NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
Benefits of Thorough Cultivation.— 
Thorough culture is often recommended by our 
agricultural writers, for advancing plant growth 
and obtaining large crops, leaving out of sight 
other and equally important benefits. At the 
present time, the cultivator finds his crops in¬ 
fested by myriads of insect foes. All these in¬ 
truders are wonderfully fimd of a quiet life, and 
if frequently disturbed are apt to seek other 
more quiet places. Especially is this so with 
such as work beneath the soil, at the roots of 
plants. Frequent culture induces vigorous 
growth, and thus enables the plant to repel in¬ 
sects. A vigorous, healthy animal seldom or 
never becomes lousy or sickly, because it is 
weakness which invites the enemy. Thus we 
see that frequent cultivation kills more lhan one 
bird with the same stone. Rapid growth induces 
early maturity, and if the crop be for seed, or 
future planting, all the better for being thorough¬ 
ly well ripened, as most crops propagated year 
after year in the same way, prove hardier, 
healthier, and seldom deteriorate in quality or 
produetiven ss, provided natural laws in other 
respects are f 1!owed; The many advantages of 
frequent, 1 bo ought cultivation, are obvious to 
the practical worker..—Cor. Country Gentleman. 
A writer in the Farmer’s Review says: 
Fourteen m nths ago my little wife bought 
twenty-two Lead of poultry for $6.50—Buff 
Cochin, Light Brahma, White Leghorn. She 
has raised 440 chicks, selling most of them at 
15 cents a head at three months old; eggs 15 to 
25 cents; for egg« and chicks, $55; 80 head yet 
on hand, less 22 head of stock, leaves 58, worth 
$20; grand total, $75 net gain. Cost of feed, 
$15, which was paid in eggs for the family to 
use during the time, 30 head billed to eat. The 
feed was com meal cooked, corn bread, bran, 
wheat, sunfi -wer seed, cheat and pepper. 
It is claimed that the P'land China breed 
of swine has in a short lifetime become famous. 
Originating in the Miami valley, it is the natur¬ 
ally porcine development from the g^eat corn¬ 
fields. It has shown an aptitude to assimilate 
corn and grass and produce pork that has 
astonished not only the natives but foreigners 
as well. In the last year choice specimens of 
the breed have gone to Germany, from Ohio, to 
compete with the best of all. Eugland and Ger¬ 
many. Last year pigs from Southern Ohio 
carried off the lion’s shares of prizes at some of 
the leading German fairs. 
Begonias in summer should have a cool, 
shaded situation. The best plan we have ever 
seen adopted was a small lattice house, made 
entirely out of laths placed half an inch apart, 
sides and top alike; benches were arranged on 
either side, the same as in an ordinary green¬ 
house; upon these the plants were placed, and 
all the instertices were filled with sphagnum. 
There the plants thrived most luxuriantly; we 
have never seen green-house plants in summer 
look better, if as well. Not only was this the 
congenial home of the begonia, but all kinds of 
ferns, coleus and many other plants grown ex¬ 
pressly for exhibition purposes were here to be 
seen in the best possible condition. This was 
the work of an amateur, and when his plants 
were placed beside those of the professional 
florist the latter was completely u A up. 
M. L. Bian, of Brest, continues his crusade 
in favor of the cultivation of parsnips as a for¬ 
age plant where climate ami -oil suit, and these 
conditions are pretty general. The root is 
largely entering into the rations of horses, re¬ 
sulting in an economy of oats; there can be no 
question as to the importance of parsnips for 
milch cows; it is to feeding cows on them that 
a large part of the reputation of the Channel 
Islands’ butter is due, and the same observa¬ 
tion applies to the best bu f ] bagne, for 
in the latter country, where tae brands are in¬ 
ferior, the cause must be attributed to objec¬ 
tionable methods of prep .ration.—American 
Farmer. 
The surest way to ascertain the age of 
sheep is by their front teeth. They are eight in 
number and appear the first year ail of one 
size. The next year the two middle teeth fall 
out, and in their stead fe row two large ones. 
Tne third year a smaller tooth appears on each 
side of the two large ones. During the next 
(or fourth) year, there are six large teeth. la 
the filth year all of the front teeth are large. 
Alter that the only way to determine the age of 
sheep, is by the worn appearance of the teeth. 
Without sheep EaglL h farmers could not 
keep up the fertility of their land. There are 
three sheep to four acres kept in England, while 
Americans only average one sheep to thirty-four 
acres. 
A city chap who had escorted a country girl to 
the theater, thinking to please her, went* out 
and bought some apples. When he placed them 
in her lap she spoke up loud enough to be heard 
all about: “What do you take me for—a cider- 
rn'.li?” City chap collapsed; he couldn’t stand 
the press. 
