The record-union., 1891-03-17
FARM And ORCHARD.
Insecticides for Saving Fruits.
Spring Pointers"
Gopher Pofson-Using Lemons-Merino
Rams-Mutton Raised in Ireland
Interesting Farm Notes.

| 1t is important that the use of lnSectl-
cides for preventing the depredations OF
insects should begin just as early in the
season as possible. A delay of one week
may give the insects an opportunity in
their favor which cannot be overcome
later on. 1t has been demonstrated that
all arsenical poisons, and especially Paris
green and London purple, will be eaten il
the solutions are applied to the trees al
the proper time and in the right manner
One pound of Paris green in 200 gallons
of water, or one pound of London purple
in 400 gallons of water, are the proper
tions. 1t is applied with what is known
as the sprayer, a force pump adopted so
as to throw fine mist or spray, which
| falls on every portion of the leaves and
! blossoms. Many insects lay their eggs
on the blossoms, and the larvae soon eat
their way down into the young fruit that
| forms from the blossom. If il gets into
the fruit it is safe from harm, as no III
secticides can be so applied as to reach
them. But when the blossoms are sprayed
! the young creatures arc compelled TO eat
the poison and are killed. The point to
observe is that the most important time
| is when the trees are blossoming, and to
avoid mistakes the work of spraying the
trees should be done several times, in
order that none of the blossoms are
| missed.
The appliances that have been invented
for the purpose OF spraying trees permit
of the work being done thoroughly,
easily and quickly. BY attending to such
duty not only will the larger portion OF
the fruit be saved, but the number of in
sects reduced, thus leSsening the labor
| next season.
| The bordeaux mixture, so frequently
given, is also applied by the sprayer, aud
| unless the work is done as early as poSsi-
! bic the time will be lost. For grape
vines the spraying should be done ten
days before the blossoms appear, and also
just after bloSSoming, as well as several
times while the grapes are growing. One
mixture is prepared by dissolving one
pound OF sulphate of copper in three gal
! Ions of hot water, and when cold a mint al
ammonia is added, the whole reduced
with twenty-five gallons of water This
is known as the ammonia and copper so
luton, and diSpenses with the lime, while
| the Bordeaux mixture requires lime.
which is Objectionable to some. Ali
plants upon which fungi appear. or are
liable to appear, should be SPRAYED, and
the sooner it is done the better.-Ph
deiphia Record.
GOPHER POISON.
a patron of the Colltsa Sn,, saws that
after experimenting for six years with
| various kinds Of gopher exterminators.
including Smoking machines, traps. cats,
carbon, sulphide and many other kinds
OF poisons, he has found the followiup
| mixture to be the most effective, as well
as the cheapest, remedy he has ever used:
Gut the top oil Il five-gallon oil can, clean
| thoroughly, put in a little cold water and
insert Il stick of phosphorus. Hot mot
| bolllng) water is then gradually poured
in and stirred with stick until the can
| is half full. The water should be lust hot
enough to melt the phosphorous grad
| uaily.i As soon as this is done, stir briskly
| while two pounds of sugar are added.
| Sufficient corn meal and flour are then
added to make thick batter. Stirring is
| continued while wheat is added, making
| the mixture as thick as can be stirred.
| Add at the same time as the wheat, tif-
! teen or twenty drops of oil of rodium.
The water viii be absorbed by the wheat.
which should be dry, and the whole will
| becomes a hard mass. Pieces the size of a
| hickory nut are chopped off as desired
and put in the main runs of the gophers.
The odor will attract the rodents from a
| long distance and the least nibble is sure
death. The above quantity of poison will
| be sufficient for a large orchard or a
whole neighborhood of small growers.
USING LEMONS.
| Keep lemons in the house when DOS
slble, as they are sure to be in demand for
| more purposes than one and are verv
healthful. says the Florida Agricultu7fst.
1t is claimed that where a large quantity
oflemons is purchased, and there is fear
! of their not keeping till wanted for use,
| that if they are placed in a jar, covered
with clear water, and the water changed
each day, they will keep as long
as desired, and are as fresh when removed
from the jar as when first purchased.
There are few things as efficacious for
breaking upa cold as hot lemonade, taken
before bedtime.
MERINo RAMS.
| Australia furnishes a market for prob-
ably three times as many inerino rams as
are yearly sold in the United States, and
for these better prices are paid there than
| can be obtained in this country. Some
headway has been made in the direction
of bringing colonial buyers to an appre-
cation and acceptance of the American
standard for a merino sheep, and efforts
in this behalf need not be abated Mean
While there is business opening too
good to be lost along the line of accom-
modating buyers with such animals as
they now demand, and this may be fol-
lowed without in any wise compromising
the attitude OF breeders in this country or
modifying what they have so long held
Breeders Gazette.
IRISH MUTTON.
The sweetest, tenderest and most palat-
| able mutton IS raised in Ireland, saws the
Boston Globe. 1.-The Irish sheep grow
larger than ours, they feed on better pas
tUres. and their meat is wholly free from
that strong, sleepy taste which makes
ours disagreeable to many palates. No
American who has eaten the mutton
served in the Irish hotels viii take any
other kind of meat while he stays there.
The English mutton, though better than
| ours, is far inferior to the Irish. Ameri-
can mutton is sold in the English. Irish
and Scotch markets, but it brings from
| three to four pence less a pound than the
native products, and no one who can af-
| ford the latter will take the former.
FARM NOTES.
| Those who have plots only large enough
for q garden will find the house refuse eX-
! cellent as manure, if it is composted with
dirt or some kind of absorbent material.
| Quite large amount can be saved in this
way in year.
One reason why some seeds never come
up is because they have too much cover
ing over them when they are planted.
Small seeds should be barely covered:
| Just enough covering to shut out the
| light is sufficient.
This is an excellent time for applying
fertilizers TO Strawberries, especially Oh
clay soils, but for light soils the fertilizer
| may be deferred until next month Burn
| the bed over if the plants bore last year.
A sugar maple in South Hadley, Mass,
having insinuated one of its roots be-
| tween the horizontal layers of sand
stone ledge, was found to have raised a
slab measuring more than twenty-four
cubic feet and weighing, therefore, over
two tons.
Rich soil stands drought better than
poor. The heavier growth shades the