THE GENESEE FARMER. 



irr 



THE LENTai,. 



The importance of leguminous plants in any sys- 

 tem of rotation of crops applicable to the climate 

 of this country is so great that we have repeatedly 

 called attention to vetches, lispins and other crops 

 of this class as worthy of trial. Unfortunately, 

 we have not many farmers possessed of the requi- 

 site enterprise and knowledge to introduce them. 

 If we ever succeed in getting a good "Experimen- 

 tal Farm," we hope that these plaats will be fairly 

 tried. 



Among plants of this class the Lentil (Ervum 

 leiis) possesses some qualities which, if it should 



COMMON LBNTIL (ERTUM LENS.) 



succeed in this climate, would render it quite 

 valuable as a renovating crop on poor, sandy soils. 

 It is growH extensively in Italy, Sicily, France and 

 Germany, as well as in Egypt and other Eastern 

 countries. It has been known from time imme- 

 morial. It was a "pottage of lentils" for which 

 E3An sold his birthright. The composition of the 

 lentil is similar to that of peas, being highly nitro- 

 genous. The plant ressembles the vetch, but stands 

 more erect and grows about two feet high. The 



pods are short and smooth, and contain two seeds 

 each. The late M. Vilmoein, of Paris, speaking 

 of the lentil, says : 



" I have had an opportunity of witnessing the 

 extreme utility of this plant for worthless sands, 

 having both used it myself and seen it cultivated 

 on a great scale by one of my neighbors, M. Val- 

 LENTiN DE OuLLioN. The quantity of green food 

 which he has obtained off this and the winter gray 

 pea from land believed to be incapable of growing 

 anything, gave hiru the first means of arriving by 

 degrees at an immense improvement in his farms. 

 Those who have poor sandy land, and require green 

 food for their stock, would probably find the culti- 

 vation of this plant much to their benefit. The 

 name it usually bears in France is Jarosse or 

 Jaraude.'''' 



The cultivation of lentils is very similar to that 



of tares or vetches. "We annex a cut of the plant. 



A Model Poultry House, — A correspondent of 

 the Country Gentleman^ describing the farm of 

 Mr. Henry O'Haea, President of the Cayuga 

 County Agricultural Society, says: "Mr. O'Haka 

 keeps a good variety of fowls, and a good number 

 of Cayuga black ducks ; and they enter the poultry 

 house through small doors in the wall on which 

 the building stands. The building is about 14 by 

 16 feet square, and the lowest story is used as a 

 feed- room ; and on each of its sides there are rows 

 of bo-^es for nests. This room is well lighted, and 

 in cold weather can be closed tight, so that the 

 fowls have comfortable quarters. The hens, geese, 

 ducks, and all, ascend into the upper story to 

 roost, on a wide inclined plane, with cleats nailed 

 across it, to keep them from slipping. Small 

 chickens will soon learn to ascend to the roost, 

 where they are safe from nocturnal marauders in 

 quest of poultry. The poles on which the fowls 

 roost extend the entire length of the building, 

 about one and a half feet below the rafters ; and 

 they rise one above the other, like steps, from the 

 plates to the ridge of the roof. All the droppings 

 fall on the floor without touching any of the fowls 

 on the poles below ; and there is sufficient room 

 beneath the fowls to walk along and take away 

 •any fowl from either of the poles without disturb- 

 ing the others. Here, beneath the roost, is col- 

 lected enough of the most choice hen manure to 

 produce fifty bushels of Indian corn, were it 

 properly applied to the corn crop." 



To Cure THE Horn- Ail in Cattle. — My method 

 is to loosen the skin on the back of the animal 

 from the shoulders to the hips. I find that on 

 pulling the skin it will snap and crack as if it grew 

 fast- The animal will improve immediately. Re- 

 peat the operation once or twice a week. 



Pekin, N. T. CHAKLES HOWK. 



