366 



THE GEKESEE FARMER. 



NOTES ON THE OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER NUM- 

 BERS OF THE GENESEE FARMER. 



^'■Refuse of Tanneries.'''' — Large quantities of 

 valuable iiiatcnals fur manurial i)urposes are annu- 

 ally wasted at many of our large tanneries. If 

 fanners in the vicinity of such lanyards were fully 

 aware of the wortii of these waste matters, we 

 think tliey would ofteiicr secure tliera for enrich- 

 ing their lands. There is the lime, which, after 

 having been used fen- starting the hair on hides and 

 skins, is wortli more, bushel for bushel, for com- 

 posting with muck or loam, than fresh lime; for 

 there is usually nnich hair and other animal mat- 

 ter nii.xed with it; and during the process of com- 

 posting, if contiimed for a few months, much nitrate 

 of lime will be formed, a substance very analogous 

 to nitrate of potash (salt petre), which is a quick 

 and active nuiuiire for grain and grasses ; besides 

 which, the acidity of the muck would become 

 neutralized, rendering the whole mass a valuable 

 manure. 



ilorn piths are a lasting and valuable manure — 

 worth more, pound for pound, than the hard and 

 more solid bones. This ditference is caused by the 

 more open and porous structure of the piths, which 

 renders their manurial qualities, — nit«)gen and 

 phosphates, — more readily available to the action 

 of the roots of {)lants than are those of the more 

 solid and harder bones. Within a few years, I 

 have used many cart-loads of horn piths upon my 

 farm, purchasing them at a tannery about one mile 

 from my place, paying about $1.50 per cart-load ; 

 portions of which I have sawn, or broken Avith 

 heavy liammers, and then plowed them in — in 

 some instances applying at the rate of 150 bushels 

 per acre. A few cart-loads I use whole for manur- 

 ing potatoes in the hill ; a pith in a hill will double 

 tne crops over those hills receiving no manure. 

 The same pith will serve for manuring in the hill 

 for ten or more years. The longer they are used, 

 the more elfective they are, because every year 

 they become more soluble. 



. Then there is the fleshings, that are separated 

 from the hides while being worked over the beam, 

 both before and after being limed. Sometimes 

 these lieshings can be procured at the tanyards in 

 large quantities, and at reasonable i)rice^. They 

 can be plowed in, or perhaps, what would be bet- 

 ter, composted with swamp muck, or a clayey 

 liiam, for a few montiis previous to being used. 

 The muscle of animals is extremely rich in all the 

 ingredient-^ necessary for our cereals and other 

 crops. Hair from South American iiides is usually 

 too short for mixing with lime mortar, but it makes 

 a. durable and vahiable manure, being as rich in 

 nitrogen as the best Peruvian guano. 



Spent tan mixed witii lime, ashes, or green ma- 

 nure, will, in course of a year, so far decompo>e and 

 part with its acidity that it may be safely and profit- 

 ftdly .Mp])lied to naturally dry soils, in large (|uanlities. 



I here suggest to farmers, living in the vicinity 

 of tanneries, to secure as much of these waste mat- 

 ters as they can, if obtainable at a reasonable price. 

 "Outlier up tlie fragments, that nothing bo lost," 

 ia an injimction as ohligatory upon us as it was 

 il{)on thor^e who lived eighteen centuries ago. 



" The Bark Louge''' is a real pest to many of the 

 apple trees ; but they can be mostly removed by 

 oarefally washing the trees with strong soap-suds 



and tobacco-water, applied as warm as the handa 

 can bear, using a wollen rag, and rubbing each 

 branch separately, as stated by S. M. J3ut it 

 makes a material dilTerence at what season of the 

 year the operation is performed. Sometime in 

 June, the eggs beneath the muscle-shaped scales 

 hatch out, and the young insects escape, and fasten 

 themselves upon tlie smooth bark of the bodies, 

 branches, and smaller limbs of the tree, where, by 

 careful inspection, they may be seen in great num- 

 bers, appearing as very small white specks ujion 

 the bark. While in their infant state, is the most 

 eligible time to use the wash. It does not require 

 much rubbing with the woolen cloth to eradicate 

 them ; but if left to ft)rm and liardeu their shells, 

 it is a much more diflicult matter to remove them. 

 Those having apple trees infested with bark-lice, 

 please recollect what I have written. Examine 

 your trees next June, and ascertain whether I am 

 not correct. A small microscope will aid one much 

 in examining these minute white specks. 



" The Insects on Mulleins,''^ and in clover heads, 

 have been supposed by some persons to be identi- 

 cal with the wheat midge ; but a micrftscopical 

 examination shows them to be verj- different insects. 



'■^ Notes for the Monthly S. TT." — Ilis remarks 

 on " the best food and treatment for hens," con- 

 tain much good common sense and valuable prac- 

 tical information. Those wishing to have theii* 

 hens lay well, had better re-peruse the article ; and 

 if they get it "by heart," it may be all the better 

 for them. 



A. Baer, Jr., has a good article on the " Des- 

 truction of our Forest Treesy Railroads in this 

 section of the country have played the very deuce 

 with our wood and timber lots. This " devil take 

 the hindmost" policy, that is sweeping our wood 

 and timber lands, will yet bear liard upon posterity 

 in this cold section of the country. However, 

 some cold, phlegmatic characters, console them- 

 selves with the plea, that as posterity have done 

 nothing for them, they have nothing to do for it. 



" Hungarian Grass,'''' has been a fruitful subject 

 of discussion. There are several varieties of millet 

 or Hungarian grass, and probably this has led to 

 mistakes on the part of ditt'erent writers. I have 

 grown the yellow-seeded, years ago, then known as 

 common millet. Have also grown the purple- 

 seeded and purple headed, which I think has gen- 

 erally been considered the true Hungarian grass. 

 At least, this is the kind sent out from the Patent 

 Oltice, lalelled Hungarian grass. I have another 

 Variety called II ungu-ian grass. The heads of these 

 two varieties as .^tated by C. W. Davis, (Oct. No. 

 G. F., page 311.) " do not resemble each other any 

 more than the heads of oats resemble wheat." (I 

 will forward with tiiis a sample of each). It looks 

 ti> mo as though Mr. Dickinson and Mr. Davis are 

 l)Otii laboring under serious mistakes. I think Mr. 

 Davis never saw the variety sent out from the 

 Patent Office as Hungarian grass; for this same 

 thing by many is called German millet. While 

 growing, and up to the time of putting ont its 

 spike or head, it can hardly be told from what is 

 usually termed here, barn grass, pigeon grass, &c. ; 

 but after heading, the head also very closely re- 

 sembles the panicle or head of the barn-grass — 

 excepting in color. The head of this Hungarian 

 grass, or millet, is of a purple color, while that of 



i 



