156 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[October, 



balls. These are the seeds of a plant or fungus 

 which has several intermediate stages of growth, 

 and finally reproduces a new set of spores. These 

 seeds will float in the atmosphere and adhere, with- 

 out being noticed, to the grain. When grains of 

 wheat are sown with this fungus attached, the 

 fungus strikes a filament into the tissue of the plant 

 and afiects it as with poison. The parasite pene- 

 trates throughout the tissues of the plant sometimes, 

 as with corn bursting out upon the stock, but gener- 

 ally appearing in the ear. It has been discovered 

 that caustic allies destroys the substance of smut ; 

 and, also, that the application of sulphates of iron, 

 copper and zinc have the same etfect; of these latter 

 the sulphate of copper— the commonly known blue 

 vitriol— is the most useful. The usual method of ap- 

 plying these remedies is to steep the seed in a solu- 

 tion of the various substances. The solution may be 

 made as follows, and either the one or the other may 

 be used, as found convenient : 



One pound of common salt in one gallon of water. 



One pound of glauber salts in one gallon of water. 



Four ounces sulphate of copper in one gallon of 



SulHoient of the solution should be made to satu- 

 rate the seed, or thoroughly moisten every gram. 

 When the seed has steeped for two hours it is drained 

 and spread upon a floor and sprinkled with dry lime 

 in powder, that which has been air-slaked, by ex- 

 posure to the atmosphere in a covered shed, until it 

 falls into a fine dusi, is best fitted for the use. The 

 seed is then shoveled and stirred until each grain has 

 been coated with lime. In an hour or two it will be 

 dry and may be sown. There are at least fifteen 

 species of the smut fungus known to botanists. 



Western Farmers Much Favored. 

 The growers of wheal in the Mississippi Valley, 

 and the owners of cattle ranges in the prairies beyond 

 are certainly favored individuals. In opening up a 

 new channel of trade, most persons have immense 

 difficulties to contend with; they have not only to 

 pay what might be called regular charges, but usually 

 have extra demands of one kind or another to meet 

 ID consequence of their ignorance of existing cus- 

 toms. In the aase of the person referred to above, 

 this friction of inexperience seems to have been 

 avoided. A comparatively new trade has been started 

 of shipping surplus grain and surplus cattle to Eng- 

 land from the far West, and by this arrangement 

 the Western farmer is put in an exceptionally easy 

 position. From the farm to the seaboard his pro- 

 ductions intendsd for export are carried by rail at a 

 much lower rate than that asked for taking the 

 wheat of an Eastern grain merchant from Chicago 

 to New York. The same consideration is shown on 

 ship board, and the Granger sends his wheat and 

 cattle across the Atlantic at about a third less than 

 he would pay if he shipped them directly from New 

 York. We had supposed that|the advantage ended 

 here, and that, when once in England, even the 

 farmer of the mighty West was placed on a plane of 

 equality with the rest of the world. In this judgment 

 we were, however, mistaken, for, from a debate 

 which recently took place in the House of Lords, it 

 appears that his influence is as great abroad as it is 

 at home. The English farmers and dealers com- 

 plain that their interests are sacrificed to cncourge 

 American trade. They point out that the railroad 

 companies take American beef from Liverpool to 

 London at 25 shillings a ton, while they charge 50 

 shillings for transporting English beef over the same 

 distance; again a preference in rate of about one- 

 third is given to American grain over home produc- 

 tions. 



Cultivating Wheat in England. 

 Our readers well know that we have not favored 

 what is called the new system of "cultivating" 

 wheat, which for the last couple years, in the eastern 

 part of our state, has caused some excitement among 

 onr farmers. In pursuing the "new" method it was 

 fortified by the statement that it had been adopted 

 by the best farmers in England to the exclusion of 

 all others. In our reading we could not see that this 

 statement was endorsed to any considerable extent, 

 though some some years ago it became somewhat 

 practiced. The editor of the Rural New- Yorker, 

 wishing reliable information on the subject, wrote 

 to Dr. J. B. Laws, of Rothamtted, England, and 

 received the following reply : , ,, . 



"No one here cultivates wheat, nor has thin seed- 

 ing ever made much way. At the present moment 

 the great bulk of the wheat grown in this country is 

 drilled in rows about five inches apart, and the seed 

 used is about two bushels per acre. It stands to 

 reason that if one plant of wheat has possession of 

 one or two square feet of soil, its power of growth 

 must be increased, but except upon garden soil, or 

 upon farms in excessively high condition, I feel sure 

 that thin seeding will never be successful." 



