The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-06-18

plate Of lime, nitrate Of soda, preparations
Of blood or scraps Of flesh from slaugh'er-
houses, fish scrap, potash salts of various
kinds, sulphate of ammonia from the gas
works, and mixtures Of all these to make
them suitable for the various crops The
best mixture Of these is called a complete
manure, as it has all the elements of this
best yard manure in it. The market value
Of this is about $40 ton in small quantities,
and $50 wholesale. There is no kind OF
fertilizer that can be called a stimnlant. II
it IS not positive plant food, and able TO
nourish the plant in some way-that is. to
supply some certain element of the plant
it Is entirely useless, and will have no effect
whatever; so that land plaster is not a
stimulant, for IL supplies suiphuric acid and
lime, being a sulphate of lime and these
two elements are constant constituents Of
all plants, some more than others Thuf
land plaster Is useful fertilizer in any cas-
In which the soil may be deficient in tn
elements of IL. Salt is another fertilizer. e
it IS contained in all plants more or less. liz
is most effective when applied to clover and
all the roots and cabbages Lime ia most
useful on heavy clay, as il solteus and
loosens 1T. No soil is entirely devoid of
lime, or it would not produce any kind of
plant, because all plants contain more or less
lime. Wood ashes have about 90 or so
per cent of lime in them and six per cent.
of potash.
Useful waIking-Stfck.
One of the most useful things a farmer
can take with him when he takes his walks
abroad over the farm is a spud. This is
a three-inch heavy chisel, with a socket
handle, in which is fitted a staff four feet
long. This is good help in the walking,
anyhow, but when one comes across one OF
those big, unsigbtly weeds, the common dock
or the hateful wild parsnip most poisonous
and deadly plant, with a large, long root
like that Of its tame relative, these roots
may be cut off a few inches below the
ground by well-direeted thrust. This is
fatal blow to any of these weeds. The
docks are now about to flower, and by and
by Will be seeding, as some other weeds of
this kind. They should be DESTROYED ON
sight, for their numerous seeds will be-
spread, no one knows how, over the whole
farm if this is neglected.
Size of Farm Horses.
The large, overgrowu horse is not always
the strongest or best fitted even for work on
the farm There is always considerable
amount OF roading to do, and if the roads
are hard, and especially if they are stony,
the heavy horse is very liable to 90 lame
after being driven. His feet are not go
tough as those of smaller and better-built
horses, and this, besides his heavier weight,
puts the large horse at disadvantage on
the road. There are also on the farm many
kinds of work that require agility, quick
ness, and endurance In horses. rather than
great strength. For all-around farm work
there never was better breed of horses
than the old Morgans. Many farmers have
learned this, and the horse that shows the
Morgan characteristics, of moderate size,
with compact, well-knit frame, will be pre-
ferred by them to the excessively large
horses that attract most attention when ex-
hibited at agricultural fairs.
Testing Paris Green.
Prof. Bailey gives the following method of
whether Paris green is pure or
not: :" 1t sometimes happens that material
which is obtained as Paris green contains
no arsenic. We once procured such sample,
which proved to be chrome green. If the
material Is pure Paris green it will quickly
and completely dissolve in common strons
giving beautiful, rieh dark blue,
clear liquid. whilst any of the compounds
which would ordinarily be substituted for
texture, will not behave in this manner
n ammonia. Any insolubIe residue is
mpurity. Chrome green Will not dissolve
IN ammonia
Growing Peas in Summer.
The difficulty of raising tail peas in Sum-
mer on account of their becoming affected
with mildew, deprives many persons of the
luxury OF fresh peas during the greater
part of the seasons. If dwarf sorts are
planted, such as American Wonder, in rows
from IL to Is inches apart, and the ground
between them Is kept well mulched with
straw, rakings from the lawn, OF any similar
there will be little trouble in Sc
curing good supply of peas all Summer.
OF course successive sowings will have to be
made every week or 10 days.
Farm Notes.
If an egg has been broken in the nest every
egg that has come in contact with the
broken one should be washed It will be
we'll also to examine the breast of the hen
rom the nest where an egg has been broken,
rs there may be s0iled feathers which will
need cleaning before she returns to sit again.
New Orleans is the only city in the United
States where the entire milk supply is pro-
iueed from cows kept within the city limits.
A new company is about forming to change
his order of affairs, and interest farmers
n the country to keep cows for that pur-
pose.
There are now IA Experiment Stations in
he United States, counting branch stations,
n which SO trained specialists are employed.
The range of investigation covered includes
he products of the farm, garden, and orchard,
md the raising of domestic animals, to-
,ether with their study from every point
If view from which it is thought something
nay be obtained for the good of the farmer.
New Trick.