Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-24
Farm and Stock Notes.

In growing mushrooms the temperature
should range from so to 60 degrees. A
trial stick is used for testing the temporal
ture. 1t is simply a round or fiat stick,
or any shape preferred. which is inserted
in the bed, and the temperature is then
known by holding the inserted portion in
the hand after drawing it from the bed.
Beet-sugar making and cattle feeding
are twin industries, says the Dairy. They
come into existence together, live and
grow together, support each other and
enrich each other. All that is necessary
to promote such industry is plentiful
supply of roots. If dairymen would learn
to grow them theg would find millions of
capital invested in it in short time.
A good top dressing of unleachcd ashes
is especially valuable for onions if not
applied too thick; but to some tender We
getables they do more harm than good
when used as top dressing. They are
especially good for loosening a stiff soil,
on which their effect will be apparent for
a long time; and in the orchard do not
know of anything more valuable.
The Journal of Agriculture says: Gan
ounce of nitrate of soda dissolved in four
gallons Of water is a quick and good stim-
ulant for bulbs, to be applied twice week
after the pots are filled with roots and the
flower spikes are fairly visible. A large
handful of SCOT, or about a pint, tied up
in piece Of old canvas and immersed in
the same quantity OF water for day or
two, will furnish a safe and excellent
stimulant; also gOOd and safe is quarter
of a pound of COW manure mixed in
large garden pot of water and used as re-
quired. Any of these stimulants will do
good, or the whole of them applied alter
nateiy will benefit bulbs that need more
sustenance than the soil affords"
A single system of rotation is not nor
can it be applicable in all localities. The
only true test of any system is its contin-
ued success. In planning a judiciOus ro-
tatiOn it is advisable to alternate with the
narrow-Ieaved cereals, such as wheat,
oats, barley or rye, those having broad
leaves, such as clover, peas and the root
crops. Perpendicular roofing plants and
such as root horizontally, ought to succeed
each Otheri Two plants favorable to the
growth of weeds ought not to succeed each
other. Grain and oil plants should only
be grown at intervals, unless the soil is in
excellent condition. Plants which prove
to be the least exhaustive should invaria-
bly, be alternated with those of an opp0-
site character.-FGrmG and FireSlde.
A correspondent of the Rural Nel0
Yorker describes the following method by
which an extraordinary crop OF water
melons was raised: "HOles were dug ten
and fifteen inches deep. These holes were
filled with well-rOtted manure, which was
thoroughly incorporated with the soil. A
low, fiat hill was then made and seed
planted. When the vines were large
enough to begin to run the whole surface
was covered to the depth of foot or fif-
teen inches with wheat straw. The straw
was placed close up around the vines. No
cultivation whatever was given after
ward; no weeds or grass grew. The vines
spread over the straw and the melons ma
tured clean and nice. The yield was album
dant and the experiment an entire sue
cess. This is surely worth trying next
year.
Professor !. A. Lintner, in q paper read
before the New York Horticultural SOci-
ETY., on preventive and remedial measures
pTacticed in protecting plants from the
attacks OF insects, urges the employment
Of the former whenever practical, upon
the grounds that it is more economical,
more effective and often more convenient.
To start with, Professor Lintner grants
the Importance of a husbandry that tends
to promote healthiul and vigorous plant
growth, imparting strength and vitality
which will greatly lessen insect injury,
and in clean culture, which shall remove
from garden, orchard and field Valueless
harbOrage and protection for insect hiber-
nation and transformation; also, such
change in crops, early or late planting,
that may preclude the period OF egg de-
p0sit. In addition to these preventive
measures he advises such application to
| the soil or plant directly as promise a
safeguard against the deposit OF insect
/ eggs.
| Professor A twater, who has expert
/ mented with various tertiliZing substances
on different crops, reports that the results
| gained appear to justify the following con-
/ illusions: The largest average yield for
! all crops is practically secured by the use
/ Of fertilizers containing all the essential
/ elements of plant food. He has found nj
/ trate of soda rarely useful when used
| alone, sulphate of lime frequently, muri-
/ ate of potash very often, and the sulphur
! phOsphates generally beneficial. Corn
requires little nitrogen beside what it can
| draw from natural sources, while its yield
is largely increased under the employ.
ment of mineral fertilizers. Potatoes and
turnips respond uniformly to all the fer
tiliZing ingredients. AS soils vary in Their
capacity for conveying food to crops, ex.
periments are necessary to determine the
requisites Of particular soil.
Regarding seeds, the American Garden
says the poorest economy a farmer can
! pursue is to SOW such as are poor or doubt
! full. Old seeds kept over from previous
seasons should be always tested before
using them, and even if old seeds germi-
nate the plants will not be as strong and
healthy as those from the newer kinds
/ Beets, carrots, celery, corn, onions and
spinach may be relied upon for from two
to three years; beets, lettuce, turnips and
tomatoes for from three to four years
/ peas, radish and cabbage for from four to
six years. Cucumbers, melons, squashee
and such seeds will terminate when ten
/ years old or more.
In speaking of the proper feed for young
pigs the Lancaster Farmer says: E'In the
/ artificial feeding of young pigs skim milk
stands at the head of food, and when there
| is plenty of that there need be no serious
| uneasiness about the result. Cooked corn
meal may be advantageously added in
small quantities to the milk, provided
/ there is plenty of milk, as it is the milk
/ that will furnish the albuminoids and
/ mineral elements. Indeed, the proportion
/ OF those is so very large, that to produce
the very best results cOrnIneal in proper
ton of say about one pound to quart OF
milk is very desirable"
The cost of keeping sheep is not great,
says correspondent of the american
/ CuitiUQtOr, as halt-dOzen sheep will live
where one cow would find enough, and as
they eat cOarser food than the cow they
would subsist in many pastures where
cows would starVe. Ii it is desired to
fatten old sheep, or force early lambs for
market, a few roots and little grain will
do it easily. 1t is estimated that a sheep
will thrive we'll upon 315 per cent. of its
| weight Of good hay daily during the win
ter. Thus a sheep of 100 pounds weight
will need in five months about 500 pounds
OF hay. If grain or roots be given, poorer
hay or straw may be used, keeping the
expense about the same. Such a sheep
should shear from five to six pounds of
wool and raise at least one good lamb.
Larger averages of wool are not uncom-
mon, and it is not uncommon for many
intelligent breeders who rear improved
sheep to have their flOcks average three
lambs to each two sheep, one-half the
flock having two lambs each.
A writer in Gardening illustrated found
some tea roses dying, and on examination
discovered that the roots of q white pop
lar had extended under a hawthorn hedge
and beneath a border seven feet wide and
had eXerted fatal influence on the rose.
The roots of the tree were three-fourths of
an inch thick at twenty feet distance from
the trunk. A case occurred under our
own observation where the plants in a
circular bed of roses, deeply dug and
highly enriched, were feeble in growth,
and with few and small flowers, although
fully exposed to sunlight. The difficulty
was that some trees at distance had
thrown their long roots into this bed An