96 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ June, 



proper form ; but tliere are two points to which it is 

 risht to devote some attention— tlie form of tlie man- 

 gers and attention to tlie wants of the individual 

 animals. The mangers should not be less than three 

 feet loni;, eighteen inches wide, and twelve inches 

 deep. They should have an upper border of wood 

 projecting inwards for two inches, and a traverse bar 

 of half-inch from across the middle. A piece of two- 

 inch hoop-iron on the top of the manger protects it 

 from damage by the horse's teeth. This simple ar- 

 rangement prevents tlie horse from throwing out his 

 corn, and the provender is not set in so thick a layer 

 as in the ordinary narrow and shallow manger. 



Transplanting Evergreens. 



Each spring there come numerous inquiries aliout 

 transplanting evergreens, and many think success 

 depends upon choosing exactly the proper time. In 

 our experience we have not fouml the when so im- 

 portant as the how, having removed the trees in the 

 fall, and early and late in the spring. If one can 

 have his choice of times, no doubt that the period 

 when the swelling of the buds shows that vegetation 

 is active would be preferable, but w^e have succeeded 

 with much earlier and much later planting. Tl • one 

 great and all essential point is to keep the roots from 

 becoming dry. If these are dry, send the tree to the 

 brush-he.ap, as that will be its ultimate destination. 

 If the trees are to be brought frtmi a great distance 

 a dull day can be waited for, otherwise the roots 

 must be packed in wet moss, be puddled, or some 

 protection be given them ; they had better be kept 

 soaking wet than dry at all. Some ask what manure 

 to use. Probably guano would kill them the quickest, 

 but fresh stable manure will be pretty sure. Never 

 manure an evergreen at planting. When well estab- 

 lished, well decomposed manure will be of use. The 

 top affords such an obstacle to the wind that all trees 

 over two or three feet high should be staked. — Ameri- 

 can AgricuUuriift. 



Application of Lime. 



Soils rieh in organic matter, even though they al- 

 ready contain it in considerable quantities, drain peat 

 swamps, stilf clays, and coarse heavy soil, and es- 

 pecially those destitute of it, are all benefited by an 

 application of lime. Good results also follow its use 

 on light soil after an incorixiration of organic matter, 

 as green manure, muck, or a thick sod or green crop 

 plowed under. Sterile soils are rapidly rendered 

 more sterile by its application. Wet lands show least 

 effect from treatment of lime. Hence such lands 

 must either be drained or receive an extra amount. 

 Clays should always have organic matter applied in 

 connection with lime. It acts most efl'ectually near 

 the surface. Tlie apparent effect is greater the sec- 

 ond season than the first, so the most satisfactory 

 results are obtained by sowinir broadcast in the early 

 fall with at most only a light harrowing or brushing. 

 It should be api)lied in an air-slacked, line mechani- 

 cal condilion. The most profitable quantity to 

 apply depends much on the land ; wet soils, those 

 well filled with organic matter, and clay, taking 

 most — from ten to forty bushels being recommended, 

 according to circumstances. — ficieiit'kfic Farmer. 



Mellow Soil Around Trees. 



Unless the surface of the soil is mulched around 

 young trees over an area of six feet in diameter, the 

 ground should be kept clean and mellow. Every 

 fanner knows that a hill of corn or [jotatoes will not 

 amount to much unless cultivated, and yet there are 

 many who will neglect to give the same care to a 

 tree which is worth 'a hundred of either of the for- 

 mer. In rich soil frees may grow rapidly without 

 cultivation, and no amount of grass or weeds retard 

 them ; but there are other things beside the growth 

 to be looked after. If the weeds and grass are al- 

 lowed to grow up around the stems of apjilc, peach 

 or quince trees, the bark will become soft near their 

 base by being shaded, and thereljy be in a suitable 

 condition for the reception of the eggs which will 

 eventually become peach or apjile borers. Take any 

 dozen young apple trees in the section where tlie ap- 

 ple borer is abundant, and allow a [xirtion to be 

 choked with weeds, while the remainder are well cul- 

 tivated, and then watch the result. From our own 

 experience, we believe that the chances are nine to 

 one in favor of those cultivated being exempt from 

 this pest. — Wexterii Farmer. 



Which Ways Should Drills Run ? 



An erroneous impression seems to prevail in regard 

 to the proper direction in which to j)lace drills, for 

 plants cultivated in that manner. They are usually 

 laid off north and south, in order to get the greatest 

 benefit from the direct rays of the sun. Instead of 

 north and south, the rows should run east and west. 

