The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-10-18
AGRICULTURE.

tluZer6 upon sWnlcn planIb OellSllG 10
feed, but which continual cropping,
without returns, will soon exhaust. Pot
ash, upon which plants make large de-
mands, is another. Grass and potatoes
may be called potash plants, because,
containing large per cent. of this min
eral. One hundr d parts of dry hay
will leaye, whom burned, nine per cent.
Of ash, which the largest part is potash.
Successive crops Of grass must, there
fore, exhaust the land of this, it's lead
ing constituent, unless it is returned III
some shape. just what mineral fertil.
izers grass lands want in order to keep
them in good productive condition may
be learned from the following statement
of that eminent scientist. ;Bousingault:
"Ten thousand pounds Of good meadow
hay contain CAT pourds Of inorganic
(mineraD matter, of which 130 pounds
are potash, soda, 10 pounds; lime, 107;
magnesia, 43; oxide Of iron, s; sil1cica,
1e9; sulphuric acid, 16, 6,phosphcric acid,
80; and chlorine. Is. While many OF
these are found in almost inexhaustiDle
quantity in all tillable land, potash,
lime, sulphuric and phosphorio acids
diminish rapidly der cultivation, un.
less returned III some way. It is sui
ciaal policy, therefore, to neglect the
application OF these mineral fertilizers
on land severely cropped. Nor has any
fertilizer more permanent effect on
such land than wood ashes-they con-
tainiug all the mineral constituents of
plant food-and when accompanied
with ammonia III some form make per-
fect fertilizers. 1t is an old saying that
Gland never forgets ashes" and such
would seem to be the fact, when places
Oh which coal-kilns haYe been burned
have been known to have shown their
fertilizng effects for moro than half
century.
FROM results obtained with various
fertllizlng substances, Professor Atwater
has drawn the following conclusions:
Corn needs little nitrogen besides what
it can draw from natural sources, while
its yield is largely increased under tho
influence of mineral fertilizcrs-thc most
effective being those in which the chief
component Is phOsphoric acid or potash
according to the soil and tho season.
Potatoes respond uniformly to all the
ingredients, and they are less able than
corn to gather from natural sources.
Tho same appears to be truo for turnips.
Not enough experiments haze been
made with other crops to justify conclu-
slons concerning them. Practically, the
largest average yield for all crops Is &C.
cured by the use of fcl tllizcrs containing
all tho essential clements of plant food.
Used alone, nitrate Of soda is rarely
useful, snlphato OF limo frequently, mu-
riate Of potash very otto }, and tho su-
per-phosphates genernlly, Soils vary
in their capacity for conveying food to
crops, md careful observation and ex-
pertinent are nt ccssary to determine
the needs OF particuIur soil
VALUE OF BEES. The great value of
bees 10 agriculture has hitherto been
entirely overlooked. A society of SIX
ony las collected some very Important
statistics upon this subject, which are
now made public. The society controls
seventeen thcusnod hives, from each of
which ten thousand bees fly out daily.
This makes n total of ITO, 600, QUO bees.
If 1t Ia supposed that each blc under
takes but tour journeys per day, and
that thls takes place upon only ono hun
dred dogs of the. year, then an annual
total OF G9,U0O, ,OC0, ,0G0 bee Journeys is
obtained. AT the lowest limit probable
the society consld. rs that fifty flowers
are visited cn each journey. aud that
tive out Of the fifty are fertinzed. This
gives grand total OF $40 OO0, 900 fcrtiI-
lzcd flowers Yer year. Ii tho value .,
fertllzlhg twenty thousand blossoms be
one cent, then value OF $l70, 900 is re-
presented by the work done by tho bees
OF this s,ciety,or benefit to agriculture
by each hive of $40 per nnnum.
|
CATTLE and sheep should always have
plenty Of shade i'll the pasture. They
like, when they havo eaten enough, 10
lie down Ill cool shada and take their
comtolt, and if they can do so they will
thrive much better. Il fow shane trees
for THIS purpose will pay well tor any
dram they may make Oh the fertility OF
the SOL. 1t There aro 10 trees it will
pay to erect cheap shed, even though
1t Ee but rude structure Of tour posts
set III the ground and root covered
with brush wood or pino limbs. 1t
should be orcn to the north always md
may bo open on all sides if moro con-
VeNlcpt. The fleet Of n blazing sun on
cows back when lying down seems to
be moro marked than whllc she is iced.
lpg, and cannot fail to make the animal
teverish, and thus injure both the
flavor OF the milk and it's keeping quail
ties.
PLANTS. s.-JuGicious 70 OF the health
OF plants will pIomotc your own. Mil.
dewed leaves, sodden oil, monldy
crooks wilt generate disease in your
plants and yourself. In all manipula-
tons OF leat and soil, avoid touching
eye. lip, nostlil or any abradcd portions
OF tho skin till the hands have been
thoroughly ceanscd. Before bouquets
are brought to the dinmg.table they
should for moment be entil civ INNER
sed in water, and never be SO placed rs
to project over articles of food. Subtle
germs of vegetation and insldious ova.
eggs Of obnoxious animal life are ALWAYS
present.
WINDOW ORNAMENT. "A pretty and
easily grown window plant may be OBJ
tanned III the following manner: Soak n
round piece of coarse sponge in warm
water until it is thoroughly expanded.
After squeezing it about dry, placs in
tho openings mlllet, red clover and bar
ley-Rrass seeds, rice and oats. Hang
tho sponge i'll n window where tho sun
shines part of tho day, and sprinkle it
lightly with water evcIy morning for q
week. Soon tender leaves will shoot