The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-02-13
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers


SILK CULTURE.
The production Of the silk cocoon is an in
dustry especially adapted to the use and OPP
portunity of the women on the farm. No oc-
cupation could possibly be more easy and agree
able for woman than tho raising of cocoons,
and it will offer iiew Source of income to the
wives and daughters of farmers. There is n vast
amount of waste female labor in this country
that might DO put to some uso and here is q
chance to which this spare time might be de-
voted for six weeks in tho year; at any rate,
during the cocoon raising season.
Anyone in tho United States who will take
the trouble to write to the Department of Agri-
culture in March of any year, with request
for silk-worm eggs, viii DO sent, about April 1,
quarter Of an ounce of them, or about 5000, in
box. The eggs will have been kept on ice by
the Department to prevent Matching, and all
the beginner need do is TO put them in dry
place, where they will come out themselves.
The 5000 worms will take up q table space 40
feet square, and the most convenient way is to
put together, roughly tier of big square shelves
for them, one above tho other with spaces of two
feet between. On these or ordinary tables,
the worms should be placed and allowed to feed
four or five times n day upon as many mulberry
or Usage leaves as they will consume; no other
sort of food will do. When they arc ready to
spin their cocoons, light brush must DO put
over them for them to climb up on. Once
spun, the cocoons may be detached from the
brush and thrown into boiling water for few
seconds TO kill the worms inside; otherwise
they would bore out and spoil the silk.
With two ounces of eggs year person
ought to be able to raise so or 60 pounds of co.
coons per annum, batching the eggs April 10,
and gathering the cocoons June /. The latter
are worth about 81 pound now The Depart
ment buys most of the c0coons at this rate from
the raisers whom they supply with eggs.
AN EXPERIMENT IN PIG-FEEDING.
An experiment was made recently Mt tho
Wisconsin Farmers Institute in feeding pigs
TO show the result which attended tho feeding
OF corn only. Six pigs were raised IN one lit
ter, the mother being fed nothing but slop
made Of cornmeal aud water while they were
sucking. After being weaned they were all
fed on corn exclusively until they were 119
days old. They were then divided into three
lots, two pigs in each lot and the corn feeding
continued with variations in the different lots
as follows, each lot receiving all the Cornmeal
they would cat IN - weeks:
Lot No ate 5l2 pounds of meal, drank 1913
pounds of rain water. ate los ounces of bone
meal and "a ounces OF salt They gained %
pounds in weight. Tho thigh bones broke
under pressure Of a07 pounds, and the four
thigh bones burned produced 100 grains of ash.
Lot No. = ate 41i pounds of cornmeal 167
ounces of wood ashes, g. ounces of salt, drank
l.O31 pounds of rain water. gained 81 pounds;
the thgh-boncs broke under pressure of $40
pounds, aud the four thigh-bonos produced 90
grains of ash
Lot No Alto 3s7 pounds OF cornmeal, 60
ounces OF salt. gained IL pounds: the thigh
bones broke under pressure OF 306 pounds,
aud the four thigh-bones produced $50 grains
Of ash.
The meal was moistened with rain water for
all OF the lots, aud all were given only rain
water 20 drink AT tho end of - weeks it
became necessary to slaughter tho pigs, because
those which were fed neither ashes nor bone
meal broke down aud would not stand any fur
| Their feeding while the other lots would have
stood tbs pressure OF feeding considerably
! longer. The object Of the experiment WAS To
! show the Importance of feeding some bone and
muscle-forming food with corn in order to get
| the best results. The fact that the capacity for
assimiinting food was entirely used up in those
| which received only c0rnmeal aud salt, when
| tho other lota were ia fair feeding shape
seems 60 clearly prove the importance Of other
/ food with corn. In looking at the relative gain
made for the food consumed. we find that lot
No. l made a pound OF gain on 81 pounds Of
corn lot No. gained pound on 81 pounds Of
/ corn. aud Lot No. 3 gained pound on l.5
| pounds of corn. These figures arc practically
| accurate. being but mere fraction of in each
case. These results are worthy OF study by
| the practical pork raiser.
10 TAN a SKIN WITH THE HAIR on.
RpIToE NATIONAL TRIBUNE: | see in re-
cent issue that ono Of your subscribers wishes
| 10 know how 10 tan q buffalo hide with the hair
| on. The following is my method Take 20 gall
| Ions OF soft water, add one bushel of wheat
bran, and let it sour then dissolve aud add
| 10 pounds Of common salt and five pounds sui
| phuric acid. Stir thoroughly while adding the
above. Have the hide as soft as when TAX en-
from the back Of the animal, aud let il soak ia
| tho liquid from six to 10 days At the end of
that time take IL out and wash we'll with soft
water aud SOAP and then hang In the shade TO
dry. When nearly dry oil the flesh side with
tanners oil aud hang up again.-N.. f. POWELL,
Sullivan, Ill.
DESTROY THE APPLE.TREE WORM.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: ] would call
the attention OF farmers aud frnit-growers to
destroying the apple.trce worm. or tent cater.
pillar, rs they are getting so thick they will
soon ruin the orchard unless headed OFF before
| they arc hatcned. On suu.shuy days in
February or March YOU can easily find small,
white bean, tho ends of the limbs. These
| contain the future worms, and If they are
! picked off now and burned will save n great
amount of trouble later on. You can destroy
| more in this way in two hours than you can in
| two days in June-W w. CLEANER, Unadilla,
n. Y.
| NOTES.
~ Begin TO save up manure for the hotbed.
| Hotbeds will be needed before Spring. There
| is plenty Of time for cold weather.
- Boiled linsced oil and cement makes d
| capital paint for CUTTERS and for greenhouses,
and is not only waterproof, but becomes as hard
| as stone.
AT the present price Of fced-stuifs, Prof.
| Goessmann reaches the conclusion that it pays
! 10 grow aud prepare cornlodder, stover or corn
enailage. This conclusion is confirmed by tho
| Ohio and Iowa experiment stations
| -- AT this time too much attention cannot be
given the early lambs They sell AS high as S.
| each If choice, aud tho most expensive food
| will not be too costly for them, rs they will
reach tho market In short time if well fed.
Lambs begin TO cat when quito young, and,
with the aid of the milk from the dams, will
increase in weightrapidly. Bear in mind that
the dams must DO we'll fed also, SO as 10 increase
the flow of milk. There will be no danger of
milk fever after the lamb has begun to draw
heavily on the eve for milk
~ When cabbage aud lettuce plants are Win