 Suppose a piece of ground, planted in drills two feet 

 apart, running north and south. The plants, by the 

 middle of .luly, having atlained to the height of four 

 feet, eucli row will be shiidi'd by the one ciist of it 

 until about tlic middle of the forenoon ; then from 



the middle of the afternoon till ni»ht, the shade of 

 each row will fall on its next eastern neighbor. 



If the drills run cast and west, the distance apart 

 and the height being the same, the shadow of any 

 row will not reach another row, excepting when the 

 sun is near the horizon, early in the morning or late 

 in the afternoon. In latitmle 40° north the shadow 

 of a plant four feet high will not rt^ach two feet north 

 from its base until about the 10th of August. 



Bees on a Small Scale. 



There are many householders whose means will 

 not enable them to buy a cow, or provide keeping for 

 her were they in ]>os6ession of one. But they may be 

 equal to the purchase of a colony of bees and pro- 

 vide the hives for the swarms resulting therefrom. 

 Bees, like other stock, require pasturage, but, unlike 

 horses, cattle and sheep, they are free commoners, 

 ranging at will in search of stores, nor can they be 

 arrested and punished for their intrusion on premises 

 not their owner's. A single colony of bees, in good 

 condition in the spring, may be counted upon to 

 double or treble their numbers in a single season, se- 

 curing ample stores for winter consumption, while 

 supplying a gratifying surplus each autumn for house- 

 hold uses. This aceumulation will prove most ac- 

 ceptable in families, especially while the price of 

 butter rules so high as to place it beyond the reach 

 of those not blessed with elongated and plethoric 

 purses. Try a colony of bees as an experiment. — 

 Farmer^i Union. 



Harnessing Colts. 



The utmost gentleness should be exercised in har- 

 nessing the colt for the first time. Any undue rough- 

 ness, as, for instance, throwing the harness over his 

 back, the tugs and straps slapping against his sides, 

 may forever render him exceedingly shy, restive, and 

 consequently dangerous to approach. First, detach 

 the harness from the pad, closely tying up the tugs. 

 Then take them in both hands and place them gently 

 over the collar, buckling below without jerking at 

 the straps — the too common practice of grooms — 

 after this, with both hands place the pad over the 

 back, buckling just tight enough to prevent the pad 

 from moving out of place. When this is done the 

 tugs may then be drawn through the support straps 

 and tied snugly up to them. The collar must be care- 

 fully adjusted to the animal's neck so as to prevent 

 both scalding and chafing. 



Cutting Off Lower Limbs. 



It is a very common error, and a very injurious 

 one, to cut off large limbs near the body of a tree. 

 We meet with mutilated fruit trees all over the coun- 

 try which have suffered in this way from the use of 

 axe or saw. Forest trees that are hollow, furniihing 

 habitations in their trunks for squirrels and other 

 animals and birds, should teach a lesson, showing the 

 danger and folly of removing large limbs from the 

 tree's trunk. Rotting is almost certain to follow, for 

 the wound is too large to heal over, and sullieient 

 care is seldom taken to cover the surface with suffi- 

 cient protection to keep out moisture in the atmos- 

 phere ; and, besides, the growing tree itself keeps the 

 wound moist. The consequence is, decay sets in and 

 eventually the tree becomes rotten at the heart, and 

 the whole becomes injured and loses much of its 

 vitality. 



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Scaly Legs on Fowls. 



Scaly leg is eau.«ed by a parasitic insect, which 

 may be seen by the aid of a microscope, in a little 

 furrow under the scales. It is contagious. To cure 

 it, clean up the legs of the fowls by washing with 

 carbolic soa]). An ointment made of coal tar and 

 lard, sulphur and laid, or the various preparations 

 of car!)oiie acid, applied two or three times, will usu- 

 ally efi'ect a cure. Give the fowls sulphur once a 

 week, mixed with their food and do not neglect to 

 thoroughly clean the whole hennery, by washing with 

 lime-water or some disinlectant. The disease is not 

 hereditary, but scaly legged fowls should not he used 

 for setting. 



New Stock Yards. 



There are about to be established extensive stock 

 yards in the northern part of Philadelphia, on the 

 North Pennsylvania Kailroad. A company have 

 purchased eight acres of land, lying north of Luzerne 

 street and between Second and Sixth streets. The 

 capital stock is 4,000 shares, at a par value of $.50 

 per share. The stock will reach Philadelphia over 

 the Nortli Pennsylvania, Lehigh Valley, and New 

 York and Erie Kailroads, and stock cars will be 

 built to accommodate the gauge of the Lehigh Valley 

 raod, there being a third rail on the New York and 

 Erie road, which makes a through route to the West. 



To Prevent Splitting of Handles. 

