1879.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



121 



Indiana, 70 ; North Carolina, 103 ; Pennsyl- 

 vania, 112 ; Connecticut, 119 ; Massachuseti.s, 

 110; New York, 110; West Virginia, 73; 

 Wisconsin, 1'23 ; South Carolina, 100 ; 

 Georgia, !)-2 ; Alal^nia, 95 ; Mississippi, 100 ; 

 Texas,, 08; Arkansas, 80. Tlie six last 

 named States, and all others, as well as the 

 Territories, grow so little tobacco as to still 

 remain an unimportant factor in estimating 

 the total product of the country. 



The four States in whicli the bulk of the 

 seed-leaf tobacco is grown (although Ohio and 

 one or two other States north of the Oliio are 

 increasing their product)— the four States of 

 Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and 

 Pennsylvania— show an increase of acreage of 

 from 10 per cent, in Massachusetts and New 

 York, each, to 19 per cent, in Connecticut. 

 Pennsylvania planting largely in excess of the 

 three other States combined, we have for the 

 four an increase of about 13 per cent., or a 

 larger acreage than tliat of 1877. 



The condition at this date for the whole 

 country is slightly below that of July 1, 1878. 

 Massachusetts alone of the States bordering 

 on the Atlantic shows an improved condition 

 over last year. Tennessee in the West places 

 her condition at 94 against 89 last year. 



There has been a decided increase in the 

 area planted in potatoes, amounting to three 

 per cent, for the whole country. The increase 

 was the largest in Pennsylvania, and was 9 

 per cent. ; "in New York it was 4 per cent. 

 Maine, which is a large producer, shows no 

 change from last year. The Southern States 

 from Maryland to Texas, show some decline, 

 Alabama alone making an increase of 4 per 

 cent ; Tennessee and Kentucky each fell off 

 from 5 to 3 per cent. Of the States north of 

 the Ohio river, none show a decline, and 

 almost all make an increase. Michigan 

 reports as compared with last last year, 107 ; 

 Illinois, 104 ; Wisconsin, 104. In the West, 

 Iowa reports 105 ; Missouri, 105 ; California 

 and Oregon each make large increases. 



The condition on July 1 was very favorable; 

 much better than last year. The drought 

 was severe on the early-planted varieties, but 

 the rains of June were very favorable in those 

 States where the bulk of the crop is grown. 

 In the New England States the Colorado 

 beetle is reported as very destructive, and it 

 is only by an incessant vvarfare that it is kept 

 under. New York and Pennsylvania each 

 report high condition and few insects. In all 

 the States south of Delaware the drought is 

 beginning to tell on the condition. North of 

 the Ohio river and west of the Mississippi, all 

 the reports are very favorable. Iowa reports 

 105. ^ 



VALUABLE HINTS TO FARMERS. 



For the last Ave years I have not lost a 

 cucumber or melon vine or cabbage plant. 

 Get a barrel with a few gallons of gas tar in 

 it; pour water on the tar: always have it 

 ready when needed, and when the bugs 

 appear, give them a liberal drink of the tar 

 water from a garden sprinkler or otherwise, 

 and if the rain washes it off and they return, 

 . repeat the dose. It will also destroy the 

 Colorado potato beetle, and frighten the old 

 long potato bug worse than a thrashing with 

 a brush. Five years ago this summer botli 

 kinds appeared on my late potatoes, and I 

 watered with the tar-water. The next day 

 all Colorados that had not been well protected 

 from the sprinkling were dead, and the others, 

 though their name is legion, were all gone, 

 and I have never seen one of them on the farm 

 since. I am aware that many will look upon 

 this with indifference, because it is so cheap 

 and simple a remedy. Such should always 

 feed both their own and their neighbors' 

 bugs, as they frequently do.— C/(ieago Ti-ibune. 



Many of the old farmers about us use the 

 leaves of the red cedar (Juniperus Virginiana) 

 in place of sulphur and kerosene for ridding 

 nests and henneries of lice. They say the 

 remedy is very effective. Perhaps perches 

 made of the wood would serve the same 

 purpose. 



