The Penn's Grove record., 1883-04-21
Agricultural.

How Hoes ARE GRADED The fol-
lowing is the grading of hogs when they
are assorted for market:
Pigs are light and thin, averaging 60
to 115 pounds, and are really but light
stockers.
Skips are better in quality-fit to kill
and weigh 100 to 135 pounds, too
thin and light for Workers.
Workers are fat and smooth, and
should weigh Toto 30 pounds, and to
sell well should be uniform.
Mixed packing hogs are irregular in
weight and in quality, from rough to
smooth, and from 30 to 300 pounds in
weight.
Butcher hogs are uniformly fat and
smooth, usually selected for these quail
ties. and run from Workers weight, or
200 pounds to 300 pounds, or more.
The COOKED FooD QUEsTIoN.-An
extensive breeder, after feeding for
eight or ten years, goes upon record in
favor of cooking and expresses the
belief that one-fourth of the grain is
slved thereby. The following expert
ment is given in his case Two sows of
the same litter and the same every way,
were selected. No. l weighed 2S2
pounds and No. 2 $50 pounds. No. l
was fed for seventeen days on cooked
~unground corn, and from the consump-
ton of two bushels and .twenty-one
quarts, gained thirty-one pounds. No.
? was fed the same time on raw I'M
ground corn, of which she consumed
three bushels and thirteen quarts, and
gained thirty pounds. Another instance
is given in which shoats were fed on
raw and cooked corn for six weeks, the
result being that while those fed on raw
and cooked corn gained ten pounds to
the bushel, those fed on cooked corn
gained fifteen pounds to the bushel-
results which are certainly worth the
candid attention of breeders.
Cheering GROWTH IN PLANTS
If the principles of plant-life were better
understood, there would be less injury
done to trees than there now is. Much
of the injury is from thoughtlessness.
A tree, for instance, is severely pruned,
when in full leaf, with the result of
greatly weakening the tree instead OF
beneiting ii as desired. Trees cannot
thrive without leaves, and this the
gardener knows well enough. A gera-
neum or fuchia continually cut off for
cuttings win die. Without leaves no
food can be prepared for the plant. 1t
is for this reason good gardeners cut
their asparagus beds very sparingly,
especially the first few years, until the
plants are very Strong. 1t is recorded
that where the leaves are all left on a
row of corn, the weight of the crop was
261 pounds, while ON the stripped row
it was only 50 pounds. In other similar
instances the difference was less, yet
distinct and striking in all. This same
principle applies to pruning fruit trees
in summer, which should be omitted or
sparingly performed, except where the
trees are sufficiently vigorous to bear
some check. BY always remembering
that leaves are essential to a tree, we
may preserve the health of such as de-
sired, or destroy obnoxious weeds, as
the case may be. A weed or tree con-
tinually stripped of leaves win die.
HINTs.-When the cows take to eat
ing old bones, rotton wood, etc., it is "A
signs that they are in need of food
with phosphate in it. Feed with some
bone-meal, and if they are pastured a
liberal application of ground bone 900
pounds per acre. will assist to supply the
aching void.
Anything which increases the comfort
of an animal is likely tobe of permanent
benefit to it, and also to the owner. For
this reason warmth in winter and cool
ness in hot weather are always import
ant, in addition to all the good food
needed. The question should always
be, not how little can be fed, but how
much at a profit and, also, how much
less food, when the animal can be made
thoroughly comfortable, by proper
shelter and care, aside from food.
Rye is an excellent feed for pigs and
horses, when mixed with corn ground on
the cob. The cob mixture acts as a di-
visor, and the juices of the stomach act
it better than when fed alone. Rye
meal isalso excellent toput on cut feed,
as when wet it sticks, and horses or beef
eat their coarse stuff better on
that account. When rye is ground and
fed in this way, it is a guarantee against
being made into whisky.
Even if scraping IA fruit tree does not
do it much good directly, the habit of
care and observation by the owner will
be good for him. Every man should
know the condition of his trees, and, in
attention of this sort, he will
find out much that otherwise would be
unlearned. But scraping viii do good.
1t dislodges and destroys many insects
whose business is to destroy the tree Or
its fruit, and it greatly improves Their
appearance. The work is rapidly done
also, and, when well done, does not
need repeating every year.
Itemical.
The increased cultivation of small
fruit, Strawberries, blackberries, rasp-
currants and grapes is the most