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THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[May, 



large and active enough to commence work in 

 earnest. It has been found useful to invert the sod 

 just before winter, turning up the stupefied grubs to 

 sudden freezing, and thus destroying them to some 

 extent. This course cannot be now adopted. We 

 never found any repellent of any use. The only 

 effectual remedy which we have ever used is to go 

 over the field and kill the grubs by hand wherever 

 they can be found, their presence being indicated by 

 the plants which have been cut during the preceding 

 night. As an instance, we may state that last year 

 we had si.T acres of corn on inverted sod that was 

 greatly infested with cut worms, and soon after the 

 plants were up we found that eitlier we or they must 

 have the crop. We decided on the former. Two 

 active men were sent into the field, and killed all 

 that were found. One day they destroyed over 400, 

 and on and off, during the next ten days, they se- 

 cured 2,000. The aggregate time consumed was 

 about four days. It was well worth the labor, at a 

 cost of five or six dollars, to save the six-acre crop, 

 or 300 bushels of corn. The result was entire suc- 

 cess. 



To Prevent Powder Pbst. 



The honey-combed, powder-covered, worm-eaten, 

 and therefore worthless state, which hickory timber 

 will many times assume, if not properly cared for, is 

 caused by the larva; of an insect that deposits its 

 eggs in the soft outer wood of tlie dead tree, mostly 

 during the months of May and .June. If the trees are 

 cut at" a season when the soft wood becomes dry and 

 hard before the time for the inselt to make its ap- 

 pearance, there is no danger from this pest. Hickory 

 cut in winter will generally be free from attacks, but 

 to make sure, it is best to remove the bark, and even 

 split the timber that it may become thoroughly sea- 

 soned. Keep it in a dry place. 



Insects. 



Destroy the eggs of the Tent Caterpillar, 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, 

 use heavy brown paper bound closely around the 

 tree's trunk, and then smear with cheap' printer's 

 ink or tar. The bands will have to be re-coated at 

 frequent intervals through the season. 



Agriculture. 



System on the Farm. 



System on the farm is essential to permanent suc- 

 cess. Whatever branch of farming is selected should 

 be stuck to, if only moderately successful. A man 

 is constantly learning in a business to which he 

 gives habitual attention, and this knowledge is part 

 of his capital, just as much as the money invested 

 in stock, tools, or buildings. The man who makes 

 wheat a leading crop, by studying to lessen the cost of 

 production, by experience in the best methods of pre- 

 paring the soil, the use of manure, and the cultiva- 

 tion of the crop, can raise wheat cheaper than his 

 neighbors, and though selling at the same price, 

 will realize a profit when they barely escape a loss. 

 On the other hand the man who is ever ready to 

 abandon his usual practice, in order to follow some- 

 thing that pays exceptionally well at the moment — 

 such as sheep husbandry or hop culture; when mut- 

 ton, wool, or hops are fetching high prices — is pretty 

 sure to lose money in the long run, either through 

 Ignorance of the best methods in his unaccustomed 

 occupation or an unforseen fall in the products. 

 Such ventures are of a speculative nature and the 

 steady going farmer cannot safely afl'ord to be a 

 speculator. — Rural Xcv} Yorker. 



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Watering in a Dry Time. 



In the summer droughts which now and then occur 

 it is common to see persons everywhere at work 

 watering the garden to keep things alive till the reg- 

 ular rains come. It is, however, the experience of 

 all, that the more the garden is watered the more it 

 wants, and thus on the whole it does little good. 

 Yet water can be so given as to be free from this 

 objection. It is the hardening of the surftrce which 

 causes the evil, and a hard, compact surface always 

 dries out faster than a loose one. The proper way is 

 to take the earth away for a few inches around the 

 plant to be watered, so as to make a sort of basin, 

 and into this pour the water, letting it gradually 

 soak away. After it has all disappeared and the 

 surface gets a little dry, then draw the earth back 

 again which has been misplaced to make the basin. 

 This will make a loose surface over the watered 

 part, which will presen'e it from dying out rapidly. 

 Tomatoes, egg-plants, cabbages and other things of 

 this character, watered in this way, will need no re- 

 newal of water for several weeks. It is a slow way 

 of getting such work done, but it is the only sure 

 way of doing it. 



Sowing Orchard Grass. 



Orchard grass is very deservedly coming more into 

 cultivation every year, both North and South, and it 

 will perhaps benefit some to be told how to sow it. 

