than one-half in value, and besides, the grain 
never has the bright, clean appearance it has 
when cut as soon as it is in. or just passing the 
soft or doughy state. Many old farmers con¬ 
tend that wheat will make better floor if it is 
cut when in the milk; but it is apt to be more 
or less shrunken if cut in such an immature 
state. It is said that the longer wheat is al¬ 
lowed to stand before cutting, the more bran 
it will have; and this notion has led some 
farmers to cut it when in the milky form, so 
as to get more Hour from it. Grain will not 
thrash so easily when cut comparatively green; 
hut with a machine, this makes hut little dif¬ 
ference. 
In California, the waste from the harvest¬ 
ing of grain is allowed to re seed the. land, aud 
a second, or “volunteer" crop, is often raised 
without any plowing or additional seeding. 
The cold Winters on the Atlantic slope, in 
most of the States, would render this sort of 
seeding inoperative, except in the case of 
wheat and rye which are winter proof. It 
would, doubtless, surprise many farmers to 
know that, by plowing their wheat uud rye 
stubble in the Autumn, the land would be re¬ 
seeded to these grains from the waste of the 
harvest. Straw can lie turned to such good 
account for fodder in Winter, that it should 
he in the best form. There will he more and 
better grain by cutting it as soon as it begins 
to turn white, and the straw will he iti a muoh 
more valuable condition. Farmers should 
take pains to secure their grain crops at this 
period of growth. Straw is worth much more 
to feed, than simply to throw into the barn¬ 
yard to rot for manure. Fed with a little 
grain, it will keep stock in as good condition 
as, if not better than, hay alone, aud the ma¬ 
nure will be more valuable than that from hay 
alone. 
It is evident, then, that by harvesting the 
straw when iu the best possible condition, a 
large amount of stock may be kept on the 
farm, and the farmer can thua add to the value 
of the manure pile; or he nmy. If ho choose, 
utilize his improved straw for foddar and sell 
a portion of the hay, letting the straw and 
some grain take its place. The day for burn 
ing straw, or letting it go to waste, for the 
man who has any wisdom, is gone by. This 
fact is made more emphatic, because meats of 
all kinds are so high, and the experience of 
some farmers has shown that by good man¬ 
agement, as I have indicated, the straw may 
be turned to a valuable account iu the rear¬ 
ing of animals and in enriching the farm. 
The stubble from straw cut when full of juices, 
is wort h more for fertilizing the soil, to plow 
under, aud it will pay to turn it under us soon 
as can be done, while it retains its moisture and 
the jyices stored in it. Such stubble is quite 
an important factor for the next crop, where¬ 
as au old aud dried-up one is comparatively 
worthless. 
Muriate of potash of 80 per cent, strength, 
contains 50 per cent, of its total weight of 
potash, which, at 2.12 V/ cents per pound for 
the muriate, would cost 4.25 ceuts per pound 
for the actual potash. 
Sulphate of potash of 80 per cent, strength, 
contains 40 per cent, of actual potash; and iu 
this form, with sulphate at 2.8 cents per 
pound, the potash would cost seven cents per 
pound. Potash in the form of sulphate, is 
found to be superior as a manure, and to pro¬ 
duce larger crops aud healthier growth, es¬ 
pecially' of tobacco, fruits, potatoes and cot¬ 
ton. To obtain potash as cheaply from wood 
ashes, we should have to obtain Canada uu- 
leachod ashes at Id cents; and leached at three 
cents per bushel. But certain conditions must 
not bo overlooked in comparing ashes with 
other sources of potash. In the first place, 
the potash in ashes is iu such a combination 
Hint it can do no harm to any crop to which 
we apply it. In the case or muriate, it is dif¬ 
ferent; this we must use with great caution, 
especially on tobacco, fruits or any other 
crop where starch and sugar formation is 
desirable. For corn, grass, and grain this 
form is unobjectionable. Again, ashes con¬ 
tain considerable soda, magnesia and other 
ingredients, which must have more or less 
beneficial effects on some soils, as is shown by 
the results sometimes obtained. 
“ CHEMIST.” 
wrong to fence in scores of miles of a large 
stream when only a small portion is required, 
does seem to have a good deal of justice iu it. 
1 he whole business of cattle ranching will 
have to be brought under some just aud equit¬ 
able legal regulations soon, and it is rather 
curious I Imt this mutter has been left to regu¬ 
late itself,so long. The water supply is the 
most, important part of It, but It seems « s 
though there should tie no dilTleulty about 
this. An artesian well costing no more than 
$.'5,0011, or perhaps in certain cases, *5,000, 
would supply 10,000 head of cattle. With an 
adequate supply of water a tract of 10 miles 
square of land, or too square miles, equal to 
04,000 acres, would easily carry 1,000 head, 
THE PEEN-TO PEACH OF CHINA 
Kerckmans, of Augusta, Oa„ a small box of 
Poen-To Peaches. Mr. Berekmnns writes us 
that the specimens sent (or one of which we 
give an illustration in Fig. 300), were below 
the average size, on account of the trees being 
allowed to overbear last year. As they began 
to bloom in December last* he had them 
brought into the greenhouse, in the tubs in 
which they wore growing. The first crop 
ripened April 1st; but the fruit was imper¬ 
fect. That sent to us (s the result, of blooms 
last March. In the Fair Number of 1883, A. 
