An exchange tells of a farmer who tried 
to make his mowing machine last another sea¬ 
son, and who claims to have lost not less than 
$500 by so doing, in breakages, hindrances to 
labor, damages to hay, etc. While this was an 
extreme case, being upon a large farm, yet the 
loss from similar causes is often much greater 
than farmers imagine. A part of it may be 
avoided by. carefully examining the machine 
before the time comes when it will be needed, 
and replacing all parts badly worn and p rticu- 
larly liable to breakage. If many such pieces 
are found it may prove that the cheapest way to 
repair the machine will be to buy a new one. 
The high peices paid for fancy Jeisey 
cattle may not and probably will not be lost. 
With the production of the best strains crowded 
to its utmost capacity it would be strange if the 
supply did not at last cause a lowering of prices. 
But it is having a good effect in bringing *o av¬ 
erage farmers a class of half and three-quarter 
grades which can be sold at moderate prices. 
The cross of a Jersey bull on a superior native 
milking cow is preferred by many farmers to 
the higher pricel thoroughbreds. The best Jer¬ 
seys do not give enough in quality and are 
undersized when wanted for the butcher, as 
every cow must be sooner or later. 
Potatoes belong to the same family of plants 
as the deadly nightshade (being cousins several 
degrees removed), and the poison (solanine) 
peculiar to that species can be developed in the 
potato by exposure to the sun. Farmers should, 
therefore be careful in the use they make of 
those which have turned geen by being wholly 
or partially uncovered in the field. They 
should be planted deep enough so that none will 
grow out of the ground, or the hill should be 
made high enough to keep them all covered, 
for the same reason, gn cers should not keep 
their stock of potatoes exposed on the sidewalk 
for several days at a time, as is the custom with 
many of them. 
Pomologists, and, in fact, all agriculturists, 
are too slow in adopting many of the State re¬ 
ports of agriculture and horticulture as works of 
consultation and reference. Those are espscially 
desirable which, like the Michigan reports, con¬ 
tain the combined work of practical farmers 
and the professors of the Agricultural College. 
Several States publish reports which are inval¬ 
uable aids to every cultivator of the soil. Some 
contain exhaustive and reliable papers on insect 
ememies and friends, on desirable grasses and on 
numbers of popular scientific subjects, to say 
nothing of numerous explicit directions for the 
cultivadon of nearly every crop. 
Much care should be exercised in wa¬ 
tering house plants. Most housewives follow 
the practice of soaking the soil once a day or 
less, and then letting it dry out until it becomes 
hard. This stiff, hard and unyielding 1 character 
of the soil in pots is not usually conducive to the 
growth of plants. The earth should be kept 
loose by a liberal addition of vegetable mould, 
such as can be obtained under the leaves in an 
old forest or in many neglected fence rows. For 
most plants a third or a half of the soil may be 
mould, which must be well mixed with the 
heavier earth. Then give good drainage by em¬ 
ploying unglazed pots with holes in the bottom, 
and by placing a handful of broken brick or 
crockery in the bottom, and over it lay sphag¬ 
num or other moss or peat. Do not water heavi¬ 
ly. The soil should not be cold and soggy. Ap¬ 
ply water frequently, but avoid soaking. The 
leaves of the plant should also be frequently 
sprayed, especially if evaporation goes on rap¬ 
idly. 
If the crow did no other harm than to prey 
upon toads and frogs he might be pardoned; but 
his great offense, the one w T hich cannot be over¬ 
looked, is his destruction of the eggs and young 
of song-birds. It is in this that he quietly but 
persistently wrongs the farmer and mankind at 
large. Whatever other crimes may be laid to 
his charge, this, of itself, is sufficient to warrant 
his extermination—a consummation however, 
that will probably never be reached, for the 
rogue has a brain capable of cultivation, and 
wherever he is much hunted or persecuted, soon 
learns to avoid all guns or traps. 
A LARGE aggregate of lumber is annually 
consumed in the manufacture of agricultural 
implements, in Chicago akme amounting to up¬ 
wards of 20,000,000 feet. Of this total, about 
7,000,000 feet are pine, three-quarters of the re¬ 
mainder is ash, the great staple. Oak enters 
largely into this trade, but not to the extent 
that it does in wagon-making. Hickory, maple, 
elm, whitewood, basswood and Norway pine 
are also used to a considerable extent in this 
industry. 
Boston marketmen furnish to the moun¬ 
tain and seaside resorts a large proportion of the 
vegetables used in catering to their guests. Is 
it not singular that neighboring farmers do not 
take advantage of this Summer hotel demand 
and raise such crops as would command a ready 
and remunerative market ? 
