676 
THE TRO!-^CAL AGftlCULTURiST. [March r, 1892. 
ALL SMALL HOLDINGS. 
The following is his description of what farming 
will be when science has revolutionised agriculture : — 
t- Oiu- farms are all small holdings, the lai-gest be- 
ing fifty acres, while the ordinary size is ten acres. 
Each homestead is located about ten rods from the 
asphalt roadway, while the barn (we have but one 
barn on a farm in America) is located in the centre 
of the farm. A pneumatic tube running under ground 
connects the cellar of the house with the barn, so 
that when having no other means of transit, except 
to walk, persons may enter the pouch of the tube 
and be conveyed to and from the barn with electric 
rapidity. Horses are used by some farmers, but 
generally vehicles having pneumatic rubber-tired 
bicycle wheels, with ball bearings, are conveyed from 
point to point by jneans of electric motors stored 
beneath the wagon bed. 
ELECTRICITY AND AGlilCULTURE. 
The influence of electricity on our farming occu- 
pation is exceedingly great. Every farmer has an 
electric plant in his house, which connects with 
the whole establishment, and not only materially 
lightens the labour of the women, but assist in farm- 
work in many particulars. In the house the rooms 
are lighted by electricity ; doors and windows are 
opened and closed by pressing an electric button; 
butter extractors are operated by electric power; 
an inverted brush-box with a handle, worked by a 
motor, is passed over the floor to sweep, requiring 
simply the guidance of hand power ; dish-washing 
machines are run by the lightning-like fluid, and 
likewise the elevator in houses two stories high ; 
all cooking is conducted in electric stoves ; and all 
clothing is washed and ironed by simple, inexpensive 
machinery, run by electricity. 
On the farm, electricity serves many important 
purposes. Barn doors are operated by electric power ; 
and electric fork conveys the hay and fodder from 
the wagon to the barn, and from mow to manger ; 
automatic electric shovels clean out the manure 
troughs behind the cattle ; the farm bell is rung by 
electricity ; ploughs, mowing machines, hay tedders 
and rakes are operated by electric motors ; and all 
animals are slaughtered by means of electric con- 
nection. It has been demonstrated that electrically 
grown vegetables are of superior quality and tend- 
erness. Lines of electric wires distributed through 
the propagating pits, and even in the fields on the 
farm, have greatly increased the yield and early 
maturity of crops, while destroying all fungus growth 
and insects adjacent to the wires. 
INSECTICULTURE. 
Everybody possesses apparatus for spraying plants 
for the destruction of injurious insects and fungi 
and he would be considered a singular farmer at 
the present day who neglected to use his insecti- 
cides and fungicides. Injurious insects, however, are 
held in check by many farmers by the use of bene- 
ficial insects. On every well-regulated farm are 
mall pens for breeding beneficial insects. Farmers 
propagating beneficial insects train them to come at the 
call of a whistle, so that the trained ones are easily 
collected in the field whenever desired. 
The care of our live stock has been reduced to 
such a science, that seemingly a maximum of profit 
is secured. Animals of all classes are fed on a 
scientific basis. By following the directions of the 
Henri Prescription Book, one is enabled to deposit 
alternate layers of lean and fat upon the aniunxl 
carcass, or entirely one or the other. Through our 
knowledge of the effects of food upon the animal 
Bystem, we are also enaliled to secure nothing but 
pure creajn from our cows, if we see fit, or the 
reverse. 
Automatic milking (Machines are commonly used 
here now. None of our American cattle have horns, 
tliougl) two hundred yeais ago hornless cattle were 
uncommon. 
(iUOWINd MANUHK. 
I'erhaps one of tlie most important discoveries yet 
made by one of our Htatiynsj is the method of pro- 
ducing root nodules on clover and other leguminous 
plants, which contain nitrogen. By a careful system 
in-and-in breeding we have produced a number of 
nodule-bearing varieties of clover and alfalfa that 
yield us great quantities of nitrogenous fertiliser. 
The roots, differing from those of ordinary vari- 
eties, grow near the surface, like potatoes. At the 
proper time of maturity they are ploughed out, and 
the nodules which are of good size are uncovered, 
dried and ground, thus furnishing a most important 
source of nitrogen. In consequence of our excessive 
care and judicious use of manures at the present 
time, we gather an average of fifty bushels of wheat 
per acre, where we grew but twelve a century ago, 
and shell two hundred bushels of corn per acre, where 
we formerly harvested but forty. 
FOUH STRAWBEKEIES ONE QUART. 
On the same area of land, with a smaller number 
of plants, to-day we can grow a far larger crop than 
could be grown one hundred years ago. The plants 
have been bred with such wisdom, and the soil ferti- 
lised with such care, that each plant develops its 
maximum growth. Our strawberries are of delightful 
flavour and flesh and colour, and four or five aver- 
age ones make a quart. The seeds have all been 
eliminated from our cultivated raspberries, blackberries, 
currants, and goosberries. Their frmt is marvellously 
delicate in flavour, especially so the two former. 
In all the centuries man has discovered no more 
nutritious, stable food than milk, and to-day our 
dairy interests, with our population of five hundred 
millions, are vast. 
In their relation to the people, the farmers of 
America occupy a high position. As our constitution 
provides that the various industries shall be repre- 
sented in our legislative halls according to the pro- 
portion of the people engaged in each the farmers 
have a leading voice in the construction of our laws, 
and the social, moral, and financial conditions re- 
sulting from their supervision and influence are em- 
inently satisfactory, not only to the farming popula- 
tion, but to the body of our citizens as a whole. 
A farmer is not satisfied that a hen lay one hun- 
dred eggs of two ounces weight each in one year, 
eating one bushel of train to do the same. He rather ' 
aims to make the hen produce three hundred and 
sixty-five eggs in one year, each weiijhing one-half 
pound, eating one-half bushel of grain to produce 
said eggs. 
We may as well stop here. — Review of lieviexos 
Colonies and India, in its last issue, pub- 
lished the lollowii'g remarks : — " It must be 
gratifying to our planters to find that Ceylon and 
Indian tea is rapidly driving the Chinese article 
nut of the market in Australian colonies, and 
Ceylon tea particularly is rising in favour at the 
Antipodes, and the Indian producer has now 
muoh to fear from the competi'.ion of the Ceylon 
gardens. ; efore long, it seems probable that both 
John Chinaman and his staple export will be 
practically excluded from Australian shores." 
Mana Grass Bareels. — Mr. C. E. H. Symons 
has sent ua for insptotion, at the request of 
Mr. Martin Leake, u small barrel made of paper 
composed of inana grass pulp mixed with 16 per 
cent of old wadte papur, Ttiis i^ the barrel refer- 
red to by our Lonr.on correspondent recently, wnieh 
Mr. J L. Shand was to have brr.ught with him. 
Mr. Leake thinks that the Ceylon Government 
should start a small experimental factory for ihe 
conversion of native grasses inio boards. Our 
London correapoudent and we ourselves have so 
often referred to this matter, that we need only 
say that we quite approve of Mr. Leake's sug- 
t;(.'Stion. The barrel ii, strong auU light, auU m;ght 
be utilized for many purposes. 
