76 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ May, 



general strncture the moth's ear is like that of the 

 grasshopper." Mr. Swinton has observed similar 

 ears in moths of the si)li-worm and geometric fami- 

 lies, and they may be traced in certain Diptera, a( 



Agriculture. 



The Wheat Crop. 



Reports from every point in the wheat-growing 

 region, in the West and Northwest, show the condi- 

 tion and prospect of the growing crop in Minnesota, 

 Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, 

 Ohio, Kentucky, Wisconsin and Missouri in detail, 

 by counties and districts. With regard to the winter 

 wheat crop the reports, almost without exception, 

 are favorable, the present fine condition of the crop 

 being largely attributed to the snows of the past 

 winter, which afforded complete protection. From 

 Ohio somewhat increased acreage is reported, with 

 most encouraging prospects. In a comparatively 

 few counties there is reported some nipping of the 

 plant by the late cold snap, and some apprehensions 

 are expressed as to the etfect of the March frosts, 

 but the best advices indicate that an increase of 

 about 10 per cent, is promised, the yield for the year 

 being estimated at .30,000,000 bushels, aga'inst 

 27,000,000 bushels last year. The prospect in Ken- 

 tucky is generally reported encouraging,and a fair in- 

 crease in the yield onjast year is confidently expected. 

 All reports from Indiana go to show the excellenV 

 condition of tne crop. The acreage seems somewhat 

 increased, on the whole, while the prospect in yield 

 is estimated as high as 25 per cent, over that of last 

 year, though some apprehensions are expressed as 

 to the effect of the jiresent cold snap. The reports 

 from .Michigan are that the prospects are better than 

 last year, and an increased yield is expected. Missouri 

 reports are to the effect that the prospects are better 

 than a year ago, and that the yield promises to ex- 

 ceed that of last year. The better estimate as to 

 Nebraska is that the acreage of winter wheat is fully 

 2.5 per cent, greater than last year, and that 20 per 

 cent, more spring wheat will be sown. The condi- 

 tion of the winter wheat crop generally is reported 

 favorable. In Kansas the acreage is reported to be 

 about equal to that of last year, while the condition 

 of the crop is far more promising, the prospect being 

 the average. Michigan reports show the crop to be 

 in good condition generally throughout the State, 

 with slightly reduced acreage in some localities esti- 

 mated as high as 20 or 25 per cent. And from 

 other regions in the winter wheat region the pros- 

 pects are generally reported above the average. 



The chief question, and one which has been con- 

 siderably agitated as to the spring wheat crop, has 

 been as to the seed supply. There has been division 

 both as to whether the lighter wheat of last year, 

 the berry of which was shriveled, will germinate ; 

 and whether, if it germinatgs, it will yield a good 

 crop. As to the question of germination, there 

 would seem to be small room for doubt in view of 

 the results of the experiments made in Chicago, 

 showing that in some instances 93 per cent, of the 

 blighted berries germinate, while in no instance was 

 the percentage less than 68. The prevailing opinion 

 among the wheat men of this city is that not more 

 than 5 per cent, of the blighted berries will fail to 

 germinate ; and that with that much increase in the 

 sowing there need be no apprehension of any failure 

 on account of the seed. In Iowa there seems to be 

 little apprehension as to seed wheat, and it is re- 

 ported that by screening a sufficient supply of good 

 seed grain can be obtained. — Prairie Farmer. 



Grain in Orchards. 



In a recent issue of your paper I notice an article 

 in which the writer is desirous of becoming familiar 

 with the project as to whether sowing^ small grain 

 (oats) in an orchard would prove satisfactory. I 

 think not, should he be dealt with similarly to my- 

 self. Though the raising of such had only once 

 been engaged in, and its proving by far contrary to 

 my expectations, I unhesitatingly abandoned the 

 idea of raising small grain in an orchard of any age 

 in the future. I now take pleasure in giving my 

 experience to young farmers and any others of your 

 numerous readers. 



In the spring of 1876, having an extensive and 

 superior selection of choice fruit trees, variously 

 mixed, I concluded (the trees being widely set apart 

 and planted in virgin soil) to experiment in raising 

 oats. As the ground needed cultivation, I thought 

 the oats would be beneficial instead of injurious. 

 Sowed them in March, and gave the matter but little 

 attention until June 1st, when, to ray surprise and 

 dissatisfaction, I observed the trees were very scaly, 

 bark dry and in places scorched — caused, as I 

 thought then and know now, by the refiection of 

 heat or rays of the sun. The straw was fast matur- 

 ing, and capable of reflection. But my neighbors 

 frequently persisted in causing me to believe other- 

 wise, but of no avail. I afterward confirmed my 

 belief. Becoming dissatisfied at the turn things 

 were taking, I had the oats harvested. But it was 

 no improvement, for the stubbs seemed as forcible in 

 returning heat as did their better half. Finding 



there was no chance of saving them except by hard 

 work and diligent nursing, I resolved to adopt the 

 two latter methods, thereby saving more than half 

 of my trees. 



