The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-12-30
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
SUGAR CANE.

hbiiCuiluIh department. under new process
for extracting the Juice of the sugar cane, more
especially that from sorghum cane, by the pro-
cess of diffusion, have resulted quite success
fully. The process may be described by saying
that it extracts the juice of the cane by soak
ing 1t is nothing new, having been prscticed
in Europe for many years. The juice passes
from the cells of the cane into the water
in which the cane has been placed. BY the old
process the juice is crushed out by direct pres
sure, the cane being passed between rollers.
Experts report that the average yield Of juice
extracted by pressure is from sc to 81 per cent.
| of the quantity contained in the cane, although
with special care, and by using the best mills,
20 and even so per cent. has been obtained.
Generally, however, from one-fourth to one
third of the sugar is lost and is burned with
the bsgasse By diffusion, on the other hand,
much larger per cent is extracted, and the
juice is obtained free from impurities. The
substitution of diffusion for pressure in India
some years ago raised the percentage in quantity
from 90 to 81 per cent, while the total gain of
crystallized sugar was 80 per cent. The diffusion
process has been so perfected in the manufac-
ture of beet sugar that % per cent. of the juice
is saved. Some recent experiments with
Louisiana cane sugar resulted in 13i pounds of
sugar to the ton of cane, whereas by the old
process only so pounds could have been pro-
duced, and this means vast increase in the
production of Louisiana cane sugar and decided
impetus to the growth Of sorghum.
POTATO ROT.
A correspondent of the American Ct.ltirator
says: 1t is now generally conceded that on all
lrul tan fnf fhara ail
fungi called spores Whether the rot produces
| the spores or the spores the rot is uncertain.
| have always supposed the latter TO be the case
| An ingenious American farmer concluded that
the spores came on the stems of the plant. were
washed off and sent through the ground, fall
| ing on the tubeTs and thereby producing rot.
1 Among the inquiries which are suggested is
/ first: Where did they come from originally?
1 Why from the stem2 Ii from the latter they
| must have dropped down on the seed. This
| farmer had heard that mean-dispositioned
neighbOr possessed a remedy which he would
not impart, but it finally leaked out that this
| mean chap had bag of cut potatoes fall into
a vessel containing sulphate of copper dissolved
in water, which he had prepared for his wheat.
| The cut potatoes remained in the wash all
| night Nevertheless, he planted them, and
| though he had rotten potatoes elsewhere, there
were no rotten specimens among those which
sprang from the soaked seed.
/
/ in the same sulphate Of copper solution, and
| thus escaped the rot. The farmer who heard of
this was determined TO prove the fact, and
therefore got q lot OF genuine rotten potatoes,
more or less affected. These he cut, soaked and
planted. diseased and all, aud got as the result
a fine lot Of potatoes, perfectly free from all
/ diseases.
Like good fellow he wrote TO his agricul.
| tural paper and announced the fact. He now
dresses his potato sets, rs he dresses his wheat
for the smut, with sulphate of copper. and. rs
he says escapes all diseases. Let your readers
try this.
KILLING WEEDS WITH KEROSENE.
After trying all ways to eKterminate Canada
thistle and that next worst enemy of the far
mer, paIntaiu, discovered that kerosene oil
is certain remedy. Some may think my
method tedious, but at best when you wish to
get rid of patch of either pest diligcnt work
is indispensable. Early or late in Summer,
when the ground is dry and weather settled, it
is time TO make the application. Take all old
| fruit can, solder on one side a handle, then
| white pine stick round about two feet
long, and dip the stick into the oil and touch
! the plant, allowing n few drops TO run down
| the stalk; it will follow on down and cover
every root if enough is used, and the result
will reward any person who has pride in keep
! ing from lawn or field two OF our worst weeds.
Ii the thistles are very thick few may escape,
at worst two seasons work will whip them all.
NOTES.
To properly keep hay and straw in stacks
the stacks must be 10 constructed rs TO shed
water.
A very successful Western dairyman says
he has only one ration for his COWS, aud that is
crushed oats aud bran.
Some dairymen save the last fourth of the
milk from the cow in q separate vessel and
70 flN into fa.r
Every farmer must know what kind Of
swine breed well and are wanted in the mar
kets. That is the Kind which can be bred with
profit.
Sheep will eat more be more contented
and thrive better or 4 new than an old range.
Frequent change of range for them is impOr-
tant at this season of the year.
-Carelessness must give way to business
management on the farm. The farmer should
study the market and be as ready to take ad-
vantage Of opportunities rs the merchant
If there IS but half enough folder for cat
tie, better, feed it in the first half of Winter,
then sell, than TO pinch along to grass and find
the cattle then not worth much as at the
beginning of Winter.
A farmer whose hay was exhausted in
February few years ago fed his cows straw
and full rations of wheat bran. which he found
the full equivalent of hay in maintaining flesh,
and much TO his surprise milk secretion was
not decreased.
There is no better time in the year TO de-
wise plans for farm Improvement than Winter.
when the mind Is free TO apply thought. There
is time TO think and To study thoughtfully. DO
not lose the opportunity for if il be lost other
losses must go with it.
As a remedy for bee stings a correspondent
says: When person is stung by bee or
wasp let them take "A little common whiting
mix it with cold water into a paste, and apply
IL 10 the part affected. In few minutes the
pain will cease"
An old strawberry patch plowed under
gives excellent returns in succeeding crops of
grain, vegetables or fruits. This is owing
largely to the fact that the strawberry ground
is pretty well fertilized: also to the mass of
roots aud foliage turned under to rot. Thus il
has a double manurug
7 - Experiments at the Canadian Model Farm
show that a COW previous 20 calving should be
confined TO straw aiid hay diet and completely
dried OF; that the milk ing periods should be
only once day for awhile then once in two
days, and prolonging the intervals as long as it
| is safe to do so.
A great many fields, especially those long
and narrow, are always pOwed the same way.
Simply changing the direction of working will
often make great increase in productiveness
The furrow cut across the old lines of burrows
is not stopped by the same stones. while new
soil is opened to the growth of plant roots.
An eminent authority insists THAT the
quality Of grain is best when the plants stand
sparsely. In root crops, also, the larger tubers
are, within certain limits, the larger the space