72 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[May, 



For The Lancaster Fabmeb, 

 HONEY-DEW. 



Without intendiuE; to endorse ilr. Noe's 

 theory of tlie origin of honey-dew, as suggested 

 in tlie April number of The Farjieb,' I wish 

 to call attention to a few facts which are di- 

 rectly opposed to tlie hypothesis that all honey- 

 dew is discharged hy aphids. 



About the middle of last June, during the 

 time that honey-dew was so unusually abun- 

 dant, it was found upon the grass in the 

 fields entirely away from trees or other plants 

 upon which aphids feed. It was so abundant 

 in many places that the feathers upon the 

 lower part of the bodies of turkeys and other 

 fowls that were running tln-ough the grass be- 

 came coated with it, so that tliey looked as 

 though they had been greased. 



The honey-dew did not appear in si)ots on 

 the leaves, as is usually the case, but was 

 spread over the whole upper surface, and in 

 such quantity as to glue the leaves together, 

 making the woods glisten in the sun as though 

 the trees had been varnishecL It would have 

 taken immense numbers of aphids to liave 

 produced all this coating of honey, and yet 

 these insects did not appear to be more abun- 

 dant than is common at that season. — W. P. 

 Bolton, Libcrti/ Sq^Mre, Pa. 



For The Lancaster Farmer. 

 THE DAIRY— No. 3. 



In the March numlier of The Farmer I 

 have sketched over the different breeds of cat- 

 tle. Much ra(3re might and should be said on 

 this important question which would extend 

 tliese articles far beyond my intention. As 

 there are plenty of cows among the difterent 

 breeds that will, with proper care, yield 225 to 

 250 pounds of butter in a year, and some con- 

 siderable more. No one should feel satisfied 

 with a cow that will not reach the former 

 figures, but all .should aim at the very highest, 

 which may be reached by conthiued judicious 

 selection and proper mating ; hence the im- 

 portance t)f a more general knowledge of this 

 matter. We have good authority for stating 

 that no better milk cows reach the Philadelphia 

 market than those from Lancaster county, 

 and it is not creditable that its cows should 

 have a better rei)utation generally than its 

 butter, from which it is evident that they re- 

 ceive lietter attention than their products. It 

 is to be regretted that so many excellent cows 

 are allowed to be taken to the city to be milked 

 dry, and then passed to tlie shambles, while 

 so large a proportion of poorer ones are kept 

 at home to breed from. Such a short-sighted 

 policy is like " killing the goose that lays tlie 

 golden egg," and its continuation cannot help 

 but prevent the speedy imiirovement of milk- 

 ing stock, and instead, will cause it to de- 

 teriorate. In selecting a cow we invariablj' 

 want a good one ; liut a good cow ui the 

 hands of one party is often not so in the care 

 of another, hence her value very often de- 

 pends on lier owner. A cow may be compared 

 to a machine, wliich may be the best of its 

 kind, but if infericu- material is used the pro- 

 duct will be inferior also ; or both machine 

 and material may be first-rate, Vmt if it is run 

 by incompetent hands the jiroduct will fall 

 short both in quality and quantity. Want of 

 proper stabling and shelter is very often a 

 leading cause of cows lieing of little value as 

 milkers. In many cases where ample stabling 

 is provided, stock is turned out from morning 

 imtil evening, irrespective of cold blasts, snow 

 storms and cold rains, wliich invariably dimin- 

 ish the flow of milk. In order to attain the 

 best results, proper food given at proper times 

 is all important. Grass in summer and hay 

 in winter form the chief staples of feed almost 

 everywhere, liut with either, ([uality rules the 

 quantity as well as quality of milk and butter. 

 One great error with farmers generally is, not 

 cutting their grass early enough. The difter- 

 ence between hay from yoimg grass and such 

 as is commonly made is so great, that it is 

 surprising that it is not better understood. 

