126 



THE LANCASTER FARMER- 



[August, 



While there are different times for the different 

 varieties of erasses, the time of flowerine is the gen- 

 eral indication for the harvest to begin. At this 

 season the saccharine juices that go to form and de- 

 velop the seed are in the stalk and leaves, and if the 

 grass is then mowed it must of necessity be palata- 

 ble and succulent. 



Another argument advanced for cutting grass be- 

 fore the maturity of the seed, is that when the seed 

 is allowed to form the vitality of the grass becomes 

 impaired, a heavier draft is. made upon the soil, and 

 the meadow, in consequence, soon runs out. — N. Y. 

 World. 



Avoid Farm Mortgages. 

 Mr. H. A. Haigh, gives the following wholesome 

 advice on mortgages to farmers in the American 

 Agriculturist for August : 



Mortgages are necessary and beneficial in civilized 

 society, but there are unpleasant features about 

 them. They often enable a man to accomplish what 

 he could not otherwise do, and they also involve a 

 man who would have been otherwise successful. 

 They often enable a man to get out of trouble which 

 be could not otherwise avoid, and they perhaps 

 equally often make miserable a life which would 

 have otherwise been happy. It is easy to get them 

 on to the farm, but it is not always so easy to get 

 them off. Farm mortgages are about the best in 

 vestment that capital can find. Inventors generally 

 like them. They partake of the nature, permanence 

 and other substantial qualities of real property, but 

 are relieved from many burdens imposed upon land. 

 Therefore : — 1. Do not mortgage the farm unless 

 it seems absolutely necessary. But, as a general 

 rule is less valuable than a particular one, it may be 

 well to specify, by adding : 2. Do not mortgage to 

 build a fine house. By so doing you will have to pay 

 money for an investment which does not bring money. 

 3. Do not mortgage the farm to buy more land. 

 Where there is absolute certainty that more can be 

 made out of the land than the cost of the mortgage 

 this rule might not apply. But absolute certainty is 

 rare, mistaken calculation is common. 4. Do not 

 mortgage the farm unless you are sure of the con- 

 tinued fertility of its soil. Many persons borrow 

 with an expectation of repayment based on an ex- 

 perience of the land's virginity only, which, on fail- 

 ing, may leave the land less productive, and the 

 means of repayment thus be removed. In this way 

 trouble begins which may result in the loss of the 

 farm. Keep very clear of mortgages. 



^ 



The Crops of the Country. 

 Our commercial prosperity is based on the crops 

 and the crop situation, as compared with previous 

 years, may be briefly stated by giving the crops of 

 past years and the expections for this year. The 

 The wheat crop of the United States in 1877 was 

 36.5,000,000 bushels; in 1878, 420,000,000 bushels; 

 in 1879, 440,000,000 bushels; in 1880, 498,000,000 

 bushels; in 1881, 355,000,000; in 1S83, 515,000,000 

 bushels. The expectation for this year (after mak- 

 ing all reasonable allowances for damage to the win- 

 ter wheat in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, and for 

 drought in that part of the Red River Vall^ in Min- 

 nesota and everywhere else in the Northwest) is not 

 less than 450,000,000 bushels. The corn crop, which 

 is really of as much value as all the other grain crops 

 put together, presents the following record, viz : 

 Cropof 1877, 1,.S45,000,000 bushels; in 1878, 1,388,- 

 000,000 bushels; 1879, 1,. 548,000,000 bushels: 1880, 

 1,717,000,000 bushels; 1881, 1,194,000,000 bushels; 

 1882, 1,617,000,000 bushels. The present prospects 

 of the corn crop are more favorable than at this time 

 in the season for several years. The increase of acre- 

 age planted this year is 2, .500, 000 acres, or 3 8-00 per 

 cent. With an average yield per acre the total yield, 

 the total area should this year yield at least 

 1,7.50,000,000 bbshels, and with a good fair yield over 

 1,800,000,000 bushels. The New York Evening Post, 

 from which we take the above statement, says: It 

 will be seen by these prospective figures that, as far 

 as the crops are concerned, the prospect for railroad 



traffic was never better than at present. It would 

 require the most extraordinary change of weather 

 to disappoint the expectations as above for (he corn. 

