1808.1 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
249 
Harvesting Barley .—Our friend who 
il Walks and Talks," sometimes has what old Ned Dexter 
called an "artcr-clap." The following, intended for a part 
of Walks and Talks, came Juat too late to go in its proper 
place: "The plan of harvesting barley recommended by a 
correspondent of the Agriculturist last month (June No., 
page 210), is new to rac. I think it would work well on 
oats cut early for hay. But I should dislike very much 
to cut wheat or barley in this way. Barley cut so early 
that tho horses and machine would not hurt it, isnot ripe 
enough; and as it is cured bo rapidly from being spread 
out on the ground, there is no chance for the grain to 
ripen by the absorption of sap from the straw— as is the 
Case When it is cut green and bound up in sheaves, and 
Allowed to stand in tho shock. The experiments quoted 
by Prof. Johnson, in the Agricultural Annual, p. 73, 1967, 
throw great doubt on the propriety of cutting grain in aa 
green a state as has been recommended for some years. 
But aside from this, it has always been deemed necessary 
to let barley get ripe before cutting. In order to insure that 
evenness in the state of maturity so necessary for malt- 
ing purposes. 'The only method,' says an experienced 
Scotch barley grower, John Iluxton, of Fife, ' in which 
this point can he attained, is that of allowing the crop to 
.attain perfect ripeness, which is indicated by the dryness 
of the grain when squeezed, and by the hanging down of 
the car. It. is, undoubtedly, an evil to allow the crop to 
ripen so far: but, excepting where circumstances are 
particularly favorable to an even growth, the practice is, 
we fear, a '"necessary evil." The befit way of harvesting 
barley unquestionably is to cut it with a reaper and bind 
it up into Bhcaves, and shock it just as you do wheat. 
The first cost is greater, but you save a good deal of bar- 
ley that in any other method is lost among 'ordinary 
stones and clods. 1 The next best method is to throw 
it off the reaper into good-sized bunches, and cock it np 
with a 'barley fork. 1 But when barley brings a good 
price, better screw your courage up to the binding point. 
It will pay. When once in shock it is comparatively safe. 
Rake the stubble with a steel-toothed rake, but keep tho 
rakings separate, as they are apt to be weather-stained." 
Oats and Barley.— H. II. Stewart. When 
barley and oats are mixed, the grain is unfit for the brew- 
ers' use, and is always used for feeding. Mixed grain 
crops produce a greater amount of food than cither 
would if occupying the ground alone; hence the prac- 
tice. Oats and barley mixed, makes excellcnthorsefeed. 
JVInnuring- of Growing: Crops. — Dry 
slaked lime, ashes, plaster, leached ashes, etc., may be 
applied with excellent results to corn or potatoes when 
these crops are hoed,— best at the first hoeing. Super- 
phosphate of lime, guano, fish manure, horn shavings, 
or any of the concentrated commercial fertilizers, are use- 
ful also. These manures should be hoed in at a little dis- 
tance from the hills or rows, and thoroughly covered. 
Loiitlier Scraps for iflnnnro. — C. S. 
Waldron, Nyack. Probably the cheapest method of re- 
ducing them is to mix them with caustic lime, in a heap, 
and give them the benefit of the heat of slaking. The 
lime will make them tender, and then the mass can be 
put in the compost heap, and undergo a second fermen- 
tation. They are a valuable manure, and will pay for 
carting and decomposing. They arc considered equal to 
Anthracite coal for fuel ; hence the price is about the same. 
Wheat in I3nqrlsiii<l and America. 
—An Englishman who is cultivating a farm in the western 
part uf the State says : "Three years ago my brother wrote 
me that the average yield of the wheat crop in his county 
(Berkshire) was 55 bushels per acre. If we could only 
equal that here with wheat at $H per bushel, farming 
would pay. I apprehend we have just as good land in 
parts of thlfl country, but that the great difference is in 
the climate. What say you ?"' We say first that it is not 
probable that any county ever averaged G6 bushels of 
wheat per aero. It takes splendid c-ops to average 30 
bushel?. The highest average yield of any county in this 
State, to the bestof our recollection, was S2| ; bushels per 
acre, and that was before the advent of the midge. There 
are few counties tint average more than l."> bushels per 
acre. Tho English average is probably from 23 to 30 
bushels. Tho highest yield in Mr. Dawes' experimental 
field during 20 years was 5.) bushels, and this was obtain- 
ed by high manuring, clean culture, and a remarkably 
favorable season. Ira Apthorp. of Mouroc Co., Wis., ob- 
tained the prize from the State Society fora crop of wheat 
which yielded 53 bushels and 9 pounds per acre— the 
laud accurately measured and the statement duly attested. 
