676 
THE TROHiCAL KGRiCOLTURIST. 
[March i, 1892. 
ALL SMALL HOLDINGS. 
The following ia hia description of what farming 
will be when BciencehaBrevolutionisedagi’iculture : — 
»• Our faniiB are all small holdings, the largest be- 
ing fifty acroa, while the ordinary size ia ten acres. 
Each homefitead ia located al>out*ten rods from the 
asphalt roadway, while the barn (we have but one 
barn on a farm in America) ia located in the centre 
of the farm. A pneumatic tube running under ground 
connects the cellar of the house with the barn, ao 
that when having no other means of transit, except 
to walk, persona 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 beai-ings, are conveyed from 
point to point by means of electric motors stored 
beneath the wagon bod. 
ELKCTUICITV AND AOWCULTiniK. 
The influence of electricity on our farming occu- 
pation is exceedingly great. Every farmer has an 
electric plant in hia house, which connects with 
the wliole establishment, and not only materially 
lightens the labour of the women, but assist in farm- 
work in manv particulars. In the house the rooms 
are ligdited nv 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 tho floor to sweep, requiring 
simply the guidance of hand power ; aish-washing 
machines are run by the lightning-like fluid, and 
likewise the elevator in houses two stories higii ; 
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 aro operated by electric motors ; and all 
animals are slaughtered by means of electric con- 
nection. It has neon demonstrated that electrically 
grown vegetables are of superior quality and tend- 
erness. Ijines of electric wires distributed tlirough 
the propagating pita, and even in the fields on the 
farm, liave greatly increased the yit^ld and early 
maturity of crops, while destroying all fungus growth 
and insects adjacent to tho wires. 
INSKCTIC'ULTIIRK. 
Everybody possesses apparatus for spraying plants 
for the destruction of iujurioua insects and fungi 
and he would be considered a singular fanner ut 
the present day who neglected to use his insecti- 
cides and fungicides. Injurious insects, however, aro 
held in check by many farmers by the use of bene- 
ficial insects. On every well-regulated farm arc 
mall pons for breeding beneficial insects. Farmers 
proxiagating beneficial insects train them to come at the 
call of a whistle, so that tho trained ones are easily 
collected in the field whenever desired. 
The care of our live slock 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 diveotions of tho 
Henri Prescription Book, one is enabled to deposit 
alternate layers of lean and fat upon the animal 
carcass, or entirely one or tho other. Through our 
knowledge of the effects of food upon tho animal 
system, wo are also enabled to secure nothing Imt 
pure cream from our cows, if we see fit. or tho 
reverse. 
Automatic milking machines are commonly used 
here now. None of our American cattle have horns, 
though two hundred years ago hornless cattle were 
uncommon. 
GROWING MANURE. 
Perhaps one of tlio moat important discoveries yet 
made by one of our stations is tho method of pro- 
ducing root nodules on clover and other leguminous 
plants, which contain nitrogen. By a careful system 
in-and-in breeding w-e have produced a number of 
nodule-bearing varieties of clover and alfalfa that 
yield us great quantities of nitrogenous fertiliser. 
Tlie roots, differing from those of ordinary vari- 
eties, grow near the surface, like potatoes. At the 
proper time of maturity tliey are ploughed out, and 
the nodules wliicli are of good size aro uncovered, 
dried and ground, thus furnishing a most important 
source of nitrogen. In consequence of our excessive 
care and judicious uso 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 
wo formerly harvested but forty. 
FOUR STRAWIlERUiKS ONF. 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 growni one hundred years ago. The plants 
have boon bred w'ith such wisdom, and the soil ferti- 
lised with such care, that each plant develops its 
maximum growth. Our strawberries are of dc'ightful 
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 goosberrics. Their fruit ia marvellously 
delicate in flavour, especially so the tw’o 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 tho people, tho 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 eacli tho farmers 
have a leading voice in the construction of ouc laws, 
and the social, moral, and financial conditions re- 
sulting from thoir supervision and influence are em- 
inently satisfactory, not only to the fanning 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 eacli in one year, 
eating one bushel of krain to ao the same. He rather 
aims to make the hen produce three liundred and 
sixty-five in one year, each wei»ihin4< one-half 
pound, eating one-liali Imsliel of grain to produce 
said eggs. 
We may as well stop here.- Ecy/Vit? 0 /* llevieAVS 
Coloiiies and India, in its last issue, pub- 
lished the follciwirg remarks : — “ It must be 
Kratifj'ing to our planters to find that Ceylon and 
Indian tea is rapidly driving the Chinese article 
out of the market in Australian colonies, and 
Ceylon tea particularly ia rising in favour at tho 
Antipodes, and tho Indian producer has now 
much to fear from the ooinpstition of the Ceylon 
gardens, i efore long, it seems probable that both 
John Chinaman and his staple export will be 
practically excluded from Australian sbores.” 
Mana (!uas8 Barrkls. — Mr. C. K. 11. Symon.s 
has sent us for inspection, at the request of 
Mr. Martin Leake, a small barrel made of paper 
composed i t mana grass pn'p mixed with 16 per 
cent cif old wa te paper. This is tho barrel refer- 
rod to by our Lon i on correspondent recently, which 
Mr J, L. ShanU was to have brought with him. 
Mr. Leake ihinks that the Ceylon Oovernment 
should start u small experimental factory for the 
conversion of native grasses into boards Our 
London correspondent and we ourselves have bo 
olton referred to ibis matter, that we need only 
say that we quite approve of Mr. Leake’s eug- 
gestion. The barrel is strong and light, and m.ght 
be utilized tor many purposes. 