 As for the wheat crop, it is now past all danger of 

 any further serious damage. These facts, howevei, 

 do not seem to count for much in the general de- 

 moralized condition of the stock market, though 

 they are having their effect upon the general pros- 

 pects for trade. — PhilacUlphia Ledger. 



The Old-Time Farmer and His \Ways. 



The grandfather of the present-day farmer for 

 every day had a linsey-woolsey suit, woven, cut and 

 fitted by his wife ; but for Sunday his glory was a 

 suit of thick, black broadcloth, kept religiously clean 

 and handed down to his son as an heir loom. Neither 

 himself nor family bought clothing, since the farm 

 produced all that was needed, and he thought him- 

 self ruined if he had to spend more than twenty dol- 

 lars a year for necessary articles which he could 

 neither raise nor make. He read little, and books 

 were scarce, but he talked much, and every item of 

 evidence points to the fact that he was the most in 

 quisitive man of any country or age. Every foreign 

 traveler who visited New England in the last cen- 

 tury hasiSometliing to tell of his sufferings at the in- 

 cessant questionings hejwas forced to endure. The 

 tavern-keeper, the farmers along the road, the 

 passers-by all plied their questions, and in spite of 

 his reluctance, usually extracted answers. Thus 

 the honest farmer kept himself informed at the ex- 

 pense of his neighbors, but in spite of his life of 

 gossip he %vas as punctilious in all matters of devo- 

 tion as could well be imagined. A drama was to 

 him a device of the devil, a novel was an abomina 

 tion. He seldom laughed, never jested, never spoke 

 or thought of dancing without abhorrence, nor ate 

 meals cooked on the Sabbath. Christmas and Easter 

 and Good Friday were to him snares set by the 

 Papal Antichrist. His children were rigidly brought 

 up in the same way as he himself had been. The 

 boy attended the district school for two months in 

 the winter time, when there was a " master" who 

 could do the proper" amount of flogging ; in the 

 summer the boys worked on the farm, the " master" 

 was discharged, anda "school ma'am" was employed 

 in his stead. The " master" and the " school- 

 ma'am " boarded round, taking turns with every 

 family in the district, and staying with each a length 

 of time proportioned to the number of children sent. 

 The only orthodox way, then, of getting ideas into 

 the heads of children, was to pound them in through 

 their backs with a stick, and if a "master" ven- 

 tured on innovations In this particular, the old farm- 

 ers of the neighborhood soon called him to order. If 

 the farmer's boy was unusually smart he sometimes 

 went to Yale or Harvard, and there was fed on 

 victuals that would now make a tramp fight. A pint 

 of coffee, a biscuit aud butter formed the breakfast ; 

 Monday and Thursday were "boiling days," the 

 other "roasting days." On " roasting days " there 

 were two potatoes and bre^ ; on " boilingdays " 

 there were cabbage, potatoes and pudding ; for sup 

 per every day there was a slice of bread and a bowl 

 of milk, or the unlucky wretch who was still hungry 

 bought more if he could or went hungry if he could 

 not. — St. Louis Olobe Democrat. 



HORT2CL .rURE. 



The Grape Vine in August. 



While grape vines have more enemies than almost 

 any other fruit-bearing plaot, they are, with the ex- 

 ception of the little understood "rot" easily managed 

 if taken in time. Mildew is usually prevalent this 

 month. If neglected, but little fruit can be hoped 

 for. Mildew is easily kept in subjection, if sulphur 

 be applied to them in time, as directed last month. 

 If a rain falls soon after sulphur has been used, the 

 application should be repeated If the vines are kept 

 well dusted with sulphur, the trouble will make but 

 little headway. The insects that infest the vines at 



this season are mainly large and solitary caterpillars 

 and beetles, destructive enough, but so scattered that 

 hand-picking is the only remedy that can be applied. 