And this was on land that had received no special atten- 
tion. The previous crop was wheat seeded with clover. The 
clover was plowed under in June, and the land afterwards 
harrowed and cultivated. Onrown opinion is, that as large 
crops of wheat can be raised here 113 Iu England. Our 
summer climate Is more favorable, and on well-drained 
land the wheat, covered as it usually is with snow, is not 
more liable to winter-kill. The only advantage of the 
English climate is, that the mild winters afford a longer 
.period of growth. But even here the wheat on dry. rich 
land will grow under the snow, and we sow a month 
earlier than in England. We are not sure that wheat 
grows on as many days here as there. The usual trouble 
is that our wheat has not food enough. On rich, dry 
land, wheat will grow later in the fall and earlier in the 
spring than on poor laud— and we think there can be 
little doubt that it grows more during the winter. Last 
rammer a young American farmer "footed it" through 
this same county of Berkshire, and was surprised to see 
feeding troughs in the pastures, and still more to learn 
that although the young steers were ""up to their knees 
in clover" they received a dally allowance of Indian corn 
and oil-cake brought from America. And yet beef, of the 
same quality, is higher here than there. Of course such 
high feeding makes rich manure. The land, too, is 
worked until it is as clean as a garden. And then in ad- 
dition to feeding outall the straw, hay, and turnips, raised 
on the farm, and the purchase of extra grain and oil-cake, 
guano, superphosphate, aud other artificial fertilizers, are 
used to a large extent. Is it any wonder that the crops 
arc bo large as to .convey the impression that the wheat 
averaged 50 bushels per acre ? The same treatment would 
give ns just as large crops here, and from our superior 
climate wilh les6 labor. Whether it will payor not is 
an open question. 
Peat Pressed for Fuel. — "B. T.," 
Plymouth, Mass. The peat speculation has had its day, 
and the gentlemen who bought peat bogs at $100 per acre 
are anxious to sell. The rights in peat machines aud 
companies are for sale, very cheap. Respectable looking 
factories with smoke stacks, on the borders of old beaver 
dams, can be bought cheap, and perhaps prove a good 
speculation, if they are altered into barns. Tho bogs arc 
valuable for draining and turning into meadows, or as 
storehouses of manure. Losses have occurred in Hart- 
ford and Tolland Counties, Ct., to the extent of $150,000, 
and a good many smart men, as well as peat bogs, in 
New England, have been sold. Coal is only one-half the 
price it was two years ago, and that alters the problem of 
profit in the peat speculation. 
Pine Snw-dnst.- W. L. Webber, Mich. 
The impression that pine saw-dust is injurious to vege- 
tation has probably no foundation in fact. It contains 
less potash than the harder kinds of wood, and for that 
reason is not so valuable. It is quite as good an absorb- 
ent of liquid manure in the stable, and if put into the 
compost heap and allowed to ferment with the other ma- 
nures of the yard and stable, we do not think the roots 
of plants would ever find out whether tho absorbent was 
sawed pine or hickory. We would not recommend the 
use of any kind of saw-dust saturated with urine, before 
it had been fermented. Tho resin probably will make 
the decomposition of pine saw-dust slower, and we should 
expect to see its influence upon the crops extending over 
several years. An experiment with a few loads of this 
bedding would determine its merits. Our correspondent 
will do a good service to the lumber regions if he will 
make experiments this season. 
SuAbllc Hoays.— "J. A. C.," Palmyra, N. 
T. What is the best pig for a mechanic to keep? Tho 
SufFolks are warmly recommended by their advocates for 
villagers, or those who wish to fatten just enough pork 
for family use. This, perhaps, accounts for tho popular- 
ity of the Suffolks in New England, where a large part of 
the people who keep swine fatten them simply for their 
own use. The good points of the Suffolk are : small bone, 
compactness, rapid growth, and easy fattening. They 
readily consume the waste from the garden and from the 
kitchen, and, with a few bushels of meal in the fall, 
make the best of lard aud pork. We have kept tho 
Suffolk grades and like them as family pigs. 
BnckMiieat Tor 3Iaiim*o and 
Grain.— A crop so easily raised as buckwheat, and so 
valuable, both for manure and for grain, ought to be more 
generally cultivated. The statistics show that it will 
grow In all parts of the country, yet about two-thirds of 
the whole yield is grown In Pennsylvania and New York. 
In JS60 the yield In the whole country was estimated at 
K'i million bushels. It grows so rapidly, and produces 
so large a burden of stalks and foliage, that it is often 
turned in green, as a manure for other crops. Two crops 
can be turned in the same season, for this purpose; or it 
can follow a crop taken off in July, and be grown in 
time to turn in for rye. It is found to be an excellent 
preparation fur this grain, and wo once saw a field where 
these two crops were grown every year, for several con- 
secutive years, each year showing an increased yield of 
rye. Buckwheat will grow on quite poor land, and yield 
13 or '20 busheU to the acre, aud it is this facility of yield- 
ing good crops that has led to its use by poor cultivators, 
and damaged its reputation among the better class of 
farmers. If the object be to get a green crop to turn in, 
it is better to use 100 or 200 pounds of Peruvian guano, 
or its equivalent in some other manure rich in nitrogen, 
to the acre. This will give a heavy crop, which should 
be plowed under before the grain forms. If the crop is 
grown for grain, no manure will be needed upon good 
land, and light sandy or gravelly loams ehonld have a 
dressing of ashes, superphosphate of lime, or boue-dur.t. 
