The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-02-24

60 and come costs each cow a mile and q hall
OF travel each day, and the man who drives
them three miles. A dozen cows make eight
cen miles of distance covered by them all
This does not pay. The cow gets exercise
/, enough in feediDg,over the pasture, and the
journey, to and fro, is at the expense of the
milk and muscle. OF course the man has
exercise enough in regular farm work, and
three miles travel. is about one-tenth of a
days work.
Mr.. A. H. Gasten, Marshall County, Hi
nois always. found that when pumpkins or
squashes were fed with corn the ANIMALS
were more healthy and thrifty than when
receiving corn alone; it also required less
corn, and the hogs were free from disease.
He noticed that the hogs ate the PUMPKINS
or squash seeds first, showing that the mr.
nished something particularly needed. Ir.
CASTOR advises swine-growers to try the
fruit of the vine" He has grown what is
known as the Valparaiso squash, very pro-
life variety, said to have sometimes pro-
duced sometimes thirty tons per acre, an
amount he considered equal to 500 bushels of
shelled corn. He thinks the seed may be
had of some of the seedsmen. This squash
grows well in an early potato patch, plant
in place, ten feet apart; they begin vIning
about the time the potatoes are dug, and
thus give profitable second crop.
Charles Abbott showed us Jefferson Coun-
ty Union) bucketful of willow roots taken
from the well of Charles Garrison, near the
high school, at a depth of forty-one feet.
The pump was so thoroughly wound about
with the fibers as 10 require the use of
sharp-edged tool before it could be drawn out
About three bushels of the roots, none of
them larger than wheat straw, where taken
out. A large willow tree stood a few feet
from the WELL and the tap-root which sent
forth the fibers did not break through the
stone curbing to the well until it had reached
depth of thirty-six feet, which point was
at the usual surface of the water. This is the
most remarkable case of root-growth we
have heard of. The well was dug twelve
years ago. The couple making daily use of it
are one of the most aged pairs in town, Mr..
Garrison being now Lightweight, and his
wife about the same. The water has appa-
rently had no injurious effect on them, as
they are both remarkably healthy and ac-
tive, considering their ages.
Several years ago, writes a correspondent
OF the Country Gentleman, j saw a system of
mushroom culture which was very successful
indeed, and have never seen any deScrip-
ton of this method perhaps you will permit
me TO give it here. The man who had adopt
ed the plan had been seeking simple way
of securing mushrooms all the year round
with the least possible trouble, and his eff
forts had resulted in his finding that for
which he had sought. The modus Operandi
was as follows: He obtained a good sized
crate, strong, and with good bottom, such
as hardware is sent y rail in. The slaves at
one end were all cut out, simply leaving the
top rim to keep the thing together, for with
out that the crate could not have supported
the bed laid upon il. The crate was turned
upside down, and the bed prepared and
spawned in the usual way, so far as the outer
crust of il was concerned. But there
was not nearly so much manure used as
in the ordinary hot bed, for the heat was
obtained in another way. When the bed
was made, the inside of the crate was hollow.
But the open end had been left uncovered,
the close end being all built over with the
bed. The method of heating was by placing
IN the crate the grass cut from the lawn.
This within few days generated sufficient
heart to develop the mushrooms in the ped.
When the heart appeared to be exhausted,
the spent grass was taken out and fresh
placed therein. This it will be at once seen
is a very simple plan, and one that could De
worked almost anywhere. Of course, the
grass will not last nearly as long as we'll
made mushroom bed, but there is no limit
to the number of times it may be renewed.
The gentleman at whose place first saw this
| method adopted, told me that he had found
his beds last three or four times as long as
under the old system, and that he secured by
| means of it more regular and better sup
| ply of mushrooms. 1t can be employed
either indoors or outside, though it is per-
| haps more suited TO the former conditions.