The record-union., 1893-07-12

III its praise. 1t has a loose, long bunch
and thus does not suffer from rot: its
berries are very translucent. slightly OBJ
long. and dry very rapidly into a beauti-
ful translucent raisin, with just enough
of acid mingled with the sweet to please
the palate; it is easily stemmed, will
carry well to market in a green state,
and will, no doubt, make a very fine
white wine. 1t is strong grower, needs
long pruning and stakes, and has aver
aged, with such training, over 100 pounds
OF green fruit to the vine. 1t has very
delicate flavor, not at all prominent like
the muscat of Alexandria, and, there
fore. does not clog the palate.-George
Hushmann, in American Agrlculturist.
THE HAMBURGs.
To the game fancier who breeds fowls
largely for the pleasure he gets out of the
work, the Ham burgs are great friends,
and they have long been iavorites with
the tanciers of both continents. The male
and female birds are beautiful, and when
carefully bred they are very valuable. By
careful breeding and selection birds can
be raised that are almost as beautiful and
stately in appearance as the peacock, and
it does credit TO a farmyard TO see few
such dignified birds roaming around.
The silver-spangled Hamburg hen, for
instance, has pale, creamy-white feath-
ers, tipped with black, and the same is
true with the roosters, with an addition
of bright colors on the head and body.
The penciled Hamburg cock is another
one OF great beauty, and the feather is
crossed with bands Of delicate pencilings.
There are many characteristics of this
breed that should be noted. The hens
are persistent layers, and they probably
produce as many eggs as any other breed
on the market. They are good stock for
the egg-raiser for this reason, although
they are not much good as salable fowls,
for they are below the medium size.
They do not show a desire to sit until
very old, and one can raise many hun
dreds of eggs from them before they will
be troubled with the old hen's desire to
raise chicks.
Now the question is whether it would
not pay most poultry raisers to have a
few Hamburgs in the yard of the farm
partly for pleasure and partly for profit.
There is needed often something at
tractive about the poultry business to en-
gage the attention and enthusiasm of the
person, so that they will find absolute
pleasure and satisfaction in the work.
The ordinary barnyard fowl is not
handsome bird, and is not apt to excite
great deal of enthusiasm. But these
brilliant pets that are such favorites
among bird fanciers lend a charm to the
whole business of chicken raising that
simply for the pleasure derived there
from. The farmer or professional poul-
try raiser needs pleasure also, and it is to
his Interest to cultivate this side of his
business as the purely mercenary one.
Breeders OF fancy fowls breed them to eX-
eel others, and they will spend plenty of
money in gathering the finest types in
the yards.
The poultryman could raise these fine
birds as well as the fancers, and he
could realize money from the work. A
few of these fine breeds could be obtained
to start with, and then they should be
culled out carefully and bred with the
idea of reaching perfection. One could
soon obtain birds whose eggs would
bring from 80 cents to several dollars per
dozen, and these alone would pay more
than the cost Of keeping them. Fine
pairs of well-bred Hamburgs sell for
high prices, and one could make profit
in this way also. But the chief idea is to
introduce few of these handsome birds
on the farm, so that we can be cultivating
the desire for the beautiful as well as for
the money alone. When we get enthu-
siastic in our work we generally make it
successful.-AnneC c. Webster in Albany
Evening Journal.
COIN IN CUCUMBERS.
a rich soil is requisite. The average
yield. when the soil is all it should be, is
about one hundred bushels to the acre;
and strange TO say, the smaller the Gu
cumbers, the more bushels can be raised
per acre, a paradox already alluded to in
these columns. Where the cucumbers
average 900 to the bushel, about 200 bush
els might be produced to every acre
while with cucumberS so small as to re-
quire 500 to constitute a bushel, yield
even so great as 300 bushels to the acre
might be obtained. The reason of this
lies in the fact that where they are al
lowed to grow, they not only become too
large for picking purposes, but they sap
the nourlshment of the vines, thus re-
tarding the proliticacy which is the rule
when they are clipped Oft at a smaller
stage of their growth. The vines should
be cleared entirely Of all cucum bers down
to those of II inches; all under that size
should be left to attain that size or over,
and like rule should be followed in sec
ond or subsequent gatherings. Besides
the increase i'll quantity and quality,
there is an added value in the pickle
themselves, according to their diminu-
tiveness.
The market demands that they should
never exceed four inches in length-three
inches is better, but two inches is best.
Small cucumbers, gathered and put up
in good condition, never fail to command
ready sale at profitable figures. In
gathering the crop, the cucumbers should
be cut from the vine with scissors The
use of knife disturbs the vines to a
more or less extent, and any disturbance
OF this sort retards further bearing
Merely pulling the fruit off will not do
at all, and in every instance about half an
inch of stem should be left to each cucum-
ber.-American Cider Maker.
GENERAL FARM NOTES.
The person who was never known to
make or sell anything but fine quality
of butter has no trouble in disposing of
all he can make.
Every farmers wife or daughter should
establish reputation as a maker of fine
butter. 1t will pay. 1t can all be sold to
home consumers.
To attempt to keep three animals on
the food that should be allowed to two is
to perform labor for at least one animal
that is detriment to all, as they will not
thrive. Feed fewer animals and make
them gain.
Nothing is so good as first quality
wheat Tor rearing chicks. 1t has all the
elements of growth in it. And at one
and half to two cents per pound it is
cheaper than damaged wheat or poor
screenings at only half this price.
Do not keep too much stock, as the size
of the farm and its capacity must be con-
sidered. Unless farm can be put in
condition for keeping stock the labor will
be lost. There must be sufficient shelter,
and the winters supply OF food must be
secured.
1t is a good thing to know how to reno
vate land after it has become run down.
But far better to know how to conserve
its fertility, and so avoid the slow and
laborous methods of renovation. The
saving of manure, turning under green
crops and rotation are the means to this
very desirable end.
Some men set tree as they would a
fence post, butsuch Will never make good
fruit-growers. The hole for the tree
shnnla be made wide and daar, md =