1880. 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



53 



■ into considei-ation the greut bulk of dry earth 

 in compiirisou with that of tho fa'ces, aiid 

 that "bo far as our facts apply, we must be- 

 lieve that wliatever fertility night-soil adds to 

 the earth of the earth closet is to be fouud in 

 the earth closet manure, if not dried by too 

 Iiigli artilicial heat." 



The addition of the earth to manure has at 

 Icasi the merit of preventing overheating 

 from excessive fermentation, and there is 

 very little doubt but as much ammonia is 

 prevented from escaping by keeiiing tho 

 inanmx' moderately cool as may be lost from 

 decomposition through the eartli, and the 

 hitter fact has yet to be proven to be true. 



Experiments with Fertilizers. 



Since writing the article for the March 

 number .of Tiik Fakmeu, the American 

 Aijricu'UurisI has come to hand, and contains 

 tables of the results of experiments with fer- 

 tilizers. It may be well to state that two 

 years ago the journal mentioned above was 

 the means of getting sets of fertilizers put up 

 for purely experimental purposes, and the 

 tables referred to are the results of such ex- 

 periments as were reported. 



If the increase in production, at regular 

 market prices, does not more than pay for tlie 

 fertilizers and the extra amount of labor re- 

 sulting, thei'e is, of course, no profit in the 

 application, and no incentive to strive for 

 increased production. In making the follow- 

 ing remarks on the experiments referred to 

 above, we have been guided by this idea, and 

 made corn lifty cents per bushel, and potatoes 

 forty cents. 



In fifty-three experiments with corn, nitro- 

 gen, derived from nitrate of soda, paid in 

 eight cases only ; on potatoes in four cases 

 only out of nineteen. 



In the experiments with phosphoric acid, 

 derived from dissolved bone-black, corn paid 

 in only twenty-one cases out of lifty-three, 

 and potatoes in twelve cases out of nineteen. 

 This is a poor showing for corn, as super- 

 pho.sphate is generally accounted as one of 

 the most reliable fertilizers for this crop. 



In potash, derived from muriate of pot- 

 ash, corn in only twenty cases out of fifty- 

 three, and potatoes in only eleven cases out 

 of nineteen. This showing is quite disap- 

 pointing, as potash has been claimed as 

 the dominant element required by pota- 

 toes. 



In fifty-two experiments reported in which 

 nilroycH and piliaspiioric acid were supplied, 

 corn paid paid in fourteen cases onlj'; the 

 cost of the nitrogen has been such a drag on 

 corn in these experiments that it reduced the 

 number of cases in which phosphoric acid 

 alone was used by fully one-third. Potatoes 

 paid in eleven cases out of eighteen reported; 

 the increase from the application of phos- 

 phoric acid was decided enough to more than 

 balance the dead weight of cost for nitrogen. 



With nitrogen and potash corn \md in only 

 eight cases out of thirty-seven reported, po- 

 tatoes in six cases out of twelve. 



Witli phoaplioric acid and patash corn paid 

 in only twenty cases out of fifty-three, hut 

 potatoes paid in fifteen out of the eigliteen 

 cases reported. 



In the complete fertilizer, .supplying liitro- 

 gen, phosphoric acid and pota.sh, cornjpaid in 

 only thirteen cases out of fifty-three, potatoes 

 in seventeen out of nineteen. 



From the last two paragraphs it would 

 seem that any good fertilizer containing 

 phosphoric acid and potash, if sold at a fair 

 price, will be tolerably sure to pay when ap- 

 plied to potatoc land. As nitrogen has been 

 only a drag on this crop, i)hosphoric acid de- 

 rived from dissolved phosphate rock would 

 do as well as any, and is cheaper than that 

 from fresh bones. 



Finally the whole series of experiments has 

 confirmed me in what I have before insisted 

 on, that at present relative prices of produce 

 and fertilizers, there are but few crops that 

 will pay to use them, the exceptions at pres- 

 ent being truck, tobacco and potatoes. — 

 A. B. K. 



Selections. 