 Corn sown at intervals, to be cut and fed when 

 pasture runs short, is of great value to keep 



up a regular flow of milk, and any that is not 

 needed will, when cut and well cured, be far 

 superior to common corn-fodder. The latter 

 is poor feed for milk cows, unless it be cut and 

 steamed or scalded, adding to it whatever 

 grain is fed at the time. Corn meal and 

 shorts or bran, with some oil-cake, contam 

 elements necessary to produce the best re- 

 sults. Without roots of some kind, however, 

 the store of feed is not comjilete for winter 

 feeding. Grooming and feeduig are as impor- 

 tant to the cow as to the horse. Noi.sy boys 

 or unruly curs must not be allowed to worry 

 cows, but instead caress and keep them quiet. 



Tlie prevalent custom of feeding well when 

 fresh and only half when dry has injured 

 many cows. It is, at liest, a very short-sighted 

 policy. The best; milkers generally run down 

 in llesh during the milking period, with the 

 best feeding, and if not fed weU when dry will 

 always he poor. Feeding should be regular 

 whether fresh or dry, so as always to keep up 

 her vital stamina so that when the calving 

 period arrives, instead of being exhausted 

 she will be invigorated to pass the critical 

 period safely and without being aft'ected with 

 hollow-horn and other diseases incident to ex- 

 haustion. Farmers and dairymen who feed 

 their cows well and regular the year round 

 scarcely ever find any difficulty with liollow- 

 horn, the latter being only another name for 

 hollow stomach and iiollow chop-chest. 



Protection from the hot sun in summer is as 

 important as from snow storms and cold blasts 

 in winter, all of which disturli the regular 

 flow of milk. A shed or cool stable to turn 

 them in for a few hours during the greatest 

 heat of the day, even without any feed, is far 

 better than panting in the hot sun over the 

 best of pasture. Where the soiling system 

 has been adopted the case, of course, is difler- 

 ent. Whether the latter is preferable to pas- 

 turing is still a mooted question and depends 

 very inueh on circumstances. Where pasture 

 is thin and short it is no doubt preferable to 

 pasture, but heavy grass of any kind it is 

 economy to cut and haul to the racks or 

 mangers, for in the latter case one acre will 

 feed as far as three if pastured. Cows are 

 sometimes inclined to eat foul garbage and 

 rubbish, and drink stagnant water or li(iuid 

 manure, all of which seriously injures the 

 quality of milk and its products. It is, there- 

 fore, equally important that pure water only 

 is jirovided for drink, as well as proper food. 

 The prevalent custom with fermers of clean- 

 ing out their cow stables once a week, instead 

 of once or twice a day, is at best but filthy and 

 slovenly and seriously affects both the cow and 

 her milk; but of which more hereafter. 



Another mistaken custom is very common, 

 i. e. , the raising of calves for cows. The heifer 

 is generallv more neglected than the steer ; as 

 the latter is intended for beef he is looked 

 after in good time so as to be fit for the 

 shambles as early as possible, consequently he 

 is ke])t in a fair and thriving condition. On 

 the other hand, the heifer is generally left to 

 shift as best she can until about producing 

 her first calf, when she is hurriedly fed up for 

 a few weeks in order to make a cow of her. 

 Those, however, who under.stand their busi- 

 ness pursue a different coarse. From tlie time 

 she is weaned, if the higliest milking qualities 

 ai-e aimed at, she is fed with just such food as 

 will produce the best flow of milk in the cow. 

 Such a course of feeding will develop the milk 

 organs to the fuUest extent by the time she 

 comes in with her first calf She will then 

 (other things being favorable) be more of a 

 cow than she would ever have attained under 

 the above mentioned slip-sliod method of 

 making cows. — H. M. E., Marietta, May Bt/t. 

 [to be coxtintjed.] 



For The Lancaster Farmer. 

 TUBEROUS-ROOTED FLOWERS. 



This class of flowering plants is, and al- 

 ways was popular, being pretty and needing 

 but little culture and care. Many superior 

 additions have been made to it in our own time. 

 Dicenlra (Dielytra) comes in bloom earliest ; 

 there are three species — with ladies' ear-drop- 



like flowers in great profusion — crimson, 

 scarlet and white. Preonia, of hundreds of 

 varieties and various colors, all beautiful. Iris 

 (Flag Lilies) — the English, Persian and Siian- 

 isli sjiecies were jiopular a half century ago. 

