Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-09-13
FARM AND ORCHARD.
USE OF PLASTER FOB ARREsrING THE
ESCAPE OF AMMONIA.
Poultry Profitable on the Farm-Tne
Black Minorcas-Adyent of
CIover-Notes.

Until Of late years the action OF land plas-
ter on the manure heap in arresting the
escape of ammonia was not we'll under
stood. Professor Henry Lehman was
among the first to explain the process, and
his results showed that several chemical
changes resulted before the union of the
plaster and ammonia occurred. In fact,
the plaster itself undergoes decomposition,
being sulphate of lime (sulphuric acid and
lime.) The gaseous ammonia must first be
united with an acid, becoming salt, such
as carbonate of ammonia, and as the plas
ter is also salt, the two salts on coming in
contact compel change, the result being
that the carbonic acid leaves the ammonia
and goes over 20 the lime, while the sui
phuric acid of the plaster unites with the
ammonia, the results being the formation
of carbonate of lime and sulphate of am
monia.
Plaster, however, largely absorbs gases
of all kinds, and has repeatedly arrested
the escape of ammonia in that manner. 1t
also absorbs moisture, and where it has
been used as fertilizer in the hills for
corn, the stalks that have been fertilized
with ii will show much deeper color than
will the stalks from which plaster has
been omitted from the hills as it no doubt
also absorbs ammonia from the atmosphere,
or where it has been carried down into the
soil by the rains, it being we'll established
that the rains carry ammonia from the air
to the roots of plants. Plaster is soluble
in water, but only sparingly so, though
sufficiently soluble to afford line in a solu-
BILE form for the action of the roots of plants
and for inducing chemical changes in the
soil by the formation of other salts by its
decomposition.
On rich soils plaster is special fertili-
zer for leguminous plants, such as clover,
beans, peas, etc, and its effects are imme-
diate, but on light, sandy soils it gives bet
ter results when used in connection with
other fertilizers. Super-phosphates are
composed largely of sulphate of lime,
which results from the dissolution of the
bones when treated with sulphuric acid,
the phosphoric acid being left in free
condition, and farmers thereupon often
buy it and use it largely when the cheaper
land plaster (crude sulphate of lime)
would be equally as beneficial where the
phosphates are not required. Plaster
shows beneficial effects on nearly all
grasses, and in proportion to cost is unex-
celled as fertilizer.-Philadelphia Record.
POULTRY ON THE FARM.
Miss Mary Zimmerman writes to the
Northuest Former and Breeder the following
concise directions for the care of poultry:
Poultry should be fed regularly, and a
change should not be made in food too
often.
The best and most excellent articles of
food for poultry is wheat or parched corn.
Fowls must be fed twice day and must
have constant supply of pure, fresh
water.
The indestructible stone drinking fount-
aims so generally used are well adapted to
hold the supply.
The chicken-house should be cleaned
once or twice week.
Poultry should have lime in some form
for the formation of the egg-shell.
Hens should be set in the evening, and
furnished with good nest in a darkened
spot.
The hen should be taken off the nest
every day for food, water, brief exercise
and good dusting.
The young chicks should not be removed
until twentv-four hours after they are all
Matched.
Young chickens should be fed regularly
and often until FIVE or six weeks old.
If intended for marketing they should
be forced and marketed early; early spring
chickens pay best.
If chickens have been literally fed they
will be in prime condition for the table
without any extra fattening.
In raising fowls for market, as rule,
the chicks should be killed as soon as
ready, certainly as soon as they have at
tanned full size, as then better prices are
generally procured than later in the sea-
son.
Poultry costs less to produce than beef,
and brings higher average price.
Fowls and eggs are always in demand.
In preparing poultry for market dress
as nicely as possible.
For scalding poultry, the water should
be as near the boiling as possible, without
actually boiling; the bird being held by
the head and legs, should be immersed and
lifted up and down in water three times;
this makes picking easy.
Most of the poultry sold is wet picked,
and such is generally preferred.
In preparing frozen poultry for the late
market, dry pick the poultry, as it will
keep longer, hold its color better, and COM
mand better prices; the head should be
left on, as it looks better.
Poultry sells better in the months of
August and September.
BLACK MINoRcAs.
The North British Agriculturist, speaking
from the standpoint there, writing on Black
Minorcas. SAYS: This breed is one of the
most popular They are, without exeep-
ton, one of the best non-sittlng breeds to
keep if large eggs are required. They are
also splendid layers, good table fowls, eat
like turkey, the flesh being white. The
cocks have large single combs, perfectly
erect. evenly serrated, red faces and wat
ties, white earlobes, dark legs, four toes on
each foot, we'll spread out from each other.
The hens have combs that fall over on one
side, long and well serrated, red faces and
wattles, white earlobes, dark legs, four
toes on each foot. The plumage is very
good. having grand gloss, especially the
cockerels. Sometimes cockerel will be
perfect in all points but his comb, it will
many over Ou one Siues tuef ludhS thS Dcol
pullet breeders. The chickens are white
underneath, and black on the upper part.
When the feathers begin TO grow the black
covers the white.
THE ADVENT OF CLOVER.
Until within few years ago no one
ever supposed that anything but grain was
suitable for poultry, but we now not only
use grass in the summer, but hay in the
winter fer the hens. 1t has been found
that cut hay is not only cheaper than
grain, but it is as important in the ration
of the hen as for that of the COW. Good
clover hay contains more nitrogen and
more mineral matter than grain, and the
hens will lay more eggs and keep in bet
ter health by its use in connection with
Grain than To confiue them tn a grain diet