PRACTICAL HINTS FOR APRIL. 



Barky.— A fine condition of the .soil is in- 

 dispensable for this crop. Old barley growers 

 know all about this, but many want to grow 

 Ijarley because it is a profitable crop when suc- 

 cessful. It will succeed in any good, well 

 prepared soil, but a mellow clay loam which 

 can be brought to good tilth is to be i)referred. 

 But gin)d crops of bright grain may be grown 

 on lighter loams if in good heart. It may be 

 made an excellent soiling crop to follow 

 clover, and as a change fi'om oats. We prefer 

 to sow thickly, say 24 bushels per acre, but 

 opinions vary in this respect, and from lA to 

 2_i bushels is the range. 



Oats. — Early sown oats in our hot climate 

 are, as a rule, better than the late sown. Our 

 climate is not so favorable for oats as the 

 cooler northern and northeastern ones. There 

 oats are heavy and plump, and .seed from 

 Canada, Xova Scotia and New Brunswick 

 will produce well for two or three years. By 

 using seed from these northern localities, oats 

 may be grown in the Middle .States weighing 

 from 35 to 45 fts. per bushel. 



Corn. — This is one of those crops which re- 

 quire a warm soil and which suffer from a 

 late frost. But the ground may be i)repared 

 in .season to help on the planting afterwards. 

 As good a cr(jp may be grown on stubble as 

 on sod if the right method is followed ; and 

 this is simi)ly to give sulHeient manure and 

 thorough cultivation. 100 bushels per acre 

 may be produced, and this means double or 

 treble pay for the same labor. Far larger 

 crops tlian this have been grown, and of late 

 years, thanks to the general diffusion of 

 scientific knowledge through the best of the 

 agricultural journals, the average yield of 

 this grain has been doubled. A yield of 75 or 

 80 bushels is now secured where ;!0 or 40 

 bu.sliels used to satisfy farmers. The use of 

 fertilizers and good methods of cultivation 

 have effected this ; but the same means may 

 be made available for even larger yields, and 

 one should never stay satisfied with a large 

 crop, but try for still greater ones. The time 

 of planting of course varies with the latitude, 

 and these remarks apply when corn-planting 

 is in season. 



Cows. — Garget and abortion tremble the 

 dairymen. We believe in prevention. The 

 former may surely be prevented by due care. 

 As soon as the udder contains milk, it should 

 be relieved by drawing off a part of it, if there 

 is any tendency to hardness. The.se diseases 

 are often a consequence of weakness. A fat 

 animal may be weak for want of food. When 

 a cow's time approaches and the feed is sud- 

 denly reduced, disturbance of the system is 

 caused. Circulation becomes irregular, and 

 congestion occurs in the most susceptible 

 organs. The udder is the principal one of 

 these at this period, and an attack of garget 

 is very sure to occur. This may not always 

 be so, but long experience and observation 

 convinces us that it generally is. The remedy 

 is obvious. 



Swine. — Corn is high, but so is freight, and 

 as 800 lbs. of corn may be carried in a pork 

 barrel, it is a question if it will not pay to 

 feed .50 cent corn to 4 cent pigs. Every 

 bushel of corn fed relieves the market of a 

 surplus, and makes the remainder more 

 salable. This is to be considered. Also the 

 fact that there is a kind of pig that may be 

 fed the most profitably and that one kiiid is 

 the one to discover and choose. Hereafter 

 farmers will save their profits in all jiroba- 

 bility, just as is done in other manufacturing 

 business. Animals are living farm machines. 



Orchard and Nursery. 



Whoever sets out an orchard of course does 

 it with the expectation of a return in fruit. 

