Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-07
FARM AND STOCK NOTES.

FARM AND STOCK NOTES.
We have no variety OF geese that equal
the Toulouse in size and weight. The
Embden, in many cases, attains nearly
the same weight, but to take the average
tiocks of Toulouse, either as stock birds,
fattened for market or exhibition pur-
poses, they are the largest and Leaviest of
all.
The small fruits can be proftatly grown
at very low price under a system of in
tensIve culture, which makes the yield
several hundred bushels per acre. But
when it is only 80 to so bushels of poor
fruit-as it generally is with light yield
the owner is apt TO think that ''fruit
don't pay.'
If the earth is used for the bottom of
nests, sprinkle it with a few drops of car
bolic acid in cup Of water or crumble
up cigar stump very finely and scatter
over the earth. Either process is cheap,
and not only assists in disinfection, but
makes it disagreeable to the lice should
they appear.
George W. Wall writes that he has
boiled leaves and stems of tomato plants
until the juice is all extracted and finds
the liquor deadly to caterpillars, lice and
many other enemies of vegetation. 1t
does not injure the growth of plants, and
It's 0dOr remains for a long time to disgust
insect marauders.
After the crops are all harvested, the
wood lot should receive attention. Trim
ming of the low branches of trees intend
ed for timber, and cutting out the lower
underbrush, will admit more air and light
and promote quicker growth. A good
part OF the supply OF tirewOod may per-
haps be thus obtained, which otherwise
would be mostly wasted.
Mr.. L. S. Hardin, by writing to all the
famous breeders of dairy stock in the
country for butter records, made table
which shows the following as an annual
record for some Of the best herds: Hol-
stems, $50 pounds; Jerseys, PSI pounds;
Ayrshires, 273 pounds; natives, sol
pounds; shorthOrns, 252 pounds.
To keep work horses in good condition
an English farmer says: "For two Win
tiers have given the following allowance
to six horses: AZ pounds oats, IS pounds
maize, II pounds beans, q pounds cut
hay and 70 pounds long hay, or a total of
1876 pounds of food per week per horse.
Upon this food the horses have done ad-
mirably while in constant wOrk.''
1t will not pay to collect forest leaves to
be used as manure alone, but there is a
profit in gathering them for other pur-
poses. They are particularly adapted to
the wants of many kinds of fruit trees and
vines as mulch and as an enliVener of
the soil. When cOmpOsted with earth
they are excellent for young plants, and
also make excellent bedding for stock.
The two largest breeds of turkeys are
the Bronze and Narragansett. The former
is OF dark bronze color, with lustre
approaching gold. with dark or flesh col
Ored legs. The Narragansett is of a me-
tallic-black plumage, with salmon cOIored
legs. No adult gobbler of either variety
should weigh less than twenty-five pounds
and the hens should exceed fifteen pounds.
A writer states that he has cured seve-
raj cases of founder with alum. He put
one tablespoonful, finely pulverized, as
far back in the animals mouth as posi-
bic, as soon as making the discovery that
the horse is stitfened. Not only does he
claim that he has cured several cases, but
strongly aftirms that he has never known
the remedy to fail, if given Immediately
after the trouble has developed itself.
Weak trees are especial favorites of
certain insects. All the trees L can now
recall which have been badly affected
with bark lice were cOnstitutionally weak
or they had in some manner been seri-
ously injured. / know of no insect which
thrives better in weak and neglected trees
than the fat-headed borer. Even the
shock given the young tree by transplant
ing 1t from the nursery to the orchard
often induces the bIg-headed rascals to
make an attack.
Fences are more expensive than coops
and must be built as cheaply as possible
if large number of yards are intended
to be used. Lath is the cheapest material
that can be used, but dear if the fences
are not properly made. We suggest that
lath fences be made six feet high by using
half Iaths at the bottom and full length
ones at the top. Experience during the
past year demonstrates that fence so con-
structed is very durable and cheap, COM
pared with the cost.
A correspondent gives the following
very useful hints to onion growers: sit
appears to me that some of our onion
growers do not realize that the day for
large onions has gone by. A few years
ago every one thinned their onions to
three or four, or even six, inches apart in
the row, but at present the best growers
will raise from dozen to twenty onions
in foot. Small onions are better favored
than large ones, and / find better market
for them. L allow two or three to grow
together on rich SOIL"
A writer of some experience in farming
says: ga farm can be stocked with sheep
for less money than with cattle, horses or
hogs. Sheep will come nearer utilizing
everything that grows on the farm than
any other animal. Less labor will be re-
quired for getting feed and stock together.
The returns will come in sooner and Oft
ener than any other farm.stock, except
hogs. Less money is required for shelter
ing and fencing, and less labor is involved
in herding, where outside paSturage is &C
cessible and preferred. And finally a
handsome income on the investment can
be had without the sale of animals them
selves.
A successful florist makes his soil for
pot plants of mixture of turfy loan,
garden mold, well-rOtted manure and
sharp sand, IN the proportion of one.third
loan, One-third garden soil and the other
third made up Of manure and sand. For
strOng-rOOted plants he adds less sand
than for those having small roots. In all
cases he adds sand enough to keep the
soil from becoming heavy. Some plants,
like fuchias, prefer leaf mold, and will do
better in it than anything else, yet fine
plants are grown in precisely the same
soil given to geTaniums. Amateurs do
not pay sufficient attention to the item of
sand, This florist would sooner omit the
manure than the sand.
The analytical chemist of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, summing up the re-
suits of analysis Of nearly all the Guilt
waited grasses, says it is apparent that in
most cases the time of bloom, or there
abollts. is the fittest for cutting grasses
and largest relatively profitable crops,
and for the following reasons: The amount
of water has diminished, and the shrink
age will therefore be less. The weight of
the crop will be the largest in proportion
to the nutritive value of its constituents.
The amount of nitrogen not present as
albuminoids will be at its lowest point,
fibre will not be so excessive as to pre-
vent digestion, and the nutritive ratio
will he more advantageous. If cut earlier
the shrinkage is larger, although the fibre
is less and albumen is a little larger. The
palatability may be increased, but the
total nutriments to the acre will not be so
large and the nutritive ratio will be more
abnormal. The disadvantages Of late cut
ting are evident IN the increase of fibre
destroying the digestibility of the nutri-