A German authority says that, when lettuce 



shows signs of running to seed, if a knife be 

 passed through one-half of the stem of the 

 shooting head, the plant may be preserved 

 good for an additional week. The best plan 

 we have ever known for preserving lettuce 

 late is to transplant twice — once from the 

 seed bed, pricking the plants out four inches 

 apart, and then transplanting in the open 

 ground six by twelve inches apart ; as the 

 rows begin to fill cut out one-half the plants, 

 and the balance will form large, fine heads, if 

 the ground be rich and moist, and they will re- 

 main well into the summer. — Prairie Farmer. 

 Mr. J. Hapgood, Shrewsbury, Mass., favors 

 shallow setting of asparagus roots ; if placed, 

 as some advise, eight inches below the surface, 

 it "makes the crop one or two weeks later." 

 He further maintains, in the American Gulti- 

 vntor, that he has also "found that the idea 

 that salt is useful to this plant is mere theory, 

 like the trenching .system." 



A correspondent of the Indiana Farmer 

 tried four different fertilizers for melons— 

 for poultry droppings, well-rotted cow manure, 

 barnyard manure and old bones (gathered 

 upon the farm and reduced by placing them 

 in alternate layers with ashes the previous 

 year), mixing all liberally in the different 

 hills; which were eight feet apart each way, 

 and he says : "Such a crop of melons as came 

 from the hills that had bone-dust I never saw 

 before." 



The Indiana Farmer says : Water made 

 almost as thick as ordinary cream by the ad- 

 dition of fresh cow manure, and poured on 

 young melon vines, is the only effectual reme- 

 "dy I have ever found to prevent the ravages 

 of the striped beetle. Should one application 

 not be sufficient it should be followed by an- 

 other until the enemy becomes nauseated and 

 retires in disgust. Such a liquid is a great 

 stimulant to young plants. To retain it 

 about plants in sufficient quantity the melon 

 hills should be made with a slight cavity in 

 the centre. Phinney's melon is a variety 

 more easily grown and more prolific than 

 many others, but the flavor cannot compare 

 with white seeded, ice cream or peerless. At 

 least that is my experience with the three va- 

 rieties on my soil. In cultivating melons I have 

 noticed that the purest and most delicious 

 sorts are not as robust growers nor as produc- 

 tive as those in which an infusion of the 

 squash or pumpkin is perceptible, and that 

 the striped beetle is much more fond of 

 younger plants of the former than of the lat- 

 ter. The striped beetle has a most discrimi- 

 nating taste, never disturbing a pumpkin 

 plant while a melon or Hubbard squash plant 

 is obtainable. 



The following preparation for destroying 

 bugs on squash and on cucumber vines has 

 been successiully tried for years. Dissolve a 

 tablespoonf ul of saltpetre in a pailful of water. 

 Put one pint of this around each hill, shaping 

 the earth so that it will not spread much, and 

 the thing is done. Use more saltpetre, if you 

 can afford it. It is good for vegetables, but 

 death to animal life. The bugs burrow in 

 the earth at night, and fail to rise in the 

 morning. It is also good to kill the grub in 

 peach trees ; only use twice as much — say a 

 quart or two to each tree. There was not a 

 yellow or blistered leaf on twelve or fifteen 

 trees to which it was applied last season. No 

 danger of killing vegetables with it. A con- 

 centrated solution applied to young beans 

 makes them grow wonderfully. 



The best preventive for worms in celei-y is 

 to mix plenty of salt, soot, and fine lime with 

 the manure that is to be employed in trenches. 

 This should be added to the manure some 

 weeks before it is used, during which time it 

 .should be tiu-ned now and then. The mixture 

 above named also benefits the growth of the 

 celery, which will lift clean and spotless com- 

 pared with that grown in the ordinary way. 



CUTTING AWAY OUR FORESTS. 



