62 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



'[April, 



I contradiction of terms— to transport the liquid 

 the solid form, instead of collecting it in 

 a cistern to receive it on an absorbent. Sun-dried 

 peat ; muck that has been frozen and dried ; sods 

 from the head-land ; straw from thrasher ; eea-weed ; 

 Bwale hay ; marsh grass ; leaves and sawdust ; are 

 all good absorbents. There is no difficulty in taking 

 up with one or another of these— all the liquid made 

 by farm stock kept in the barn. A mass two or 

 three feet in thickness, in the barn cellar, will take 

 up the liquid, and retain all its fertilizing qualities 

 without much loss. This compost made under cover 

 retains everything valuable in the solid and liquid 

 excretions of the cattle, and the mass is in a tit con- 

 dition to be spread as a top-dressing upon grass laud 

 at any season of the year, or to be incorporated into 

 the soil for any cultivated crops; every particle of 

 the compost becomes, so to speak, a cistern for hold- 

 ing what is valuable in the liquid manure. Thus 

 there is no waste in carting a vast amount of water 

 to the fields. The fertilizing material is distributed 

 In the compost, as it is mixed with the soil, and the 

 process is completed by the rainfall. All the riches 

 of the barn cellar are thus placed economically 

 within reach of the roots of plants. 



Cornstalks as Manure. 



A New York correspondent of The Canada Farmer 

 writes: A few years ago, having a field of sowed 

 corn of good heavy growth, I made an estimate of 

 the green weight of the stalks growing on an acre 

 by counting and weighing measured sections of dif- 

 ferent parts of the Held, and found the amount to be 

 thirty-six tons to the acre, which I see corresponds 

 with the weight of the best crops reported by others. 

 As I intended to plow under part of the field I esti- 

 mated that the amount of vegetable matter, counting 

 the stumps and all would not be less than forty tons 

 per acre to use for green manuring, and as this was 

 a heavier amount than I could expect to get. from 

 anything else than that for the purpose, I was in 

 hopes to find that it would do the land the most 

 good. To plow under such a crop and have it all 

 covered deep and nicely under ground required some 

 practice. I did it in the following manner : With a 

 long chain a team was hitched to the rear of the 

 farm roller, and as they were driven alongside the 

 standing corn the roller was made to crush the corn 

 flat to the ground by a man holding the tongue and 

 stearing it into it. In this way it was laid down in a 

 way fit for plowing. Then with a large plow and 

 wheel coulter I was able to turn it under deep and 

 nice. A.fter plowing (it being about the first of Sep- 

 tember) the furrows were rolled down, dragged and 

 sowed to rye, thinking to plow that under the follow- 

 ing spring in the time for planting the whole field in 

 potatoes, and expecting then to see a marked differ- 

 ence in the crop in favor of this piece with two green 

 crops plowed under, compared with the rest of the 

 land having no manure . But in this I was much dis- 

 appointed, fori have not to this day seen any differ- 

 ence in the way of this better than the rest of the 

 field. After plowing in a clover crop in the same 

 way, I have, after a week, found it rotting fast under 

 the furrow ; but this corn after three weeks, seems 

 to be about as green as when first plowed under ; 

 and again, after six weeks, I found it was not rotting, 

 eo that finally, after plowing under the rye the fol- 

 lowing spring I had to run tlie plow very shallow to 

 avoid tearing up the tough and partially green stalks 

 of the sound corn. By this I was pretty well con 

 vinced of iti keeping qualities when buried under 

 ground or packed in the soil. As is so much recom- 

 mended in the practice of ensilage. 



As to the value of such corn for feeding purposes, 

 I find it worth most to feed green from the field to 

 cattle and horses in August and September, when 

 the pastures are becoming dry and the feed short. 

 Then if any is left, cut and stand it into large stacks 

 to remain until about the time they are wanted to 

 feed in the spring, unless it was cut and stored in a 

 green state as referred to above or winter green food. 



In conclusion, I wish to state that although the 

 plowing under of sowed corn seems rather a failure 

 for enriching the land, still I have great faith in 

 green manuring, that it will enrich our land the 

 cheapest of any way, and for the purpose would use 

 first of all tlover ; but if that failed, would Imme- 

 diately after harvest till the stubble and sow it to 

 rye or oats to plow under. I find two great reasons 

 for doing this, for I thus obtain a good clean vege- 

 table growth to plow under, and also by preoccupy- 

 ing the land with such a crop it is kept from seeding 

 Itself to foul grasses and iveeds, to be a detriment to 

 the land ; for I find that manure is always ready 

 soon to start something growing there, if I should 

 fail to. I also after any hoed crop sow it again in 

 the same when there is time to obtain any reason- 

 able growth— to oats if only for a fall crop, or to 

 rye if it can remain until some time into the next 



Cabbage, containing as it does, a lurge per cent, 

 of phosphoric acid makes one of the most valuable 

 kinds of food for young pigs, calves and chickens. 

