Flower Seeds Given Away
To every Yearly Subaeriber to
The American Garden,
A yUAHTO ILUSTKATKI) JOI'HNAL.
ONLY 25 CENTS A YEAR.
fIAMI'I.K t'OI'IM. lu t.'KNTS.
I \EVOTED exclusively to the Gar-
I ' denlii K lnl.Tiil of A merlin. UuntaltM twnlve
puree of rhmdy printed nuttier, relitting to ItOKTI
Ct LTI : KK,KLOKHT'LTI KK. TIIK LAW N. K Low Kit
AND VKOKTABLK OAItUKN H. nil I loir varied
department*.
Kwrin kt Da. r. M HRXAMKH.
Till* popular >U|(/ini'. heretofore pnbllehed l.y j
Mum. IUAI 11, 80* A CO., will hereafter be published
by flte prraeiil proprietor*, In wit entirely new dreu, and
• ill appear In Jnuuiiiy, April, July uml October of '
..oil your.
Kirt IIIIUII.IT will lie ready about April '.Hth.
Flower Seal* for the Wild Garden.
Kv.wy yearly etilwcriber will rereiva, In lulililloii to i
till, paper, A packet of KMIWLH FLT.*na run MI Wtt.li '
tl>*u*M, •hu ll roulalu* a mixture of upward On
in-an an o vxaiMii.it, auffloieut lor a *nuare roil of j
trrutiud, which will give a profaaiou of flower* during |
the entire reason for several yeara la aucceaaion lu- |
elruelioaa for eowliix and *ul.e.|u.ut Treatment of j
flower feeil., a* well an lor other plant* for tin- Wild
Harden, will he found In the April number of the i
Am.mtivot Utiutit.
IJ. K. BLISS & SONS,' IStblinher*,
-T-ilw :i4 Itatf I bv Strwl, N> York, j
Sew Victor Sewiny Machine—Harper Brother*, Ape at H.
tMEW VICTOR.
SIMPLICITY SIMPLIFIED!
'Ovements September, 1878.
ritbatamling tho VICTOR ban long been lln
ny Sewing Machine in tho market- a fact
lliy about of volunteer wituewtes—\vo now
confidently claim for it greater simplicity,
a wonderful reduction of friction uii'l a r.tro
tie in a beautiful Kpecimctt of nicchaiiiam,
and hik on ra 11 k wit h the hight^truikiuvetiiriitj
We Sell New Machines Every Time.
Send for Uliintrated Circular and prices. Liberal terms to tho trade. Don't buy
until you have aecu the
Most Elega.it, Simple and Easy Running Machine in tho
Market.—The Ever Reliable VICTOR.
VICTOR SEWING MACHINE COMPANY,
tVesU-r.i lirauch '.S. c. IdJ.i hr.tii. S.-.. < ttfcaoo, iuu NiLDLETOWN. CONN.
HARPER BROTHERS, AgenU, Spring Street, ... 11ELLEFONTE, PA.
U'iiMon, Me Fart aor ,(• Co., Hardware thaler*.
ZE3I .A. Tt ID "W" A. JEZ, IEI
McFARLANE A: CO.
DEALERS IN
STOVES, RANGES ? HEATERS.
ALSO
Paints, Oils, Glass and Varnishes,
AND
iBXJIX-IDEE/S'
ALLEOUUfT BTREKT, .... HL'MXS' BLOCK. .... BKLI.KKoNTK. PA.
Business Curds.
HARNESS MANUFACTORY
in Garinan'a Mew Block,
BKLLKFOXTK, PA. 1-1 y
I? P. BLAIR,
A • JKWKLKR.
WATCHIX, CIOTgX, JIWILST. Ac.
All work n<*ntljr iKatl. On Allegheny xtreet,
nn<lr BrockrrhofT llonw. 4-tf
LKALEKS IN PUKK DRUOS ONLY.
3 | ZELLEK A SON, i
a *t • liRL'OOISTS.
Hi 6. BrockerhnlT Row. i 2
£ All th Bttn<Uril Mmllclrm Prw- ,
X Uciiptloni ani Family B*c!|>* arruratwly -
X |prH|*rfl. Tru****, HhmMwr Kra* f*, Jkr., Ar. ' 3
•\ " , I
f OUIS DOLL,
IJ FASHIONABLE BOOT A SHOEMAKER,
BrirkprholT Kw, AlNghwny
1-lj BHlwfontw. Pa
1. C. Rt'XM, Pr#*t. 1. t. H * RRI*. OMh'r.
IjMRST NATIONAL BANK OF
BKLLKTQNTE,
AlUli*ny BrtlrfotiU, P. 4-tf
f lENTRE COUNTY BANKING
COMPANY.
DpiMit
And Allow Ynt*r*t t
Marmiai Not**;
Buy *mt M*ll
Ho*. lwrlUf,
U<>\4 and Coupon*,
J|*U A. Bbavir, Pr-.Li#!.t.
