The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-05-04

! sin Station show that the second one
MIXED gives the richest milk and most
of it, the first one MIXED standing sec
ond, the third one stands third and the
fourth one MIXED stands last.
INTERFERING POINTS ON NUT CULTURE.
Bulletin 113, of California Station,
contains a number Of analyses Of wal
nuts, almonds, and chestnuts and q
comparison of their composition and
food value with that of such stone fruits
as the prune and olive; also a consid,
GRAFTON of the draft which nuts make
upon the fertility of the soil; aud also
the result of experiments in polishing
and bleaching these nuts for market.
Nuts consist Of three distinct parts
the hull, the shell (or inner hulD and
the kernel, or meat. AS every prudent
grower leaves the hulls and leaves on
the ground, the only fertility removed
ia that found in the shell and kernel.
It was found that the ash Of the kernel
of the wulnut weighs mor than twice
as much as the ash OF its shell, and
that there is much more phosphoric
acid than potash in the kernel but
more potash than phosphoric acid in
| the shell. The same was true Of the
| almond, but the chestnut kernel con
tanned G potash than phosphoric
acid. It was also found that the Euro
pean chestnut contains 90 times as
much soda as the California chestnut.
Taking 5he average yield per acre III
California Of 10000 pounds Of prunos
or ~apricots, 1000 pou Ids cleaned wal
nuts, 1900 pounds olives, and 1000
pounds almonds, il is found that the
quantity of nitrogen removed from the
soil, per acre, by each crop is as fol
lows: Apricots, SO pounds; prunes, AL
walnuts, fl; almonds, SO; olives, IL
Prunes and apricots remove twice as
much phosphoric acid and ten times as
much potash from the soil as Walnuts
and almonds. The chestnut is not yet
grown in, California in such quantity
al to furnish an estimate of the yield
per acre, but analysis shows that it
makes much lighter draft on the fer
tility of the soil than either walnuts or
almonds.
1t thus appears that fertilizers for
nut orchards should be rich in nitrogen,
especially since California soils are gen
orally deficient in that element. Chest
nuts demand sulphates, which are
found in surprising quantity in the
kernels.
In considering the food value of nuts,
we find that walnuts contain q per
cent. Of water, almonds 5 per cent. and
chestnuts 6 per cent. Walnuts and
almonds are exceedingly rich in protein
and fas-in fat almost equaling the oil
content Of olives. Chestnuts are not
so rich in fat and protein, but contain
large per centages Of starch, sugar, and
dextrin. Nuts are therefore a highly
concentrated food, much more so than
even the grains, and must be partaken
of with caution. They have a high
food value for mixing with rice, pota-
toes, or other food poor in protein and
oil. ChCstnuts are a staple article of
food in parts Of Europe, but the other
nuts are considered as luxuries, though
it is not improbable that Increased pro,
duction will 80 cheaper them as to
bring them into general use as staples.
Heretofore nuts have been bleached
for market by subjecting them to the
fumes OF sulphur; but this rots the
shells and taints the kernels, and the
station was asked to find q better way.
After much experimenting, the follow
ing process was found to give satisfac-
ton:
Cleanse ard polish the nuts by tumb-
ling them about in revolving drums,
with or without water. Thtn put them
into split zane baskets and drip them
for 5 minutes into O mixture made by
dissolving 6 pounds of bleaching pow
der Chloride Of lime) and 10 pounds
sal soda in so gallons of water Rinse
by ~drenching them with a hose and
then dip into q mixture of 81 pounds
bisulphite of lime to 100 gallons Of
water, till they are Of the desired color,
and then again riGse.
THE TENDENCY OF THE TIMES
1 Observation-Disclosures g NJ, D,---ozI--