The Indiana State sentinel., 1893-07-05


When one runs a cultivator deep and
close to the row before the plants are up,
and then again before they are, say,
three inches high, fairly good work may
be done, but in clays it is not equal TO
the one-horse plow, II the man knows
how to use it. In sandy loans the cul-
tivator is about perfect We who plant
clayey loans in potatoes cannot get
maximum yield, but the crop pays better
than any other. If the ground under the
hill can be kept loose until the plant is
three inches high we may get rather
big yield. The one-horse plow does a
little better work, but it is so slow and
| difficult to get men to hold the plow just
right that the cultivator is used insead.
After the pla-cts are a few inches high.
a one-horse Planet jr. with "scra pers"
does better work than most two-horse
| custivators-there is less tramping,
quicker turning and faster work.
OBSERVER.
ThFeshing Wheat.
The custom Of threshing wheat from
the shock is growing, but IL is doubtful
whether such practice is in line with true
progress in farming It's advantages ap-
peal to the farmer who likes to have
his work off his hands as soon as possi-
bic, as in a dry season most neighbor-
hoods can finish this work within a
month or less after harvest, and teams
and men are ready for fall work Then,
TOO, those who want to market their
crops as soon as possible favor threshing
from the shock; and ii is often the case
that the first few crops marketed COM
mand little better price than the rest.
| These Inducements have led TO a growth
of the custom
The chief objection TO threshing in the
field Is this: The straw is usually left
where il cannot be made into manure.
and 1t is not returned to the land. Ii is
true that one may have more straw than
he can handle to advantage in a barn
yard, but all that can be reduced TO
manure should be so treated. If one has
basin or small lot adjoining the barn
the straw off forty acres of land can be
rotted during the winter by tramping of
a dozen head of stock. The straw fur
nishes some food and absorbs all the
| liquid manure of the stock.
Prof. Armsby states that the manure
| from a ton Of wheat straw contains $3.50
! worth OF plant food, as compared with
| commercial fertilizers. Granting that
| the labor of handling the manure is con-
| siderable, ii is well repaid in the i'm
| proved condition of all lands to which
| the manure is supplied. The straw
| furnishes the needed humus II we are
| correct in this. then the fertilizing value
| Of the straw is a clear saving, and forms
| quite an item. It's full value is not OBJ
| tained so quickly as that of commercial
| fertilizers but this fact should not lead
/ us 10 undervalue the amount of plant
| food it contains.
Threshing out of the shock is leading
| TO the selling of the straw, and the price
| is usually less than half its fertilizing
| value. In view of the risk Of damaged
| grain and threshing made costly by the
! interference of rains, together with the
| practical loss of the straw when the
| fields are far from the barn, this custom
| is one of doubtful expediency. Es-
| pecially do we see this clearly in a wet
| season.
The "BIack Pepsin" Fraud.
No greater fraud has ever been per-
| sistently advertised than the black pep
| sin" receipt for increasing the yield Of
butter from a given amount of milk
| The attention of farmers has been called
| to it in all kinds of indirect ways For
our readers benefit we quote what Prof
/ Weber. state chemist of Ohio, has to say:
Black pepsin is made and sold
| by man named Bane, under the style
! of United States Salyx company. New
i Concord, o." According TO Prof. KedZie.
/ IL consists Of salt and coloring matter.
/ 1t is sold for making two pounds Of
/ butter out of one pound of butter and
/ one pound Of milk. 1t is also claimed to
|
/ sold in this state. But as the assign
/ ments which have come TO my notice do
/ not even contain the number OF a patent
| IT is reasonable to assume that this
| claim is not true. Many people have
| been induced to buy the fraud, in hope
/ Of making money out of il. Numerous
/ inquiries have come to the office of our
/ dairy and food commission as to whether
i this butter could be sold under our laws
/ as unadulterated. But as It IS one-half
butter and one-half milk, 1t could Of
course not be allowed to be sold.
| 1t is true that a pound Of soft butter
and pound Of milk slightly warmed,
churned, or shaken together will unite
| to a solid mass weighing two pounds
/ But the black pepsin plays no part in
| this operation. as il can be accomplished
| just as we'll without as with IT,
! About three years ago a party in
/ Marion, o., sold preparation of this
| kind for the same purpose for 81 a box,
/ containing about an ounce Of powder
/ He sent the powder through the mail to
| purchasers all over the country. A
| postal detective sent me a box for
/ analysis. 1t consisted of alum bicar-
/ donate of soda, and turmeric. The cir
! cular accompanying the box gave in
! structions for making butter out of
! equal parts of butter and milk and for
| Two pounds il was only necessary to add
| Of the powder what would be held on
/ Il de-
| tecttve that the powder was a fraud. as
| the same thing could be accomplished
/ without the addition of the powder. The
| party was arrested, tried before the u
5. court at Toledo, o., convicted and sent
| TO the penitentiary for using the mail
/ for fraudulent purposes. This black pep
| sin is just as great "A fraud.
| II you wish to make the experiment,
| put pound of soft butter into a wide
| necked bottle. add a pint of lukewarm
| milk and shake for moment. and you
will see how readily the milk and butter
| will emulsify.
Growing Pickles for Market.
The veteran gardener, Waldo Brown,
says:
The growing of pickles for market I
found very profitable branch of gar
dening. They may be grown as a sec
ond crop following early peas, radishes,
lettuce, spinach and potatoes. as these
all can be marketed In June, and the
| last of June is seasonable for planting
| cucumbers for pickles. The best crops
Of pickles l have ever grown were plant
| ed after early peas, on June 30, and L
have had them do fairly well planted
| ten days later. With moderately rich
| land good crops can be grown by manur-
| ing the hill only, but 1t pays, in addition,
| 10 plow down good coat of manure, as
this will benefit the. land for some years
| to come. Plant in rows five feet apart
| each way, which gives LAO hills to the
/ acre. j prefer to plant all vines In
| check-rows so that the ground can all
/ be stirred by the horse cultivator. II
| hen manure or superphosphate is used