28 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[February, 



sewing-macliine lias completely revolutionized 

 the business and brought about the invention 

 of machine-twist. American sewing silk has 

 an extremely high standard of purity — a fact 

 which lias naturally helped to drive out Eng- 

 lish goods which, by the addition of dye, are 

 made to yield from eighteen to twenty-five 

 pounds for each pound of raw silk. Thou- 

 sands of cords of white birch from Maine are 

 annually converted into spools, and many 

 English makers come to the United States for 

 these little articles, which an ingenious ma- 

 chine centres and prints — printing on the 

 wood is preferred to labeling — at the rate of 

 100 a minute. The cabinets given by manu- 

 facturers to new customers with the Srst 

 purchase cost about 1^ per cent, of the total 

 sales; one firm has spent .SloO.OOO in this sort 

 of advertising. A S50 cabinet is nothing out 

 of the way, and at times their value will reach 

 S300 or $450. In dress goods, plain black 

 fabrics are the harde-t to make, as every de- 

 fect in them is perceptible, and until a very 

 recent period their successful manufacture 

 was scarcely expected in the United Slates, 

 principally on account of the costliness of the 

 skilled labor required. Now nearly a third of 

 the plain silks are made here, and the indus- 

 try is making steady progress, thanks especi- 

 ally to the care given to the quality of the 

 article, while European manufactures are 

 only too apt to load theirs with dye. A simple 

 test is to burn a small quantity of the threads, 

 pure silk will immediatly crisp and leave a 

 pure charcoal; heavily-dyed silk will smoulder 

 and leave a yellow, greasy ash. Very few 

 velvets are manufactured in the United States, 

 but the production of figured dress silks, 

 grenadines, satins and the like, is large and 

 growing; American linings have a high repu- 

 tation, and American ingenuity has proved 

 equal to the task of producing a satisfactory 

 and lasting silk for umbrellas. Silk handker- 

 chiefs have come into vogue during the last 

 eight years and especially since the Centen- 

 nial Exhibition. The manufacture of rib- 

 bons began in 18G1 as~an experiment, there 

 being a demand for particular shades, which, 

 it was thought, could be more speedily met by 

 making than by importing. Now the busi- 

 ness has grown to great proportions. Curi- 

 ously enough, nearly all the designs for 

 American ribbons originate in American fac- 

 tories, frequently months in advance- of the 

 introduction of the goods into the market. 



COAL TAR AND ALKALI IN PEACH 

 CULTURE. 



Apropos to what has been said about pro- 

 tecting peach stems from borers and from 

 yellows by scalding the trees, and putting 

 gas tar-impregnated sawdust or sand about 

 the collar, Mr. Storm, of E9,st Tyrone, Pa., 

 reports that having some peach trees aljout as 

 far gone as they could be to retain any life, a 

 nurseryman whom he consulted about tarring 

 the stems, told him that it was not mucli 

 difference what he used, for trees so far gone 

 did not recover, but tarring the whole .stem 

 would be sure to finish them. Mr. S., think- 

 ing that desperate cases need desperate reme- 

 dies, and wishing to experiment further with 

 tar, cleaned out a basin round the base of the 

 trees and poured in a pool of tar, entirely 

 surrounding and soaking the collar, as he had 



done with advantage before to some borer- 

 infected apple trees. 



The result was that the peach trees threw 

 out strong, healthy shoots the next season, 

 and have maintained vigorous growth during 

 two seasons since. Other cases within the 

 experience of the writer have proved that tar, 

 or even coal oil, can be applied to the bark of 

 young trees with impunity during the winter, 

 but a coating of it in the summer is speedily 

 fatal. A workman, however, once mistaking 

 directions, added a quantity of tar to a wash 

 of soap and sulphur, which he was directed to 

 apply to the stems of some young orchard 

 trees in June. The tar, not mixing well, 

 showed itself in daubs and streaks liere and 

 there on the stems, covering them nearly or 

 quite half, and, being irremovable, was an 

 eyesore for years. None of the trees suffered 

 eriously, however, excepting in a few cases, 

 where they had a heavy coat; these took on 

 the appearance of being bark-bound and im- 

 peded in their growth. 



In Mr. Rutter's late excellent work on the 

 peach, he shows that the free use of alkaline 

 washes and manures, especially potash and 

 lime, will preserve a peach orchard from the 

 yellows, as well as from other destroyers of its 

 fertility. Mr. Eutter has had thirty-hve years 

 of very extensive and varied experience, and 

 his reliability is beyond question. So far as re- 

 gards the borers, the carbolic acid of coal tar 

 Is most convenient and effective. It mixes in 

 water well by stirring it first into hot, strong 

 soapsuds. A pint of the crude acid, costing 

 '25 cents, is recommended to four or five gal- 

 lons of soft soap; which, diluted, will make 

 twenty gallons of wash, to be applied in June, 

 and again in August for assured effectiveness, 

 although the Jime application usually suffices. 



