1880.J 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



Ab 



Agriculture. 



Sugar in America — Its Introduction. 



In the spriug of t8.5(>, the editor of the American 

 Agritulturist received a small parcel of sorghum 

 seed from .Messrs. Vilmoriti, .\ndreux & Co., tiie 

 noted seedsmen of Paris, who had brought it from 

 China. It was planted in rich ffiinien eoii, and irrew 

 13 to 1.5 feet hio;li, maturing its seed well. The 

 children of the neighborhood found the juices of the 

 stalks so sweet that lliey used up a larire part of 

 the three rows 2.') feet iij Icnstlh. A sketch of one of 

 the plants was made and published, with a descrip- 

 tion in this journal for February, 18.')7. It was sub- 

 sequently announced that the seed would be distrib- 

 uted among our readers, to be divided equally 

 among all who should send au envelope directed to 

 themselves— say from ilo to .'50 seeds each. This 

 publication brought samples to the ollice from tliree 

 otiier parties within oO miles of New York city. 

 Soon after a stranger came in and tried hard to buy 

 all our seed. When his offer reached $8 a pound, 

 he wa» inl'ormed that it would not be sold at any 

 price, as it was already protniseii to our readers. He 

 then jiroduced a newspaper item from the West, 

 where Ije had been traveling, and saiil the interest 

 was so great that lie could divide a pound into a 

 hundred or more parcels and sell them quickly at 

 Jl.OO a parcel. As soon as he left the office, the 

 editor sent out and bought all the seed in the three 

 lecalities he had heard of, at $5 a pound. At tlie 

 same time he wrote lo the I'aris seedsmen to send 

 him all the seed they had, and draw on him for the 

 pay. To his surprise— consternation almost — they 

 returned word by the next steamer that they liad 

 shipped 1,000 pounds (no Atlantic Cable then) and 

 held 600 pounds more to his order. The whole was 

 ordered at once, and when the 1,000 pounds arrived 

 it was immediately announced that none of it, would 

 be sold, but that a packet of at least 400 seeds 

 would he presented to any reader of the American 

 Agriculluri.it who desired it — enough to experiment 

 with and to provide an abundant supply of plants 

 the next year if it proved valuable. Thirty-one 

 thousand (31,000) parcels were distributed to our 

 readers throught the country, and planted. Enough 

 was saved and sent to Georgia to grow :;4,.500 lbs. 

 (IT'X tons) of seed, during the Summer of 1857. 

 This was sent to this otflce, and a full pound 

 was given to every ' reader desiring it for 1858 — 

 over 30,000 pound parcels were thus distributed. 



From the ai ove seed thus widely and freelj 

 scattered was produced at least nine-tenths of all 

 the sorghum grown in this country. (A small 

 quantity was sent out from the Patent Office, and 

 some sold by dealers.) Hundreds of millions of 

 gallons of syrup were made and used during the war 

 when the usual supply of Southern grown sugar 

 was cut off. It was worth many millions of dollars 

 to the country. But such difficulty was experienced 

 in producing good sugar that the cultivation fell olT 

 fifter the supply of South grown sugar came in. 

 Quite a "boom" was started later on by high claims 

 asserted for a variety called the African "Imphec," 

 but this soon died out. Recently, the improved pro- 

 cesses of obtaining the saccharine matter in eh rys- 

 talline form, as sugar, have given a new impetug, 

 and promising results are anticipated. 



About Rotten Manure. 



The Oermantoum Telegraph says : 



At a meeting of farmers and fruit-growers some time 

 ago, there was considerable discussion on the ques- 

 tion of fermented manure. One speaker thought 

 that it did no harm to the manure left behind to 

 have the black liquid run away from it, as this was 

 a sign that it was being thoroughly decomposed. 

 Others appear to h.ave taken the "stand that every- 

 thing in the manure-heap was of value as it stood. 

 We do not understand that the one who thought the 

 manure was the better for the black liquid going out 

 from it attached no value to the black liquid; per- 

 haps he would utilize this in some other way. The 

 report is obscure on this point; but it is still a novel 

 pomt to make that the manure-pile is the better for 

 its absence. 



In some first-class works on agriculture, where 

 recommendations are often made on "perfect farm- 

 ing," without any regard to the means at hand to 

 carry out the recommendations contained in the 

 book, it has been insisted on that the best results are 

 obtained from barnyard manure when a cistern is 

 built at the foot of the manure pile, and the liquid 

 contents daily pumped over the whole solid mass. 

 We do not know that anyone ever went to work to 

 do just this thing, for many of the /oac/jni; recom- 

 mendations of these books, written as if they had 

 actually been done, are too often but the writers' 

 idea of what ought to be done. Still, the recom- 

 mendation by the intelligent men shows how much 

 they value this "black" material, and how very dif- 

 ferent is the recommendation now offered. 



It is one of the most remarkable phases of agri- 

 culture that advocates can be found — intelligent 

 advocates — for the most opposing views; and it is a 

 sad reflection on any supposed science in agriculture. 



