay soil is naturally richer
IN the mineral constituents required by your
crops. Potash, soda, and PHOSPHORUS, which
I you must supply to light soil before you
/ put IN crop, you have only to develope in
clay soil by deep and frequent stirring, and
! submitting to the oxidation of the atGcs-
! phere. The green crop, with its carbon
| obtaining leaves, will no doubt supply or
ganic wealth to either; but inorganic food
can come from the soil alone, and if the soil
be able to supply it from its own resources
one half the value of the green crop, as q
| fertilizer, is renounced. It's remaining value
as collector of organic matter from the
I atmosphere, is the point upon which the
question will be poised, Of its adoption on q
soil which, after effectual drainage, sub-pul-
IWerization and Inning still retains the char
acter of a clay. Even upon such land, expe-
| rlence has yet to prove how far, by deep
plowing and subsoiling Immediately after
| harvest, and making the most of suitable
weather between that time and the follow
ing season, the green crop may not come i'll
before fall seeding with wheat or other grain.
The bare fallow system is too ancient, too
prospectively lahorious and patient not to
nave deep reason at the bottom OF it. Chem
lstry has discovered the truth which practice
has attested. The question may be not
whether the fallow shall be abandoned, but
whether its objects can be achieved at q less
sacrifice of time.-Cbroniclcs ofa Clay Farm.
INDIAN RICE-The water oat or Indian
rice, is a native plant which grows abun-
dainty on the banks and shadows Of rivers,
where it forms dense masses. The leaves
are from two to three feet in length, and are
greedily eaten by cattle. 1t is said that
cows which pasture upon these leaves have
their flow of milk increased in quantity and
improved in quality. The seeds are val
ued and important article Of food with the
Indians of the north and west, who collect
them in canoes, padded through the dense
growth Of the plants, by slightly bending
the stems and striking the ripe heads, caus-
ing the seeds to fall into the bottom of the
canoe. Many bushels may thus be collected
in day. The husk is removed by partially
parching the seeds over slow fire, and when
sufficiently heated, the husk is finally re-
moved by beating and winnowing.
The parched grain is carried for food on
hunting expeditions, and is said to be very
palatable when roasted until it bursts and
shows the white fioury part within the dark
skin. 1t must be kept perfectly dry when
III this condition. Boiled like ordinary rice
tits equal to it in taste and quite rs nutri-
tieus. The kernels are larger than those of
common rice, and when boiled and then left
to cool they form consistent mass like
bread made from wheaton flour. The bo-
tanical name of the plant is Gizania aquGtica,
and both as forage plant for cattle and as
a nutritious food for man it is worthy of
experimental culture and investigation in
regard to its value as afood plant.
,-HILLING POTATOES. Most cultivators
appear to suppose that the roots extend only
a few inches, and that by heaping up mounds
of earth at the foot Of the stems, they furnish
bed Of mellow earth as far as the roots 90,
and positively assist the growth, while on
unnatural depth a short portion near the
stalk, and lays nearly bare the great mass of
the roots at a greater distance. In all the
experiments which / have tried, the practice
of hilling has proved positive loss to the
crop. This loss varies with the depth of the
hillipg, the dryness of the season, and with
the depth of the soil and planting, but has
usually averaged loss of one-iifth or one
sixth of the crop, when compared with the
results Of fat culture. There may be extreme
eases, where the soil is deep and moist, with
little differenee-COantry Gentleman.
THE BONE TREE.-On Jervis Island there
is tree called the bone tree, which picks up
bones. 1t is described as a kind of banyan,
or fig tree, which sends down long tendrils
or aerial roots, from its upper branches
these run along the ground and twine round
any small obstacles in their path, such as
bones and other unconsidered trifies. The
roots afterwards contract, and draw up what
ever is attached to them. What use, if any.
the tree makes Of the things it gathers is not
stated.
EATING AND DRINKING WISELY,
The Farmers Club, at racent meeting in
the Cooper Institute, New York, was enter
tanned with highly interesting lecture Son
the Relation of Food Products to their
Action" by DR.. Hubbard W
Mitchell Some of the convivial members
were rather disturbed by this reference to
of food that it should maintain or increase
vital or physiological actions while drugs or