This would seem to settle the question, alike as it 

 regards cultivating, thin sowing and drilling-in the 

 crop In England, where labor is cheap and a ready 

 demand for every bushel of wheat that can be raised 

 at good prices, they are quick at taking up every 

 new idea that looks to an increased production at 



reduced cost ; and this ought to cause American 

 farmers to hesitate to adopt a system that kas been 

 tried and abandoned under circumstances so clearly 

 condemnatory of H.—Germantoim Telegruph. 



To Kill Sorrel and Clean Gravel Walks. 

 A correspondent remarks : I have seen several in- 

 quiries about eradicating sorrel but having been en- 

 gaged hitherto unsuccessfully in attempts to do the 

 same thing, I have had no suggestions to offer. But 

 I have recently made a discovery which I think is 

 valuable. The gravel walks in my lawn have given 

 me much trouble to keep free from weeds, of which 

 sorrel was the most persistent. The fingers and hoe 

 might free the gravel from this pest to-day and in 

 two weeks the walks would be again covered with it. 

 This method of weeding was too costly, and remem- 

 bering an old plan of my father's, I purchased two 

 bags of cheap salt, and gave the walks a liberal 

 dressing of it. There were sorrel, chickweed, purs- 

 lane, plantains, crab grass, so called, of various kinds, 

 ragweed and others of which I knew not the names. 

 The sorrel was the first to succumb; the chickweed 

 followed; the crab grass and ragweed, and some 

 grass spread from the lawn, mainly blue grass and 

 white clover, were uninjured till I doubled the dose; 

 then every green thing gave in, and tlie walks were 

 clean. The fact as to the sorrel prompted me to try 

 salt on portion of the lawn overrun with it. The 

 effect was gratifying. A dressing which just made 

 the place white as though hoar frost was upon it, 

 killed all the sorrel but left the grass uninjured. 



Fall Plowing for Corn. 

 Heavy clay soils that have a good covering of 

 clover or grass sod may be plowed in September for 

 a crop of corn next season. We would not plow the 

 furrows flat, but set them on the edge. In the 

 spring a good harrowing, lengthwise the furrows, 

 will give a sufficient depth of mellow soil for plant- 

 ing, leaving the decomposed sod just where the 

 roots can reach it. A light application of artiflcial 

 manure, before the harrowing in the spring, would 

 be beneficial. The planting should immediately fol- 

 low the harrow, while the soil is fresh. Light or 

 mucky lands had better be left till spring, as this 

 treatment is not proper for them^ 



Horticulture. 



Growing the Pear. 

 For some reason or another, pear-culture as a 

 profitable investment has only been exceptionally 

 successful ; and yet it would seem that there ought 

 to be some way to make them as good a paying crop 

 as the apple. There are, however, many special 

 localities where pear-culture has proved very remu- 

 nerative ; and in some places not specially favorable 

 there is once in a while an individual who does pretty 

 well with them. It is more than probable that much 

 of our ill-success in this line is owing to the wrong 

 varieties being planted. We doubt whether the 

 summer varieties ever paid very much, except those 

 who personally attend to their own retailing. They 

 keep but a very short time, and are often rotten if 

 not sold in a week from gathering. Fall pears, 

 which will keep a few weeks, do better ; but the 

 winter pear, when well-ripened and cared for, is the 

 kind which pays. , ^ . , 



The pear is one of the most regularly beanng ot 

 all fruits in Pennsylvania. There is rarely a season 

 when they are total failures, as apples sometimes 

 are ; and if the kinds suited to the location are 

 judiciously selected, and then proper attention 

 o-iven to ripening them, they ought tcrbe among the 

 most profitable of all crops in the vicinity of popu- 

 lous towns. As a fruit for country people we do not 

 think as a matter of profit the pear will ever com- 

 pete with the apple. They cannot be barreled and 

 shipped as readily as the apple can, without danger 

 of rotting by the way. They cannot stand hard 

 treatment as the apple can. And then they cannot 

 be put to as many uses. The apple can be cidered, 

 and dried, and buttered, and lots of other things ; 

 and even when it reaches the kitchen there are num- 

 berless uses to which the apple is put to which the 

 pear durst not aspire. But on the other hand the apple 

 on the dessert-table, no matter how roseate and 

 smiling it may be, is always passed by when a deli- 

 cious pear is present. In this particular line it will 

 always rule, and for this purpose will always com- 

 mand a readv price when goodly specimens are 

 offered. Now'it seems to us that in pear culture the 

 inhabitants of town neighborhoods have a great ad- 

 vantage which the apple growing country cannot 

 emulate. , 



There is another advantage in growing the pear. 

