128 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ August, 1880. 



The bin! is very hardy. These have been three 

 months in the packing: crates, and none have been 

 lost. All seem to be in a vierorous condition. As a 

 food bird it is excellent, and in Europe esteemed a 

 a:reat delicacy. It lays well before the dog-, and 

 {fives fine sport for "the sportsman, and he who 

 kills them on the wing must be quick and true. 

 The species is very prolific, and, under favorable 

 conditions, it is expected they will become one of 

 the bird features of this locality. The nest is made 

 on the ground, like the partridge, and fourteen or 

 fifteen white eggs are deposited. 



Poultry-Raising in France. 



In the breeding and management of poultry for 

 profit the French surpass all other nations in the 

 world. There are two reasons for this ; First, the 

 small properties or holdings owned by the peasantry; 

 and second, a quick eye to economy and profit in 

 producing food supplies. The English manage dif- 

 ferently, and instead of poultry they raise beef, mut- 

 ton and pork, and buy many millions of eggs and 

 fowls Irom their neighbors every year. Strange as it 

 may seem there is more food raised in the poul- 

 try yards of France than in the stalls and pastures 

 of England. There are very few great estates, as 

 in England, and the land is divided up into small 

 holdings, and owned by the occupants. On these 

 very small holdings there is not room enough to 

 raise cattle, swine and sheep for their flesh. Hence 

 a small kind of live stock, requiring less room and 

 giving quicker returns, must be selected, and 

 poultry is chosen. This has been the case in France 

 for many generations, and as "practice makes per- 

 fect," ])oultry keeping has there been reduced to 

 a science. The amount of capital, labor and skill 

 invested in the business is simply wonderful. 



To Break up a Broody Hen. 

 A writer gives this method : "Tou inclose the 

 hen in a coop (light or dark) and keep her there 

 for three days and three nights. She must not 

 have a particle of victuals or drink. When she 

 emerges she will be so 'run mad' hungry as to 

 banish all thoughts of her former intentions. No 

 fear of starvation in this plan. I have practiced 

 it for years and recommended it to hundreds. It 

 is a sovereign cure. Several hens may be put to- 

 gether. One obstinate case in a hundred may 

 occur. Then repeat the dose." 



Old Hens. 



A very nice dish may be made out of tough old 

 hens by boiling them till they are quite tender in 

 plenty of water. When they lack about half an 

 hour of being done, make a nice biscuit dough, roll 

 it thin, and lay it over the top of the boiling fowl. 

 Boil fast till done. Lay the dumpling on one plat- 

 ter, the chicken on another; add milk, butter, and 

 flour to the gravy left in the pot, enough to make 

 a nice bowlful, which serve with the fowl and 

 dumpling. 



Guinea Fowls 

 Will keep all bugs and insects of every description 

 oil' garden vines. They will not scratch like other 

 fowls, or harm the most delicate plants. 



Literary and Personal. 



Quarterly Report of the Kansas State Board 

 of Agriculture, for the quarter ending June 30, 1H80, 

 containing statistics relating to population, acreage 

 of important crops, railroads, public lands, condition 

 of crops, farm animals, meteorological data, &c., 

 together with pajiers on summer and fall treatment 

 of orchards and vineyards, and the growing of sor- 

 ghum cane. By J. K. Hudson, secretary, Topeka, 

 Kansas. G. W. Martin, Kansas Publishing House, 

 119 pages royal octavo, wMth complete index of sub- 

 jects treated of; on beautiful white calendered 

 paper and beautiful typography ; a great credit to 

 the young State issuing it. No such document as 

 these quarterly reports are issued either by Congress 

 or any of the individual Slates. They make annually 

 a volume of about 475 pages, worthy of being bound 

 in "morocco and gold," literally containiDg all with- 

 in its scope that is worth knowing. 



One of the most important features of the Second 

 Quarterly Report of the State Board of Agriculture 

 is the article on Growing Sorghum Cane in Kansas, 

 which occupies over oO pages of the volume. The 

 paper opens with a statistical table showing the 

 acreage by counties of 18S0 compared with 1S79, 

 which is followed by the experience and recommen- 

 dations of over 100 growers in various counties of 

 the State. The value and importance of the crop 

 will be a surprise to most readers. Prof. I'openoe, 

 the entomologist of the Board, makes a very inter- 

 esting report on the Web Worm, its habits and its 

 transformations, which will greatly interest coun- 

 ties where farmers have suffered from the ravages 

 of the pest. The report also contains meteorologi- 



cal data for the three months ending June .SOth, and 

 the usual full and varied information upon the 

 staple crops, condition of farm animals, &c. The 

 papers upon the Summer and Fall Treatment of 

 Orchards and Vioeyajds, occupying over 20 pages, 

 are particularly timely and of a practical character. 

 I, ate information is also presented regarding location 

 and price of the public lands, a list of the district 

 and county fairs, and an extract from the Railroad 

 Assessors' Report, showing the number of miles of 

 railroad, and value in each county, &c., &c. 