 Tlie improved German varieties, called Gcr- 

 manica, have made a great revolution. Tliey 

 are of thrifty gro^vth, dwarf habits and abun- 

 dantly flowery. Every variety is beautifully 

 variegated in blooms, such as yellow and 

 Ilium, blue, white and rose, white and dark 

 purple, salmon and inirple, creamy white 

 spotted with purple, lilac and deep purple, 

 bright yellow and dark green. Lihj of the 

 Valley is often classed with tuberous plants. 

 The aliove are hardy. The following are 

 tender, planted in spring, and their roots dug 

 up in the fall and kept in boxes of soil in cel- 

 lars all winter. They should be covered witli 

 dri/ soil in the boxes. Dahlia — of hundreds 

 of varieties. Tritoma — three species. Canna — 

 many varieties. Caladiuyn (now Calicasia) — 

 two species. Canna and Caladium are only 

 fit for park gardening. They are too large and 

 coarse for flower gardens. Bedding plants are 

 far superior to them forflower gardens. — W. E. 



For The Lancaster Farmer. 

 PLANTING AND PRUNING EVER- 

 GREENS. 



From the middle of May to the middle of 

 June all evergreen trees, shrubs, hedges and 

 box-edgings may be safely transplanted and 

 established plants pruned. If the plants to be 

 set out are to come far have them transported 

 by express, to have them as short a time on their 

 wa}' as possible. When they arrive unpack 

 them at once, put their roots'in the ground and 

 cover them with .soil : then water the roots and 

 branches thoroughly, to refresh them, and set 

 them out where they are to grow. Dig the 

 trenches or holes larger thau the spread of 

 their roots and break the soil fine to put about 

 their roots. If the weather is very dry sprinkle 

 the plants with water, through the "rose of 

 garden watering-pot." That will retard evapo- 

 ration from the plants and refresh tliem until 

 they make new fibers to sustain themselves. 

 They should lie sprinkled with water every 

 second day until it rains. Evening is the best 

 time to sprinkle them. 



The pruning of evergreen trees and shrubs 

 has been brought to great perfection by our 

 horticulturists. The trees which would now 

 be lean and half naked have been made rich, 

 and many giants of leafy verdure. The same 

 with shrubs and hedges. We have done much 

 of this work for twenty-five years back. The 

 skillful pruning of evergreens has been exten- 

 sively jiractieed in Europe for many centuries 

 past. May in spring, and September in au- 

 tumn, are the chosen months for pruning all 

 evergreens. — W. Elder. 



For The Lancaster Farmer. 

 CHOICE VEGETABLE CROPS. 



In the latitude of Pennnsylvania and north- 

 ward there is much cropping in the vegetable 

 garden in May and June. In ^May early cab- 

 bages and lettuce are transplanted from hot- 

 beds into the open ground, and tomatoes, egg- 

 lilants and peppers are set out in June. The 

 best tomatoes are the Extra Early for first 

 crop, CooVs Favorite for second crop, and the 

 Trophy for late crop. They may all be planted 

 at the same time, and will succeed each other 

 in ripening. Those who have not all the 

 above kinds of plants can purchase them in 

 any number from seedsmen and nurserymen, 

 will) grow thousands for sale. Other crops to 

 be put in in May are late potatoes, beets, car- 

 rots, peas, sugar corn, bush-beans, etc. ; and 

 in this month also sow the seeds of fallbrocolli 

 and endive, and all the species of sweet and 

 pot hi-rbs. In June plant Lima pale beans, 

 cucumbers, musk melons, early and^ late 

 sqiiaslies, pumpkins and watermelons, suc- 

 cession crops of sugar corn, bush-beans, and 

 transplant late cabbages for full crops, .is 

 the cropping will then be full. Roots of as- 

 paragus, horseradish, rhubarb, etc., may be 

 set out in May. All kinds of vegetable plants 



