The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-05
The Scrap Book.

dairy cows in the leading countries of the
world. He says that there are 6,7OO,00o
cows in France, producing S0,0OO,0O0 gal-
Ions of milk; in the United Kingdom
about 100000; in Germany, 90SI0O0; Dem
mark, 1000 900, and in Austria, 4,254, 900. In
the United States the number of COWS
has almost doubled since 1870, being now
set down at 16,5OOOOO, and in Australia
over 100000.
Insects Everywhere-Few people who
have not given the matter special atten,
ton have an idea of the extent to which
grain, fruit and live stock are liable TO
injury by insects. According to Prof. PAN
ton of the Ontario Agricultural College
there are nearly 100 species that prey on
grain and forage crops, upwards of forty
attack vegetables, no less than 50 menace
the grape, and rs threaten that king of
fruits, the apple. The pine has l25 species
of enemies, the oak 800, the elm so, the
hickory 10, the maple "a, the beech $50.
while the unfortunate willow battles
against 400 insect foes.
Mineral Manures Need Moisture.-One
of the reasons why mineral manures are
not more used in the west is because that
section is subject to prolonged droughts
during the growing season. So soon as
the ground dries the mineral fertilizer,
which is soluble when sold, reverts to an
insoluble condition. in which the roots %
plants are unable to get much benefit from
it. There is difference in the power or
different plants in this respect Grain
crop roots have the least power. Clover
roots have most. We have applied phos-
plate to grain crops, which apparently
got no benefit from it, dry time coming
on Immediately after the application But
there was greatly increased growth of
clover the next season on the land phos-
phated, and it undoubtedly came from the
phosphate. Because phosphate especlai-
ly needs plenty of moisture to make il
soluble and available for crops, it should
generally be only used on fall-sown grain
or on grain sown early in the spring. If
applied in midsummer, unless the season
is unusually wet, phosphate will do little
good.
Curing. Egg-Eating Habit-This habit
is nothing more nor less than a disease
a morbid craving for something that ma
ture demands, something that is lacking
IN the food provided for them If nleY,tyy
OF lime and crushed oyster shells are
Kept constantly before the hens. there
Will be no trouble. But often a sufficient
supply of these things is not provided
until the habit is already formed. when
II does not always prove a speedy cure.
me laying Of soft-shelled eggs is, in near
ly every instance, the start of the mis-
chief, and that 1t is the shell which they
crave for Is clearly proved by the fact
that the remainder of the egg is seldom
eaten, but left sticking to the material
OF which the nest is made, while NOT a
particle of the shell is to be found The
quickest and most effectual cure is to
feed egg shells. Save the shells fresh
when using eggs in the household. and
give them to the hens. 1t takes not near
as many shells to do this as Won would
suppose. Soon the shells will lie unheed-
ed on the floor, and the hens will have
lost all inclination to NEEDLE with the
eggs. Now make sure that they are well
supplied with oyster shells and lime. and
you Will have no more trouble on that
score.
Thinning Pears.-Pears always set more
fruit than the trees can perfect unless
accident or frost thins the blossoms. If
each fruit were allowed to stand the
crop would be worthless, because there
is not plant food enough to make the
full crop. In most kinds OF pears there
is natural thinning out just after blos-
soming OF blossoms that failed to be
fertilized or were chilled Immediately ar
ter. This is especially true Of the Bart
lett, Duchess and Louise Bonnie de Jer-
sey. But all these will bear additional
thinning with great advantage. The
Bartlett any time after it is half grown
if taken from the tree and placed in a
warm dark place in contact with WOODEN
will ripen so as to make fairly good eat
ing. The portion of the fruit left to at
tain full growth on the tree will make
a great increase Of growth from the d.
version of sap to a fewer number The
Seckel pear almost always overbears It's
blossoms are more sure to set than many
Others and as they come in clusters the
fruit will be small and of very little worth
unless 1t Is vigorously thinned
Have Fruit, Have a Garden.-Superin-
tendent Morrison-Some of the finest far
ba
it is bacon and pork and potatoes, and
potatoes and bacon and pork the year
around. / believe that over one-haIf Of
a farmers living can come out of his gar
den, but he will say, "Oh, 1t don't pay"
Any intelligent farmer who knows how to
raise potatoes and corn can take an acre
of ground and nave part Of IT in fruit
and part in vegetables. and have 1t in long
rows and raise vegetables very cheaply.
/ know one year l raised vegetables In nv
garden, and supplied to four of five fam
lilies, and did 1t for less than many farmers
spend upon an onion bed. If / were
farmers wife would runaway II 1 had
to cook the way they do, and with the
material they have year after year. ]
hope these talks will do some good, be-
cause It only requires little gumption, a
little common sense and industry. II you
would spend one-tenth of the time you
spend between your farm and the nearest
village, you would nave good gardens.
Curing Tobacco.--This is the most deli
cate part of the work, and requires tudg-
ment watchfulness and some experience,
or, in lieu of the latter plain and proper
instructions. The experience of writer
I'm the Texas Farm and Ranch is that in
this climate tobacco never needs firing
in fact, the normal tendency OF the eli
ate Is to dry the leaves too quickly. II,
after hanging, a dry north wind blows,
unless the stalks are punched and the
shed closed, the leaves viii dry green.
The best curing this writer ever secured
was with tobacco hung with the dew
on It and rain and cloudy weather fol-
lowing for several days. After hanging
for three or four days the tobacco from
two sticks can be put on one. Good man
agement is required 70 bunch the tobac-
co so that IT will cure slowly, and at the
same time avoid breeding fungous dis
eases as mold and mldew.
A Valuable Insecticide.-Yes, SIR, oil of
sassafras will Kill lice on old and young
chickens, and II you think II worth pub
fishing / will give your readers some more
of my experience with the oil. says a cor
respondent to the Poultry Keeper.
All who are raising chickens know that
the greatest trouble with young chicks