The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-03-13

' q az
afterward no weeds or grass grew. The vines
spread over the straw, and the melons maturvd
clean and fine. The yield was abundant. and
the experiment an entire success The best
crops of melons which we have seen were
treated somewhat as above. Instead of clean
straw a large barrow load of strawy stable
manure was spread around each hill, bus not
heavier than four inches in depth.
MAPLE SUGAR.
Says the Farmers Vorld; "Axioms in SUI
gar making current in maple camps include
the following: A rock maple viii make Taore
sugar than a white maple, but it viii not be
so white A ond-growth maple win rake
winter sugar than others. The winter the wood
the darker the sugar The smaller the trees the
sweeter the sup. The lower the tap the more
sap. but it will be Of an inferior quality. The
higher the tap the sweeter it is but there is
less of it. The shallower the tap the sweeter
the sap and the winter the sugar and the bet
ter the grain with the least m0lasses The
deeper the tap the darker the sugar, with
larger per cent. that will not grain. The more
spouts put into tree and the larger the bore
the more sap, also the greater injury to the
tree. More aud sweeter sap rams during the
day than at night. Sap on the south side of q
tree is sweetest"
THE GERMAN CARP.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
notice IN late issue of your paper an arti-
Gle from an exchange in reference 70 the carp.
| would say, from the tone of said article, that
| the writer is merely rehashing what he has
read in the papers, and knows nothing from
experience with this fish.
Now, i have had considerable experience,
aud am prepared to say, and to prove by others,
that it is an excellent food fish.
Referring TO the report of the Iowa fish COM
mission, find the following: Sylvester Scott,
a carp raiser of California, says they are Q fine
fish to eat. Levi Davis, of Forestville, Cal,
says they are cheap and excellent food the
quality he considers equal 10 trout"
| Blr. Finly. a carp raiser of Pittsburg, writes
as follows: !" There is an old saying that the
Lord sends US the provisions, but the devil
sends the cook. think those who claim that
the carp is of poor quality, and dry eating,
must have had his satanic majesty's cook in
/ the kitchen"
| Do the above testimonials bear ont the writer
who said the carp is an inferior food fish,
| Another statement made is that the carp
/ will not live in spring water, and that any Old
| pond above mud-hoie is good enough for
/ them. This deny. The carp no more desires
| pond with muddy or filthy water than do the
! trout, but il Is TO their credit that they will
| live where the trout would be on his back in
minute. The great majority Of farmers do nol
| have spring-brooks, but this is no reason why
| they need be without fish. Make pond sew
| eral feet deep at the deepest, with shallow
| edges, and place therein a few carp, and your
pond will soon be swarming with fish and your
table grooming meath their weight
The carp isa hybernating fish and remains
| in state OF stupor during the winter but does
not bury in the mud, as is claimed by some.
/ The growth Of this fish is remarkable.
have had fish to grow from two to twelve
/ inches, without feed save that which nature
/ provided, in four months. And, let me say, a
carp is not like catfish, all head, but il has a
small head, and is very broad on the back, and
/ fat. L. JoSEs
RUSSELL, Iowa.
TREE ISvIGoRATORs( ~.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
/ have received circular, headed "A Revo-
| luton in Fruit Culture" recommending a
compound which claims to so change the favor
of the sap IN the leaves and bark that the aphis
that iDfest the tree are unable TO subsist on the
leaves. and are, therefore, driven of, leaving
the tree unmolested to bring forth its blossom
and mature its fruit. The manner of Applying
this compound is advised as follows: - Bore
into the tree with SIS bit until yen nearly
reach the heart; fiji the aperture thus made
with the Phoenix Fruit Tree Invigorator and
| close the hole tight with grating wax or a
/ thin cork. The circulation of the sap will take
up this mixture and carry it 10 all parts of the
tree, giving it life and fruit-produeiBg proper
ties. The application should be made in win
| what value this mixture has upon trees?
DELAWARE, o. A You're FARMER.
Ans. No value whatever. Keep clear of all
such unmitigaLed nostrums.
NoTELETs.
DO NOT spread manure over too much
ground. 1t is better to raise one hundred
bushels of potatoes upon half an acre than upon
two acres; mileage is saved IN planting, cult
waiting, and digging,-besideS, there is one and
3 half acres for other crops.
Some one suggests that when farmers i'm
plements are to be left for the winter under the
shelter of Heavens canopy, some place should
be selected where the snow drifts deeply, for
there is nothing that looks worse than the
handles sticking cut of the snow.
The right time TO plant sorghum seed is
when the soil shows q steady temperature of
| 52o or above, six inches below the surface
The best test for good seed IS said to be to re-
duce sorghum strip by water to density Of
27o Baume put the seed IN it. and plant only
the seeds which fall to the bottom.
Cellars in which fruit is stored between
picking time and the regular winter weather
should be opened at night instead of the day.
time, as is usually done. The night air is
cooler, while the warmer air Of the daytime
has its moisture condensed on the colder walls
of the cellar, thus engendering dampness.
We see it stated that basket willows IN
per ton, while from three TO six tons are grown
per acre. Peeled willow is worth at the facto-
ries 500 per ton; steam power is now being
used for peeling them, which viii reduce the
cost of PREPARATION. About five millions of dol
lars worth of willows are imported yearly.
| 1t is stated that, contrary to general belief,
the earliest sowings of winter wheat are not
liable to SO great injury from the Hessian fly
as later-sown crops. Wheat put in during tile
first week OF September often yields a good
CROP while that which is sown between the
10th and 22d is badly infested, and the latest
that sown in the last week In the month-again
escapes.
Tho Niagara grape is recommended as a
very desirable stock on which to graft more
desirable varieties. According TO the evidence
of those who have this grape for disposal. We
were led TO believe that it stood at the top OF
the list of desirable varieties Has some one
become SO far disappointed with it as to cut IL
down and use it merely as a stock to graft
| other varieties upon?
The Importance Of apples as a food, SAYS
Liebig, has not hitherto been sufficiently esti-
| mated or understood. Besides contributing a
large proportion of sugar, mucilage, and other
nutfitive compounds in the form OF food, they
contain such fine combination of vegetable
acids, extractive substances, and aromatic pria-
eipes as to act powerfully in the capacity of
refrigerants. tonics, and ansiseptics
The Lowell Courier says that we have to
90 hack half q century 70 find n D3rallel To the