180 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[April. 
of grass was suffered to grow, but the soil 
had the best preparation and the finest culti¬ 
vation. I found the soil full of clusters of 
rootlets that the cultivator laid bare. As the 
corn can be plowed but one way, if in drills, 
it seems quite necessary to cultivate closer to 
the growing stalks (one way), than can be 
done with safety to its roots. 
The richer the soil the larger will be the crop 
of weeds, and the more extended the roots 
of corn. It is unwise to attempt to raise the 
largest possible crop with the least possible 
labor. The system of farming that will give 
the best results is the one to be employed. 
The amount of labor to be bestowed must be 
adjusted to the demands of the growing 
crop. If weeds spring up near the corn, 
they must be destroyed. 
Plowing near the corn for the purpose of 
“ covering up the weeds,” is bad management 
of the growing crop. We should aim to cover 
up the roots of the corn and cut up the weeds. 
The past season I visited several fields of corn 
that were “ drilled in.” The weeds occupied 
the ground between the stalks, and could 
only be reached by hand, while the corn suf¬ 
fered for lack of nourishment. Corn is grega¬ 
rious, and will thrive best in hills and with¬ 
stand strong winds better than in drills ; the 
roots will interlock more firmly and sustain 
the stalks best in hills ; and certainly it can 
be cultivated better when the hills are in 
rows, both ways. Luzern. 
Concerning Starch. 
BT W. E. STONE. 
There are certain constituents of plants 
which are so widely diffused and so inti- 
DIFFERENT KINDS OF STARCH GRAINS. 
mately connected with vegetable life, that 
we consider them fundamental principles. 
To this group of compounds belongs starch, 
which abounds in nearly all forms of vegeta¬ 
tion. The origin of starch in the plant is 
rather obscure, but it is generally understood 
that sunlight and the green coloring matter 
of the leaf are important elements in its 
production. It exists naturally in the form 
of minute grains which can only be distin¬ 
guished under the microscope. These are 
found irregularly disposed in the cells of the 
plant. Figure 1 shows such a starch, contain¬ 
ing cell of the substance of the potato. These 
grains are naturally colorless, but if mois¬ 
tened with a solution of iodine they assume 
a beautiful blue color. This forms an infal¬ 
lible test for the presence of starch and to 
show how abundant it is. It is hardly possi¬ 
ble to apply iodine to any living vegetable 
substance without the appearance of this 
characteristic color. 
One of the most interesting features of 
starch is the form and appearance of the 
grains. They are definite, organized struc¬ 
tures, limited as to size and extremely varia¬ 
ble in appearance. Figure 2 represents starch 
from com, figure 3 from the oat, and figure 
4 from wheat. If immersed in a solution of 
potash, these grains swell up strongly, appear 
to burst open, and are finally dissolved. Al¬ 
cohol causes the development of cracks radi¬ 
ating from the center of the grain. Heat 
destroys their form and structure. They 
are unaffected by cold water, but when 
boiled, swell up, as in cooking. 
Starch is composed of the elements, car¬ 
bon, hydrogen, and oxygen. If we heat it 
gently with very dilute sulphuric acid it is 
dissolved, and changed into dextrine and 
glucose. This is substantially the process 
followed in the manufacture of glucose syr¬ 
ups. This change into sugar goes on in every 
plant in the growing season, and directly or 
indirectly, we may regard starch as the 
source of all vegetable sugar. 
Starch is a valuable form of food for the 
plant, and is especially valuable as a reserve 
material. Observation shows that this is the 
very purpose for which it is intended, name¬ 
ly : to be stored up in large quantities and 
remain intact until such time as the plant is 
to make some unusual effort, as the maturing 
of the seed or wood, or the putting forth of fo¬ 
liage in the spring, when, by the ordinary vital 
processes, it would be unable to supply food 
as fast as it is needed. This office of starch 
is especially important in the spring time. As 
long as the foliage remains green and healthy, 
the plant is able to prepare the food required 
for daily growth, but when this foliage is lost, 
as in autumn, the vital activity ceases and is 
dependent for its renewal upon the appear¬ 
ance of foliage. But this later process would 
be impossible without the previous storage 
of food, and to provide against this emer¬ 
gency, every plant stores up large quantities 
of starch in the growing season, which, with 
the opening of spring, is dissolved, con¬ 
verted into dextrine and sugar, as we see in 
the sugar maple, and feeds the rapid growth 
which all vegetation accomplishes at that 
season of the year. We observe this provi¬ 
sion for the nourishment of the young plant 
in the storage of starch in seeds, bulbs, 
tubers and roots. 
Everywhere we find starch performing the 
office of nutrition, and it may properly be 
regarded as the most important and abun¬ 
dant form of prepared plant food. This, in 
connection with its relation to the food of 
man, places it among the most indispensable 
of vegetable products. 
Swinging-Stall Fronts. 
The value of Swinging-Stall Fronts is 
appreciated by those who have used them. 
They prevent the animals from putting their 
heads out into the alleys, and endangering 
themselves thereby. The “cribber,”or “wind- 
FRONT OF STALLS. 
sucker,” has been made such by want of a 
contrivance like the one illustrated herewith. 
Any one with a moderate knowledge of the 
use of tools can put it up, as the dia¬ 
gram shows how it is made ; a, a, being straps 
to fasten the “ fronts ” down into place when 
they are not raised to feed the stock. Inch 
stuff constitutes the material. The cleats to 
which the strips are attached should be four 
inches wide, with the sharp, exposed edges 
taken off with a plane. The strips should 
be from two to two and a half inches wide, 
and attached with screws or wrought nails. 
The hinges can either be of wrought iron 
or of heavy leather. If more durable fronts 
are desired, oak, or yellow pine can be used, 
though it is much more expensive. Un¬ 
planed lumber will answer, but those who 
wish to make a neat, workmanlike job, had 
better use planed lumber. D. Z. E. 
A Good Dog House. 
Persons living in the country are frequent¬ 
ly at a loss to know how to make a comfort¬ 
able and substantial house for their dog, 
some even improvising one from a small box. 
The illustration given below is of a kennel, 
made of inch stuff, the ends at least, while 
the sides and bottoms should be of good ‘/a 
or 3 / 4 -inch pine. The top should be made of 
3 / 4 -inch pine, and so arranged as to be read¬ 
ily put on and taken off. The roof should 
not be nailed fast, but secured with hooks 
m. 
at the ends or sides. A very good size for a 
kennel is 2 3 /, feet long, about 15 inches wide 
and 15 inches high. From the square to the 
peak is 6 inches. When half-inch stuff is 
used for the sides, it is well to have, on the 
inside, corner posts, say 1 ’/a inch square, 
to nail to and make the box more durable. 
The box should be painted, both inside and 
out, as soon as it is made. Cleats should be 
