The record-union., 1895-05-31
FARM And ORCHARD.
Ancient Ideas Pertaining to Hus-
bandry.
Teachings of Virgil, Plfny and Colu-
mella-Talks on ye2eta bles-Hens
and Rabbits-Raspberrie s-Sensible
Dairy Advice.

pISS6ut aye, Says DuIhot AoAoAOsA Al
his talk upon vegetables. chow ridicu-
lous the directions of the ancients APP
pear! Take Virgil's Georges for IN
stance, be, the prince of Latin poets, pos
sessing at once the highest Intelligence OF
his day, experience as husbandman,
and with the stimulous OF royal COM
mission to revive the decaying spirit of
husbandry by the insulating charms OF
poetry; how crude his teachings pertain
ing to the laws governing the develop
ment of nature in the vegetable and ami
NAL kingdoms Charming to read, even
now, and correct still in many practices.
yet we are continually Jared by direc-
tions the opposite of scientific teaching
and experience, for the ancients were
absolutely ignorant of vegetable physiol-
ogy. Virgil, Pliny and Columella taught
that any scion might be grated on any
stock; but Pliny mentions the effect OF
grating the vine on the elm and other
ridiculous unions. Notwithstanding the
numerous superstitions of the Romans,
they had acquired many facts pertaining
to husbandry. They pruned, watered,
forced and retarded blossoms and fruit
much as we do. Cato. in the second CEN
fury before the Christian era. writing
upon agriculture, said: What is good
tillage? First, to pillow, second, to plow;
third to manure. The other part OF till
age Is to SOW plentifully, to choose your
seed cautiously, and to remove as many
weeds as possible in the season. Thus, 1t
will be perceived, very practical view
of agriculture was taken 1000 years ago.
Gardening has for centurieslbeen re-
tarded by ignorance, prejudice and I'M
perfect practice. The force OF custom IN
every country has held the gardener IN
chains. And such is still, also, too often
the case in this notable land of progress
Yet to what better pursuit can an able
mind turn than to agriculture or horti-
culture? Without it men would live
wandering lives. dlsputing with each
other for the possession OF such animals
as they could catch and for the spontane-
Gus fruits of the earth. Without agri-
culture there would be no bond OF secur-
lty or love of country, for it is in all
countries the purest source OF public
prosperity and personal serenity.
Investigation into anyone OF the pr1n-
ciples of vegetable growth will develop
another, and they in time, will be found
so intimately connected with all the al
lied branches of natural science as to
create a desire for further knowledge of
what before were mysteries, but which
the intelligence of the present age has
developed as a science. well-cultl-
waited garden will awaken inquiry and
start trains of thought and study which
otherwise would not be pursued. The
close observer will desire to make mi
croscopic observations of the termination
of plants. of the growth of fungi, of in
sect life; and here we pause, for there IS
opened volume of nature new to most
men and source OF unexpected pleas
ure. The lecture delivered before this
society last month by DIR. Smith indl-
Gated the development of this science.
At the beginning of this century any in
vestigation into the agency of insects, for
good Or evil, in connection with vegeta-
ton, was scarcely considered as belong
ing to gardening; their eggs passed UNI
noticed, and the ravages OF the Larvae
were looked upon frequently as atmo-
spheric blights beyond control.
Now the entOmologist is consulted
every day by the agriculturist and gar
dener, and no section Of the museum of
the United States Department of Agri-
culture is more interesting than that de-
voted to entomology. Countries OF tenn
perate climates in all undeyeloped condl-
ton support limited number of species
of insect life, and they are generally
harmless to vegetation, but, under cult
ure, conditions favorable to their increase
are presented, and they become pests.
One Of these conditions is the wanton de-
struction of birds, after which follow the
myriad tribes Of insects which feed upon
vegetation; species not alone native to
the country, but brought IN the course of
commerce from all parts of the world.
For example, the Hessian fly is supposed
to have been brought here in the straw
used by the Hessian troops during the
revolution. The cabbage butterfly was
brought first into Montreal in cases of
crockery from Holland. In ten or twelve
years it was extended from the st. Law
renee to the Rio Grande. So alarming
~ atofi nf in gAota hpoofn1nO
that it won't be long before it will be just
as common for the gardener to send for
the bug doctor as for the stableman to
send for the horse doctor, for as the culti-
vator acquires more and more sense he
will perceive he can do best by con-
sulting professional man instead of
trusting to bis limited knowledge
Philadelphia Ledger.
HENS AND RABBITS.
1t is getting to be more and more evil
dent that meat is a very desirable part of
the hens ration. a single female rabbit,
properly fed and cared for, is capa BILE of
producing young enough to produce 500
pounds of meat year. They will thrive
on vegetable food entirely. In what
other way can a pouitryman more cheaply
change clover and vegetables into meat
than by feeding them to rabbits? a few
poultrymen are already using rabbit
pen TO supply meat for their fowls.-Ru-
raj New Yorker.
RASPBERRIES.
Field culture of raspberries should not
be undertaken until the right soil is OBJ
tanned. Nature must supply one that is
moist, rich and well drained. The
farmer must prepare it by blowing, sub
soiling and narrowing, and then mixing
with it thoroughly decomposed stable
manure A sol. thus prepared will pro-
duce raspberrles in abundance. The fer
tility must then be maintained year by