 All young animals require a bountiful supply of 

 phosphatic food to make bone. Clover is next in 

 value to cabbage. 



Horticulture. 



The Cow Pea. 



The value of this pea, if its advantages were 

 known, would be great; butasit has been principally 

 grown in the South, it is only very recently that it 

 has been brought to the attention of Northern 

 farmers. Even in the South it has not received the 

 notice due to a plant so important to agriculture in 

 that section as it deserves, for it has really been the 

 means of rescuing some of the Southern plantations 

 from total exhaustion. The cow pea, though called 

 a pea, is properly a bean. It will grow on soil that 

 scarcely produces anything, but is, however, sensible 

 to the efl'ects of good manuring, and rewards the 

 farmer for such treatment with bountiful yields. It 

 is indigenous to the Middle States and the South, 

 preferring a warm season and dry soil. There are 

 a great many varieties of it, the most prolific being 

 the Crowder; but the " black-eyed " is preferred for 

 the table. 



As a renovator of the soil, next to clover, it has no 

 equal. Growingwith a heavv, dense foliage, ploughed 

 under just at the period of blossoming, it makes a 

 splendid green manure, rotting quickly and produc- 

 ing lasting efi'eots. It can be grown for this pur- 

 pose on land that will not produce clover, and that is 

 a very important item. On inferior land that has 

 had a crop of cow peas turned under, if a light 

 sprinkling of lime is added, a venture may safely be 

 made with clover the following year. It is planted 

 about the same time with corn. It can be sown for 

 hay, but care must be taken in harvesting it properly. 

 If allowed to get too ripe the leaves will crumble off 

 after it is stowed away in the loft; but if cut when in 

 full blossom, or just as the young pods begin to 

 form, and then cured like ordinary liay, it will keep 

 well all the winter. Cows eat it with a relish, and 

 for sheep nothing is eqiWl to it— they eat it up clean, 

 being very fond of It. The seeds are more nutritious 

 than our ordinary white bean, stock preferring it 

 when cooked to corn or meal, while calves are raised 

 on them with ease where it is desirable to wean early. 

 For the table they are cooked not only when dry, but 

 when green, being a favorite dish on Virginia and 

 Carolina tables. There is a prejudice against it on 

 the part of those not familiar with it on account of 

 the dark color it takes when cooked; but if the 

 nutritious qualities of the pea were fully known no 

 difficulty would be experienced in making it a staple 

 article of food. 



The cow pea is worthy of being introduced to every 

 farmer. Its value as an article of food for man and 

 beast, the large crops of fodder (or bushy vine) it 

 produces, its adaptation to the lightest and poorest 

 soils and its usefulness as a green manurial crop, 

 place it far above many other plants that are grown 

 to its exclusion. It has no enemies among the in- 

 sects, and is in that particular free from damage. 

 A heavy crop of it will so completely cover the 

 ground that not even a ray of sunshine can enter, 

 and it is often necessary to pass over the vines with 

 a heavy roller in order to get them plouglied under. 

 From twenty to forty bushel of the peas are usually 

 produced to an acre, and if they have been well 

 manured previous to seeding the crop of hay will be 

 very large One of the most important advantages 

 the pea confers on land is the shading it gives, some 

 experienced farmers contending that by this method 

 it rather improves the soil than injures it. A small 

 outlay will enable any one- to try the cow pea, and 

 those who have not grown it should do so. 



tion, a generation after the good old fathers that 

 had planted them had passed away. In foliage, 

 flower or fruit, it is a beauty. It is of the myrtle 

 family, but must stand at the head, as the fruit is 

 valuable, will keep forever, almost, and will stand 

 transportation to any corner of our vast country. It 

 can be planted with success, from six to eight feet 

 apart, in orchard and in hedge, the same as the 

 Osage orange, and will bear any amount of pruning. 

 It will do well in any portion of the State, and this 

 notice of it is particularly dedicated to our lady 

 friends of the northern counties, who may not be 

 familiar with tbe habits and uses of this charming, 

 beautiful and useful plant. The rind of the fruit is 

 used here as a useful astringent in sore throat as a 

 gargle, the seeds as a febrifuge, and the root and 

 bark in diarrhoea. If this notice will call the atten- 

 tion of our refined and cultured people to this beau- 

 tiful industry, I will feel hiirhly repaid.-ios Angeles 

 Letter in San Francisco Call. 



To Cut Sods. 

