1883.J 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



149 



provides a direct course for the passage of the 

 fluids absorbed by the roots, to the most re- 

 mote portion of tlic leaves. One of the most 

 importuiit functions of the leaves is llie col- 

 lecting of carbonic acid <;as from the air, and 

 by the action of their green coloring matter, 

 to combine it with the elements of tlie sap to 

 form the constituents of growth. These com- 

 pounds containing carbon form about fifty 

 per cent, of the bulk of the plaut, so we see 

 that the leaves are really the most active por- 

 tions of the vegetable organism, collecting 

 fully one-half the food, and combining it with 

 that furnished by the roots into the complex 

 constituents of the perfectly developed plant. 

 The chemical processes, wliich occur in the 

 leaf are too complicated for discussion here, 

 but its anatonomy, the utility of all its parts 

 and the harmony with which they perform 

 their work, are easily understood, and furnish 

 us one of the best examples of the detailed 

 perfection of nature's work. — W. E. Stone, in 



American Agrindturalist. 



^ 



THE FEEDING VALUE OF FOODS. 

 The feeding o'f animals with foods contain- 

 ing the proper proportions of substances 

 necessary to promote growth or ftit is a very 

 important branch of knowledge, and those 

 who fully understand how to procure the 

 largest supply of available matter from the 

 several kinds of feed allowed to stock will de- 

 rive more satisfactory results than tliose who 

 feed as a routine, without having any special 

 purpose to accomplish by so doing. Although 

 animals are not confined to any particular 

 diet exclusively where they can be obtained 

 from the feed, whether it be concentrated or 

 bulky, is classed under the heads of protein, 

 cross-hydrates, fat and ash. Protein is that 

 substance which is principally found in lean 

 meat, the white of eggs and in the blood, be- 

 ing nitrogenous, while the carbohydrates in- 

 clude starch, woody fibre, sugar, etc., and de- 

 rive the name from the fact that they are 

 composed (no matter in what form we possess 

 them) of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Fat 

 exists in plants, also, but in small quantities. 

 Ash relates to the mineral substances, which 

 supplies the bones and tissues. 



As the matter which is appropriated by the 

 animal is composed of these four substances — 

 protein, carbo-hydrates, fat and asli — it is at 

 once apparent that, in order to feed to tlie 

 best advantage, some consideration must be 

 given the character of the food allowed, and 

 instead of feeding indiscriminately, certain 

 quantities and proportions must be used. 

 Many valuable experiments have been made 

 for the purpose of testing grains and fodders, 

 in order to estimate their value for feeding, 

 and we are gradually arriving to that point at 

 which the aid of investigations will be used in 

 order to feed animals according to age, period 

 of growth and weight of carcass. For in- 

 stance, by the use of 100 pounds of ordinary 

 hay the supply of digestible nutriment will be 

 a fraction over five pounds of protein, forty- 

 three pounds of carbo-hydrates and about a 

 pound of fat. While only a pound of protein 

 can be extracted from the same quantity of 

 digestible material in mangolds, with ten 

 pounds of carbo-hydrates and no fat. The 

 difference between the nutritious matter of 

 hay and mangolds at once enables the stock- 



breeder to discard the mangolds altogether or 

 use a less quantity of hay and supply the de- 

 ficiency with mangolds. Any number of sub- 

 stances can be used, provided they are fed 

 proportionately to value, the object being to 

 neither have an exces.s nor deficit of any sub- 

 stance that enters into composition of the 

 body. 



What is given in shape of bulky material, 

 such as hay and straw, can also be found in 

 grains, which possess nutriment in a more 

 concentrated form. Using wlieat straw as 

 compared with corn, the straw contains about 

 tliree pounds of protein to the 100 pounds, 

 wliile corn contains over ten. It is necessary, 

 therefore, to lessen the supply of straw and 

 add corn to complete the proportion of por- 

 tein ; and as the straw contains about 40 per 

 cent of crude fibre, which is almost useless, 

 while corn contains less than 2 per cent, the 

 waste in the system is much less from the 

 corn. The straw, though containing less fat, 

 contains a larger amount of ash, and there is 

 no kind of material used that is deficient in 

 one direction but what is overabundant in 

 other respects. 



By directing attention to the^tudy of food 

 composition there is another object to impress 

 on the stock-breeder, which is that by feeding 

 a varsity of food the animal will grow faster, 

 fatten more readily and keep in a healthier 

 condition than by using a single article of 

 diet. Although it is not every farmer who 

 makes it a duty to feed for nutritive value 

 only, yet they know by experience that cer- 

 tain foods give certain results ; but the field 

 is still open for more knowledge in that direc- 

 tion, and every farmer should avail himself 

 of the privilege of obtaining it. — Philadelphia 

 Record. 



