The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-01-15
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
THE DOWNING MULBERRY.

THE DOWNING MULBERRY.
There are few trees Of more value for
general purposes than the Downing NAL
berry. and yet il is not often that we see IL
As shade tree for the lawn or around the
house 1t is one Of the best. and. considering its
RAPID growth, prolusion Of foliage of such
deep yeTdure, and dense shade il is
remarkable that it is not more generally
planted. 1t is charming tree with
shaPely and compact habit and form,
longliyed, and its wood is very durable. The
fruit Is produced in great abundance. and
vi about the diameter Of blackbe IL ia
purplish-biack in color sweet and delicious in
flavor, and is produced freely from July until
late IN Autumn. Poultry are particularly fond
OF mulbeTrios. In making out the list OF trees
Tor Spring planting, by all means include =
Downing Mulberry.-OrchaTd and Garden.
EXTRACTED HONEY
o. p. Miller, of Glendale, Iowa gives IN
American Bee Journal the following result Of his
labor in producing extracted honey: began
III lss9 with l6 colonies. and worked IL for
extracted honey. increased them to 40, took
1900 pounds of honey, AID they have yet an
average OF ut least p pounds each. We had
frost last May which killed all the linden
bloom, and injured other flowers considerably;
also very dry Fall, cutting tho Fall crop off
short IN eptember-altOgether not making
more than about twO-thrd5 Of crop. Besides
this, have had great many combs built, and
have considerable surplus bccswax-euough TO
Keep me IN foundation. These last two items
cannot be realized in the production Of comb
honey. can sell my honey very readily at
aud 10 cts per pound. while comb honey sells
at 10 to l21 cents"
GRADING UP POULTRY.
There will be individual differences in the
poultry yard az surely rs anywhere else. III it
costs 90 cents each a year to keep tho hens,
and part Of them do not return enough 10
pay their keeping, the balance will have TO re-
turn an additional amount in order to give the
desired profits. There must be a wedding out
OF the poorer ones. Better by far reduce the
flock 10 so good hens and secure an average of
SLIGO apiece returns than TO have so more
with % not paying expense5.-OTaHJs Judd
Farmer.
KEEPING POTATOES.
In late issue Of the p f. saw an editorial
in reference 10 the prcseryatiye qualities of
lime for apples and potatoes. / would say that
have tested u several times by packing both
apples and potatoes in empty lime barrels and
as for preserving qualities, it answered tho pur-
pose well it kept the apples and potatoes in
good order. But for keeping potatoes through
the Winter there is nothing the equal of q
good, tight potato bin and nOn-freezing cellar.
Take and pack the potatoes as follows: Take a
layer OF salt hay, dry, the kind called Salt or
Red Brtch; first layer of salt hay, then q
layer Of potatoes, until the bin is full also
pack up tho sides between tho potatoes and
sides Of bin.-A. n. T.-PracticaI Farmer.
TRYING HORSE.
If you find your horses disposition will do.
you must next try his powers Get 10 ascer-
tain the capacity of the lungs. Unless these
are sound and capacious the best legs will not
carry him fast. On good level road or on an
uphill slope and without much load either on
him or behind him, to trot a mile in five
minutes. Then get down and watch him
breathing. See if the nostrils easily open quite
wide enough for their work. Listen at the
windpipe and take care thereis no Wheeling
there. Look at the TANKS and see if they are
working hard or If they quiet down as they do
directly after the horse stops Especially notice
If their working is regular and with no double
spasmodic effort TO expel the wind Any sign
OF such uncomfortable action should be a fatal
objection 70 any horse aud your trial need pro-
coed no further.-N. T. Herald
PAPER IN THE POULTRY HoUsE.
Brown paper, old newspaper, or tarred felt,
placed against the walls on the inside Of the
poultry house, will greatly aid in warding of
cold and save food. If there is plenty OF light
In the house, the walls close and the fowls
given q supply Of litter to scratch IN, they will
DO warm and comfortable, and the use of paper
IS cheap and etfectual where there are cracks
IN the WaIIS-OHT Country Home.
BEES.
In paper before the North American Bee
Keepers Association at KeOkuk, Allen PringIe
gave the following concerning foul-brOod: This
Is the most serious and difficult question con-
fronting the apiaTist to-day. The foul brood
problem has stood the longest-a defiance TO our
heads and a menace TO our pockets During
the honey flow is the best time for operating
In the evening, remove tho bees and queen
from tho diseased colony. and place them in .
clean hive, with fOundation-starters. Four
days afterwards take away all frames Of comb
and starters from them, and give them full
sheets Of foundation or empty comb which Won
know TO DO free from the faint Of disease. The
colony IS now cured, and will rear brood healthy
and free from the disease, until contracted again
through the ingathering Of diseased honey, or
otherwise. The honey is the chief if not the
only, medium of the contagion, and one drop
OF the affected honey brought into a healthy
colony, If used for laTval food, is sufficient to
start the disease. To cure foul-brOOd colony
IN the Fail, after the honey season is over re-
move the bees and queen from their hive and
place them ia a clean hive with as many frames
OF healthy, sealed honey, or strip, as may be
required for Winter. The combs must be COM
ptetey filled and sealed SO that the bees will re-
tain the diseased honey they may bring with
them. until it is digested, instead Of depositing
1t IN the combs and so that the queen may have
no place 10 deposit eggs until all the danger is
past. This is the simple plan of curing foul
brood, followed by Alr. McEyOy, our inspector,
and IS invariably successful. lie has treated
hundreds ofcases during the past season, with
out single failure Since he began his official
work, in May last. under our Act, he has ex-
amined nearly hundred apiaries and thou
sand colonies Many whole apiarieS which were
fairly rotten with the disease are now found to
DO perfectly sound and healthy"
DAIRY DOTS.
The finer the feed is ground the better 10 is
digested. One should keep a close watch on
the manure to lock out for wastes in feeding.
Contrary 70 common belief, Jerseys make
excellent light beeves. The meat is tender,
juicy, aud well favored, and the Jersey steers
make good light working oxen
When feeding for test, the food should be
increased very gradually. A month is not too
long TO wait for results. If too rapid increase
is made, it is almost certain to cause indiges-
ton, OF which the least bad effect is waste Of
food.
Why cannot one man DO the same as another
in feeding and managing live stock? Simply
because of the difference in mems heads. The
brain is the spring which provides the force
which nerves men. and the fountain of all
intelligence But brain can be cultivated az
"a fl.,r,a o 4, -