The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-07-21
FARM NOTES.
Edited by John G. Edgar, Duval to whom all
communications for this column should be nd
dressed.

communications for this column should be nd
dressed
SWEET SUGGESTIONS.
To the Agricultural Editor of The Statesman.
Nearly every one knows what an
oak ball is, for it grows in great num-
bers upon the scrubby liveoak timber
in all hill countries. Most country
people know, too, that it also fur.
nishes considerable amount of honey
of excellent quality. But how this
sweet is formed no one seems to know.
Is there any theory not controverted
or indisputably fixed in the true cause
of this singular appearance of honey?
1 have searched in vain the works of
chemistry and agriculture at my COM
mand for a solution of the problem,
yet it may be only chestnut to those
more learned in these things. My
opinion is merely conjectural and ad-
varced simply for the purpose of
drawing to the subject better mind
to it's solution.
The honey appears 10 transparent
drops sometimes as large as No. Z
shot on the outer surface of the ball
and has the appearance of ordinary
honey dew. Split the ball in two and
we find that it's center is occupied by q
grubb the size of an ordinary
gnat, the wood fibre tends from this
cell straight to its outer surface, yet is
very tough and hard to cut. The in
terror is intensely bitter and astrin-
gent, so beyond a doubt, the honey is
not elaborated within entirely from
it's sap constituents.
There appears but slight resem-
blance between this substance and
that known in the eastern world as
mama or mannitis, and only in one
other instance is the oak known to
yield sweet substance at all. Most
of the mannas are supposed to flow in
consequence of the punctuie of an in
sect, and exudes as we'll during the
heat of the day, while honey dew
proper makes it's appearance only at
night, and the microscope cannot dis
cover either insect or wound to cause
its flow.
In the artificial production of sug-
ars there is striking analogy in their
chemical composition. They all con-
sist of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen,
varying only in their proportions of
each elemental body. In all of them
the hydrogen and oxygen are in the
proportions to form water, so in fact,
we may say they are composed of car
bon and water.
The evidence is con-
elusive that transformation
of material in plants takes place at
different stages of its growth; some
times it is the conversion of sugar con-
tanned in it's sap into wood fiber, at
others as in the case of fruit, portion
of it's acid is converted into sugar. 1t
is unnecessary here to instance the
many examples wherein chemical
philosophy explains how sugar may
be evolved in the sap of growing
plants and by artificial processes
illustrates the curious and beautiful
principles of organic chemistry. These
facts must form base for theorizing
and accounting for honey dew on tie
oak ball. Yet trees and plants that
yield honey dew reveal no evidence
of u transformation of its sap to such
an end. 1t is entirely conclusive that
the right proportioning of the sac
charine clements does not take place.
within. The most plausible explana-
ton 1 think that can be given is that
the transpired carbon of the plant and
the depositing of dew mingle at its
excaping point in the right atomic
proportions; bat the question arises,
why don't all plants produce honey
dew, that transpire carbon here is the
controversy in this assumption, and it
would seem from this that there are
other causes, not accounted for and
probable due to some unnatural OF
unhealthy condition of the plant. No
doubt careful and scientific investi-
CATION of this subject with a view to
discover the conditions existing in
negotiation, necessary to produce this
effect would throw much light upon
the many mysterious ills of both or.
,chard and field.
CARY RANDOLPH.
Big Springs.
A NEW GRASS.
Some weeks ago 1 noticed buncn
of grass in my orchard unlike any
other 1 had seen in the state. 1
watched its growth and was pleased
to see it spread and develop into a
tall. we'll leaved, densely lowered
mass. 1 consulted every written au-
thority on grasses and came to the
conclusion it was eragrostis major,
which is a native of foreign lands,
but fast being naturalized in the
United States. Its agricultural value
does not seem to be known. In order
to verify my judgment 1 sent sample
of the grass to my friend g. HI. Hogan
of Ennis, the well known grass spec
ialist, and have just received the fol-
lowing reply:
ENNIS, July 8.
Your kind favor duly to my office,
but l have been absent since May "a
until last night, hence the delay. The
grass sent is tragrostis pacoides; is
very little value as forage plant and
in some localities veritable nuisance
on account of the disagreeable ordor
emitted when bruised.
Now, as to Jthnson grass you know
1 never did champion it, only as the
relative value against the all cotton
plan. In my travels L find the
people are not half so
touchv about il since 5 cent cotton