The National tribune., 1888-05-31
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
rARRrSa sEEp.conN.

corn, is making the annual rounds of the non
agricultural papers, having reached your Office
last week. l had really began to think he
had forgotten US this year.
Suppose some old soldier from northern
Michigan or Minnesota were to move down to
the corn belt, and, believing all that is written
in the great soldier paper, were to follow this
advice and tar his corn, what would be the re-
sult2 A clogged planter, the necessity of re-
planting, and mad subscriber. True he
might not order his paper discontinued, but it
would effectually destroy his confidence in the
agricultural department. Of The NATIONAL
tribune An Iowa farmer may not be able to
write a brilliant article for the press, but l
think statistics will prove that he can raise corn
L. c. STANLEY, Eldridge, Iowa.
GRADING WOOL.
prominent wooden manufacturer of Rhode
Island gives as a reason why foreign wool is pre-
ferred to that of our own country, is because of
the care exercised in putting it up for market
The same applies that affects the sale OF other
farm products.
American wool is put up by the whole fleece,
with no regard to the different grades that
may exist, while in some countries, Australia,
for example, the wool is very carefully assorted
and graded at the time of sheariug, the best
parts of the fleece being put in ono grade, and
the poorer ones in another, and then the
packages marked and sold with the statement
of the grade, accompanied by the name of the
producer as a guarantee. Wool growers ought
at once to discover that it is greatly to their
advantage to adopt a similar plan, which would
be likely to insure a quicker sale of their pro-
duct at better prices. This can be moro fully
understood by stopping to consider that manu-
facturers require a wool of uniform grade in
the manufacture of any kind of goods, and
while in the manufacture Of a special line, if
they purchase wool of mixed grade, they are
compelled to carry stock of the same, not
available at that time, until change of cloth
is adopted; this they dislike TO do, and so if
they can procure wool already graded they
will do so, and the farmer with ungraded wool
is compelled to wait pressing demand for
wool or else to sell at a reduced price.
In order to learn the best results, there must
be bond Of union Of good feeling between the
producer and the consumer, and this can only
exist by manifest disposition ON the part of
the producer to put up his wool in an honest
and business-like manner and one that the
wants of the consumer strongly demand.
| There should be a mutual confidence between
the parties. When this is secured and only
the better grades Of sheep are raised, the de-
mand of the wool market win be more likely
to look to home production than to seek the
products of foreign lands Germantown Tele-
| graph.
SMUT n OATS.
A greater or less loss results to farmers in
consequence of smut III oats. This trouble has
| been investigated to some extent at the farms
| of State institutions and at Agricultural Ex-
! pertinent Stations In Bulletin No 9, of the
Maine Station, are given remedies that are
recommended and which are to be tested fur
ther this season. Three of these we find in
| the New York Station reports, and the last is
taken from the report of the Ottawa lCanadaJ
Station. Although late for this season, we give
the same that they may be borne in mind for
future use. They are as follows:
| /. Soak the seed 30 hours in solution of one
! pound of copper suiphate blue vitriol) in four
! gallons of water.
! 2. Soak the seed one day in a solution Of one
pound of caustic potash in six gallons of water,
/ or solution made by mixing 40 pounds of
! hard wood ashes in 10 gallons of water that
/ has remained day and the water then poured
! Off
3. Soak one day in a solution of CASTLE soap
| in water with enough quick lime to color the
| liquid milky white.
4. Soak several hours in brine of the strength
used for picking pork, j. e., that in which a
| fresh egg will float. One gallon Of solution
will be sufficient for about four bushels of seed.
| -EIchaHge
COST OF NEGLIGENCE.
Negligence is an expensive indulgence.
| Negecting to supply a broken fence rail may
| cause a crop TO be destroyed by animals Negli-
gence in replacing lost nut may result in the
breaking Of q farm implement. Neglecting to
repair harness may result in a runaway, OF
loss of life, or both Negligence in attendance
to cultivation Of crops at the proper time may
result in doubling the labor required. And SC
there is no direction in which negligence is
practieed but that is liable to be attended by
evil, or what is worse, a train of evils
ADULTERATIoN Or MoLAssEs.
In view Of the facts of the danger that at
tends the use of molasses that is adulterated
by means Of glucose and muriate OF tin, this
practice should be prohibited by the inhictioI
of suitable punishment for the adulteration
When the aduiterant articles are dangerous tx
health, as IS the case with large number, il
becomes matter of no little Importance II
every consumer. Muriate Of tin gives Iigh
color TO the sirup and in small quantities
might not be largely dangerous but being heavy
settles and is liable to be used in such guam
tity as to be dangerous. Let articles of food bt
secured pure for consumption.
NOTES.
The ground may be plowed at any tim
after the frost shall be out. The value of goot
narrowing is often overlooked The harrow
should be passed over the ground dozen time
if necessary, as the finer the seedbed tn
better.
Be weatherwise Furnish shelter for TIN
chickens from the showers that are 50 frequen
at this season of the year. If possible be about
so that when shower comes up the chicken
can be driven under shelter, whether the,
( Will or no."
- The most succnleRt of all the cabbag
family is the caulifower 1t is more tende
, than the cabbage, aud therefore requires NOR
, generous treatment 1t delights III rich sol
and abundance of water, which it would b.
we'll to supply artifcially in a dry season
( After seeing the splendid caulihower growing
around Erfurt, in Russia, and observing tn
pains taken in its culture we did not wOnde
that we fail in our climate. Caulifower, there
is raised in low, swampy ground, which
: thrown up in wide ridges, and between thes
are bitches of water. Every dry day the waite
is bailed from these bitches upon the growing
: plants, and the result is cauliAower of an enor
, nous size, compact, and almost as white a
! snow. The flower buds form solid mass 0
great beauty and delcacy, called the "curd
+ This is rendered more delicate by being pro
. tected from the sun. Break off one or two o
the leaves, and place them upon the head
Toronto Mail.
- Potatoes may be planted for late crop q
r almost any time this month. 1t is an excel
= lent plan to have both early and late potatoes
: SO if one be injured by drouth, blight, or rot
. the other may escape. Tobacco aud cabbag
a plants may be set after the danger of frost
passed. They should be given well-manure
a land and should have an application of phos
| phate when set out! and another at the time q