1879. 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



141 



Bark Lice on Apple Trees. 



Judicious pruuing of the branches, draining the 

 land where the trees stand, manuring the soil and 

 keeping it free from grass and weeds, all have the 

 elTecl to promote vigorous growth, and are therefore 

 useful in preventing the depredations of bark lice. 

 Unless a vigorous growth of a tree can be insured It 

 is of little use to apply substances to kill the lice. 

 The little lady-bird, whose presence should always 

 be welcomed on farms, is the mortal enemy of the 

 bark louse, as it is of many other sorts of insects. 

 But hurtful Insects Increase so much faster than use- 

 ful birds do that we may never expect to see the lat- 

 ter exterminate the former. Indeed no amount of 

 cultivation and no number of birds ever collected In 

 an orchard will be sullicient to clear it of the scale 

 bark lice, if they are geuerally distributed among 

 the trees. 



If but a few trees have bark lice on them and they 

 are well covered with them, It Is best to cut them 

 up. This heroic treatment will prevent their spread- 

 ing to other trees. The time to kill the insects is 

 when they begin to hatch. They are most readily 

 killed by applying some wash to the bark with a stiff 

 brush or swab. The articles most highly recom- 

 mended for killing the lice are strong lye made of 

 wood ashes, a solution of caustic soda of potash, di- 

 luted solX soap, and a mixture of lime whitewash 

 and kerosene oil. If the latter is employed the pro- 

 portions of the mixture should be one pint of kero- 

 sene to a gallon of the whitewash. Whatever sub- 

 stances are chosen should be applied thoroughly. 

 To insure complete destruction of the insect a seeoud 

 application should be made some days after the first. 



The Cabbage AVorm. 

 Repeated inquiries come to us for the best remedy 

 for this formidable destroyer of the cabbage. From 

 the many experiments made, we are Induced to dis- 

 card the various applications which soil or contami- 

 nate the leaves. When the plants are young, and 

 when the worms first make their appearaiice In 

 comparatively few numbers, they are to be removed 

 by hand. The plants may be cleared as raprdly as 

 by the various applications used, counting in the 

 time in preparation or procuring these applications. 

 As soon as the heads form, use hot water. If any 

 injury results from the heat, it will be only to the 

 edges of the outer leaves. The body of the head 

 cannot become heated. If the Insects have become 

 numerous, this will be found a rapid mode for their 

 extermination. We are often asked for the degree 

 in temperature to which the water should be heated. 

 We cannot give the precise degree. The watering- 

 pot in which it is carried will not retain a high heat 

 long, and the fine streams of water from the rose are 

 partly clooled in their passage through the air. It Is 

 supposed that a temperature of 120° will kill the 

 worms, but a gr^at -r heat is* better, provided the 

 cabbage leaves are not scorched. Some practice is 

 required to do the work'right,and the operator may 

 experiment on a few small heads, or else begin with 

 warm water and gradually Increase the temperature. 

 In a little time he will learn to apply the water as it 

 should be. Immediately after filling the watering- 

 pot, when the water is hot, he will give a quick or in 

 Btantaneous dash, and this will be sufficient to de- 

 stroy all the worms; after the water has partly cooled, 

 the washing will continue longer. The great advan 

 tage of this treatment is that the cabbages are left 

 perfectly clean. — Country Gentleman. 



The Origin of Wheat in America. 



It Is diflicult in tlic pretfut day to realize the fact 

 that wheat was at one time unknown In America ; 

 yet, prior to the discovery of that continent by 

 Columbus there was no cereal In America approach- 

 ing in nature to the wheat plant. It was not, ob- 

 serves the American Miller, until 1530 that wheat 

 found Its way into Mexico, and then only by chance. 

 A slave of Cortez found a few grains of wheat in a 

 parcel of rice and showed them to his master, who 

 ordered them to be planted. The result showed that 

 "fsw heat would thrive well on Mexican soil; and to- 

 day one of the finest wheat valleys In the world is 

 near the Mexican capital. From Mexico the cereal 

 found Its way to I'eru. Maria D'Escobar, wife of 

 Don Diego de Chauves, carried a few graijis to Lima, 

 which were planted, the entire product being used 

 for seed for several successive crops. At Quito, 

 Ecuador, a monk of the Order of St. Francis, by the 

 name of Fray Jodost Bixi, Introduced the new cereal; 

 and it Is said that the jar which contained the seeds 

 is still preserved by the monks of Quito. Wheat 

 was introduced into the present limits of the United 

 States contemporaneously with the settlement of the 

 country by the English and Dutch .-/'oH Mall Oazctte. 



Toads. 



