The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-06-19

that will produce five tons of cattle food on soil
so poor and sandy as that described above may
have some value on similar lands in this
country, although it may be expected that the
climate has something to do with it as well as
the soil The plant is not unknown in this
country, and is sometimes plentiful as weed
III grain fields
SANITARY EFFECTS OF BURNING SULPHUR.
Sulphurous acid is one of the most effective
antlSeptics and antiferments, and may be pro-
duced by burning sulphur. 1t is of great value
in the fumigation of dairy rooms and cellars,
as it destroys all fungoid mycellium which
may be present in the atmosphere, and thus
destroys all tendency to mildews and moulds.
But it should never be used to destroy mildew
on plants, as it is certain death to vegetation.
Many plants have eemdestroyed by subectng
them to fumes of burning sulphur for the pur-
pose of killing mildew on their foliage. Glass
graperies employed for the culture of the for
eign grape are frequently the seat of mildew
sulphur sprinkled on the floor of the house or
scattered where the sun can shine upon it will
emit fumes sufficient to destroy mildew and
will not hurt the plants. Sulphur may be
sprinkled upon the hot-air flue or hot-water
pipes used for greenhouses, and SO long as no
burning of it takes place it viii be a safe RENE
dy; but burning sulphur is sure destruction to
vegetation.
GAPES IN CHICKENS.
writer in the Country Gentleman says: "The
easiest and best remedy for gapes III chickens
is caustic lime, either air or water-saked. 1t
should be dry and powdered. Take the chick
en- in the left hand and open the mouth, keep
ing it upright, and then drop pinch of the
dry lime into it, Hold in this position few
seconds until it is Obliged to breathe, when it
will inhaie some of the lime: then let it 90.
One application OF the lime in this manner has
cured, in my experience. every case of gapes,
some of them in the last stages After trying
number OF remedies find this the best of all,
as it is simple and sure and does not iniure the
chickens. The lime kills the worms"
j. I. Jamison, of Indiana, Pa, writes to THE
TRIBUNE in answer to the inquiry for a cure
for gapes that if the chicks are kept OF the
damp ground and not allowed 10 go out until
the sun has dried the grass in the morning,
and kept in on wet days, they will nee have
gapes.
JOHNSON GRASS.
This grass is growing in favor in the Southern
States. 1t is said by those who have much ex
perenee with it that it is the grass of all others
for Southern farmers to raise for hay. Cut
when in bloom, the quality Of the hay is strictly
first class 1t is rapid grower and from three
to four mowings can be had in season. 1t is
not recommended for grazing. 1t will flourish
on any ground that is rich enough to grow it,
but viii prove failure on land where there is
too much water. 1t does best when piowed
once every two years. and il can be plowed in
season to sow with oats in the fall, and thus a
good crop of oats can be taken without in any
| degree disturbing the hay crop after the oats
are cut, except that the hay will be later and
not yield so many cuttings. 1t seems to inn
prove rather than impoverish the land. owing
to the annual decay OF its mass of large, cane
like roots.
CUCUMBER AND MELON BUGS.
A writer in the R,trat Keso- Yorker gives the
following remedy for saving melon vines from
thestriped beetle: When / drop my cucumber
or melon seed in the hill / also drop in thirty
or forty grains Of buckwheat and cover all up
together. The buekwheat comes up very quick
ly, and partially shades and protects the tender
! young melon plants from the sun and wind,
and also from the bugs. After the melon plants
| have five or six leaves, or are about ready 70
| commence running, the huckwheat can be easily
! pulled up. have tried this method by plant
| ing alternate hills without the buckwheat, and
| these were invariably destroyed by the beetles,
| while those with the buckwheat were Gnmo-
Tested, growing rapidly and making fine,
| healthy and productive vines
NoTELETs.
- German millet for forage should be cut as
soon as it blooms. Thi%is just the stage most
valuable for fodder. and exhausts the land less
than if it is allowed to ripen seed. After seed
| ing, the stems are too hard for hay, and are
| indigestibie.
= Cooked potatoes are eaten greedily by
| hogs. and unsaleable potatoes can well be dis
| posed Of iii this way. Careful experiments
! show that on an average cooked potatoes are
| three-fourths the value of corn for feeding,
| while raw ones are less than one-half.
| = The great loss sustained by keeping cows
1 ON he tod
pecially when they have to drink from stag
nant pools. Something cannot be got from
nothing. The food OF support must first be
obtained before the COW can give any milk at
/ all, and all the profits consist in the quantity
of food she eats over and above that required
| for maintenance.
The Journal of Heath remarks upon eat
ing fruit as follows: Fruit should be eaten
ripe, raw, fresh and perfect. 1t should be eaten
in moderation. 1t should be eaten not later
than p. IN. No water or other fluid should
be taken within one hour after eating fruit"
! = The secret Of clean cornfelds is early
thorough cultivation to prevent weeds getting
| start. Taken in time and vigorously fol-
lowed up, it is easy to keep down the growth
| of weeds. Good crops OF corn and Of weeds
cannot be grown on the same ground in the
same season.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS,
F3ssi'tSA a ASH vines III A4ftieH +St anu
| they are growing very good but they have started
q great many sprouts and 1 have been told that
ought to pull all Of them off except to each
plant. Iwoud like TO know if this is rght.-Julia
Livingston
Ans The best thing for the vines is to allow
| them to grow all they viii. Do not remove
even a leaf; the more growth the stronger will
the plant became. Next year the whole of the
| growth should be confined to one or, at most
two canes, and these wiz grow sufficiently strong
| to bear fruit the following year.
Enclosed please find a dry flower of plant which
have had FOR several years; if flowers early iii the
season and IS q bushy plant. but no one has been
able to name it. Can you tell me what it is Mrs
! Nj. G. r., Akron, Ohio.
Ans It is a flower of Halesia tetrapterd, better
known as the snowdrop or silver-bell tree q
native plant Of much beauty.
Ihave fine collection of hardy roses. but have
been very unfortunate IN getting slips OF them to
root. Can you tell me when is the best time TO put
! In slips and how to manage them? may say that
| have been very lucky in raising tea roses from
sps.-Rose III. o. P.
4Js These are difficult to propagate from
cuttings, so much so with some varieties that
| even professional growers fail. But it is easy
! to succeed by bending down the shoots and
covering them with earth. Cut the shoot half
way through at the covered part, and roots
will be produced before winter.
SICK HEADACHE.
| +J,o o1,roy, "a hal - -,