The Opelousas courier., 1883-08-25
Enrm and Garden Notes.

Farm and Garden Notes.
One of the best coatings for tree
wounds is gum shellac and alcohol. 1t
effectually excludes air, and the wound
quickly heals over.
Ducks and geese should always be
scalded and steamed by covering up
with a blanket for a short time before
picking in other respects handle as
turkeys and chickens.
A small proportion of kerosene
added to castor oil and thoroughly
shaken makes it less liable to gum
when applied to axletrees, mowers
and other farm implements.
SCOT is one of the best manures for
house plants, and if it can be had in
quantities large enough it is excellent
for out-of-door use. For the latter it
is best mixed with one-tenth its. bulk
of salt.
Skinned milk has practically all
the value OF whole milk for growing
pigs. The cream taken off makes it
less fattening, but fat can be generally
supplied in corn or IN ollmeal IN
cheaper form than in cream.
Asmall, cheaply made box, without
bottom, and covered on top with mos
quito netting, is said to be the best
protection for squash and melon vines.
1t should be pressed down over the
hill so that insects cannot creep under
it..
=" A 8. AZ
Professor Treadwell found that a
half-grown American robin in con-
finement ate in one day s~ixty-eight
worms, weighing together once and a
half as much as the bird himself, and
another hal previously starved on a
daily allowance of eight or ten worms,
or about twenty per cent. OF his own
weight.
AS to washes for fruit trees, a sue
cessful grower speaks highly Of strong
soft soap diluted with a little lime
water as the best. Lye is good alone.
Dry ashes are recommended for killing
the bark louise, throwing the ashes in
the top and among the branches OF the
tree when the foliage and bark are
damp with dew or light rain.
Whitewashing fruit trees is not a
desirable practice. It is no advantage
to the trees, and is unsightly and dis
agreeable. The only wash necessary
is one made of strong soft soap, to be
applied the first of June and Sep
TENDER for the purpose of destroying
the borer, and one made OF soft soap
and quick lime if the tree is attacked
by bark lice.
An iron-toothed rake will kill more
weeds in a garden in an hour than a
hoe can kill in three hours if both are
used when the weeds are just showing
their green leaves above the surface,
and more than the hoe could kill in all
day ten days late.. Such a rake will
run over corn, peas potatoes, onions.
carrots and beets until they are two OF
three inches high without injury, ex'
cepting to the weeds.
Charcoal has considerable manurial
value, especially If applied on rich
ground, the ammonia OF which it alb
serbs and gives out as the plant roots
require. It also improves the me
chanical texture of the soil, whether
light or heavy, and its dark color holds
the heat from the sun, making TIT
land warm and carly. The remains o.
Old charcoal pits always make the bes'
land in the field for many years there
after.
Experiments upon the culture o
near trees in the Michigan fruit bel
have satisfied growers there that th'
manner of cultivation has nothing t.
do with the appearance of blight
Very thorough culture and no culture
: at all : sand loan and clay /; excessiV'
pruning and entire neglect; salt
J sulphur and various fertilizers j; cleal
| ground and sod have all been tried il
! numerous instances with no changeo
, mitigation of the disease.
. One of the best methods Of growinl
young plants Of any kind is thus stated
plant one seed in a half eggshelI or i
! a followed pieceof turnip or beet file
/ with a little earth. The plants can b
9 transplanted by simply breaking th
! shell, or if in turnips the receptacl
! will rot away, supplying nutriment I
f the plant. This practice isfolloWedt
9 4 considerable extent among srla
gardeners. PlantsgroWn i'm this mar
!, ner are sure to live when trans
planted. s
2 The London GGrdsn says of pr.
! tecting iron and steel from rust Pr
4 lessor T. Grace Calvert has discovere
e that the carbonates of potash and sod
possess the same property OF protec
y ing iron and steel from rust as q
s these alkalies in a caustic state. TIA
Z iron blade is half immersed In a soil
y ton Of either Of the above carbonate
Y it exerts so protective an action tn;
that portion Of the iron which Is g
posed to the influence Of the damp q
y mospaeric air does not oxidiZe, eve