Many gardeners already appreciate the valuable 

 services of the common toad, and afford them pro- 

 tection for their insect-destroying propensities, 

 while as many more, perhaps, are ignorant of their 

 usefulnsss. To the latter class It may be Interesting 

 to know that toads live almost wholly upon slugs, 

 caterpillars, beetles, and other insects, making their 

 rounds at night when the farmer is asleep — and the 

 birds, too — and the insects are supposed to be having 

 it all their own way. English gardeners understand 

 these facts so well .that toads are purchased at so 

 much a dozen, and turned loose, and the best of It is 

 that the toads generally stay at home, so that the 

 garnener is not troubled with buying his toads over 

 again every few days 



The toad can be tamed, and will even learn to 

 know "its master," and will come when called ; the 

 writer has not only had such pets himself, but could 

 give other instances of toad taming that have come 

 under his observation. Toads can be made very 

 useful about the house, and will do no little good in 

 destroying cockroaches, flies and other household 

 pests.— iV. r. Tribune. 



Self-Binding Reapers. 

 The self-binding reaper was brought into use In 

 1874, when fifty tons of wire were required for 

 binding sheaves; in 1875, :J40 tons; In lS7f;, 2,800; 

 in 1877, 6,500 tons ; In 1878, H,000 tons. This last 

 amount is quite as much as all of the wire which 

 was manuufactured in this country in I860.— Atlaii- 

 tic Monthly. 



Agriculture. 



Grass as a Renovator. 



Many farmers labor for years. Ignorant of the fact 

 that a close, well-set sod is the foundation of good 

 farming and the basis of good crops. Soil that will 

 produce an immediate and firm set of grass, will 

 liring a good crop of any kind. There is no better 

 way to test the producing capacity of the soil than 

 by its grass production. If a field yields a scant 

 grass crop, and is uneven or full of barren spots. It 

 will not be safe to depend on such soil for any other 

 crop without extra heavy manuring, and even then 

 the crop is not of so great certainty as if the ground 

 was covered with a firm sod at plowing time. There 

 is something in a heavy sod that will perfect a crop 

 even in an unfavorable season. I never have failed 

 of a good crop on such land. Soil will soon be reno- 

 vated after partial deterioration, if grass can be 

 densely set on the surface; and this mode of renova- 

 tion, I claim, is the quickest, surest and cheapest o% 

 any. There never was a mistake made so full of loss 

 to the farmer as to allow naturally good soil to dete- 

 riorate at all; and when the farmers understand and 

 act on this principle, our productions will never fall 

 below an average, or even to this point. — Cor. 

 Country Oentleman. 



Fall Ploughing. 

 The better the preparation of the ground the bet- 

 ter the crop. The high average yield of the English 

 farms is no doubt largely due to the thorough prep- 

 aration of the ground before seeding. Our climate 

 is superior to that of England for wheal growing; 

 yet a yield of 64 bushels per acre is not at all infre- 

 quent among good farmers there, while here 40 

 bushels per acre is an unusual yield. Two plough- 

 ings, several harrowings and, in many cases, rolling 

 or crushing, and the excellent preparation of the 

 soil by a previous root crop, must have a much bet- 

 ter effect upon the soil than one ploughing, very 

 poorly done, because of the hardness and dryness of 

 our soil In midsummer, and very imperfect harrow- 

 ing. It might be well for us to lay out more labor 

 on our wheat crop, and so prepare the ground bet- 

 ter, and raise our average from 12 to at least 20 

 bushels per acre. The difference In the amount of 

 wheat at harvest would pay for a good deal of extra 

 work in ploughing, etc., and yet leave a profit; 

 beside the soil would not forget the generous treat- 

 ment in one year nor two. 



For Pennsylvania Farmers. 



Since the 1st of August every package of com- 

 mercial fertilizers offered for sale in this Common- 

 wealth must have plainly stamped thereon the name 

 and the place of the manufacturer, the net weight of 

 its contents and an analysis stating the percentage of 

 nitrogen or its equivalent in ammonia In an available 

 form, of potash soluble in water, or soluble and re- 

 verted phosphoric acid and of insoluble phosphoric 

 acid. Under the act the term commercial fertilizers 

 applies to any and every substance imported, manu- 

 factured or sold for fertilizing or manuring purposes, 

 except barnyard manure, marl, lime and wood ashes. 

 All other preparations sold as fertilizers come under 

 the provisions of the new law, and It must be of 

 great value to both consumers and honest manufac- 

 turers and dealers. With the protection against 

 spurious fertilizers guaranteed to farmers under the 

 act the sale of useful artificial manures must be 

 greatly increased. 



Treatment of a Worn-out Meadow. 

