134 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



with a twelve-inch stroke; I believe my 

 wells are inexhaustible by windmill 

 power. Underlying the surface about 

 four feet is a bed of solid heavy clay, from 

 eight inches to one foot thick. Can you 

 make any suggestions in THE AGE as to a 

 cheap way of preventing the great loss of 

 water ? ARTHUR C. MILLS, of Wisconsin. 



[Have any of our readers had any ex- 

 perience in growin cranberries? If so 

 we would be pleased to hear from them.] 



The Apple Worm. The following is a 

 brief life history of the apple- worm moth: 

 There are two or more broods in California 

 in a season. The moth in spring lays her 

 eggs on the young apples, pears, and 

 quinces after the blossoms fall. The egg 

 hatches out a tiny worm which feeds at 

 first off the skins of the young fruit and usu- 

 ally soon finds the eye or calyx of the fruit, 

 and then burrows its way by eating direct- 

 ly to the core of the apple, where it feeds 

 on the forming seeds and surroundings. 

 In about thirty-three days it is mature and 

 burrows a channel to the surface of the 

 fruit, usually at the side, when it crawls 

 down to the larger branches or trunk, 

 seeking some shelter where it can hide 

 and spin its cocoon, which is usually done 

 in acute forks, or in cracks, or under loose 

 scales of bark. Inside of the cocoon it 

 changes in three days to chrysalis and 

 then in eight to fifteen days comes out as 

 a moth and is soon ready to deposit its 

 eggs for a new brood of worms. No spray 

 has been found of any use in destroying 

 the apple worm except the arsenical poi- 

 sons such as Paris green and London 

 purple. 



Refrigerators being far from satisfact- 

 ory, the custom is growing of having an ice 

 house and cold room combined, especially 

 for fruit and dairy purposes. The Coun- 

 try Gentleman gives an illustrated de- 

 scription of one that has proven satisfactory 

 in which the cold room is on a level with 

 the cellar floor and the ice chamber with 

 the kitchen floor. 



No sawdust or other packing used on the 

 ice which wastes about one-half during the 

 season, keeping the cold room about 35 

 and preserves fruit perfectly from season 

 to season. The drainage of ice is carried 

 by V-shaped iron troughs between the 



joists to one point. Ice does not rest di- 

 rectly on joists but on a bed of lath. Doors 

 are fitted with rubber to close perfectly 

 tight, and both should never be open at the 

 same time. 



Feeding Sorghum. U [ 9 true econ- 

 omy to feed sorghum and broom-corn seeds 

 where they are grown. The following 

 table gives the digestible nutriments of 

 different grains: 



Protein. Carbo-hydrates. Fats. 

 Sorghum Seed... 6.84 53.00 2.99 



Broom corn 7.10 56.80 3.00 



Wheat 9.50 60.90 1.90 



Indian Corn 6.25 60.06 3.14 



Oats 8.46 46.11 3.94 



Rye 8.37 63.16 1.09 



Barley 9.64 00.77 1.86 



Showing that the two former are richer 

 in protein, or flesh- forming material, than 

 corn, and less carbo-hydrates and fats; in- 

 dicating that for growing stock they are at 

 least equal to corn but not equal to wheat, 

 barley and oats. The grains being small 

 and hard, they should be ground. 



Oats. Results of seven years' experi- 

 ments with oats at the Illinois Station 

 show that it is not advisable to plow after 

 corn, the disc harrow causing better re- 

 turns. Sow early and if broadcast two 

 and a half to three and a half bushels per 

 acre, covering no more than one to two 

 inches. No one variety is greatly super- 

 ior to all others. Neither color, plumpness, 

 weight nor form of head certainly deter- 

 mine value, but generally varieties with 

 long, slender, comparatively light kernels, 

 have the smaller per cent of husk and prob- 

 ably greater feed value. Early varieties, 

 harvesting before fully ripe, binding and 

 shocking at once if in fit condition for cut- 

 ting, are found to be preferable. 



Salt is very beneficial to poultry; laying 

 hens require it, as it has the properties of 

 increasing the circulation of the juices of 

 the body, thus favoring a greater protein 

 assimilation. One ounce of fine salt daily 

 to 100 hens, in shallow box that they shall 

 not get too much. 



Prof. C. C. Georgeson of Kansas Ag- 

 ricultural College, says recent experiments 

 show that the disc harrow greatly improves 

 failing pastures of natural grasses and 



