The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-03-03

numerous other things which make up the
business OF the farm, require frequent re-
pairs or entire reconstruction, and the hints
and helps which may be afforded if the scrap
book has been well kept are Of immense
value.
An Ohio farmer says that he makes his
apple trees bear every year by thinning the
fruit when the tree are young. By the time
the fruit is as large as walnuts, he takes
long pole and knocks off all but a moderate
crop. The Rambo is commonly an alternate
bearer; but after thinning as described in
the abundant year, full crop was borne
the next year following. In this way he
states that he has five Rambo trees bearing
every year, from which he has gathered a
hundred bushels of apples. But these trees
ere not neglected nor left to themselves. He
keeps up the fertility by the run of hogs and
turning under clover.
The first prefectoral report on the autumn
sown crops of France has just been issued by
the Department of Agriculture. The sum-
mary shows that the conditions under which
sowing was effected were very good in de-
partments, good in 25, fairly good in a. me-
dunn in "a and bad in 2. The area sown is
above average in departments, average in
So and below average in %, so that the wheat
acreage is no doubt considerably under aver
age altogether. The present appearance of
the crops is described as very good in s de-
partments, good in A, fairly good in % me-
dunn in and bad in 6. The general conclu-
sioDs to be drawn from theIe figures are de-
cidedly favorable to the autumn-sown crops,
of which the chief, of course, is wheat.
De Candolle states that oats will persist
longer when sown by themselves than al
most any other plant. The origin of the
plant he locates in eastern Europe and Tar
tary Oats played less important part IN
the earlier history of the race than either
wheat, barley or rye. Ancient civilization
was the product of hot country. Oats did
not come into important use until the
stronger civilization of northern Europe
found them to be a necessary article of diet.
In our own country oats stands the third
cereal in importance. The crop of 1884 was
$50, 623. 900 bushels, against 1885, 000, 900 in
1874. Over so per cent of the crop was
grown in the comparatively small space cut
off by line drawn through the southern
boundary of Pennsylvania to the middle of
Nebraska and then north to the British line.
William X. Newton, of Paterson, n. j.,
writes: Analyses made in New York State
to the number OF over $50 show that 12.5 per
cent. is the proper average of solids, and in
over 800 analyses of absolutely pure milk
made In New Jersey not one was found as
low as II. 1t has been conclusively shown
that any attempt to lower the standard is
taken advantage of by milk dealers to reduce
the milk by the addition of water. Massa-
chusetts takes the correct view, that a high
standard is better for the public, and that
while individual COWS may produce milk
below the limit of - per cent. of solids, yet
the mixed milk as offered for sale should be
of quality equal to that limit The state
ment made that the Milk Committee of the
British Society of Public Analysts had adj
opted a limit of 11.5 per cent. of solids is
only partially correct, for that limit is based
on a specific method of analysis which is
much more rigorous than the one commonly
used in this country.
A German paper quotes Ranger Gerucke,
of Breslau, as saying the story of German
forest trees reaching 900 years of age is a
fable. Even the age of the so called "histo-
rical" trees-7OO to 500 years, is not estab-
ished, while no German tree has reached
such an age in a sound condition. He says
that the greatest age is reached by coniferous
trees, and not by foliage trees. The Oldest
found-tested by the annual rings-have
reached an age of from 800 to $40 years, these
trees being the red pines of the Bohemian
forest and the pines of Finland and Sweden.
The silver furs in the Bohemian forest show
ed an age of 429 years. The Iarch as found
in Bavaria has given an age of pa years.
The oak appears to be the oldest of leafing
trees, the Oldest example being found at
Acknowledgements: 40 years. The oldest
red beeches are 245 years (Aschaffenburg)
and 226 years (Weiswasser). The maximum
ages of other trees are as follows: Ash, 17O
| years; elm, 100; birch, 100 to 200; asp tree,
| 90; red alder tree, las; maple tree, 224.