J. Downing’s description of this peach, given 
by him in 1845, is furnished, with some slight 
alterations by his brother, Charles Downing: 
Flat Peach of China 
Peach, Peen-To, is a 
from China, where the 
in producing nil manner or 
os i tics. 
—Chinese Peach—Java 
very singular variety, 
gardeners take pride 
vegetable curi- 
Tho fruit is of small size (about, two 
incites iu diameter) and so muon flattened at 
the ends that only the skin and flat stone re¬ 
main between them, the fleshy part beiug 
Crowded on either side. The tree is of rather 
dwarfish habit, and holds its loaves very late. 
The fruit is of very good flavor, and is well 
worthy of a place in the gardens of the curi¬ 
ous. The loaves have reniform glands; flowers 
are large; the fruit small and so much flat, 
tened as to present, deep hollows at both ends 
There are no segments or calyx, and at the 
top thero is a singular broad, rough, live 
angled eye. Skin creamy yellow, shaded and 
mottled with light aud dark-red on the ex¬ 
posed side. Flesh pale-yellow, with a circle 
of rod around the stone (to which the flesh 
adheres), sweet, juicy, with a slight noyau 
flavor. 
In the same Fair Number for 1882, Mr, 
Berokmuns, in describing this peach, says: 
“Fruit of irregular shape; vory flat, from 
one-and-ono half to oneandthree-quaitors 
inch through on one side, and 
a little more on the other, with 
t a depression or hollow in the 
middle, the average size rang¬ 
ing from seven and one-fourth 
to nine inches in eiroumfer 
once. Skin yellow, washed 
and delicately penciled car¬ 
mine; peels readily at raaturi 
ty. Flesh very finely grained, 
juicy and dissolving, sweet, 
and with a delicate almond 
aroma; quality best; clings¬ 
tone; stone, very flat, live- 
eighths of au inch through; 
flowers large; glands reui 
YIELD OF OATS:—FLAT CULTIVATION 
FOR POTATOES, 
Crawford Strawuf.rry. Fig. 207. 
aud if this land were leased at 12'/cents an 
acre or 10 per coot, on #1.25, to any party 
who would put, down such a well and who 
would contract, to keep 1,000 head on the 
tractor forfeit the lease, it seems as though 
the stock question would be settled so far as 
tiie water and grass questions are concerned. 
Then, us far as regards roads, if the whole 
territory were laid off in townships or runs, 
ouch 10 miles square, and hn”ing roads be¬ 
tween them .200 feet, wide, or wider if neces¬ 
sary, and if these roads wore to be kept open in 
each direction, this serious question would bo 
settled fairly. But while monopolists are per¬ 
mitted to fence iu thousands of square miles, 
and tracts of hundreds of miles along the 
rivers, thus cutting off water and roads, there 
will be ill feeling and trouble. 
The water question is of the greatest impor¬ 
tance both to Western stockmen and farmers, 
and yet it is greatly neglected. There are 
thousands of locations where the supply is 
ample for ten times the number of .stock kept, 
if it were only economized, 1 have scon cattle 
driven miles to water along roods a foot deep 
in dust, aud where au animal was invisible 20 
feet away. After drinking at- a Stream tramp¬ 
led into mud, the herds were driven buck 
again through the dust, aud were ns badly off 
at the end of the journey as when they started; 
and a month before that every gutly was a 
raging water course. If these galleys or 
the streams were dammed, properly large 
ponds could be made, which would hold 
thousands or acres of « ater, preventing floods, 
avoiding the waste of the precious fluid, and 
saviug millions of dollars every year. L know 
a case iu which the water of a stream Is back¬ 
ed up into a broad valley for 1,200 feet iu 
width at the dam, and for three miles in 
length, uud the dayi cost, less than a thousand 
dollars. Many a similar dam could be made 
fur u hundred dollars, which would save stock 
water for the whole of the driest, seasons. 
Is ItiuiAf. <>r March 72, u t'orresporulenf. says he 
■lees not, believe any man can raise two bushels of 
oats from twoouuci’s of nre<l If he will eotne to this 
place In August next, we will convince him tlmr It Is 
possible to raise five or six times two bushels from 
two ounces. 
Stcvensville. M.T. u. r, 
“The above invitation should have been ex¬ 
tended before the seed was sown, and ( wish 
to see tin 1 seed put in the ground. One cannot 
raise two bushels of outs from two ounces of 
seed, and t don’t take much stock in the re¬ 
ports that I have seen from time to time in 
regard to different parties raising such large 
quantities of uotatoes from one pound—eight 
thousand and 10,000 pounds from one pound. 