 No one plants corn or potatoes without first 

 considering if the land will give him a crop ; 

 if the soil is not in the proper condition he 

 knows that he must make it so, or lose his 

 seed and his labor. Much less than corn and 



potatoes can fruit trees make a crop on no- 

 thing. The trees will struggle along, do the 

 best they can, but such orchards do not pay, 

 and "run out" early. Uidess the land is 

 sulliciently fertile for an ordinary farm crop, 

 it should be made so ; no soil too wet for such 

 crops will answer for fruit trees, which, to 

 succeed, need well draineil land. The plow- 

 ing should lie as deep as the character of the 

 soil will allow, and the sub-soil plow maj 

 generally follow the other with benefit. 



The Trees. — It is assumed that trees were 

 ordered some time ago ; they should be at 

 baud ready for planting. It is the custom at 

 nur.series to take up and heel-in a large stock 

 of the kinds of trees most called for, this re- 

 tards the growth, and allows them to fill late 

 orders. If there is a nursery near at hand it 

 will pay to make a bargain, if possible, to 

 lielp dig the trees yourself, and thus .secure a 

 larger sliare of the roots that belong to them. 

 If trees, in a long journey, become dry and 

 shriveled, bury them, root and branch, in 

 mellow earth for a few days, when they be- 

 come plump again. In unpacking the trees, 

 look to the labels, as some may become de- 

 tached and would otherwise be lost. 



Preparimj the Trees. — Everybody wishes to 

 get all he can for the money, and the nursery- 

 men send much larger tops to the trees than 

 the pruned roots in their new positions can 

 support. It is safe to shorten the branches 

 OMe-fhird or one-half, but it should be done 

 with judgment and reference to the condition 

 of the roots. At the same time pare smooth 

 any broken or mangled roots. 



Planting. — In setting a tree take time to do 

 it properly ; spread the roots evenly and to 

 their full length, and so work in the soil 

 among them that there will be no hollow 

 places. Water may be used to^carry the soil 

 among the roots — not dashed in by the pail- 

 ful, but showered from a watering-pot. Do 

 not stamp the soil down around the roots, but 

 firm it carefullly with the foot. The tree 

 should be set no deeper than it stood in the 

 nursery. 



CVops.^ — The soil of a young orchard may 

 be kept in cultivation until the trees begin to 

 bear ; grain should never be grown, except 

 Indian corn, but potatoes and root-crops are 

 the best. 



Insects. — Destroy the eggs of the Tent Cater- 

 pillar, which are to be found in small closely 

 fitting rings or bands near the ends of the 

 smaller twigs, and may be cut away. Many 

 insects harbor beneath the loose bark of trees, 

 and by scraping this off and washing the 

 trunk and limbs with a solution of soft soap, 

 much good may be done. To prevent the 

 ascent of the wingless females of the Canker 

 Worm, \ise heavy brown paper bound closely 

 around the tree's trunk, and then smear with 

 clieap printer's ink or tar. The bands will 

 have to bo re-coated at frequent intervals 

 through the season. 



Fruit Garden. 



Currants and Oooseberries. — Prune at once 

 any that have been omittted; abundant ma- 

 nuring and mulching will increase the size of 

 the'cropand Ihefruit. So soon as the leaves are 

 of much size the "worms" may be expected. 

 Examine the under surface of the lower leaves 

 for the eggs, and destroy all that are found. 

 When holes are seen in the leaves apply 

 White Hellebore, either sprinkled dry or 

 mixed in water, a tablcspoonful or so to a 

 pailful of water. It is better to first scald the 

 Hellebore with a little boiling water tefore 

 adding it to the pail containing the cold water. 

 Keep stirred. 



Asparagus. — The old ideas about the elabo- 

 rate preparation for an asjjaragus bed are out 

 of date; it is as easy to make a bed for aspar- 

 agus as almost any other plant, and nothing 

 pays any better for the little trouble. Set the 

 new beds so soon as the plants can be had, 

 giving it a generous manuring, and putting 

 the crowns about four Indies below the sur- 

 face. Hows two feet apart, with a foot 

 between the plants, is a good distance for the 

 family garden, but if room can be spared the 



