The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-02-14
OUR RURkL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
VALUE OF ORGANIC MANuREs.

has been given to the oid-faShloned manure
heap. This is to be regretted as 10 article yet
furnished by the chemist can fully take It's
place. This fact is well exemplifed by the
productions of our fields. The bushels OF grain
harvested from an do not increase as
compared with the results of fifty years ago.
Again, it may be taken as a significant tsct,
that wherever lands have increased III their
yields, it can be traced to the increase OF the
manure heap Wherever the sugar beet crop
in Europe has been made a success, it is fol-
lowed by an increase in the general capacity
of the lands. This is accounted for by the gem
eral use of the refuse pulp Of the beet being
fed to cattle, which in turn increases the ma
Dure heaps of which the lands receive the
benefit It may be said that what is termed
thigh farming" only means raising large crops
of food for cattle which are fed upon the farm,
enabling the farmer to turn his heavy crops of
straw into manure; in this manner the lands
constantly gain in fertility. No such gain is
recorded by the use OF mineral manures alone,
unless there is systematic culture OF green
crops to be plowed under in order to supply the
indispensable advantage of bulky organic
matter.
The physical or mechanical condition Of the
soil is all-important in plant growth, and
yet this factor seems to enter but slightly,
if at ALL into the calculations Of the chemist;
but the practical eultivator knows that it is of
the first Importance. II his lands are wet they
viii not be productive until the surplus water
Is removed, no matter what fertilizers are en-
ployed Again, if lis lands are compact and
imperyious TO air, nanures are of but little
value, unless they are bulky aud largely COM
posed of strawy matter which helps TO make
the soil loose and porous. Hence it is that no
manure can fully take the place OF the ordinary
article of the farmyard 1t is, moreover, found
that the organic matter of stable or yard ma
nure, while in the process of decay, not only
furnishes the gases upon which plant growth
SO much depends, nut it acts upon the mineral
matters of the soil, and reduces them to con-
dition in which they are made available for
| plants to USE About ninety-ffye per cent. of
vegetable matter is formed Of gases which are
mainly the result of the decomposition OF or
ganic matter, and with a plentiful supply of
these there are but few cultivated soils that
| viii not yield enough of all the organic mat
/ tiers used by plants. 1t is presumed that many
/ of the so-called commercial manures derive
| their apparent value from their ability to act
upon vegetable matter, which exists more or
less in all soils, and, By rapidly decomposing it,
| renders it at once available for plants to use.
| But in the absence of organic matter in the
soil they would be of no value, and unless q
| supply of dec0lnposable matter is maintained,
/ they cease to be useful. They therefore add
| nothing to the soil, but, on the contrary, help
| to impoverish it. The food of plants depends
upon an abundance of organic matter IN the
! soil, which. by the ordinary means OF cultiva-
ton, gradually decays rs it is acted upon by the
! decolnposing influences of air and water.
/ Hence it is that where lands are well drained,
| well aerated, thoroughly worked, SO as TO ex-
| pose surfaces to the air, and well supplied with
/ barnyard manure, the best results are, and
always have been, obtained.
THE JAPAN PERsIMMoN.
| In answer to correspondent the Prairie
! Farmer says: I" The Japan persimmon is an
evergreen of sub-tropical origin, and will
not be likely to fruit north of the region
of the orange" 1t states that "enterprising
nurserymen are telling us it viii grow and
fruit as far north as Washington; but the
| same was said about the eucalyptus, which
proved to be no more hardy than the orange"
/ It's authority, SO it states Tor these opinions
| may be regarded as first-elass-no less than LIE
| Bon Jdrdinier,-who says it cannot be grown
and successfully fruited outside the region of
the orange The lie Bon Jardinier may be
first-class authority, for aught we know, for its
own region, but we hope the Prairie Farmer viii
not take it for a guide in American horticul-
| ture. The truth is that the Japan persimmon
| is deciduous and not an evergreen tree. 1t
| has fruited for several years near Norfolk, Vir-
ginia, which is good many degrees north OF
the orange region. 1t is now six years since
We were presented with fruit which was raised
on the Observatory grounds in Washington,
grown in garden in Georgetown. d. c. So ii
would appear that the enternrising nursery
men are not SO far wrong after all. The George
town peTsimmons were most beautiful fruits
about the size and shape of ducks egg, and
OF the richest golden color. Tie Japan per-
sinmon has also fruited near Baltimore. We
have seen a specimen of tomato-shaped va
riety that was picked from dwarf tree al
Yineland, New Jersey. This plant was protect
ed by evergreen branches during winter The
plant viii not be reliable in any climate where
the thermometer runs down to zero, although
we have seen some varieties live through thai
degree OF cold.
LILIUM AURATUM.
This grand plant is well named the golden
lily, and is probably unsurpassed by any mem
Der of the beautiful family TO which it belongs
Notwithstanding that it has been nearly twenty
/ years III cultivation it is not very plentiful
it has not been very successfully grown, Otter
dying out in a year or two. Good bulbs vii
flower well enough the first year of planting
r but afterwards they fail to blossom.
correspondent OF the Gardeners Monthly
who has seen acres of these in fine flower, thu
describes how they are treated: This is lily
! that, like speciosum and some others. forms
new bulb inside of the other for some two O.
three years, after which it begins to form small
bulbs at the base Of the stem; and, in order Il
keep up a stock these small bulbs should b.
taken of and planted in a rieh deep soil.
is essential that they be planted deep, in orde
that the young bulbs may form above the oil,
one which they viii not do if the old one
near the surface; plant at least ten inches deep
and they VIII continue to increase and bloom
for long time If large bulb be plante.
near the surface it viii gradually waste away
Young vigorous bulbs being the best for plant
ing"
THE wATCHFUL GARDENER.
The American Rural Home says that the eg
pert horticulturist will make the most none
in those seasons when there are most obstacle
to be overcome; for then, while the ordinar
eultiyator will succumb to the obstacles, max
ing horticultural products scarce and high til
expert will overcome the obstacles and com
mand high prices for his products, He vii
watch the weather in winter, and if the winte
proves unusually severe, viii increase the pre-
lection. He will be on the watch at all time
for destructive insects, and employ means
limit or diminish their effects. Ifsevere drout
ensucs, he will do all it is possible to do to cour
teract its effects, either by stirring the soil FIRE
quently or by mulching. If his trees, plant
or fruits are suffering from disease, he wi
study IFS nature, learn and apply the remedie
There is wide field for employment of frs
rate talent in growing fruits and vegetable
for market
FRUITFUL FAMILY.
In 1906 the year that William of Normand
invaded, conquered, and was crowned King
England, several Of his followers settled in til
county of Kent, among whom was lady of h
court, named Mahilia. This lady fixed he