ASHES AND OTHER SOURCES OF POT 
ASH. 
Atlantic: Strawberry 
Don’t encourage flat cultivation of potatoes; ( 
it will do very well, perhaps, on sandy soil, 
but os a general thing, it will uot do.” 
Thus writes Mr. O. H. Alexander, of Char¬ 
lotte, Vermont,. Wo have to reply that wo 
state the results of OUT ox]ierinients just as 
they are. If we err at all, it is always on the 
conservative aide iu regard to our statements 
of yields. We have tried flat cultivation of 
potatoes for several years in a. sandy as well 
as a clayey loam, and the. results have been re¬ 
corded. We ask our readers to try all meth¬ 
ods of cultivation and to judge for themselves 
which gives them the best returns. Das Mr. 
Alexander tried I ho “hilling” and “flat" meth¬ 
ods side by side so thoroughly as to satisfy 
him that “flat cultivation” ought uot to be 
encouragedf” 
ous trees. Accordiug to Prof. S. W. John 
son’s recent analyses, ashes from a few varie¬ 
ties of timber contained potash as follows: 
oak, 8 25; hickory', fi.ltl; chestnut, 2 51); 70ni- 
fera, 1.25. percent. The average amount of 
potash in ashes from house stoves, under the 
most favorable conditions, was 8,50, pej- cent,, 
and unleached ('auudu ashes (18 sumples) av¬ 
eraged 6.75. per cent. 
Rating ashes at 50 pounds per bushel, we 
have in household ashes, per bushel, 4.25 
pounds of potash, aud iu Canada ashes 2.88 
pounds. At. cents per pound, the value of 
the ashes per bushel for potash alone would 
be: household ashes, 18 cents, and Canada 
ashes, I2j/ ceuts. They also contain two per 
cent, of phosphoric acid, or one pound in each 
bushel, worth six cents, which, added to the 
value of the potash, would make the total 
value of domestic ashes 24 cents, and of Can¬ 
ada ashes, 1SJ/ cents per bushel. 
Leached ashes weigh about 00 pounds per 
bushel, and contain about 80 per cent, of 
water. They hold about 1*2 per cent, of car¬ 
bonate of lime, about one per cent, of potash, 
about one jier cent, of phosphoric acid, and a 
bushel would be worth 2 07 cents for t lie potash; 
add to this the value of the phosphoric acid, 
and we have about nine cents. The current mar¬ 
ket price J believe to be from 18 to 20 cents, 
so that there would seem to be a loss on every 
bushel used; yet it is a face that in many sec¬ 
tions the use of leached ashes is attended with 
results that show that they are worth, at 
least, their cost, and that the apparent- loss 
must be compensated for by the other iiurre- 
dients. The carbonate of lime which they 
contain has, on many soils, undoubtedly con¬ 
tributed to these good results. Some samples 
of Canada unleached ashes have been found 
but little better than leached ashes. 
The next important question is grass; aud I 
know a case in which a very simple float wheel 
is arrange!, on the bank <-f a stream, by which 
water is raised to irrigate several hundred 
acres of grass and Alfalfa, which produce 
three or four tons of hay to the acre, and also 
provide a good deal of pasture after the crop 
is cut and the water is turned oil'. Such 
arrangements increase the value of land seve¬ 
ral times, und obviate the necessit y of starving 
cattle on a bare range in the Winter, besides 
keeping them in such condition that they are 
Ht for sale at any time. Stockmen must 
adopt some such methods soon, and the sooner 
the better. 
A ease came to my knowledge recently, 
which shows how law.senueted for the comfort 
of stock arc avoided and nullified. There are 
laws providing that stock must bo watered, 
when iu transit on the railroads, at intervals 
of 24 hours. Hogs, however, are watered by 
a jiecullar device. A water standard is fixed 
at the side of the track, and as the train moves 
past it slowly, a lever is moved and a stream 
gushes out horizontally into the cars aud 
drenches the hogs. The hogs ure watered on 
the outside, but then they are watered, and no 
doubt they are lienelited by the bath, and per¬ 
haps they get a little water inside as they lick 
off the filthy floors. I don’t know who has 
the patent on this water arrangement. 
NOTES BY A STOCKMAN. 
A oreat deal of jealousy exists, and doubt¬ 
less trouble will arise some time, on account, of 
the monopoly of streams on the Plains, which 
seem to be pubic property where they arc 
large and copious. Where a rancho has a 
small stream which barely supplies its own 
stock, aud is confined within its own limits, 
this may very properly be held as private 
property; but the prevalent idea that it is 
The .Solomon Valley (Kansas) sheepmen 
added a new excitement to their exhibition 
l Vn-, 
itV 
its 1 