 It should always be mixed with clover seed. To mix 

 the seeds properly, put down upon a floor half bush- 

 els of orchard grass seed, and scatter over tliat one 

 quart of clover seed; repeat until you get a stout pile 

 say four or five bushels. Then mix thoroughly; 

 spread out upon the floor, and sprinkle water on the 

 pile, stirring all the time until quite wet; then mix 

 in plaster or dry ashes, or even bran, until sufficiently 

 dry to separate when thrown from the hand. Throw 

 it in bulk till next mornins, whenit is ready for sow- 

 ing. Taken through this process it can be sown with 

 as much regularity as wheat, regardless of ordinary 

 winds. If it remains in bulk more than one night in 

 warm weather, it will heat, and must be opened. 

 Except for meadows or standing pastures, orchard 

 grass is too expensive. For the ordinary shifts, it is 

 better to use clover seed alone, as orchard grass does 

 not do its best under two or three years, when, if the 

 land is good, it will have made a sod that will resist 

 the action of the feet of the stock In wet weather. 



Mixed Farming. 



Until our country is settled up, and the virgin fer- 

 tility of the new soil is beginning to be exhausted, 

 we can not hope for that safe and solid foundation 

 for our agricultur", which comes from Mixed Farm- 

 ing. When every farmer comes to that point when 

 he knows that his land is a medium through which 

 crude fertilizing elements pass in becoming food — ve- 

 getables, fruits, grains, flesh— he will feel the impor- 

 tance of a variety of products-a rotation'of crops-and 

 the value of animals in the economy of the farm. As 

 our country grows older, farmers will from necessity 

 be more thorough students of their profession.— 

 American Agriculturist. 



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How to Dissolve Bones. 



A Russian chemist gives the following process for 

 the jn-eparalion of bones for manure, which, it is 

 said, received the approbation of Leibig: Mix 400 

 parts of ground bones with 400 parts of wood ashes, 

 containing ten per cent, of carbonate of potash, and 

 add sixty jiarts of quicklime. This mixture if placed 

 in a tank or barrel, with water sufficient to make the 

 whole moist, in a short time the bony matter is com- 

 pletely disaggregated by the caustic, while the pasty 

 mass formed 'is then taken from the tank, dried, 

 mixed with an equal amount of mold, and is ready 

 to be distributed. 



Horticulture. 



Flowers and Snrubbery. 



We took occasion a year or two ago to present a 

 list of vines, flowers and shrubbery, as a guide to 

 those of our readers who may not be familiar with 

 the names of the most desirable varieties, and who 

 may wish to decorate their yards, garden or lawns 

 the present season. And we take occasion again to 

 urge upon all who have the least possible taste for 

 the beautiful in nature, and have not less than a 

 square perch of ground, not to allow the present 

 season to pass without planting a new vine, flower 

 or shrub. The ladies have not always the facilities 

 to obtain the plants; but if their fathers, husbands or 

 brothers are considerate enough to obtain a few 

 choice specimens for them, there need be no fear that 

 they will not receive due attention. The love of 

 flowers is part of a woman's nature, and to deprive 

 her of them is to deny her otie of her principal en- 

 joyments. 



One of the things which we have noticed about 

 many places, is the neglect to multiply the different 

 plants by cuttings. Every vine, shrub and flower 

 can be propagated from either the wood or the root. 

 Some of the plants are propagated more easily 

 and almost entirely after the second growth has 

 commenced, say in August. Propagation from the 

 root usually takes place in the spring; if started 

 under glass, early in February is probably the best 

 time. 



If we have a single specimen of a fine rose, how 

 much will it add to the beauty of a yard or garden 

 to increase it to half a dozen ? So with any other 

 desirable flowers. The deutzias, spireas, wiegelias, 

 &c., and all the climbing, vines are readily propa- 

 gated from cuttings. So are box-edgings, arborvi- 

 tss, &c. All it needs is a little attention at the 

 proper time. Until the cuttings take root they 

 should be kept moist, set out in a rather shady place, 

 or at least protected from the sun during the hottest 

 part of the day. 



'm- 



Grsfting 'Wax. 



Every spring we notice numerous receipts pub 

 lished for making grafting wax, each one being an 

 improvement on all others. Some of these require 

 considerable time to prepare in getting together all 

 and the exact quantity of the many ingredients. 

 'We profess to have bad some pereoual experience in 



grafting and using various preparations of wax, and 

 have not yet come across anything better than the 

 simple wax, the receipt of which we have so often 

 published in the grafting season, composed of bees' 

 wax, rosin and tallow, in such proportions that the 

 wax will not run in the hot sun, nor crack in the 

 cold, windy weather. With it we have had as much 

 success in grafting as anyone using any other wax. 

 And as we have already several inquiries for it, we 

 may again simply say these are the proportions used: 

 four parts of rosin, one part of bees' wax and one 

 part of beef tallow. Melt them together in a skil- 

 let (which is the best,) or a tincup, and stir well. 

