Year: 1874

Whole or Cut Potatoes for Seed.

 Nearly fifty years ago Thomas An drew Knight, President of the London Horticultural Society, wrote Q very ex- haustlve essay upon the above-named subject, proving conclusively, to many, that whole potatoos were far preferable to pieces of tubers for planting. Mr. Knight, nt that time and for many suc- ceeding years, was considered in Great Britain the highest authority in the world on horticultural subjects. conse- Quently his opinions carried great weight among the people. His idea was that tuber. as whole, was but one seed, like kernel of corn. But we now consider potato tuber more like an ear of corn, containing many seeds, each of which is capable of producing plant equal in strength and value to the whole combined. Of course there are hundreds of farmers who will and do cling to this old theory of MT. Knights, despite all the science or practice to the contrary. We should think, however, that the enormous yield secured from the various new sorts within the past few years, and frequent ly referred to in the agricultural jour- nals, all of which have been produced from cut seed, woul1 begin to awaken the sticklers for whole seed and set them to making experiments in this di- rection. No one will suppose for a moment that the yields reported in the case of the Bliss prizes for the Early Vermont and Compton Surprise could have been secured by planting whole tubers. Those farmers who believe hot Hyh fnh should look at these figures COY, 437, and 456 pounds, raised by different men in different localities, each having but one pound for seed. We think these facts and figures are worth a dozen theories, and we'll worth remem- bering at planting time.-Rural NeaU Yorker.

 Sugar from the Soft Maple.

 A correspondent of the Canada Farmer thus refutes the traditional notion that sugar can not be made from the sap of the soft maple:

 In looking over a little book by a Canadian authoress, Mrs. Traill, the other day, l came across a statement that the sap of the soft naples did not yield sugar. When this lady wrote these words she only expressed belief shared in by nearly the whole of the rural population of Canada, and I find that her view is held by all with whom ] have conversed on the subject some even go so far as to maintain that good sugar cannot be extracted under any circumstances from the sap of the soft maple. Until very lately I held that opinion also: but last spring a friend of mine who lives on a new bush farm where naples of that kind are very plentiful, tapped over 200 of them he did not tap single hard maple, for the simple reason that there were none to tap within easy distance of his camp. The reward of his labor was 250 lbs. of really the finest sugar-and I have seen good deal-that I ever saw. The only feature connected with the manufacture of it that he noted was, that it required little more sap to yield certain quan- tity than of the sap of the hard maple. He intends to tap 100 additional soft naples next spring, and is confident of good yield and first-class sample.

 Household Hints,

 The following suggestions are of course intended for the masculine heads of families but the many un- fortunate women who find that on their shoulders rests three. fourths of the cares of the household, can, in case of need, easily put them into use, as time rather than strength is required. Never allow door to creak for want of oil, or to shut so hard as to require slamming to make it latch. For this purpose pass around once a week at some regular time, say Saturday even- ing or Monday morning, with drop of oil on feather, or on the tip of the finger, and give every rubbing part, latch, hinge, etc., a touch. Scissors, which are inclined to work hard, can also be greatly improved in this way. Ventilation would be more easily ac- complished and more certainly per- formed, and rooms kept with purer and healthier mir, if windows were made to slide easily. If not hung by pulleys and weights, let carpenter add good, freely-working catches. Cellars should be kept constantly clean-as much so as your parlor. It is the easiest thing in the world, if you attend to it daily :; and only becomes a heavy task when you allow months accumulations to remain undisturbed. It is hardly necessary to add that levers have been contracted by breathing the miasma in an Il-kept cellar.

 Trap for Moths.

 A writer in a French horticultural journal relates the following suggestive experience "After sunset I place in the centre of my orchard an old barrel, the inside of which have previously we'll tarred. At the bottom of the bar rel place lighted lamp. Insects of many kinds, attracted by the light, make for the lamp, and while circling around it strike against the sides of the barrel, where, meeting with the tar, their wings and legs become so clogged that they fall helpless to the bottom In the morning I examine the barrel, and frequently take out ten or twelve gallons of cockchafers, which at once destroy. A few pence worth of tar em- ployed in this way will, without fur ther trouble, be the means of destroy ing innumerable numbers of these in sects, whose laTvse are among the most destructive pests the gardener or farmer has to contend with.

 The Wheat in Winter.

 One of the chief advantages of winter maturing the wheat crop is the protec- tion afforded the young plants by the mulch. Where the manure is not at hand for this purpose, or where it has been more proftably us ed as manure for the crop in the proper season, q ready means of providing mulch may be secured, says correspondent, by sowing along with the wheat bushel of oats. An even growth is thus se- cured, which being killed by the first severe frost, falls down and covers the young wheat plants, protecting them from exposure and danger. The cost of oats sown is SO triAing, compared with the cost of spreading, not to speak of procuring. any other mulch of equal value, that it certainly would seem