"Young Farmer" will observe by the foregoing 

 that the oats paid dear for themselves, and were 

 worthless. If he should still feel inclined to raise a 

 crop in his orchard, I would suggest the raising of 

 corn or potatoes, or other crops with green foliage. — 

 M. A. Stier, in Rural WoHd. 



Bone Dust. 



Many a poor fellow has worn out his bones trying 

 to work a piece of poor ground ; but such bone ap- 

 plication has seldom resulted in large profits. Our 

 English friends hare discovered that it is much bet- 

 ter to use other people's bones in these cases than 

 their own, and the bone-trade of England has as- 

 sumed gigantic proportions. All the old battle-fields 

 have been ransacked, and unless reports do them no 

 injustice, many an old fellow whose bones were sup- 

 posed to rest in peace in some grassy, daisy-flowered 

 churchyard would have to hunt some modern turnip 

 field to find all that remains of them. Foreign coun- 

 tries have not only to pay tribute to Engl and' of their 

 wealth during life, but even their bones have to fol- 

 low, in order to enrich British soil, as while living 

 they worked to fill British pockets. Australia sends 

 an enormous quantity of bones to England. It has 

 become such a heavy trade that the article itself was 

 found too light for profit. Science has been called 

 in to enable the ship owner to take the same weight 

 in less bulk. The bones are first ground, then the 

 dust mixed with some substance which will give it 

 just enough adhesiveness to make the particles stick 

 together. Then the material is put under heavy 

 pressure in moulds about six inches square, so that 

 it can be packed in the hold without any loss of 

 space. One ton of this hone-cake measures only 

 twenty-six cubic feet. Of course these bones are all 

 of wild or domestic animals, but still "silence is 

 golden." — GermanioitJH Telegraph. 



The Question of Weeds. 



Every good farmer knows that to insure satisfac- 

 tory crops his land must be cultivated in the best 

 manner, and if it is so cultivated few weeds will be 

 found upon it. Sometimes, even upon well-managed 

 farms, a field here and there, owing to adverse 

 weather, a shortness of hands, or a rush of work 

 generally, may be neglected for a few days and the 

 weeds may get a start ; but this happens rarely, and 

 an observing man can always judge of the character 

 of the farmer by glancing his eye over his premises. 

 If the weeds are not to be regularly and systemati- 

 cally destroyed, the idea of conducting agricultural 

 operations profitably may as well be abandoned, for 

 the one is incompatible with the other. 



And even this is more pointedly so with the gar- 

 den. Weeds and a garden crop are as antagonistic 

 as life and death. They cannot stand upon the same 

 platform. One must be master, and it is for the 

 owner to say which. If a garden is systematically 

 worked — and without system no garden is worth 

 having — the labor of keeping down the weeds is re- 

 duced' one-half. But let them once get ahead, and 

 they may he fought all summer and prove victorious 

 in the end. 



Again, let no weeds go to seed ; and do not throw 

 into the public highway such as do, to be washed 

 down upon the land of your neighbors. — Oermantown 

 Telegraph. 



An Immense Farm. 

 Twenty-seven miles north of Fargo, Dakota Terri- 

 tory, is the famous Grondin farm, the largest culti- 

 vated wheat farm in the world. It covers about 

 40,000 acres, embracing both railroad and govern- 

 ment land, and is close to the Red river. The farm 

 is divided into four parts, and has dwellings, grana- 

 ries, blacksmith shop, elevators, &c., and has a 

 stabling capacity for 200 horses, and has a granary 

 capacity for 1,000,000 bushels. In addition to the 

 wheat farm there is a stock farm of 20,000 acres. 

 During the seeding season they employ about seventy 

 men, and in harvest time as many as 200 men are 

 busily engaged. Seeding commences about the flth 

 of April and ends the ifirst of May. The work is 

 done very systematically, the machines following 

 each other about the field four rods apart. Cutting 

 commences about the 8th of August and ends the 

 forepart of September. Then comes thrashing, 

 which is done by eight steam thrashers. After 

 thrashing the stubble ground is plowed with gang- 

 plows, that cut two furrows, drawn by three horses, 

 and this work continues until it "freezes up," which 

 is about the first of November. 



Store of Grain in the West. 



Chicago elevators, as per official returns, contain 

 419,097 bushels of wheat, 6.34,537 bushels of corn, 

 95,295 bushels of oats, 31,34fi bushels of rye, and 



,1.57 bushels 

 1,530,432 bushels, :, 

 week ago, and 6,3i;:;, 

 year. Milwaukee wi 

 bushels of wheat, 2i 

 bushel? of oats, 16,3 

 bushels of barley. 



rand total of 



. - I 'li; Ijushels one 



' . ' I tliis period last 



!ii.ii-r.. -in,,,l with 496,363 



i:« bushels of corn, 19,607 



1 bushels of rye, and 3.57,490 



Horticulture. 