The current number of Harper^s Magazine 

 contains an article on the "Destruction of 

 our Forests," which is not only of more than 



usual interest but very timely, and well worthy 

 of the careful attention of land owners every- 

 where throughout this broad land. There 

 was a time when the man who swung the axe 

 in the heart of the i)rinieval forest was re- 

 garded as a public benefactor, and he who 

 felled most of the ancient monarchs wa-s the 

 greatest hero. To a certain extent this hom- 

 age was well deserved; to enlarge the b6unds 

 of civilization and make two blades of grass 

 grow where only one grew beforti, was cer- 

 tainly a most praiseworthy deed. But the 

 day has long since arrived in this country, 

 just as it has in Europe, when the work of de- 

 nuding a land of its forests brings in its train 

 a host of evils that will continue to bear harm- 

 ful fruit through all time unless means, ef- 

 fective and permanent, are instituted to 

 check the danger. 



Nowhere In the world was there two centu- 

 ries ago 8>ich a wealth of noble forests as on 

 the territory now embraced by the United 

 States. From the Sabine to the Aroostook, 

 and from the Mississippi to the Atlantic, such 

 dense forests of valuable woods have never 

 elsewhere existed in the world during the 

 historic period. Pine, oak and hickory, the 

 most valuable woods known among men, 

 were the most abundant of all. Even a hun- 

 dred years ago it seemed impossible for these 

 timber-covered lands to become exhausted. 

 In truth, if the proper care had been ob- 

 served, and the timber applied to legitimate 

 uses only, this country would to-day still ex- 

 ceed all civilized lands in its magnificent 

 wealth of the timber resources. But this 

 course has not beeu pursed. The energy of our 

 people, their strivings after wealth and their 

 indifference to all hut immediate consequences 

 have led to results whose harmful influences 

 are not only felt hourly to-day, but will con- 

 tinue to affect mankind until the remotest 

 generation, unless we retrace our course and 

 endeavor to build where we have heretofore 

 only torn down. 



Some of the evils we have brought upon 

 ourselves are beginning to be admitted. They 

 press upon our attention in so many forms 

 that we can no longer ignore their all pervad- 

 ing presence. The tornado, the flood and the 

 whirlwind are the direct results of our 

 thoughtless work. The high waters in our 

 rivers, our flooded valleys and deva.stated fields 

 are all to be laid to this one primal cause. 

 When yet the shade of our virgin forests was 

 cast over the land, these terrible forces of na- 

 ture were comparatively unknown among us. 

 Occassionally, it is true, they visited us, but 

 their visitations were infrequent compared 

 with our experiences to-day. While the ma- 

 jestic oak and the lordly pine still held their 

 proud crests erect and their myriad leaves ex- 

 haled moisture, filling the atmosphere and 

 establishing a mutual relation between earth 

 and air that resulted in frequent gentle 

 rains, the forces of nature seem to have been 

 held in control. Under their spreading limbs, 

 the cooling spring and the merry rivulet 

 found an abundant and never-failing supply 

 of water to make green the land and turn 

 the miller's wheel. The fallen leaves afforded 

 a covering for the soil that enabled it to re- 

 tain its moi-st condition, and throw off into 

 the upper air such supplies as were required 

 to preserve the necessary circulation. 



The result was moderate rains at frequent 

 intervals, feeding the arterial sy.stem of the 

 land and preserving those material relations 

 in the physical world, rendering floods and 

 tornadoes a rarity, and in a thousand ways 

 rendering life more pleasurable and secure. 

 But the woodman's axe, wielded heedlessly 

 and ignorantly of consequences, has changed 

 the then existing order of things. As the 

 lands of whole districts have become deforest- 

 ed all this has been changed. The ground 

 once protected by the friendly shade now lies 

 expo.sed to the rays of a burning sun. The 

 soil, unable longer to retain its accustomed 

 moisture, has lost in part its ability to pro- 

 duce continuous crops. The rivulets and 

 smaller streams are no longer maintained at 

 a regular, unvarying stage, but are either 



