328 
ameeica:n ageioijltueist. 
[August, 
Improvement in the Quince—Meech’s 
Prolific. 
From very early days in the history of fruit cul¬ 
ture, the “ Apple-shaped,” or “ Orange ” quince, 
and the “ Pear-shaped,” were the only varieties of 
the quince regarded as the best for fruit, while for 
stocks upon which to graft the pear, the “ Angers,” 
and one or two others, were commended. These 
sorts for a long time made up the rather meagre 
list of quinces. Indeed, it was only when American 
seedlings were brought to notice, that there was any 
improvement in the quince. “ Kea’s Mammoth ” 
was so much larger, handsomer and better than 
any of the old varieties, that it convinced people 
that the quince was capable of great improvement, 
and other new varieties since introduced, have 
been regarded with favor. Notable among them, 
are the “Champion,” described in these pages 
when it was hist offered, and 
“ Meech’s Prolific.” All that is 
known about the history of the 
variety is, that one of the early set¬ 
tlers in Vineland brought the tree 
from Connecticut. It then had no 
distinctive name. The tree finally 
fell into the hands of Kev. W. W. 
Meech, of New Jersey, whose long 
and practical experience with 
quinces has enabled him to both 
instruct and entertain our readers. 
He planted it with his other va¬ 
rieties in order to test it, and it 
proved to he superior to all. The 
tree is readily propagated from 
cuttings, grows rapidly, and comes 
into bearing very eaidy. Out of 
two hundred and eight trees propa¬ 
gated last year (1883), fifty-seven 
bore blossoms the past spring. 
There is abundant evidence that 
the variety is properly named 
“Prolific,” as the fruit is so abun¬ 
dant as to require severe thinning. 
The flowers are unusually large, 
making the tree when in bloom 
very ornamental. The obscure 
pyriform shape of the fruit is 
shown in the engraving, which is 
one-third reduced. The fruit is 
large, those weighing twelve to fif¬ 
teen ounces are not uncommon, 
and they have been known to reach 
eighteen ounces. Eighty average 
quinces of this variety make a 
bushel. The fruit is at first cover¬ 
ed with a dense- whitish down, 
which protects it from many insect 
enemies, and when ripe is of a fine 
orange yellow, with a delicious 
fragrance. As to the quality of the 
fruit, there is abundant testimony 
from those who have tried it. One 
writer says: “It cooks as tender as a peach.” 
While its leading characteristic is its prolific bear¬ 
ing, this variety, it is claimed, possesses in the 
highest degree, all other qualities that go to 
the making up of a first class quince. 
Cats on the Farm. 
Cats ought to have an honored place on the farm, 
hut too often they have no place at all. This is 
because they are kept at the house, fondled by the 
pet-loving children, and fed by the kind-hearted 
women until they become lazy and worthless. The 
farmer esteems cats less highly than dogs ; but the 
former are sometimes of the greater value to him. 
Barn cats should rarely be allowed to come to the 
house, and never be fed there. All that they need 
is plenty of milk ; compel them to get the rest of 
their living, and they will find it about the barn, 
granaries, cribs, sheds, and iu the fields. A good 
mojji,^er is worth ten cents per day about a granary, 
crib, OF barn. Mice not only destroy grain, but 
make it filthy for stock j they nibble sacks and im¬ 
plements, and do much other mischief. A good 
cat will destroy large rats as well as the young 
ones. We have an old Maltese Tom, which gets 
his living by catching ground-mice in the orchard 
and garden, and is therefore a valuable cat. At 
this season, when barns, granaries, and cribs are 
filled, a cat is doubly useful. Give Tom and 
Tabby a fair trial, and you will always keep cats. S. 
Do Hot Gall the Horses. 
The rush of mid-summer farm work is very try¬ 
ing on horse-flesh. The side draft of a reaper or 
mowing machine frequently causes galled necks 
and shoulders. The usually tough skin of the 
horse is softened by the flow of perspiration, and 
a rough, ill-fitting collar, a useless, chafing back- 
pad, or a projecting buckle quickly produces pain. 
A NEW PROLIFIC QUINOE. 