Grafting Grapevines. 



We have been experimenting in a small way for 

 ten years in grafting grapevines, and latterly have 

 met with such complete success that we would like 

 to give our experience to your many subscribers. 

 The first experiments were on an old Catawba and 

 the Wild Frost grape, an inch or more in diameter. 

 They were cleft-grafted at the surface of the ground, 

 two grafts in each stock, and two eyes to a graft, set 

 and waxed the same as an apple graft, but never a 

 bud even started on the graft, but plenty of suckers 

 shot up from the old vines. In after years experi- 

 ments were made with very long grafts, set some 

 inches below the surface and hanked up to the up- 

 permost bud with earth. They would start nicely, 

 but all die before autumn. No permanent union 

 was formed between stock and graft. 



Our first successful experiment was five years ago. 

 We had noticed that a short one-eyed grape cutting, 

 properly placed in a shallow box of sand in a green- 

 house and regularly supplied with the necessary 

 amount of heat and moisture, would start the hud 

 with the same certainty as the parent vine, if the 

 graft had not been detached, and ip due time it 

 would callous and throw out roots. This suggested 

 a new idea, and we determined to make another 

 trial on some seedling wild Blue grapevines three or 

 four years old, that covered a trellis. Having clear- 

 ed away the earth with a hoe around the vines to be 

 grafted, an inch or two below the surface, or until 

 the upper roots appear, they were sawed off far 

 enough above the crown to get a good split, and 

 cleft-grafted, using a short graft with one eye on 

 each. Over this was placed a box six inches square 

 and open at the bottom and top. Sand enough was 

 filled in the box to raise it two inches above the 

 grafts. The sand was thoroughly wet, the earth 

 hauled up around the outside of the box to keep the 

 sand from drying out and also from extremes of heat 

 and cold, an 8x10 window glass placed over the box 

 and the work was done. After grafting several in 

 this way we found it more convenient to use three 

 common bricks in lieu of the box; they were set 

 edgewise around the grafts, the inside corners touch- 

 ing and making a triangular inclosure. The earth 

 was hauled up and glass put on the same as first. 

 Every graft grew that year, some of them fifteen 

 feet long, and we have been equally successful since, 

 except in '77 — a few failed that year from using win- 

 ter-killed wood. 



If the weather is very hot and dry before the grafts 

 appear above the sand remove the glass, water, and 

 cover lightly with coarse litter. When large vines 

 are worked a wedge should be inserted in tlie centre 

 of the cleft to prevent too severe pressure on the 

 grafts, and very small vines should have a bandage 

 of waxed thread at the union to prevent them from 

 opening. All suckers from the old vine must be re- 

 moved as they appear. The best season for grafting 

 is March, before the sap starts. They can also be 

 grafted early in June after the vines cease to "bleed" 

 when cut. 



We do not claim that our modus operandi is essen- 

 tial in all its details, but would say to amateurs, use 

 bricks when convenient, as they are porous and 

 absorb and give off moisture readily. Also 

 bear this in mind, that to successfully graft any 

 plant so porous as the grape it is essential to sur- 

 round both stock and graft at the union with some 

 material that will furnish heat, moisture and air un- 

 til the parts callous and unite, ami that pure sand is 

 much better for this purpose than loam. Another 

 important feature in favor of sand is that no injury 

 results from hard freezing.—.?/. G., in Practical 

 Farmer. 



Grape-Growing. 



A writer in the Practical Farmer says : " I see 

 much written in the Farmer about growing grapes, 

 but have seen no plan described and recommended 

 like mine. As I never lose a crop of grapes from 

 frost in the spring or from rot or mildew in summer, 

 and have used this plan, after experimenting with 

 many recommended methods of training, pruning, 

 etc., for eight years, I can recommend it confidently. 

 The vines can be grown as for other plans of train- 

 ing, the first two years. At the first pruning, after 

 the vines are two years old, if the vines are strong 

 so as to have two arms to fasten to the wire, in op- 

 posite directions, I put in a stake equally distant be- 

 tween each two vines. The stakes should be six feet 

 long and put eighteen inches deep into the ground. 

 I then fasten a wire — No. 16 will do — to each stake 

 along the row, and give each vine a wrap or two 

 around the wire ; they need no tying. I then' place 

 plank, full length of the rows, on top of the stakes, 

 driving one nail through the plank into each stake. 

 The plank should be twelve to fifteen inches wide, 

 and six inches above the vine. I always let two 

 shoots grow about six inches below the wire, for the 

 next year's fruiting ; all other shoots I pinch the 

 ends off of, at about three leaves from last bunch of 

 grapes, and take off all suckers that may appear 

 after pinching, except the end one, which I do not 