It is not long since we noticed in our columns that 

 though the practical farmer — those who watch 

 results — had for years been coming to the conclusion 

 that it was b«tt to keep manure covered from the 

 rain, one of our most progressive Chester county 

 farmers has taken the ground that it Avas absolutely 

 useless. This friend will prol)ably consort with our 

 present one, who regards draining the manure heap 

 as no lo.-is to it. Still tlicre is a science in agricul- 

 ture, and especially in Ihc management of manures. 

 We hold that when there ii- any great I'ontradiction 

 in results, such a.s is here indicated, it is because 

 the real principle at the bottom of the practice has 

 not been reached. The shell has been in hand only, 

 there is a kernal at the botloin of it all. For our 

 part wc like to note this apparent diversity of con- 

 clusions Iromthe same liictB, as It compels us to 

 look deeper for the cause. 



Some Corn in Illinois. . 

 The corn eropof the single State of Illinois for the 

 year 1879 is i-eported to lie 305,813,:i77 bushels, and 

 estimated to be worth $07,4^3,0.52, or about '.'■Vi 

 cents per bushel. It is ditlicull for the mind to take 

 in the full magnitude of these figures. Here are 

 some calculations that will help theconception: Load 

 this corn U[ion wagons, 40 bushels to the load, and 

 start them off on the road so near together that 

 there shall be 100 teams in every mile. The line of 

 wagons carrying this one crop of Illinois corn would 

 stretch aw.ay 7(),4.53 miles, or tnore than three timet 

 around Ihr worldl — Again: Load this crop upon rail- 

 way freight cars, 285'", bushels or about 8 tons to the 

 car, and make up these cars into a continuous freight 

 train, allowing 30 leet of track to each car. The 

 train would extend 0,080 miles, or nearly twice 

 across the continent, from the Atlantic to the Pacific 

 Oceans! — Again: Suppose we put this corn crop 

 into a s(juare bin 20 feet deep. Let the arithmetical 

 young readers of the American Agriculturalist reckon 

 how large this bin would be each way. Also, how 

 many acres it would cover. — Also, how many pounds 

 of pork it would make if given to pigs weighing 100 

 lbs. each when they begin feeding upon the corn, and 

 250 lbs. when killed for pork. — American Agricultur- 

 ist/or Mnrcli 1. 



Notes for the Farmer. 



It has been discovered that the .South Carolina 

 willow, which grows very plentifully in that State, 

 is equal to the best imported basket willow, and it is 

 thought the cultivation and shipment of this material 

 may become an important industry. 



The potatoe crop of the country is estimated at 

 181,369,000 bushels. Compared with 1,878 there was 

 an increase of three per cent, in acerage, and the 

 yield is estimated by the Department of Agriculture 

 at 98 bushels per acre, against 69 bushels last year, 

 and 94 in 1,S74. 



The grand secret of manuring for corn is to keep 

 the fertility near the surface when applied, and it is 

 rare that another course is advisable. It is best to 

 harrow or brush, so distribute more evenly, and then 

 by shallow ploughing prevent loss of nitrogen. — 

 Dr. Slurtei'aut. 



Nitrate of Soda, 



or Chilli Saltpetre, is one of the leading mineral fer- 

 tilizers supplied from the immense deposits in the 

 rainless desert of Southern Peru. Attention was 

 first called to it by Alexander von Ilumbolt, in the 

 early part of this century, but it is not over fifty 

 years ago that it was first shipped abroad to any ex- 

 tent. The Nitrate of Soila industry is to-day a large 

 and rapidly growing one, there being over 2.50,000 

 tons of this fertilizer mined and exported per year, 

 though it is not all used upon the land, a large share 

 going to the manufacturers of chemicals as a source 

 of Nitric Acid. It is a formidalde competitor of Pe- 

 ruvian Guano. — American Agriculturist for Murch 1. 



Peas in Plenty. 



" This is not a pea country," said an Englishman 

 to U6, and he was right, it is not in the sense that 

 England is, where they can take picking after ])iek- 

 ing from the same vines. The hot suu that gives us 

 our green corn and tomatoes, which English gard- 

 ens cannot have, puts an end to our peas. But we 

 can have them in abundance during their short sea- 

 son, and should have them in fargreater pleuly than 

 wc do. Farmers are apt to be content with two or 

 three messes, and many find it too much trouble to 

 grow them at all. One great obstacle to an abun- 

 dance of peas, is the necessity for sticking or brush- 

 ing them, but that, as we shall presently show, may 

 be for the most part avoided. The great point with 

 early peas is to start early; select a piece of light, 

 dry soil, all the betterif it slopes to the south, and 

 just 60, soon as It can be worked, plow and har- 

 row it, furrow out rows at least 6 inches deep, 3 feet 

 apart for dwarfs, and 4 feet for the taller kinds. 