The statistical information given in the tables 

 from the Assessors' Returns for 1880, of populatitm, 

 crops, fruit trees, farm-building erection, &c., will be 

 found interesting to all readers" 



The report may be had by addressing the Secre- 

 tary, J. K. Hudson, Topeka, Kansas. 



U. S. Dep.^rtment of Agriculture, special re- 

 port. No. 24, upon the condition of crops for June 

 and July, ISSO. This is certainly a great improve- 

 ment on the old plan, when we only heard from the 

 Department once a year, and then only when half 

 the succeeding year had passed away. In this con- 

 nection we may also be permitted to notice the reply 

 of Commissioner Wm. G. Le Due to Hon. Benjamin 

 Le Fever, chairman of the sub-committee on agri- 

 culture of the House of Representatives, in which 

 the Commissioner gives an able outline of the neces- 

 sities of the Department over which he presides. 

 Doubtless these wants of the Department will be 

 deemed extravagant by many people — both in and 

 out of Congress — there are always such on any 

 question. But in view of the great importance of 

 agriculture to the entire country, these demands are 

 reasonable. We usually speak of commerce, agricul- 

 ture and manufactures as furnishing the sinews of 

 civilization, but destroy agriculture, and what be- 

 comes of commerce and manufactures, or even civili- 

 zation itself? 



The American Garden. — A quarterly illustrated 

 journal, devoted to the gardening interests of Ameri- 

 ca ; only 2.") cents a year ; single number, 10 cents. 

 Dr. F. M. Hexamer, editor. B. K. Bliss & Sons, 

 publishers. No. 34 Barclay street. New York. This 

 is a quarto of 12 pages, and the material, letter press 

 and literary contents of a superior order. Its quality 

 and cheapness ought to create a large space for it in 

 the domain of agricultural and domestic literature 

 and assure its success. 



The Sugar Beet. — The third number of this ex- 

 cellent quarterly is now before us, and more than 

 sustains the reputation elicited by its first number. 

 As the price is only 50 cents a year, no co-operator 

 in the sugar interest of our country can afford to be 

 without it. Its " make up," in every respect, is " A 

 No. 1," and the specialty to which it is devoted is 

 most ably advocated and elaborated. 



New Southern Poultrt Journal, July, 1880, 

 No. 7, Vol. 2 of this illustrated monthly 4to. has 

 been received, and is a " man among men " in the 

 interest of " Poultry and Pet Stock," to which its 

 columns are devoted. Published by G. B. Duvall & 

 Co., Louisville, Kentucky, at §1.00 per annum; 

 single number, 10 cents. Twenty pages, including 

 tinted covers, of practical chicken literature of great 

 value to those engaged in chicken culture every- 

 where. 



Descriptive Price List of Strawberries and 

 other small fruits, offered for sale by Elhvanger & 

 Barry, Mount Hope Nurseries, Rochester, New York, 

 being No. 7 for summer and autumn of 18s0, em- 

 bracing the culture and management of strawber- 

 ries, the soil and its preparation, season of trans- 

 planting, &c. Directions for garden and field cul- 

 ture, description of plants, shipping, advice to cor- 

 respondents, and many other matters relating there- 

 to, with handsome illustrations of the same. This 

 is an old and reliable firm, one in which our patrons 

 can place the most unqualified confidence. 



Ninth Annual Report of the State Entomolo- 

 gist, on the noxious and beneficial insects of the 

 State of Illinois, by Cyrus Thomas, Ph. D., St.ate 

 Entomologist. Although, practically, this is the 

 niatli report of tlie State Entomologist of Illinois, 

 yet it is only i\\ii fourth report of Mr. Thomas. The 

 first report was by the late B. D. Walsh ; the second, 

 third, fourth and fifth by Dr. LeBaron, and the four 

 subsequent reports by Dr. Thomas. This numerical 

 order, in consecutive series, has been recognized and 

 habitually observed by Dr. Thomas himself, anl 

 time will only make its importance more manifest. 

 The report itself is an octavo of 14(j pages, includ- 

 ing index ; in paper covers, and is divided into three 

 divisions, namely : J<'irst, insects infesting the cab- 

 bages ; secoJKi, insects and other parasites affecting 

 domestic animals ; and, third, a manual of economic 

 entomology, embracing a classification and descrip- 

 tion of the AcRiDD.* (Grasshoppers) of Illinois; to- 

 gether with a reference to their injuries to vegeta- 

 tion, and climatic and other remedial agencies ope- 

 rating against them. These annual reports should be 

 issued by all the States, because they constitute the 

 olyn practical literature on entomology that is likely 

 to ever be of any use to the farmer ; and because in 

 this form they can be more readily referred to than 

 if the matter composing them is scattered through 



large and unwieldy quartos or folios, which, per- 

 haps, are not preserved. Their information, however, 

 is scarcely appreciated by those whom they are in- 

 tended to benefit, and perhaps never will be ; simply 

 because their results cannot always be made as 

 manifest as "buckwheat cakes and sausages." 



