The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-09-27
FARM NOTES.

nKEGOHf, Tie Seed-falSeF, says tho
pumpkin is distinguished from the
squash chiefly by having hard stem
and better covering.
SKINNED milk has practically all the
value Of whole milk for growing pigs.
The cream taken off makes it less fat
tening. but fat can be generally sup
Piled III oil meal in cheaper form than
III cream.
IT is fact, well attcstcd by English
writer's, and by observant farmers Of
this country, that when clover has been
frequently sown upon the same land it
not only fails to produce heavy crop,
but fails TO appear at all. The land is
then said to he "clovcr-sick. The
remedy for this is by extending the
number Of crops in the scale Of rota-
ton, SO that clover will not come SO
often on the same land
A CORRESPONDENT OF the Farmers
Rcrie,c has practicel during several
winters the plan of keeping apples in
dry sand, poured into the filled barrels
after storing in the cellar, and finds IA
decided Improvement on any other
ever tried. the fruit remaining till late
in the spring "as crisp and apparently
ns fresh as when first gathered. He
does likewise with potatoes, and uses
the same sand year after year.
In setting plants, make the ground
mellow aud rich with manure for con-
siderable space around where the roots
are placed, SO they may have chance
to reach out The roots Aould have
ample room; do not cramp them
When the earth Is we'll drawn up
around the plant place your feet care
fully upon each side of it, and "tirm"
the earth down solidly. This will
greatly increase the chance Of its living,
as it prevents the soil from dying down
to the roots.
IT is affirmed by Ticks Magazine
that gas-tar water has been found to be
quite rs efficient in the destruction of
I potato-bugs us Paris green or London
4 purple. The manner of using it is
stated to be rs follows: Take 4 tub OF
water and place gallon of the gas-tar
] in it, stir well, and let the tar settle.
The water can now be applied to the
4 plants with sprinkling-can. One gal.
4 Ion Of the tar is said to be enough for
several acres Of potatoes. it has been
found to be sure death to the currant-
worm, and, in fact, is destructive IL
most insect life.
A NEW wheat insect. enemy of winter
wheat, which has conc to notice III
Central and Southern Illinois. is do
scribed by Prof Forbes. the State En-
%.,n,a1a.y.g@ II 4 Ia.
pale-green grub, about one-foarth o.
m inch III length. 1t burrows in tn,
base Of the stem Of thn wheat, JUS
above the root. 4 single insect car lie
stroy al entire stock, AMI there il ,vi
dence that the worm leaves one stocs
for another. The worms hatca in til,
field in the fall and occasion the prin
cipal part Of the injury before sever,
frosts occur. The worm will now i,
transformed into a minute fly, no large
than mosquito, but thicker and NOR,
robust.
PROF. BEAL reports an interesting
experiment in regard to humble lee
fertiliznlg clover. Fine punches q
clover, apparently alike in thrift an,
size, were covered With mosquito net
ting. When the plants were in bio son
humble bees were introduced under on
netting and seen to work, the othe
being left unvisited. july 81 rip,
heads were selected from each plan
and the seed carefully couatel Tn
fifty heads Of the plants from which tn
bees were excluded yielded twenty-.iv
seeds, forty Welding none Mt NIL. Tn
fifty heads visited by bees, on whicl
they We're seen to work, yielded ninety
four seeds, twenty-five yielding none a
all.
A SOUTHERN bee-keeper gives thi
advice: Don't allow bees to hang on
tree for an hour or two until hives ca
be procured. for if they DO sometime
they will be missing when the operate
gets ready for them. Bees nearly al
ways settle before they go off, and
don't believe that all ringing of bell
and rattling of tin pans has anvthin
to do with making bees cluster or SCI
tie. l have been keeping bees fo
several years, and have never made IN
noise on such Instruments to cause thei
to settle, but deliberately get my hi'
; ing-board and hive ready, knowing tha
they will settle in few minutes. 4
apiaries should have small trees abor
, it for the bees to settle on. nwal
: apple aad pear trees are very HE,
Avoid thorny trees and tall oaks.
THERE is nothing more detestabl
than pig-pen infested with rats. i,
the vermin not only annoy the animal
but commit depreaations on ever
portion of the farm. The pig-pen fo
ters them principally. as it is there the
get plenty to eat and can hide under IL
floors. The best preeaution is no floor
! but rats will keep within conveniei
distance Of the pig gpen, hc as careful
we may. \ swarm of rats will consun
as much as the same number of fow |
and the damage from burrowing. gna,
: ing and theft is considerable Rats NJ
very careful and cannot he trapped ,
poisoned easily. The best plan to q
rid of them is to leave some of tho no,
! feed outside Of the pen every evening
The rats will not touch it. perhaps,
first; but after awhile, if it is left the
! continually, they will venture to tas
2 it. The next evening, if they find tn
! no harm has occurred to any one
their number from it, they will eat
little more, until. finally, they will loo
I for it. BY this time every rat ON Il
premises will be ut the nightly ba
quets: and, as they have gained co
Q tidence, all the farmer has to do is
procure reliable poison and every +
l is doomed. The Wholesale slanght
: will prevent other rats from coming.
they avoid dangerous places. Eafa
!. Field and Firesiie.
: THE lima, the most popular be,
!. among amateurs and market gardener
!. saws the american .igrjcnfiuist.
: slow in finding its way into the garde
" of farms. The dry beans sell for ST
cral dollars per hnshel. and the mark
!. has never been adequately suppl.
y Lima beans are easily raised, and vie
rs hountifnlly rs most other pole hean
: and they continue to blossom and he