 Where droppings are seen on the ground beneath the 

 vines, search for the caterpillar that made them. On 

 old vines there will often appear vigorous shoots from 

 the base, or at the root, and anywhere upon the old 

 stem. These, as a general thing, are not needed, 

 and should be removed as soon as noticed. If the lat- 

 erals continue to push out the new growth should be 

 pinched back, leaving the lower leaf. Where vines 

 trained to a trellis, have been shortened, the upper- 

 most bud will often start into growth. This should 

 be treated like a lateral, pinching it back to the low- 

 er leaf, and repeating the operation as often as a new 

 shoot starts. Those who grow grapes to compete 

 for prizes at the various exhibitions, sometimes thin 

 out the berries in the clusters, that the remaining 

 fruit may attain a larger size. — American Agricultur- 

 ist. 



Apples for Market. 



In selecting early apples, it is important to regard 

 appearance, as such fruit is judged by the eye. A 

 friend told us, a few years ago, that two trees of the 

 " Summer Queen" were the most profitable of any 

 in a large orchard. It is later than some others, but 

 its large sfze and showy character, it being hand- 

 somely striped aud shaded with red, caused it to 

 bring the highest price. Another very showy fruit — 

 and one of the most attractive — is the "Duchess of 

 Oldenburg." It ranks, perhaps, as an early autumn 

 rather than as a summer fruit, but is so hardy, pro- 

 ductive, aud handsome, that it should not be omit- 

 ted. Among other excellent early sorts are "Wil- 

 liam's Favorite," a handsome red fruit; " Tetofsky," 

 a Russian apple, now becoming very popular ; "Red 

 Astrachan," a beautiful red, but sour apple, and 

 perhaps more generally planted than any other ; 

 " Carolina Red June" is similar in color. "Early 

 Harvest," " High-top Sweet," " Large Yellow 

 Bough," and " Summer Pippin," are among the 

 best of the yellow or green apples. We have given 

 a sufficiently large selection for a market orchard. If 

 one wishes choice fruit for home use, he can find 

 nothing better than the "Primate," "Early Straw- 

 berry," "Summer Rose," and "Summer Sweet Para- 

 dise," but save the second named, they are not so de- 

 sirable for orchard culture. Selecting early apples, 

 and packing them carefully in new half-barrels, 

 lined with white paper, or in suitable crates, will 

 greatly increase the market returns for this kind of 

 fruit. — American Agriculturist for August. 



Early Greens for Next Spring. 



The city markets in the early part of spring, and 

 often in a mild spell in winter, abound in " greens." 

 and there is no reason why these should not he 

 equally abundant on every farm. Where the meat 

 served is to a great extent salted, green vegetables 

 are not only acceptable, but necessary to health. 

 Cabbage is for many so indigestible, that it can not 

 be eaten, and where this difficulty does not exist, a 

 variety is always welcome. SDinach,the most deli- 

 cate and palatable of all the vegetables used as 

 greens, can be raised on any good farm land, and 

 with very little trouble. The soil being well pre- 

 pared by the use of the plow and harrow, mark it 

 off in fifteen -inch drills, and sow the seed rather 

 thickly, covering h with about half an inch of soil. 

 Use a roller, or pat the soil down firmly with the hoe 

 or back of the spade. Some carefully go over the 

 rows and tread down the soil over them. The fall 

 rains soon bring up the plants ; they will grow 

 rapidly and be large enough to gather in September 

 or October. For use at this time, the plants, where 

 they are thickest, are to be cut out at intervals, using 

 a stout knife, leaving the remainder room to grow. 

 Where the winters are severe, scatter straw, leaves 

 or other litter between the rows, and slightly cover 

 the plants. As soon as the ground thaws, cuttings 

 may be made, and if this is done so as to thin the 

 plants a second time, the rest will grow all the 

 arger, and be ready to use later. " Sprouts," as it 