 All carpenters know how soon the butt ends of 

 chisels split, when daily exposed to the blows of a 

 mallet or hammer. A remedy, suggested by a Brook- 

 lyn man, consists simply in sawing or cutting off the 

 round end of the handle so as to make it flat, and at- 

 taching, by a few small nails at the top of it, two 

 round discs of sole leather, so that the end becomes 

 similar to the heel of a boot. The two thicknesses of 

 leather will prevent all further splitting, and if, in 

 the course of time, they expand and overlap the wood 

 of the handle they are simply trimmed off all around. 



Buckwheat as a Poultry Food. 



Buckwheat is one of the most staple articles of 

 poultry food. It is very fattening, an excellent egg 

 producer, and very much relished by the poultry. It 

 is not, perhaps, used as extensively here as in Europe. 

 In England, France, and especially in Germany, it 

 forms not only an important part of poultry fo<:)d, but 

 is much used for culinary purposes. The great value 

 which it has over other cereals is, that it thrives 

 luxuriantly even on the poorest soil. 



The Crops. 



The reports of the farmers are very encouraging 



concerning the cro])s of the present season. The 



fears that the open winter and unprotected ground 



might prove disastrous to fruits and cereals do not," 



happily, seem likely to be realized. The reports 



from the great grain and fruit regions of this State 



are very favoralile. It looks as if we might expect 



a year of abundance. If this shall prove the case, it 



will be the gladdest celebration of our centennial 



year. 



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Heaves in Horses. 



The following is a good remedy for heaves and a 



cough in horses : One pound ground ginger, one 



quart of salt, four ounces hard wood ashes, two 



ounces black pepiier, and one ounce each of pounded 



rosin and saltpetre. Mix thoroughly, and give a 



tablespoouful in the horse's feed twice a day. This 



compound is beneficial in all cases of difficulty in 



breathing before the animal's lungs become affected. 



Labels. 



Durable labels are very useful in gardens to name 

 varieties of plants, shrubbery and fruits. They can 

 be bought at a low price at seed stores in large towns 

 and cities. A coat of white paint should be put on 

 one side of them, and when the names are written 

 on the painted sides with a lead pencil, they will be 

 legible for several years. They should be attached 

 with fine wire, and renewed as often as necessary. 



Peas among Potatoes. 



When potatoes are planted, if a few peas be 

 dropped in every other hill in every second row, a 

 fine crop of green peas will be produced, supjiortcd 

 by the potato vines. The black-eyed marrowfats are 

 best for planting, as they grow freely and quickly ; 

 and the crop of potatoes will not be diminished in the 



least. 



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A Fact for Farmers. 



It may not be generally known that the seed of the 

 sunflower is the mostinfallilile remedy yet discovered 

 for the speedy cure of founder in liorses. Imme- 

 diately on discovering that your horse is foundercil, 

 mix about a pint of the whole seed in his food, and 

 it will work a perfect cure. 



A IIEN never has a regular meal — she always gets 

 a picked-up dinner. — Comiiu'reia! BuHetin. And she 

 has to scratch around considerably to get it, too. 

 But then it doesn't cost anythiiiir. She has it all put 

 down in the bill. — Boatoit Adnriiser. 



On a farm at the Gap, Lancaster county, there are 

 chestnut fence rails, well preserved, which were 

 made in 1760 — llfi years ago. 



A Beuks county farmer has mowed with the same 

 scythe for thirty-live years, it is said, and he expet;ts 

 to use it until he is no mower. — Norrixtoum Herald. 



The Granger movement has lost considerable 

 ground within a year past, and the indications are, 

 that as an order the Patrons of Husbandry will be 

 short-lived. 



An agricultural journal advertises a new washing 

 machine under the heading " Every man his own 

 washerwoman," and in its culinarj' department says 

 that " potatoes should always be boiled in cold 

 water." 



The San Francisco Call publishes a collection of 

 despatches from the leading wheat growing sections 

 of California, nearly all of which agree in stating 

 that the crop prospects were never so good as now. 



The Prairie Farmer says : " Fifty fowls will make, 

 in the roosting house alone, one-half ton per annum 

 of the best manure in the world, or more than enough 

 to manure an acre of land, 700 pounds of guano 

 being the usual quantity applied per acre, and poul- 

 try manure is known to be still richer in ammonia 

 and fertilizing salts. No other stock will give an 

 equal return in this way ; and the figures will de- 

 mand careful attention from the farmer." 



Honey Cake : 1 cup sugar, 1 cup sour cream, 1 

 egg, }4 teasjioonful soda, 2 cups Hour, flavor to taste, 

 bake tjj hour, eat warm. 



