The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-10-22
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
DAT AND WHEAT SMUT.

DAT AND WHEAT SMUT.
AT the Kansas Station experiments have been
in progress TO discover remedies for smut upon
oats and wheat. Bulletin % describes remedy
for Oat smut: To every 20 gallons Of water
add one pound Of potassium sulphats. and
leave the seed in the mixture "a hours, or
make the mixture twice as strong and allow the
seed to remain but 10 or - hours The increase
of yield resulting from using seed thus freed
from smut is at least twice the amount de-
strOyed By the smut instead Of that amount
only, as might be expected. Experiments were
also carried on TO discover a remedy for loose
smut on wheat, and the red rust on wheat, bar
ley. and oats. Fifty -four trials with various
fungicides failed to find a destroyer of these
diseases, which during the past season damaged
the crops at the Station from five to l6 per cent.
GOOD ROADS.
Stuttgart Is in the midst of the high hills of
Wurtemberg; yet / have repeatedly seen
yoke Of cows, which were giving milk, haul as
heavy loads 70 aud from the city as pair Of
good farm horses will do over many important
aud mueh-traveled American roads As a
matter Of fact, considerable amount Of the
road-teaming in parts of Germany is done by
mich COWS.
Italy is the poorest Of all highly vilized
countries. yet has excellent wagon roads. She
could afford nothing else; our roads would
ruin her, Her farmers cannot afford TO waste
their substance in hauling their products and
supplies at three times the necessary cost. No
doubt but that One-half, if not more. or our
road horses aud equipment could be sold if our
roads were what they ought TO be- Again. the
wear and tear OF the reduced equipment would
be considerably lessened on the better roads,
and ali business would be greatly facilitated
CHitiratOr and Country Gentleman.
LARGE EGGS.
There are some breeds that lay very large
eggs, among them being the Black Spanish,
Minorcas, and HOudsns. The best way to IN
crease the size OF the eggs Is to use a male from
any one of the breeds named. aud cross on the
largest and best hens of the flock, selling of all
the stock next season except the pullets from
the cross, which should be retained. These
breeds are not considered equal to some others
for market, but il the pullets Of the cross are
mated with some choice market variety. the
chicks will be equal TO those OF any other cross
In this way the flock may DO improved with
but little expense, only the purchase of q male
being necessary.-MirrOr aud Fdrnasr.
DREAMING MILK.
Every housewife knows that to disturb a pan
OF milk while the cream is rising, is about fatal
to any further rising Of cream in that pan.
Prof. Henry, of Wisconsin, made some ex-
haustive experiments along this line, and found
moro than this; that milk allowed 70 cool
down few degrees before putting in the pans,
would not give as free escape to the butter
globules as IL would where the milk was i'm
mediately set, and as near "a possible to the
temperature when drawn, and that there was as
notable loss by this cause as by after disturb
anee- lie found the loss OF butter by these two
causes would often amount 10 one per cent. Of
the fats or pound in 100 pounds Of milk
Now comes Prof Jordan, who says there is q
mistake somewhere, and that the loss amounts
10 no more than OO2 per cent; three ounces to
the 100 pounds OF milk. With 500 pounds of
milk per day, even this loss would be a pound Of
butter. The milk has TO be cared for, strained
either hot or cold, aud IL il amounts to a pound
OF butter, why not save it by doing dairy work
ia order aud season? But We fear the Professor
from Maine Is mistaken to some extent, and a
careful revising OF the totals will show that
IL does not IN any event pay TO be slow or
careless IN Dreaming miik.-Prdcticdl FdTmer.
This kind Of milk house is used by many. and
the results are nearly il not quite as good as in
the spring milk-hodse. An out door cellar is
dug about seven feet deep Of the right length
and breadth and walled up. without plaster.
Above ground, on top Of the wall, is placed
building two feet high, with windows made
like those in the sprinc-house, TO light and
yentilate IT. The temperature Of such vaults Is
about the same as that OF the spring house.
The pans are set on rocks, and the cream rises
as soon, aud is worked alike.
HOW TO PULL OLD sTUMPs
This is for stumps too sound for the team. and
not sound enough for stump machine. Secure
good stout lever, 10 feet or u feet long 10 the
stump by passing chain around the stump,
and lever set upright against the stump. To
the top Of this lever fasten another chain, 20
feet long. to hitch the team to- Ii must be long
enough not 70 choke the team. This we find
gets rid Of good many stumps-PraetieaI
Farmer.
KILLING POULTRY.
Readers who practice beheading poultry with
ak or Ratchet will find eorn-chopper to do
the work every time. This is not only short,
but also a sure cut.-PractieaL Farmer.
NOTES
The best egg producing food to give hens
now that IL is becoming difficult for them to
pick up much out OF doors is wheat, oats, bran
and ground beef scraps Give such food iu-
diciously, not allowing the hens to become too
fat, and you can keep them laying in cold
weather, when eggs command good price.
IL You cannot cook your stock feed, you can
at least cut it; there is no way in which you
can get better pay for part Of your time aud
labor this winter than by running q feed
cutter.
noted daiTyman says he would as soon
think Of Summering cattle without grass as of
Wintering them without ensilage. The silo ia
a growing factor in dairying, in beef pro-
duction, in wool growing, and even in horse
raising.
The tobacco farmers OF Lancaster County,
Pa, are experiencing big boom. Buyers are
in the field in large numbers picking up all
the finer crops while the range of prices is very
high. Many sales are reported at from 20 to 80
cents, and higher figures for exceptionally fine
crops.