The National tribune., 1883-06-28

blooms profasely without any protection what
ever. California owes her mildness of climate
TO the ameiiorating influences of the ocean just
IS much as does Florida; both are alike in this
respect
LOCKWOOD.
The logwood tree, HscmateIyIon campechiaHum,
/ is native of South America, but is grown in
| large quantities throughout the West India
| Islands Tor the coloring matter of its wood.
The heart wood is the part used for dyeing; it
| is OF a deep duh browDish-red color, very hard
/ an1 heavy, and for convenience it is cut into
1 chips BY means of powerful machinery. These
chips yield their color to water and alcohol;
the color of the dyes is red, inclining to violet
CT purple. Its watery decoction, if left to It
/ self. becomes yellOwish, and at length black.
Acids turn it yellow; alkalies deepen its color
and give it purple hue Stutfs to be colored
4 are first prepared with luminous mordants.
! The principle consumption of logwood is for
black colOrs which obtained by alum and
/ iron bases, and OF any requisite degree of in
! tensity.
| West India logwood is inferior to that re-
ceived from Honduras and Yucatan. The
! former els used in the dyeing of carpets and
I other coarse cloths, while the Central American
/ kind is employed for dyeing all kinds of
+ woollen, cotton and silk fabrics
4 considerable quantity is shipped to Oporto,
/ from whence it is said to come TO us as prime
! port wine, recommt nded by the faculty for its
! superior nutritive and astrngent qualities.
/ The wood is of very dense nature, and is
not easily injured by exposure TO the weather
/ 1t also takes high polish. 1t is employed to
! some extent IN medicine as tonic and astring-
4 eat.
THINNING FRUITS
Some Of our more progressive and observing
! fruit growers thoroughly recognize the profit
/ ahcuess OF thinning fruits where the crop is in
/ excess Of the capabilities of the plant to per-
! fscIly mature It, The evils of overcropping
are not confined to the crop on hand, but it ex
4 eTts baneiul iniiuence on the following crop.
IAus two crops, at least, are Placed IN jeopardy
The habit OF having bearing year alternating
j with q barren year in apple orchards is wholly
due to excessive crops. Such thing is not
known where the trees are attended TO III the
matter of removing extra fruits where they are
! TOO numerous for the energies of the plant.
+ Of course, thinning an apple, pear or peach
/ orchard IS no tTiaing operation; it involves
much expense, bu1 it is simply question of
/ prciit or loss, and those who practice it once
continue it, showing that il is highly profit
able. No fruit suffers more from an excess of
crop than the grape. 1t is a safe rule not to
allow more than one bunch 10 remain on each
shoot The peach, too is strikingly injured
! by oyercropping, and it has been proved that
an expenditure OF 800 in thinning 10-acre
peach orchard has paid well.
MASSING FOWLS.
Poultry cannot be successfully raised by
massing large iocks together 1t is certainly
! in opposition TO sanitary laws and consequently
/ is in violation of nature. Colonization is the
only sure and safe course TO pursue where large
i liocks are allowed to roam or mix together.
Although this mode of procedure viii involve
/ greater outlay in the beginning, yet in the end
it is the only safe and judcious course to pursue.
The families Of twenty, thirty, perhaps
roosting room and runs sufficiently ample for
each flock. Bnt to augment the number to
sixty, eighty, or 100 10 each flock without adj
dirionai space, your profits, like dissoiying
views, viii grow beautifully less. = Poultry
Monthly.
ENCOURAGE THE BIRDS.
| To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE.
Sitting the ether day in city park where a
fountain was weakly playing, so weakly that
| it reminded me of what the old lady said of
1 her neighbor's tea, that it was so weak as not
I 10 have strength enough to run out of the pot"
/ \ ef the dripping water seemed exactly suited
I TO the birds, who congregated like bees, push
/ ing each other aside 10 get under drip, which
they seemed to enjoy. As I sat and listened to
! their gatherings it occurred to me that one of
! the most effective means of encouraging birds
/ in city parks, or rather in city squares, is TO
| provide them with just such bathing places,
4 where they can cool themselves in the hot days
| OF summer. Even around country homesteads
! and the country is much more enjoyable where
! birds abound) il would be well TO provide shall
low basins of water for the birds and what
! little trouble this would cause would be well
repaid By their songs.
Speaking of city squares, fear that they are
| being overlooked in the fashionable driving
park which seems to be absorbing everything
! devoted 70 rural affairs in cities. This seems
to me very unfortunate matter. The distant
grand park can never take the place of the
/ Shady city square Immediately at our doors,
where our children can breathe the morning
ar and escape from the MONDAY heat and yet
be, as it were. at home. Let us hope that the
| city square viii not become obsolete.
AN OLD HoUsEKEEPER
RUSSIAN APPLES
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
saw sketch in one of the papers about the
Russian apples; these are the biggest swindle
ever presented TO our country. Some of the
agents of a Springfield nursery sold great
many trees in our part Of the country for the
sum of one dollar per tree, under conditions
that if the trees die they will replace them the
next round; but the same agent fails to come
! back to make his word good.
The agents say that these trees are borer
proof; some of my neighbors, who bought
before did, say that their Russian trees are
uStuiiiS DUb ceElinOD SOfbS some OF the agents
| said that they would refund fifty dollars for
every tree the borers would interfere with. I
can find the bored trees but cannot find the
agents PETER MILLER.
FAYETTE COUNTY, Ill.
Remarks. Ia a late number of THE NATIONAL
| TRIBUNE we advised caution in dealing with
agents who make great demonstrations about
these fruits. There are some good varieties
among Russian apples, and these are in the
hands OF responsible nurserymen, and are sold
at the ruling rates Of other varieties of apples:
if higher prices are asked it may be considered
suspicious.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
Our Agricultural Editors Weekly Chat With HIS
Readers.
| have noticed suggestion to kill eurculios on
/ plum Rnd peach trees by burning sulphur under
them. How Is this done? propose to make
| small fire under TO the tree and sprinkle
sulphur it. Do you think this would answer !?
John y. Cowans Illinois.
Ans. Sulphur fumes are as destructive to
vegetable life as to animal life. You will kill