The National tribune., 1894-08-02
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
Spraying.

| the State would be enhanced in value by
| several million dollars annually if the prac-
tice were generally followed.
Combined fuugicides and insecticides
| recommended whenever applicable, because
a saving OF time, less liability OF iniuring
foliage, greater efficiency In some cases. and
| as precautionary measure in others.
| Dilute Bordeaux mixture, eopper-arsenic
solution and ammOniacal solution of conner
carbonate are the most useful for the treat
| ment Of the diseases herein mentioned. and
the first has the widest range OF usefulness
| of all.
Early spraying is the key to success in
the use of fungicides.
For the plum cureulio and the shot-hole
fungus use Bordeaux mixture and Paris
green combined, making three or four ap-
| plieations.
1t is not known that this treatment will
prevent the black knot, but cutting away
and burning the diseased branches will ac-
eomplish the result
Scabby apples rot much earlier than those
free from scab, and spraying with fungicides
VIII save at least 90 per cent. Of this loss.
Spraying with fungicides in the season Of
1892 prevented much of the early dropping
OF apples, which is usually attributed TO wet
weather.
For apples, two applications of Bordeaux
mixture before blooming are advised, and
two OF the same mixture after blooming,
with Paris green added
The Bordeaux mixture. if used too late
causes a russell appearance on both pears
and apples. The ounce may be treated the
same as apples, or with Bordeaux mixture
alone. The treatment advised for the cherry
consists in making two or three applications
OF Paris green two ounces 10 80 gallons of
water
Peach trees and American varieties of
plums have very tender foliage, and must
be treated with very weak mixtures, if at
all.
Raspberries may be treated with Bordeaux
mixture alone; grapes with the same until
the fruit SETS, after which use copper carbo-
nate. Potatoes should be sprayed at least
five times with Bordeaux mixture and Paris
green.-OhiO Experiment Station Bulletin.
Raising Mushrooms.
DR.. Thomas Taylor of the Department of
Agriculture, has devoted large share of
attention to mushrooms and mushroom cult
ure.
AS to the method of culture, it is shown
that 1t Is done in the cellars of dwellings,
without any annoyance from the odOr of the
fresh stable manure, which is the base of all
manure is gathered in heap, trodden down,
allowed to remain a few days, then turned
over with fork, trodden again, and the pro-
cess repeated from time TO time for three or
four weeks. 1t is then comparatively free
from OdOr, and when covered in the cellar
with three or four inches of garden soil is
wholly so.
The mushroom spawn is placed on the
surface of the bed OF manure before the soil
Is placed upon it, or it may be placed there
after the bed has been completed by opening
holes through the soil and depositing pieces
of spawn.
The beds begin bearing in November and
give good crops until the following May.
hlr. Denton, market gardener on Long
Island, Is mentioned as having marketed
regularly from LOO to $500 pounds sea-
son from his beds in two cellars Mr.. John
F. Barter, of London, England, is also men
toned as having marketed during the sea-
son of 80 and 81 about 10 tons, and during
the season of SO and 80 about II tons.
The business, after the beds are made, is
represented as light, clean, and profitable
The prices are good and the demand far from
being supplied at present.
BlanehiRg Early Celery.
Our usual style of close planting fnew
celery culture) produces the required upright
and compact growth of the individual plants
without any kind of manipulation We
dispense with handling" or killing en-
tirely, except for an occasional single row,
and even then we often accomplish the
desired blanching, without previous Milling,
by simply setting boards (abOut 10 inches
wide and of any lengthy slightly slanting up
against the row from both Sides In good
growing weather, plants can be bIeaehed fit
for use in from 10 days to two weeks time.
When blanehed the celery is gradually taken
up for use or sale, and the boards moved to
another part of the row, or to other rows
not yet treated in this way.
The newer method of planting closely in
solid blocks gives us fairly well blanched
stalks when the plants grow rapidly under
the stimulus of plenty of food and drink
in a favorable season. Usually we try to
hurry up the bIanching process, however,
especially in the outside rows, by setting
boards up against the rows as practiced with
separate rows. One board is leaned up
against the outside; then two boards are
carefully pushed in from the end) between
the next two rows, one to be leaned up
against the first and the other against the
second row.
The claim thas it requires contact with
earth to remove the acrid properties of
the celery is not well founded. Brittleness
and nutty flavor are acquired by quick
growth in favorable moist and cool atmOs-
phere. In proof of this we have the superior
quality of celery blanched in cellar storage,
where no soil comes in contact with the
stalks. 1t is the heat and dryness, appar-
emily, which developes the strong, some
what bitter taste which is so Objectionable.
.AmericGR Gardening.
Chickens via the BrOOder.
1t is q fact not be disputed that we can
hatch chickens by artificial
means But to raise these little Jumps of
down, so Matched, is by far different and
also a somewhat difficult problem that not
everyone who uses an incubator can boast of
solving.
Here is q little of my experience and
method with chicks and brooders:
In the first place, | leave my chicks in the
incubator until perfectly dry; then transfer
them to the brOOder. / like the hot water
overhead heat, much the best, which
| keep at such temperature the first two
Or three days or longer, according TO the ex-
tremity of the weather. as viii cause the
little fellows to lie around in drowsy sort
of way.
Give no food whatever for So hours. t.
believe this is absolutely the best rule to gos'
by. / would rather say 40 hours than any--
thing under SO, from the simple fact that the!