Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1893-06-17
How Science Hens the Farmer.

How Science Helps the Farmer.
Charles {. Plumb writes in the Pop
Uiu Science Noathiy 10 explain what
a present help to The farmer his scien'
tiiC coadjurors are, and how well
| worth ;he while is the million of dol
lars expended annually by the nation.
| At government in the solution of sgri-
cultural problems. One of the most
important departments in which the
| scientist aids the farmer Ia an intelll
| gent understanding of his work is that
al fertilizers, and The positive assist
| anre of the chemists in this is even eX
ccedrd by their negative value in dis
countcn,ucing aud exposing The M
mcrous frauds which appear among
ar!iiicjaliy prepared fertilizers. In
lS72..Massachusrtts appointed an in
speclor OF fertilizers. and now there i
! some such officer in every ) ate in the
Cui1n,
"Ouly a short time ago (ihc summer
OF 1890 Two fertilizers were suddenly
placed upon tho Indiana market aud
sold fol S27. so and 822 80 per ton re-
spectivciy. These were analvzed by
1.-THE State chemist, aud the former was
found TO have a value OF $40 and the
latter Of $ii ii per ton. These were
out anl.uut swiniles: YET. had il not
becl for prompt publication from tie
State Experiment Station at Purdue
University as To their real character,
/ MANY farmers OF the State OF Indiana
wonld have been Numerically swim
died. In view of the fact that mill
lions OF dollars worth Of fertilizers
are sold yearly iu the United States,
one eau readily understand how great
is the sum of money that is being year.
" saved TO the farmers OF the country
through the interpositiou of the chem
ist.'
The dairy farmers have been great.
Is aided by the legislation Furnishing
the sale of adulterated milk, by the ill.,
~vcniion of Dabcork's milk tester, and
The curious but effective machine
called the milk separator, which as
/ toui,hcs our grandmothers by rising
/ and removing the cream from milk
warm from the COW. THIS is accom-.
/ piishcd by centrifugal force. the fresh
milk being introduced into a hollow
steam drum about 10 inches in dame
ter, (which Is made to %revoiye six
/ thousand 10 seven thousand times per
minute within a slightly larger metal
chamber. The skim milk being heae.
Ter, is thrown to the outside and pass
es off through a tube which rises from
a point in the skim milk, where the
least amount OF fat exists, to the upper
edge OF the drum; while the lighter
cream rises neal the center of the
drum and passes oil through another
hole, com ~ out OF the separator on
the opposite side from the skim milk.
One or Two thousand pounds Of milk
an hour may be crcaned with this ma
chine, when rJn by horse or steam
power" Not satisfied with this ex.
traordinary process, the interchangeable
inventors have now added to it q but.
ter MAKER, go that one can milk his
COW into the feeder and take pretty
pats Of butter aud skim milk" irom
the other end.
Mr. Plumb shows, too, HE great war
which science is making Oh the farm
cr.' enemies the grape rot. smut in
oats. and, especially, parasitic insects.
at require. no effort to cXphatically
show that the already many, MANY
millions nf dollars have been gained
to agriculture through the disinterest.
ga efforts Of scientists. Scientific IN
Yesiisation will continue in ihc..fu,ure
as it has in the past, aul 1t is fair &c
assume that each year will see so much
good work done. Certainly no Other
class i. receiving greater benefits from
%scicucc than is agriculture a,.the pcs
eni day."-l:eyiew,