 Then scatter a good supply of the best and finest 

 manure in the furrow, and sow the peas upon the 



manure, if well rotted; if not, cover the manure 

 with an inch or so of soil. Then by the use of the 

 rake or hoe, cover to the depth "of three Inches. 

 Some cover only an inch at first, and as the plants 

 show themselves, gradually <lraw in the earth, until 

 the seed is four or live inches deep ; the deeper, the 

 better the plants will staiul hot weather. 



Varieties. — One who looks at a catalogue, finds a 

 puzzling list of names, and It may help them to 

 know that for the earliest peas, there are several 

 names for what is essentially one and the same pea. 

 Those not familiar with the matter, should know 

 that there are two kinds of peas, the round and the 

 wrinkled, and that there is as much difference be- 

 tween them in quality, as between field corn and 

 sweet corn. The earliest peas are round. The 

 wrinkled peas. If wet weather comes after sowing, 

 will rot in the ground. Then again, there are dwarf 

 and tall sorts of hotli kinds ; the dwarfs are a foot 

 or less high, the others grow from two to live or more 

 feet. It need hardly be said thai the tall kinds pro- 

 duce more from the same land, .is they have the most 

 vine; though the dwarls may be planted closer, they, 

 so far as our experience goes, are not so satisfactory 

 as the others. Great claims are made for some of 

 the newer dwarfs, that we have not yet tried. For 

 general use, " Daniel O'Kourke," and " Carter's 

 First Crop," are the best very early. Then comes 

 " Alpha," the earliest of all the wrinkled peas. For 

 the main crop, no pea is better than " Champion of 

 England," and probably none ever will be. This 

 should not be sown until the ground is dry and warm, 

 or the seed may rot. "Bishop's Long .Pod " is in- 

 termediate between the early and " Chamjiion, but 

 a second sowing of " Alpha," a fortnight after the 

 first, will do well for an intermediate crop. 



About Brushing. — None of the market gardeners 

 brush their peas, and while we would give brush or 

 other support if practicable, as affording better crops, 

 and easier picking, yet one should not go without 

 peas because he cannot stick them. When the peas 

 come up, the ground should be kept clean with the 

 horse cultivator, or garden plow, and if any weeds 

 come up in the rows, pull them out; when tiie peas 

 are about six inches high, throw a furrow with a 

 small plow towards them on each side. When they 

 begin to fall over, turn them all to one side, and let 

 them lie on the ground. Every two or three days, 

 turn them over to the other side of the row, especially 

 after a rain; this is done very rapidly by using a 

 hoe-handle, or similar stick, running it uuder them, 

 and turning over several feet of the row at once. 

 The " Champion of England "should have some 

 kind of support, as that is longer in growing, is 

 taller, and yields more pickings. If brush cannot 

 be had, use cord or wire stretched between stout 

 stakes or posts. — American .\gricnlturist for March 1. 



Peach Culture. 



Thinking that some hints on the subject of peach 

 culture might not prove uninteresting to our readers, 

 I venture a few remarks : 



Some years ago, within the recollection of our 

 fathers, peach trees were long-lived, hardy, healthy, 

 and bore annual crops of fruit, which was not only 

 a source of luxury but of profit, but later on they 

 were almost universally attacked here in Pennsylva- 

 nia and many other northern states, with a disease 

 called the yellows, which almost entirely destroyed 

 them, since which time it is but rarely our orchards 

 live to a greater age thau 5 or 6 years, rarely bear- 

 ing more than two crops, when death ensues. This 

 is greatly to be regretted. The value of this fruit is 

 too well known for us to abandon all hope of Its 

 successful culture again. 



It is a fact known to many of us that in Kent 

 county, eastern shore of Maryland, in vicintity of 

 Sassafras river, peach growing is an entire success; 

 they make it a specialty; orchards of .5,000 to 10,- 

 000 trees are quite common, and live from 15 to 20 

 years, the yellows being unknown. 



Now it strikes me very forcibly that If our farm- 

 ers would procure trees from some such healthy 

 peach-growing region they would prove hardy, long- 

 lived and profitable here, being free from any he- 

 reditary predisposition to this disease so fatal with 

 us. Besides, the growers there have made this 

 branch of fruit culture a study, have originated 

 many valuable varieties, tjest suited to our markets, 

 for canning and the tastes or wants of a progressive 

 people, and have discarded such of the old varieties 

 as have degenerated, or lived out their day of use- 

 fulness; a plan, I hold to be vitally essential in order 

 for the best results, as this system of budding or 

 breeding in and in, from one generation to another, 

 for the perpetuation of any one variety, has a ten 

 dency to deteriorate or impair the vitality of that 

 variety, which renders it unprofitable and should be 

 discariied logive place for some kind more desirable. 



It will not be expensive to make the experiment; 

 let us try it. — A Native Penniyliianian in Intelli- 

 gencer. 



Think About the Garden Now. 

 How often have we suggceted to those having suf- 

 ficient ground for garden, and especially farmers, to 

 pay increased attention to this important appendage 