 Meadows that have been run down, become so 

 bound or covered with moss, sorrel, or other weeds, 

 may be renovated without plowing. The old sod 

 needs to be disturbed, but a thorough harrowing or 

 chopping of the surface with a disk harrow will dis- 



turb It sufficiently without plowing. Fresh seed is 

 needed, and a dressing of lime may in many cases 

 be all that Is required In the way of a fertilizer. If 

 it can be afforded, a moderate quantity of fine ma- 

 nure, used as a top-dressing, and harrowed in just 

 before sowing, will be of great benefit. The work 

 may be done at any time before September, so that 

 the grass and clover, the latter more particularly, 

 should be well set before severe fronts occur. Orchard- 

 Grass will thrive upon soils that are not rich eqougb 

 for timothy; but It is better to have the ground good 

 enough for the latter even if the former Is to be 

 sown. Grass Is a crop for which tlie soil can not be 

 too rich, for if the growth is excessive It can be cut 

 at any time and made Into hay or fed green. 



Minnesota's Wheat Crop. 

 The returns from the Thrashers furnish a basis for 

 an estimate of the probable yield of wheat in this 

 Slate. The whole average Is much better than last 

 year, but lower than was expected. The early wheat 

 is the poorest in the southern counties, where the 

 average yield Is from ten to twelve bushels, and 

 steadily improves to the north, till it reaches twenty 

 to twenty-five in the Red Kiver Valley. The grade 

 will be largely No. 2 in the south and No. 1 in the 

 north. A conservative estimate places the average 

 In two-thirds of the wheat area in the State at thir- 

 teen bushels per acre, and In the remainder at seven- 

 teen. This would give 40,000,000 bushels as a whole 

 crop, and more than half of It No. 1. 



O.^ts and Wheat. 



The experiment has been made of sowing oats and 

 wheat together with a view to gaining a winter cov- 

 ering for the wheat. The seed, In the proportion of 

 one part of oats to two parts of wheat was sown In 

 the fall and the oats sprang up quickly and were 

 killed by the early frosts, the stalks and leaves lying 

 on the ground all winter, keeping the snow from 

 blowing away and preventing the tun from thawing 

 the frozen ground. In the spring the dead oats made 

 a good top dressing for the growing wheat. The crop 

 of wheal secured on the following season was re- 

 ported to be excellent, while wheat on adjoining 

 land, planted in the usual manner, was of no value. 

 ticrihner for September . 



Storing Hay. 

 When properly cured, hay keeps the best in a largt 

 mow in which it has been thoroughly packed. Hay 

 thrown up loose on a scaffold loses that aroma and 

 freshness which characterizes that from the center of 

 a large mow. Hay docs not demand the large spaces 

 between the outside boards of many barns in order 

 to preserve it. Put the boards close together and 

 keep out the air and rain, and save the hay, which 

 would otherwise spoil by weather staining. It looks 

 better, too. 



Horticulture. 



Pruning Fruit and Ornamental Trees. 



We read a great deal about tlic proper lime of 

 pruning trees, and especially the apple tree. Some 

 prefer fall, some mid-winter, some early spring, but 

 scarcely one recommends the very best time in our 

 humble opinion — mid-summer. Doubtless some old 

 fogies will open their eyes and hold up their hands at 

 such an innovation, and denounce it as an absurdity; 

 but we think we will be sustained by a majority of 

 the "live" men of the day. 



If we desire to improve the form of a fruit treeand 

 get rid of some of the superfiuous wood, we should 

 prune in winter; but If we dssire fruit and a perfectly 

 healed stump, we should prune from the fifteenth of 

 June to the twentieth of July. We have done this 

 often with the happiest results. The fruit-beds form 

 after this, and the operation In suddenly cutting off 

 its growth produces buds, while the winter or early 

 spring pruning will produce only wood. 



In pruning ornamental trees in midsummer, the 

 bark. Instead of receding from the stump, grows 

 over it, and in a few years will completely cover it 

 and make a perfect amputation. We have noticed 

 this upon our own premises as well as upon those of 

 others many times. This pruning is done when the 

 tree Is taking its mid-summer "siesta," and then 

 wakes up, refreshed for another start, and the bark 

 gradually steals over the stump as If ashamed of 

 the shabby looking exposure. 



When the tree Is In full leaf, and presents its full 

 form to us, we can see exactly where the pruning 

 should be done, in order that while the overgrowth 

 may be removed, the symmetry of the tree may be 

 preserved. Especially is mid-summer pruning to be 

 preferred, first, to produce buds on fruit-bearing 

 trees as before stated; and second when large limbs 

 are to be removed. 



Currant Culture. 



The currant worm has played havoc with one of 

 our most productive and healthful fruits. The con- 

 sequence is that the price of currants have quad- 