POINTS IN COWS. 



Points in stock are the badges of purity. 

 What are known as "points" are certain 

 conformations, outlines of shapes and marks 

 of color which specify that the animal pos- 

 sessing them is truly and distinctly a member 

 of the class demanding the specifications pos- 

 sessed. The average farmer gives but little 

 attention to the finer points, but with his ex- 

 perience, and habit of association, judges very 

 critically at times. While farmers are seem- 

 ingly anxious to improve, they endeavor to do 

 so without knowing in which direction to 

 benefit themselves. Nearly every farmer 

 claims to be an expert at selecting milch 

 cows, yet in breeding his stock he does not 

 consider first what he is to breed for. Does 

 he stop to consider tvhether he wishes the off- 

 spring of his favorite cow to be a superior 

 milker or a great butter producer ? The in- 

 fluence of the sire is to be considered above 

 all others in such a matter. Jersey bulls are 

 scattered far and wide now, and are within 

 the reach of all, and yet the dairyman who 

 sends his milk to market, and cares not to 

 make butter, is foolish in patronizing Jersey 

 bulls. The Jerseys are for butter-producing 

 only, and are not heavy milkers. The milk 

 such cows give is very rich; it is almost pure 

 cream; but it does not come up in quantity. 

 The farmer who desires large yields of milk 

 from cows should seek to have transmitted to 

 his young stock the blood of the Holstein or 



Ayrshire; for, although the milk from cows of 

 these breeds is not as rich in quality as that 

 from the Jerseys or Guernseys, they greatly 

 excel them in quantity. Thus, those farmers 

 living within reach of clieese factories can 

 better promote their interests by selecting 

 Holsteins or Ayrshires for improving their 

 stock; while those who send butter to market 

 should have nothing but the butter-producers. 



A great milker shows her qualities in her 

 looks and make-up. The eyes and hair also 

 give good indications. The first point for a 

 farmer's observation, and the principal one, is 

 to observe that she does not show a tendency 

 to become "beefy," or rounding with points 

 that denote good fattening qualities. A first- 

 class cow does not take on fat as a rule, but is 

 rather bony and ugly-looking. The shape of 

 the Jersey should be deer-like, with a large, 

 mild-looking eye and soft feeling of hide to 

 the touch. The udder should be full, reach- 

 ing far up at the rear. One of the most 

 prominent points is the large milk ducts 

 (sometimes as large as a person's arm) run- 

 ning from the udder to the middle of the 

 stomach. They are sure indications of good 

 milking qualities. Jerseys have black nozzles 

 and tongues, the udder being usually smoother 

 than in other breeds, and velvet-like when 

 examined by touch. The Holsteins are a 

 very large breed of cows, equaling the Short- 

 horns in size, but largely excelling them in 

 milking qualities. The young male calves 

 from such cows can be kept with profit, as 

 the Holsteins, when fed for the purpose, 

 make not only good beef but equal to the best. 

 Oxen from this stock are nearly equal to the 

 Devons. Their color is usually black and 

 white. 



But in endeavoring to breed for milk it 

 should not be forgotten that two excellent 

 characteristics are rarely found in a single 

 breed. Thus we must not expect to find 

 good milkers among the Shorthorns, nor have 

 choice beef from the milch cows. A cow can- 

 not make milk and beef at the same time. If 

 her tendencies are toward milk she will be 

 hard to fatten; if she keeps extra fat it means 

 that she is a better flesh-former than a milk- 

 producer. A great deal depends on the feed, 

 as a m,itter of course; but the breed must 

 first be taken into consideration, if an in- 

 crease in the herd is contemplated. — Philadel- 

 phia liecord. 



Our Local Organizations. 



AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTU- 

 RAL SOCIETY. 



The horny-fisted sons of toil turned out fairly well 

 dt the meeting on iMonday afternoon, February 6th, 

 18S2, but the horny-fisted daughter was conspicuous 

 by her absence. She did not respond to the invita- 

 tion extended to her at the last meeting, although 

 Mr. Calvin Cooper, the mover of the invitation, ex- 

 plained that he had induced Mrs. C. to come far 

 enough to ascertain that no ladies were present, and 

 — well when a woman won't she won't, you know. 

 It was whispered around, however, that there was a 

 little more punctiliousness observable in the appear- 

 ance of some of the bachelor and younger members 

 by reason of the anticipated influx of farmeresses, so 

 to speak. 



The following were present: President, Joseph F. 

 Witmer, of Paradise; James Wood, Oak Hill; Calvin 

 Cooper, Bird in-Hand; M. D. Kendig, Creswell; F. 