The Southern Planter and Farmer. — De- 

 voted to agriculture, horticulture, live stock and 

 rural affairs. Edited by Rolfe Saunders, Richmond, 

 Va., S-.OO a year in advance. This staunch journal 

 has reached its forty-first year, and is " the oldest 

 agricultural journal in the South," and we are 

 happy to notice that its circulation and its influence 

 are increasing— and to add, that it richly deserves it. 



We thankfully acknowledge the receipt of a copy 

 of Biological and other notes on Coccidce, by J. Dun- 

 can Putnam, Corresponding Secretary of the Daven- 

 port Academy of Natural Sciences (from the pro- 

 ceedings of the Davenport Academy of Natural 

 Sciences, Vol. II.) This is a very elaborate paper of 

 54 pages, royal octavo, and two full-page plates, 

 containing about 50 figures, illustrative of the ana 

 tomy, transformations and development of Puhuna- 

 ria inmunerahilis, a short history and outline of 

 which we had published in the Farm Journal just 

 twenty-six years ago, under the generic name of 

 Cocus. Science has accorded to us all the credit that 

 may attach to having been the original describer of 

 the insect ; has suppressed all subsequent specific 

 names, and adopted ours ; not because it was the 

 best or most appropriate, perhaps, but because it 

 was the first in the series of time. Well, there are 

 many things like this in the world, but we forbear 

 making comparisons between them. Mr. Putnam 

 and his colaborers, by their patience and long perse- 

 verance, have certainly developed more out of the 

 subject than we ever knew was in it, or perhaps ever 

 should have known if left to our own resources. 

 There is an entomological conundrum connected 

 with the local history of this insect that is not easily 

 solved. From 185i (perhaps earlier) to the out- 

 break of the Rebellion, the Linden and Maple trees, 

 as well as many of the grapevines, and other vege- 

 tation, were seriously infested by these insects, espe- 

 cially the first two named ; but from that period 

 down to the present time, their numbers gradually 

 diminished— indeed, we have not seen one in this 

 locality for five years. We are not aware that any 

 particular remedy was applied, except that the County 

 Commissioners felled half a dozen badly infested Lin- 

 den trees that stood in front of the "New Court House" 

 then being built in Lancaster. We are not sorry 

 that they have gone, but when they return again (If 

 ever) we shall avail ourselves of the advantages of 

 the literature upon the subject that has appeared 

 since our brief report. 



EsTES ifc Lauriat, of Washington street, Boston, 

 announce the " Fertis of Xorth America,^' in two 

 large 4to. volumes, at §30.00 (§15.00 per volume,) 

 witli plates. Plants drawn and colored after nature 

 by J. H. Erneston. Text by Prof. D. C. Eaton, of 

 Yale College, assisted by eminent naturalists. If 

 there are any among our readers who desire the best 

 publication upon this interesting branch of botany, 

 that has yet appeared in America, we would advise 

 them to get this one. If this work is really com- 

 pleted and on sale, we cannot understand how it is 

 that those who subscribed for it from the beginning 

 have not yet been furnished with the whole work. 

 Or, is this announcement premature? 



The Pitkin Independent. — A copy of this six- 

 column folio (No. 3, Vol. I, bearing date July 31, 

 1880,) has found its way to our editorial sanctum, 

 and, all things considered, it looks to us business 

 like. Pitkin, that two years ago, under the name of 

 Quartzville, and about 15,000 feet above sea level, 

 was a mere hamlet, now has a weekly newspaper, 

 which in size and "make-up" will compare favorably 

 with our oldest and largest dailies. Pitkin is one of 

 the new mining centres in Gunnison county, Colo- 

 rado, and already has its townordiuances and officers; 

 its doctors, attorneys, and notaries ; its dry goods, 

 hardware and grocery stores ; its tinsmiths, shoe 

 stores and jeweTcrs ; its bankers, grain dealers and 

 photographers ; its hotels, saloons and cigar depots ; 

 its painters, decorators and printers ; its Armstrong, 

 Main and Holiday str -ets ; its clothing stores, silver 

 platers and harness-makers, and of course its churches, 

 assay offices and liveries, and judging from the ad- 

 vertising patronage of its lively newspaper, we 

 would like to know what it hasn't got that is worth 

 having. God speed Pitkin in everything that can 

 legitimately claim a God speed. As a matter of 

 course it will have some things it ought not to have, 

 but the march of intelligence and moral integrity in 

 time will eliminate these. It is difficult for the con- 

 servative fogyism of the older States, to realize the 

 progressive expansion of the new — the toils they 

 have struggled with, the perils they have surmoun ted, 

 and "amidst close pressing enemies how still un- 

 danted they have endured and dared." On account 

 of its "plucky" and persevering denizens, among 

 whom one near and dear to us has cast his lot, we 

 feel more than an ordinary interest in its enterprises 

 and its institutions. May it aim to be a "city set on 

 a hill that cannot be hid." The Independent ie a 

 creditable specimen of frontier journalism." 



