Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1888-11-03
FARM EXPERIENCES.
Interesting Observations on Ami
mails, Insects and Crops.

Correspondence N. y. Times.
more TO exercise their wits for the pur.
pose of living than the average house
cat which is spoiled by too much petting
has afforded subject for many interest
ing stories. But case, which, think
is unique occurred in my barn this sea
son. pair of ducks Eested close to
gether in the barn and Matched out Il 10
Of ducklings. The cat had her mes
close by those of the ducks, where she
nursed one little kitten. The duck
went off the morning after their broods
were Matched to the pond and did moi
return. On looking for the ducklings
they were not to be found, and l was
beginning to suspect the cat had made
away with them, when / cav the dark
little things peeping out from her nest.
She had gathered them all in with her
and was keeping them warm, and spit
and fought when L attempted to take
them from her to return them to the
| ducks.
The value of a CROP Of millet is far
greater than is generally supposed or
| believed. As forage for all kinds Of
stock it comes next to corn. | am now
feeding millet hay to milking cows, work
! oxen, horses and colts with evident adj
vantage. 1t is preferred before any
other kind of hay by the horses, and is
| all eaten without waste. | consider it
worth at least one-quarter more than
| the best timothy. But this crop must
be cut early and cured quickly, and
/ grown thickly too, to be worth this.
| When ripe and over cured it is not
worth any more than straw, and I don't
consider the grain of much ytlue for
feeding.
have just finished cutting Two acres
of second growth clover and timothy for
soiling 1t has been used foE all kinds
of stock, including pigs, witch eat i
greedily. The two acres havf support9
Il yearling steers and heiies, 3 cowsH
spring calves, bull, 4 oten, hoes
and pigs for two mouths and the1ew
growth Of the first part CT would make
very good pasture. Hadthis fieu peen
pastured it would nof have yielded
more than feed for theh2 warnings, II
they could have even Eed oA 1T for the
two months. FeedilE gretn crops by
soiling has ben frauenty proved TO
yield three tines a5mudl food as the
same land plstured Would have done.
The com1on ophionthat earth worms
damage p6tatoes As generally supposed
by the foct that Jthe worms have been
found intheh6liows eaten in the tubers.
This Is ciremstantial evidence OF the
weakest kid. a man goes to his corn
crib and hds that the corn has been
eaten oil fbm the cobs, and he also finds
n cat curlh up and sleeping on the corn. |
Twill he imp Mt once to the conclusion
that the at knawed the cornl Certainly |
not andbecanse he knows it is not the !
nature cats to eat corn. He lays the
blame the right quarter, the mice and
rats bsause he knows these animals IN
sest u cribs and he recognizes the
markfof their teeth. Now person
that calls an earth worm an IN
sect bes not know enough to give q Just
INDECENT in this case. Now, worms
J havno teeth OF mandibles and cannot
couJouently make marks or indentures
in potato. Wire worms, ON the con-
tryy have sharp pair Of mandibles or
over teeth and make distinct marks IN
II potatoes which they bite into, and
do the large white grubs; and these
Iake much larger marks and cat much
feper than the wire worms do. so that
then any person says that earth worms
;ause the damage to potatoes known as
lscab his experience is not correctly
based. In any soil there ars inyrlads OF
earth worms and n great many white
grubs, and the potatoes are always more
or less eaten by the later, but tliey have
never been scabby to the knowledge OF
the Oldest inhabtant. And there are no
wire worms-(the kind known as hun
dred legs-myriapods-is ment.)
Ny experience iii this respect, due to
yery careful observation, is that the
white erubs keep to one potato, remain,f
ing near it or in the cavity they mal9
until it is nearly all eaten away; tk
wire worms eat only the skin, and y
from one potato to another, damag1g
some more thon others, and mos OF
them but little, and many are my
spotted in a NV places. Alway thG
most damage9 arc the soitest ssnnled
ones. IL is ,hrious that no fuR'is has
ever been fydnd growing in tB scabby
notatoes. ayhough sometimcSt may be
found opthe potato glowgg at the
wounde9 part, and hence aeidental.