From two to four pecks of seed are usually sown to the 
acre, the large quantity upon the poorer land. The best 
time for sowing is about two months before the early 
frosts, or in this latitude from the 5th to the 20th of 
July. The cool nights of autumn are found to be most 
favorable to the maturing of the seed. It should be cut 
Boon after a portion of the seed turns brown. The rest, 
which is in milk, will fill out after the cutting, as the 
straw stands in bunches to cure. Commonly the straw in 
not bound at all, but is set up iu small conical bunches, 
pressed slightly together at the top, until sufficiently dry 
for thrashing. As the grain shells very readily, it is al- 
ways best to select a damp, cloudy day to cart it to tho 
barn, or to the thrashing machine. The grain is valuablo, 
making the flue flour from which buckwheat cakes aro 
prepared, and is also much used in connection with onts 
and corn, as provender for hogs and horses. The Agri- 
cultural Report for 1SG5 gives an analysis which shows 
this grain to contain water 14.00; flesh formers 9; fat 
formers 52.1; accessories 23.3; mineral matters 1.01. 
Poultry are exceedingly fond of it, and it should always 
enter into the supplies of laying hens. Buckwheat is 
also one of the best cleansing crops in use. It grows so 
rapidly and so thick that it smothers all weeds, and 
leaves the surface soil light and mellow. Corn rarely 
does well after buckwheat, when sown for grain. It is a 
good preparation for the root crops. The straw la of 
some value when fed to sheep, though most farmers allow 
it to rot in the field, or use it to litter the yards. 
3ffsirkin*>- Poultry.— "II. E. B." There 
are several ways of marking poultry. Bucks and geeso 
are easily marked by cutting holes in the webs of their 
feet with a shoemaker's punch— thus: *, **, ***,$*#, 
***, *#*, show six different and distinct marks. It does 
not hurt them much, and does them no permanent injury. 
It is a more difficult thing to mark chickens and turkeys, 
especially young ones. They have all four toes on each 
foot, and in most breeds the nails on the three front toes 
are perfectly distinct when the birds come from the egg. 
These may be clipped short on one or more toes, of either 
foot, and so quite n number of marks made. This mark- 
ing has to be renewed, but as we have no experience in 
its use, we cannot tell how long it will remain distinct. 
Adult fowls may be marked by rings of wire on either 
leg, and with notches filed upon them, but this method 
of marking is not applicable to growing chicks. 
Whitewash.— "W. D.," Laurel Lake. Tho 
whiteness of the wash depends upon the quality of tho 
lime used. Much of the lime buruud for making mortar 
contains impurities, and is too dark colored. The lime 
should be fresh burned. Take the large lumps only, and 
slake a pound or two at a time with boiling water until it 
is of about the thickness of cream. Then add cold rain 
water until it will flow well from the brush. One or two 
tablespoonfnls of clean salt, and a quarter of a pound of 
cleau sugar will make it more adhesive. Some add }:[, by 
measure, of milk to the water, for outside work. Tho 
wash can be colored for fences aud outside work by adding 
any convenient coloring matter. A small quantity of 
Venetian-rod will make a light peach-blow color. A few 
ounces of yellow ochre will make a light straw color. 
The wash will make the wood more durable. 
T«© Klack Cftyngra Ditclc.— U G. A. 
P.," Greenwich. We have had no experience with those 
birds, but know that they arc prized by poultry men. It 
is supposed that they arc a cross of the wild black dnck 
with the common Mallard. Their color is black, with a 
few white feathers on the breast, and a faint green tinge 
on the head, neck, and wings. They aro hardy, and of 
good size, weighing from 15 to IT lbs. per pair. They have 
short legs, arc poor walkers, and need guarding at night. 
Keeping; Smasn.g'e 31>at. — " I. A 8." 
Writes: '"After preparing the sausage meat in the neual 
way, put it into jars; when the weather becomes warm, 
and there is danger of spoiling, put it into muslin bags, 
and then put these bags into strong brine, such as is used 
for pickling beef. When wanted for use, put one of 
these sacks into a vessel of water, and let it remain over 
night ; in the morning hang it up and let it drain perfect- 
ly dry, and it is ready for use. The sack can be split opeD, 
and you have a roll of nice, fresh sausage, which you can 
cut in slloea, make into cakes, roll in flour, and fry." 