 It usually throws its roots deep dawn into the earth, 

 and does not seem to eat out the surface soil for a 

 lono- way around as the apple does. After an apple 

 orchard comes fully into bearing, we must give up 

 the ground wholly to it; but we can crop up almost 

 to the trunk of an old pear tree, and get very near as 

 good vegetables there as in any other part of the 



garden ground. This is of course in alluston to old 

 standard pear trees where the branches have been 

 trimmed up to a good height ; as however rich the 

 soil, good vegetable crops cannot be grown if shaded 

 by branches. The main point is that the roots of 

 the pear tree do not rob the surface earth near so 

 much as the apple roots do.— Geraiaii^own Telegraph. 



Small Fruits. 

 H. M. Engle & Son, nurserymen, Marietta, this 

 county, after considerable experience with straw- 

 berries and raspberries, give their opinion about vari- 

 ous varieties, as follows: 



STRAWBEBRIES. 



Chas. Downing— One of the best for cultivation. 



Seth Boyden— Large and of good quality; a vig- 

 orous grower. 



Cumberland Triumph- Berries large and uni- 

 form shape, bright red and of good quality. One of 

 the best for home market, but not firm enough for 

 distant shipment. 



Crescent Seedling- Although not recommend- 

 ed by some,we think this a most valuable sort for gen- 

 eral cultivation. It is a rampant grower, an immense 

 cropper, and when not allowed to run too closely, the 

 fruit is very fine and of a good quality. It is a 

 pistillate, and should be planted near some staminate 

 sort to insure proper fertilization. 



Sharpless— From one season's observation and 

 experience with this variety we are disposed to place 

 it at the head for size and vigor of growth ; while 

 its quality and productiveness are all that can be de- 

 sired. It will, perhaps, more than any other sort, 

 repay careful cultivation, and when kept in stools or 

 narrow beds, will yield a handsome crop of the finest 

 berries. 



President Lincoln— Although not yet exten- 

 sively fruited with us, we think well of this variety. 

 It is of immense size, irregular in shape and of best 

 quality. 



RASPBERRIES. 



Brandtwine— We have tested quite a number of 

 new varieties of raspberries, but have thus far found 

 nothing so desirable among red varieties as Brandy- 

 wine. There may be sorts of better quality and 

 larger size, but for beauty of color, productiveness, 

 and general market purposes, we consider it the best. 



DooLiTTLE and IVIiami are black-cap varieties of 

 good quality and very productive. 



Gregg— A new black-cap variety of great promi- 

 nence, a strong grower, very productive, and berries 

 of largest size and best quality. 



Mulching Strawberries. 



A correspondent of the Country Gentleman says : 

 Ground stirred frequently and kept fine serves as a 

 mulch to some extent and promotes growth ; but a 

 special mulch has been made to do better. Sawdust 

 has been objected to as possibly souring the soil. But 

 I doubt whether this is the case, or at least enough 

 to form an objection, as I have seen plants grow in 

 it in the most thrifty manner, only a little dust being 

 mixed with it, resulting from the thawing of ice 

 embedded in it. Leaving the winter covering on 

 strawberry plants till late— till after the freezings 

 and thawings are past— which serves in a measure 

 as a mulch, I find to be an excellent plan, protecting 

 them against the changes of the weather. The pres- 

 ent season I applied a heavy mulch of buckwheat 

 hulli and dust obtained at the mill. This being dark 

 absorbed the heat of the sun, and is one of the best 

 materials for holding moisture. During all the dry 

 weather it kept the ground moist. Green weeds and 

 swamp grass I have used for years around trees with 

 good results. I give a thick coat, which hugs the 

 ground closely, and when decayed affords 



into it. Especially is it good on clay. It also retards 

 the pushing forth of weeds and grasses. We do not 

 mulch enough, and we do not mulch thick enough. 

 The soil should always be worked mellow before the 

 mulch is applied. A thick porous mulch is to the 

 soil and the roots of the tree what an air chamber in 

 a house is to the room and its inmates--a guard 

 a<'ainst the extremes of heat and cold and sudden 

 changes of temperature. Now is the time to apply 

 it, before the summer drought has relieved the 

 ground of its moisture, the mulch serving as a pre- 

 ventive. Muck, forest mould, sawdust, cut straw 

 and chaff, each makes a good covering. Where fer- 

 tility is lacking coarse manure is the best mulch, but 

 should be applied either late in the fall or eariy in 

 the spring, so as not to push the growth too late in 



the season. ^ 



Distances for Grapes. 

 The strong-growing American grapevine must have 

 ample space to grow. They may be restricted for a 

 few years and bear moderate crops, but when they 

 are older they should have a full chance to throw 

 out their long arms. The late Wm..A Underbill, of 

 Crown Point, N. Y., showed us a part of his twenty- 

 year Isabella vineyard, where he had allowed the 

 vines to extend over a roadway, giving them some 

 sixteen feet more room. The improvement in the 

 crop was striking. Mr. A. Hood, of Ontario, planted 

 Concords six feet apart each way. They bore litue 



