Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-08-03


always moist. This condition may
be produced over a large surface, by
merely covering it with any material
that will prevent evaporation. With
all newly set plants, whether trees or
small plants in the garden, little
litter, or whatever may be on hand,
will be of great benefit. Let any one
who doubts its value mulch part of
his strawberry bed, and leave part
oft uncovered he will be convinced
of the value of mulching.
Testing State Fair Prize Grain.
Practical Farmer.
Formerly, when a premium was
awarded by the Pennsylvania State
Agricultural Society, for the best
varieties of grain shown at its annual
exhibitions, the successful exhibitor
kept the grain and pocketed the pre-
MUM. Now the society requires that
samples of grain which have won the
premiums, be left with the Secretary,
to be tested. A committee consisting
of members from five different agri-
cultural districts, is appointed to
conduct the experiments, the specific
object of which is to determine,
by subjecting all the varieties of
grain to the same treatment what one
of them is the best adapted to the
district in which it is being tested,
and, by a comparison of results,
what variety is most worthy of gen.
eral introduction.
With commendable public spirit,
the experiments for Eastern Penn
sylvania have been undertaken by
Mr.. David ii. Branson, on his farm
about two miles south of Atglen,
Chester county.
The wheat being reported ready to
cut, the experimental plats were in
spected on Thursday of last week by
the chemist of the society, DR.. Alfred
l.. Kennedy, who expresses himself
we'll pleased with the results of the
examination. The location Of the
plats is upland, sufficiently distant
from the limestone belt, natural drain
age good, soil warm loan, naturally
excellent but not rich. Plats ten
feet by three hundred, with a passage
one and a-half foot wide between
them. They had been similarly plow.
ed, narrowed and manured, and thir.
teen and a-half pounds of wheat drill
ed in each, on the Sd of last October,
the condition of the ground having
bet Vniavorable to an early sowing.
'iShe prize wheats were:
/. t3ltz, from Mr.. Foster, Cumber-
land county.
,. Martins Amber, from Catawissa.
3. Rogers White, from Philadel,
phia.
4. Stubble Red, FROM Mr.. Boyer,
Cumberland county.
>. Mediterranean, two years from
importation.
All the plats indicated excellent
farming, the crops both in straw
and head looking well. Despite the
violent storm of wind and rain of the
preceding evening none of the grain
had lodged. The degree of maturity
was about uniform, and arrangements
were made to cut all on the following
day. Each to be bound, stored, thresh-
ed, weighed and exhibited at next
fair, separately. or the plats the
finest was No. 9, in size, weight and
fullness of grain, and height and
thickness of straw. The sherry" of
No. was also remarkably plump.
OF the rest No. appeared to be the
least promising, but the true test is
the scales, and we shall give our read
ers the results as soon as received.
The oat plats were examined next
and the surface, soil and aspect found
to be similar.
Russian, from D. NJ. Ferry e. Co.,
Detroit.
Russian, from J. u. kirkpatrick,
Mercer county.
White, from d. II. Branson, Ches-
ter county.
Both in head and size oc grain the
Russian will maintain it's superiority,
but whether the Michigan or the
is the better, the bal
ance and not the eye must determine.
With the exception of the plats de
voted to the Russian, the field, a
arge one, was in white oats in the
regular course OF rotation, and GER
,ainly there was no finer in the
Mr.. Branson is famous raiser of
Indian corn of which he has three
llats, containing respectively, Chester
County Mammoth Gourd, Yellow
jourd and Lemmings-but the sea-
ION is. too early to permit an estimate
a. be formed Of their relative merits.
he is representative farmer to
whom the State Society and bis fel-
ow farmers owe a debt OF gratitude