PENNSYLVANIA LANDS. 

 The Bradford Era is authority for the 

 statement that there are in Bradford county 

 alone 100,000 acres of land, regarded as barren 

 by most who see them, but which can, never- 

 theless, by means of careful farming, such as 

 is given to lands here in Lancaster county, be 

 made to produce more wheat, corn, vegeta- 

 bles and all other crops than twice the number 

 of acres of those lands which western railroads 

 have to sell. We haven't the least doubt 

 about, it. In northern, central and nortli- 

 western Pennsylvania there are hundreds of 

 tliousands of acres of virgin soil that can be 

 converted into tlie most productive farming 

 lands in the State. These lands are to be had 

 very cheap, so cheap, in fact, tliat there seems 

 to be no inducement to the farmer who pro- 

 poses to migrate to a country of cheap lands 

 to do so. All that is needed is careful methods 

 and plenty of work. The two things will not 

 only bring large crops of all kinds, but the 

 lands themselves will rapidly grow in value. 

 To these strong inducements may be added 

 many others. Tlie man who goes there can 

 hardly be said to have sought a new home. 

 He remains in his own State. He does not go 

 among strangers ; he knows the class of people 

 among whom he casts his lot ; he is virtually 

 among his friends, men who feel and think as 

 he does ; he goes to a climate as healthy as 

 any in the world perhaps ; he is not far re- 

 moved from the great markets of the country ; 

 half a day's ride will take him either to New 



York or Philadelphia ; he goes to a place 

 where schools and churches and all the luxu- 

 ries of life are at his command, where, in 

 fact, he possesses a thousand advantages and 

 very few drawliacks. 



We liave often wondered why the men who 

 literally bury themselves in the remote West, 

 simply because they can get lands at a few 

 dollars per acre, do not cast their thoughts to 

 the advantages their own State offers tliem. 

 They evidently are unac(iuainted with tlie 

 opportunities that lie almost at their own 

 doors, and of which they can avail themselves 

 far more easily tlian they can of those offered 

 by distant States. The farmer who believes 

 he can better his condition by going elsewlierc 

 should, before he makes up his mind to 

 leave tliis State, take a run into the north- 

 western and northern counties. A few weeks 

 leisurely spent there in spying out the land 

 and examining into its capabilities and he 

 will find himself confronted by such a favor- 

 able array of circumstances that he will be 

 likely to conclude the advantages he is in 

 searcli of are nearly all to be found at home. 

 Pennsylvania is by no means a finished or 

 completed State. There is room for a large 

 addition to her agricultural population. It 

 miglit be increased fifty per cent, without 

 taking up all lands that yet lie untitled. She 

 has plenty of inducements to offer to energetic 

 men who are not afraid of work. It don't 

 require much capital to begin farming there. 

 The same money that will buy a farm in 

 Kansas or Minnesota will buy one in the 

 region we have indicated. Stock can be had 

 nearly as cheaply ; agricultural imi>lements 

 more cheaply ; in short, the man with limited 

 means may find he can do as well here as any- 

 where else. The time and money it will cost 

 him to travel into distant regions in search of 

 a new home may be profitably invested in one 

 near by. In short, we believe it will pay men 

 to investigate the advantages of Pennsylvania 

 before they strike into distant regions in search 

 of homes and fortune. — New Era. 



HOW SWEET POTATOES SHOULD BE 

 KEPT. 



As this matter is now to be considered, and 



as the farmers outside of sweet potato regions 

 find much difticulty in saving the few that 

 they raise for their own consumption, as well 

 also vihen they wish to put up enough for 

 winter of other people's raising, we have to say 

 that we have seen a number of methods recom- 

 mended, and liave some experience ourselves. 

 The following looks as tliough it might an- 

 swer very well, and it is adopted by an experi- 

 enced Jersey grower, and we think that there 

 is little risk run in following it : The potatoes 

 are dug after the first sharp frost, and left to 

 lay as dug until near evening, when they are 

 covered with tlie vines. In the morning the 

 vines are removed and the sun goes on with 

 the drying process. This is pursued for four 

 or five days, when they become thoroughly 

 dry. They are then carefully carried into the 

 cellar, where they arc put on slielves in single 

 layers, standimj on their eruls, by which any 

 rotten ones can be easily seen and removed, 

 and the air has free circulation. Warmth 

 has a great deal to do with preserving the 

 sweet potatoes ; hence, if the cellar is not 

 naturally warm, they should be put into a 