I No one can blame ahorse for faltering, when order¬ 
ed to press its raw and bleeding shoulder against 
the collar, that will sink into its bruised flesh. To 
I avoid galls, all parts of the harness should fit 
closely. A laboring man is careful in buying boots 
of proper size. He could not endure twelve hours 
of hard labor while his feet were cramped within 
an unusually small space, or in boots so large that 
his feet slip iu them and wear the skin away by 
constant friction. As a rule, horses are worked in 
too large collars. A soft pad placed under such 
will prevent galling. When the animals are brought 
in from work, the harness should be removed at 
once and cleaned, and the necks and shoulders 
well washed with castile soap and water. After 
bathing the worn jiarts at night, rub on some soften¬ 
ing oil. Use no oil in the morning. The collar 
should not be oiled, as it will then gather dirt 
through the day anti form a rough coating, that 
will chafe the exposed parts. Keep all parts of the 
harness clean, especially those that press upon the 
horse, and see that the same is true of the portions 
of the horse against which the harness presses. 
It is much easier to prevent than to cure a gall. 
Feeding and Care of Farm Animals. 
PBIZE ARTICLE.—BT “ A WESTERN FARMER.” 
It is a curious fact that almost every farmer who- 
keeps five or six kinds of stock, gives nearly his- 
whole attention to one or two of them. A man 
who is fond of horses and cattle, cares little for 
sheep or hogs ; one who likes sheep and hogs 
knows little about poultry ; one who takes pride in 
his poultry, pays little attention to horses and cat¬ 
tle, and so on. Farmers who thoroughly under¬ 
stand the care of horses, cattle, sheep, hogs, and. 
poultry, feel an equal interest in each, and can 
make all profitable, are not as common as they 
should be in this or any other country. 
Horses. 
Stable.— The horse stable should be warm in 
winter, and cool in summer; light, well ventilated, 
and so arranged that it may be 
darkened, and have wire screens 
over the windows to exclude flies. 
The floor, whether of plank, ashes, 
or other material, should be dry, 
and slope back gradually from the 
manger. The manger and feed-box 
should be grain tight, with bottom, 
at least, a foot above the floor. In 
fly time, darken the stable when 
the horses are taken in—close the, 
doors and open the window's. Best, 
and comfort is thus assured, and 
their value to working horses can 
not be given in dollars and cents. 
Feeding. — Intelligent observa¬ 
tion and practical experiment ena- ' 
ble the owner to ascertain how 
much food a horse should have. 
Of two horses, of equal size and 
weight, one may require one-third 
more food than the other, to keep 
it in equally good order and work¬ 
ing condition. When at steady 
work, the morning meal may con-- 
sist of cut hay, and shelled corn, 
and oats mixed; the noon meal,, 
oats and corn, and-a little cut hay.. 
At night, feed two-thirds as much. 
oats and corn as at other meals, a. i 
few' iiieces of carrots, and as much. :J 
uncut hay as the horse will eat., I 
When at rest, feed lightly—just. I 
enough to keep in good condition | 
mostly oats and uncut hay. Clean ] 
out the manger and feed-box be- j; 
fore each meal. Clean, bright 
timothy hay is superior to any; 
other for horses. If cut just before; . 
blossoming, well cured, and stored 
in a dry place, it will be devoid of 
that fine, pungent dust—the pollen, 
of the flowers—found in it, when i 
cut in full blossom. If at all dusty, j 
it should be dampened when fed. In case there is no ; 
barn room available for storing, it will pay one bun- - 
dred per cent on the cost, to erect a shed twelve feet 
wide, and twenty to thirty feet long for it. The. 
floor may be strong poles or rails, resting on block: | 
or brick pillars, eighteen inches high. Oats should. ! 
be clean and dry, never musty, and fed to working 
horsesineombination with shelled corn. For horses i 
at rest, they may be fed alone. Corn should be 
well ripened, kept dry, and shelled as fed. It. I 
should he mixed w'ith oats, iu the proportion of I 
one quart of corn to two of oats. Corn on the ear- ; 
is productive of lampass, and if the horse has de¬ 
fective teeth, much of it is swallowed without. I 
being properly masticated, producing flatulence, i 
and colic. One or two carrots cut fine, and mixed 
with the evening meal, are very beneficial in the ' 
absence of grass, as they tend to keep the bowels, 
open and regular. They are most excellent for- 
horses in winter and spring. Bran is a useful arti- ■ 1 
cle of diet. Wetted, mixed with half its bulk of' 
oats, slightly salted, and fed twice a week, its effects, i 
are very beneficial, especially to carriage horses. 
Kentucky Blue-grass (Poa praiensis) makes th& I 