 Take a board eight to nine inches wide, four to 

 six feet long, and cut downward all around the 

 board, then turn the board over and cut again 

 alongside the edge of the board, and so on as many 

 sods as needed. Then cut the turf with a sharp 

 spade, all the same lengths. Begin at one end, and 

 roll together. Eight inches by five feet is about as 

 much as a man can handle conveniently. It is very 

 easy to load them on a wagon, cart or barrow, and 

 they can be quickly laid. After laying a good niece, 

 sprinkle a little with a watering pot, if the sods are 

 dry ; then use the back of the spade to smooth them 

 a little. If a very fine efi'ect is wanted, throw a 

 shovelful or two of good earth over each square 

 yard, and smooth it with the back of a steel rake.— 

 Country Gentleman. 



A Diflficulty with Shrubberies. 

 Shrubs, when set in the grass of a lawn, are often 

 dwarfed by the the turf which surrounds them. 

 Spading about them only partly removes the diffi- 

 culty as the spaded ground never extends to the 

 length of the roots which always run at least as far 

 each way as the height of the shrubs. Besides, the 

 ground is necessarily more or less defaced by the 

 operation. The true remedy is top dressing. Super 

 phosphate, on such soils as are benefited by it, will 

 answer a good purpose and not present an unsightly 

 appearance like coarse manure. Finely pulverized 

 old manure will not be objectionable. In many 

 cases liquid manure for small plants will answer 

 well. The top dressing should be done in Autumn or 

 very early in spring, and special care must be taken 

 to extend it as far from the stems as above indi- 

 cated. 



The Pomegranate. 



The orange, lemon, lime and citron have been well 

 written up (not exhausted) by practical men who 

 have devoted much time to these industries as a 

 source of living and profit. My observations on 

 these matters have been limited to pleasure and rec- 

 reation. The pomegranate has not received merited 

 consideration. It can hardly be dignified with the 

 name of tree, but in good soil will reach the height 

 of twenty feet. We know it here as a beautiful orna- 

 mental shrub, bearing a beautiful fruit. Our Castil- 

 ian friends appreciate it, as they have experience in 

 its cultivation and uses. They know it. as the 

 Granada, and have given a beautiful city its name. 



In our mystic circles it is recognized as the emblem 

 of abundance, and justly so. Apart from the treatise 

 on this beautiful plant by excellent medical au- 

 thority, our Spanish friends have long learned from 

 the Moors and their ancestors along both sides of the 

 Mediterranean, to value this lovely shrub for its 

 beauty and usefulness. In a hot summer's day there 

 is nothing so charmingly delicious as a saucer of the 

 pomegranate seed, sprinkled with pulverized sugar. 

 It is cooling and refreshing, and a most agn^eable 

 febrifuge. In orchard or hedge it is pleasing to the 

 eye of the cultivated taste. It is a hardy plant, easy 

 of propagation— from the natutal seed or from the 

 slip or cutting. The latter is the easiest, as you are 

 as sure of the cutting as you would be of that of the 

 willow, and with this advantage, that it does not re- 

 quire the moisture that the willow does. I have 

 seen the charming plants in some of our deserted 

 missions, clinging to life without care or cultiva- 



Onions. 

 Onions require rich soil and clean culture. A 

 newly reclaimed swamp is the best soil, and the 

 longer it is kept in onions the better they succeed. 

 The seed is sown in drills nine to twelve inches apart, 

 and thinned out to three or,' four inches in the rows . 

 High manuring is required, and with thoroughly 

 rotted stable m'anure superphosphate of lime is the 

 best artificial help. 



Domestic Economy. 



Butter Salt. 

 The salt used is of greater importance than might 

 be considered. The usual impurities of salt are 

 chloride and sulphate of lime and chloride and sul- 

 phate of magnesia. Lime mixed with fats combines 

 and forms an insoluble white soap. When lime is 

 present in salt, small, white specks of soapy sub- 

 stance, are found in the butter, thus injuring its 

 keeping qualities. Magnesia is bitter, and if this is 

 present the flavor is injured, so that it is of the 

 greatest importance to have the purest salt. Unfor- 

 tunately, our American salt is not of sufficient purity 

 or uniformity for dairy purposes, and the best quali- 

 ties only of English salt should be used. Of these 

 there are two kinds on the market, known as the 

 Ashton, and Higgin's Eureka. The latter is fast 

 superseding the former on account of its perfect 

 purity, uniformity of grain and freedom from objec- 

 tionable scale. As the difference in price between 

 good and bad salt is very small, and the difference 

 between good and bad butter is very large, the extra 

 cost of a sack of the best salt may easily be saved 

 upon one pail of butter. A hundred pounds of salt 

 will pack l,tiOO pounds of butter, and two to five 

 cents a pound on this quantity may easily be lost by 

 means of bad salt, making a loss of $30 to $S0 to 

 offset the gain of one dollar, or less.— flenry Stew- 

 art i;4 Sural Hew Yorker. 



Take Care of the Matches 

 In nothing about the household does the injunc- 

 tion to have " a place for everything " require more 

 strict enforcement than in the care of matches. 

 What are known as "Parlor Matches " light the 