 It should remain in the vessel ^nd be used as needed. 

 Twenty or thirty scions can be waxed with one 

 warming up. When much grafting is to be done, a 

 little fire for heating the wax should be made on the 

 spot, between two bricks or stones. At this time 

 we do not remember ever losing a graft by reason 

 of the wax, if well applied. In a few weeks after 

 the. grafts have been set we usually go over them and 

 add a little wax wherever it may seem to need it, as 

 the high winds may occasionally crack the wax. 

 This is but trifling labor and is no more than an in- 

 spection of the work. — Oermantovm Telegraph. 



Plants and Plant Food. 



Some plants are surface feeders, i. c, their roots 

 are short, usually small, and numerous, and only 

 penetrate the upper portion of the soil, as in the case 

 of the onion, turnip, and the cereals, though the lat- 

 ter are perhaps medium, rather than shallow feeders. 

 It is easy to see that such crops must derive their 

 nourishment from that portion of the soil which their 

 roots penetrate, and are therefore surface exhaust- 

 ing. On the other hand, clover, lucerne, and the 

 long roots, as carrots, parsnips, etc., are deep 

 feeders, and exhaustive to the lower portions of the 

 soil. These facts have a direct bearing on the suc- 

 cession of crops, and the application of fertilizers. 

 If a fertilizer is applied to the land, it tends down- 

 ward and its descent depends upon the solubility of 

 the substance and the porosity of the soil. To have, 

 therefore, the least loss and the quickest returns, a 

 surface feeding en p is the one lo which to apply the 

 fertilizers, and this crop should be followed by a 

 deeper feeder the next season, which will bring the 

 hinking food to the surface again. It is in this ca- 

 pacity that the clover crop is so valuable in a rota- 

 tion. It is a great point to keep the plant food 

 within the reach of the roots of the plant, and it can 

 he best done by applying it to a surface feeding crop, 

 and follow it up (down rather) by a desp feeder, the 

 roots of which penetrate far down. 



Asparagus and Celery. 



A medical correspondent of an English journal 

 says that the advantages of asparagus are not suf- 

 ficiently appreciated. Those who suffer from rheu- 

 matism are cured in a few days by feeding on this 

 delicious esculent; and more chronic cases are much 

 relieved, especially if the patient avoids all acids, 

 whether in food or beverage. The Jerusalem arti- 

 choke has a similar effect in relieving rheumatism. 

 It may be well to remark that most plants which 

 grow naturally near the sea coast contain more or 

 less iodine, and in all rheumatic complaints iodine 

 has long been a favorite remedy. One who has been 

 in the drug business told the writer some years ago 

 that many of the popular patent nostrums which 

 some disinterested people — "for the good of their 

 fellow creatures" — sold at two dollars a bottle, con- 

 sisted of a few cents' worth ofiodineina solution. 

 Iodine is dangerous, however, in overdoses, affecting 

 especially the eye .—Scientific Atnerican. 



Household Recipes. 



Piccalilli. — To 1 gallon strong vinegar add 4 

 ounces curry powder, 4 ounces good flour of mus- 

 tard, ',i ounces bruised ginger, 2 ounces turmeric, 8 

 ounces skimmed shallots, bounces garlic, the last 

 two slightly baked, '{ pound salt, and 2 drachms 

 cayenne pepper, put these in a stone jar with a quart 

 of vinegar, and cover them with a bladder, wetted 

 with the pickle, and over this a piece of leather; set 

 the jar near the fire for 3 days, shaking it 3 times a 

 day, when it is ready for use. Put gherkins, sliced 

 cucumbers, sliced onions, button onions, cauliflower, 

 celery, French beans, nasturtiums, capsicums, large 

 cucumbers, and small melons in jar. All but the 

 capsicums must be parboiled in salt and water, 

 drained and dried on a cloth before a fire. The large 

 cucumbers, or small melons, are split so that a nar- 

 row spoon may be introduced, and the seeds scooped 

 out; they are then parboiled in brine strong enough 

 to float an egg, and dried on a cloth before the fire; 

 pour over all these vegetables the above pickle. 



Worcestershire Sauce. — Mix 1>^ gallons white 

 vinegar, 1 gallon walnut catsup, 1 gallon mush- 

 room catsup, ].i gallon canton soy, }4 gallon Made- 

 ira wine, 21^ pounds moist sugar, 19 ounces salt, 3 

 ounces capsicum, IVj ounces chutney, IJ^ ounces 

 each of pimento and coriander, % ounces, each of 

 cloves, ma«e, and cinnamon, and 6)4 drachms assa- 



