The Opelousas courier., 1892-10-15
ABOUT SELECTING raE FLOCK.

Selecting means a little more than
culling the flock, and is the most direct
and reliable way of improvement. The
fockowner that expects to improve his
sheep by buying all his good sheep will
have to keep on doing SO. The import
ance of having a well-defned standard
Of proper sheep for the business in
tended and the circumstances surround
ing the plant cannot be oyerestiinated.
Without this standard all the selection is
guessWork. A Missouri sheep-breeder
had an expert select his flock on the
basis of fleece excellence. The results
were the mex clip brought four cents a
pound more in price than the former
clip had brought, though woods were
lower in price than the former year.
There are other points that should be
considered besides the feeces. The
size, form, symmetry, thrift, early ma
turlty, feeding, and breeding qualities
are among the most important charac.
feristics in a good flock, but they are
mol all; there is more in quiet handling,
domestic qualities than is generally
recognized. A nervous, fussy sheep can
never be the most useful, and these
qualities in a flock are very objection
able.
The rule with most sheepmen is to
select the flock either at shearing or tup.
ping season; both are proper, but the
better plan is TO keep a dish of lamp
black or Prussian blue on hand to mark
Objectionable animals whenever sufficient
cause for condemnation is discovered.
Instead of selecting once or twice q
year, practice it every day with unre.
mittiDg vinilance. No matter how good
a sheep may be. in one or two points, II
it is not a paying sheep it should be
discarded aud one put in its place that
will pay.-American Farmer.
THE SAFETY Oh ARsENrcAL SPRAYING.
Farmers bulletin No. z Of the Depart
ment of Agriculture treats OF the prac-
tice, methods and effects OF spraying
fruit trees for insect pests and fungus dis
eases. The fact that the compounds as
generally used are slightly poisonous in
their character has led some persons to
express apprehension lest their applica-
fion should injure the fruit for consump-
kion. When freshly mixed, either Lon
don purple or Paris green may beappiied
to apple, plum and other fruit trees, ex-
cent the peach, at the rate Of one pound
TO $50 to 200 gallons Of water, the latter
amount being recommended for the plum.
Fl used Oh tie peach, lime water should
lie aided at the rate Of abouttWo gallons
to 100 gallons of the poison, otherWise
the foliage win be injured.
In the use of Paris green or London
purple the only danger lies IN having the
poison about a farm Of plantation IN bulk.
III Tie ease Of spraying apple orchards fof
the codliug moth there is scarcely q pos
sibility Of Injury to the consumer Of tne
fruit. Al mathematical computation will
quickly show that where the poison 8
1sed Ii the proportion Of one pound g
800 gallons Of water (the customary pro-
poftionl the arsenic will be SO distributed
through the water that, ii will be impos-
sihIe for o sufficient quantity TO collect
upon any given apple to have the slight
UT injurious effect lipon the consumer.
Al i matter Of fact careful microscopic
examinations have been made OF the
iEnls aud foliage OF sprayed trees ct varl-
eas intervals after spraying which in.
dioate that after the water has e~vaporated
5he poison soon entirely disappears
eishsr through being blown OF by the
Wind OF washed Off by rains, 30 that after
fifteen days hardly the mlnutest trace oan
q discovered.
III The Tins of actual experiment as 10.
aieatiag The very finely divided state o.
Ahs poison and the extreme small guam
flkg which ii used to each tree, Professor
q I Cook, Of the Michigan AgricuiEural
College, has conducted some striking ex.
erlmenta. q thick paper was place.
aaaef % sppIe tree which was t'orosagnI9
epEAseI on q windy day, 20 that tlao arip'
esng @as rather excessive. After ths
Aasnlag had ceased, the paper covering
d seventy. dge sausre festl w