The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-12-12

insecticide as yet known. He says the time
will come when il will be applied to corn
and wheat fields, as we now apply Paris
green 70 check tie progress Of the potato bug.
1t is National blessing that 'tancy farm
ers," as they are sometimes called, are
pleased TO make such large investments in
pure blood stock, for by this means the sup
ply of any breed is kept up. 1t would be
calamity If from any cause these carefully
managed herds should be all broken up and
scattered. 1t is through them that the whole
live stock of the country Is 70 be improved
by a gradual process of grading.-Winnipe
Farmer.
Mr.. E G. Wall, Commissioner Of Agricul-
ture of Mississippi, last season distributed
about four bushels OF the Ricta wheat-a
rust-proof variety-among about forty farm
ers living in various parts of the State. II
was grown on the plains OF Tuscany. and is
reported to be the only kind that does not
rust in that locality. The reports received
from those who have planted it in Missis-
sippi indicate that it has thus far proven 10
be a reliable rust proof variety.
The American cnltivator is of the opinion
that of the relative merits of soiling and pas
tnring OF cows, the advantage of exercise by
| the latter method may as we'll be left out of
the account. For the best results in the
dairy cows need no more exercise than they
| get in going to and coming from water. The
best dairy breeds have been built up on
| cattle that are fed in stalls or soiled both
| winter and summer Jerseys and Guern-
seys in their native home are fed largely on
| roots.
IT is in print that OF the As, 1872, 090 sheep in
the United States at date of last census, Ohio
+; claims TO have 100000, shearing over D.,
| 0O0, 600 pounds of wool; California 4, 200 600,
shearing nearly 100000 pounds, besides
the fall clip, say half as much more: not in
cluded in the enumeration; Michigan, =, $780,
na1V ma rlry de fNf
wool; Vermont, 439, $50 sheep, and produced
| 2,551, 113 pounds. Illinois, Indiana and
| Oregon shear about 6,000 600 each, and
| Texas, with spring and fall clip, about
| equals Michigan.
Although the Jerseys stand first as the
breed for butter production, vet the COW that
was awarded the special prize given by the
| Breeders Gazette, in the shape of silver
cup to her owner, Mr.. T. B. Wales, of Iowa
| City, Ia, was Mercedes, Holstein. Her
| total yield In thirty days was 80 pounds and
| ca ounces of unsalted butter. AS the Hol-
stems are noted more for their large yields
| of milk rather than for butter it seems
somewhat strange that this COW should be
| the champion over all the Jerseys in the
| country.
| The latest and most convincing argument
| in favor of sheep husbandry comes from
| Georgia. Ii is stated that an acre OF land
| which in 1880 produced only 500 pounds of
seed cotton, was MANFRED only by having
| fifty sheep penned or confined on il twenty
! nights, and in 1881 theproduct was increased
| to !, 800 pounds or tripied. To increase the
| fertility of the soil is not the only advantage
| derived from keeping sheep. They are re-
Tnarkabiy serviceable in devouring briers
| bushes weeds, etc, which otherwise a
nuisance upon the farm.
The so-called "Maye,n or May Queen OF
| Provence. festival by which the retu rn of
| the month of May is celebrated in Southern
| France, has been traced back by DR.. Beren-
! ger Feraud TO the ancient cult of Maia, the
| mother of Mercury among the founders and
] Greek cOlOniSts OF Marsellles. In modern
| times he holds that the worship of the Pagan
| Maia has been transferred to the Virgin
1 Mary, in whose names aims are solicited for
| the little girl child who. yelled and nearly
| buried in flowers. is supposed to represent
the much venerated "NOtre Dame du Maia"
of Provence.
Fish culturists will be interested in an
enormous eel pond, the largest in America,
on farm in the town of Riverhead, Mass 1t
| covers five acres, and is so full that the cells
! can be raked out with ordinary garden
rake. Two thousand dozen eels were put into
the pond five years ago, and their number
has now increased to millions. They are fed
| regularly every third day on "hOrse feet" a
peculiar shell-fish, and at meal time crack
| from their owners whip will bring thousands
they that they will appear for no enc else.
Speaking of the excellence of the Amer
lean Merino sheep, Mr.. William HAYS OF
| Australia, who spent several months in this
country on a tour of inspection, states that
such is their healthiness and strength OF con-
| stitutiOn that ewes will raise lambs when
past the age of seventeen years. and that he
saw one twenty-one years old, the fleece OF
| which weighed ten Dounds. Diseases COM
mon to Australian focks, such as tluke,
| anthrax and foOt-rot are unknown
| among the American sheep, which is due
to generous feeding and careful housing.
Exposure to wet is not allowed, and the best
care is given.
Professor Richardson states that among
our wheats the highest percentage of al.
buminoids is 17.15, while Russian wheat,
grown in Minnesota, contained 24.56 per
cent twenty four different specimens aver.
aging 1913 per cent the lowest per centage
being l0.4S The wheat grown in the East
is the poorest, and a regular graduation from
East to West is found until the Pacific coast
is reached, where there is falling of. The
best grain is produced between the Missis-
sippi River and the mountains. As the al
buminoids are regarded as the most valuable
portions of the grains its deficiency lessons
the value of the crop.
Colonel J.. a. Hardee, of Jacksonville
Fla, having given the method trial, thinks
L
form, and that other fruit bearing trees can
be made more profitable by being grown in
the same manner, as such close distance en-.
ables tbs trees to shade each other. Pears
are believed by him to be susceptible of such
cultivation, his reason being that the roots
love the shade as high cultivation and deep
blowing promotes blight and death by ex-
posing the roots. Some of the most pro
ductive pear orchards are those that are
heavily mulched, and, therefore, the most
completely shaded.
Selection has differentiated the various
natural species of garden plants in accord
ance with desired uses, says DIR. Sturtevant
| While there is striking uniformity in those
] portions of the plants which have not been
selected for improvement, there is great va
ration between those portions which have
! secured attention on account of their uses
In forty-five varieties of onions growing side
by side the foliage was all similar, but the
bulbs varied in color, size, shape and habit
OF formation. II is clearly evident that Sc
lection is powerful agency for the changing
of form, and by long exercise can overcome
the type affixed by nature to species.
The seeding of an acre with bushel and a
half of wheat made by direction of the di
rector of the Rural New Yorker experiment
| farm, gave the best results. FROM tests made
the lessons taught were that wheat can be
- II Il