J. D. PacaEßT.Omhter. 4-tf
CONSUMPTION
PORITIYELY CURED.
ALL sufferers from this disease
thai are enxlona to !.<■ cured ahould try D*.
KISSNER'S CELEBRATED CONSI'MPTIVE POW
DEBS. These Powder* are the only preparation known
Mint will mil CoaatarrioK ami all die**ea of Ota
Taaott in Ltrona—lndeed, so strong la oar faith la
Ihrm, and alao to convince yon that tliey ara no hnm
hng, wa will forward to every anlferer by mail. p-..t
paid, a ran Tatil Max.
Wa don't want your monry until yon ara perfectly
•atiaSad of thalr curative powers. If your Ufa la worth
saving. don't dalay In (lain, thaaa Pownaaa a trial, aa
Ihay Will anraly rara yon.
a Prlra, for large box, >l.lli, aant to any part of tha
United State# or Canada, by mail, on rncaipt of prlra.
Addraaa,
ASH Ac ROBBINB,
44-ly *0 Pulton Straat, Brooklyn, M. T.
FITS, EPILEPSY,
OR
FALLIMO SH'KHEMH
PERMANENTLY CURED—No
Humbug—by una mantb'a uaaga nf Or. Ouu
lard't Culabrutud Infalliblu Fit Powdnra. To con
rluce mfferen that thaaa powdara will do all wa claim
for thant wa will aand thani by mall, roar rani, a ran
ram. aox. Aa Dr. Oonlard la tha only pliyatetaa that
baa rrar mada tbia dtaaaaa a apuclal itndy, anil aa to
our know|ad|[a thouaanda haiiham serm ixrxtlt rur
ad by tha naa of thaaa Puwexna, *| wiu, iigtiinu A
rnxtnin cura In arary case, or aaroitu rot' Alt
uonxr nimn, All auffararu abonld give ilmaa
Powdara an aarly trial, and ba conrlncad of thalr rurw
tlra powara.
Prlra, for large ho*. >I,OO, or 4 botaa for ftS.flO, aant
by mail to any part or tho United StaUa or Canaita on
radapt of prlco, or by expraea. O. 0. D. Addraaa
AHH & BOBBINS,
44-ly. 380 Fulton Straat, Brooklyn, N. T. *
'pHE CENTRE DEMOCRAT
BOOK and JOB OFFICE
RUSH HOUSE BLOCK,
BELLEFONTK, PA.,
Ifl NOW OKK K 111 NO
GRE AT INDUCEMENTS
TO TllottK WIHHINO PtRST-CLAHA
Plain or Fancy Printing.
Wo have uniieual facilitic* for printing
LAW HOOKS,
PAMPHLETS,
CATALOG (JES.
PROGRAMMES,
STATEMENTS,
1 CIKCIJLA Its, '
HILL HEADS,
NOTE HEADS,
BUSINESS CAKDS,
I INVITATION CAKDS,
CARTES DK VISITE,
CARDS ON ENVELOPES
AND ALL KINDS OF BLANK'S.
McP riming done in tho best (ty lu, tin
nhort notice and at the lowest rates.
fcOCOrdor? by mail will receive prompt
j Attention.
I3ELLEFONTE A SNOW SHOE
* P R R.—Time-Table In eff.o t on and after May
I.l**"
Lcar-v Snow Shoe 7.2" A. m.,arrives in ibdlefnnta
8.10 A. M.
la-area Ib llefonte 10.2'. A M., arrive, at Snow Shoe
11..17 A. *.
la-are. Snow Shoe 2<l f. arrive. In Ib-llafonla
3 45 r. *.
I.eare. Hallafonfa 1.1' a. x.. arrives al Snow Shoe
6.67 r. a. liANIIiI. HIIOADS,
flanaral Suparlntan.lenl.
IJALD EAGLE VALLEY RAIL-
I -B-F ROAD.— I Tlme-Table, April 29, l**u:
Rap. Mall, wa*ywASt>. iutvaih. Ftp. Mall.
| 4. w. r. *. r u. a. i<
|*l" 032 Arrlra al Tvrona I.eare 7 * *2O
I*lß 2d Leave Ka.t Tyrone l.ava... 7 11 * 27
17 69 621 " Vail " ... 71 *3l
I7 AA 817 " Bald Faicla " ... T23 *l7
I7 4* * " Fowler •• ... 73d *4
742 8 3 " llannah " ... 738 7
]7 36 AAA ...... " P>rt Matilda " ... T44 I* 18
I7 27 A47 " Mattha " ... 7 .12 92*
|7 I* A3* ...... " Julian " ... * I 9pi
I 7 II A27 " rmonvllla " ... *ll u43
; 7 '*' Al* ...... " Snow Shoe In " ... *2l lAI
I 8 .">8 Ald ...... " Milasburg " ... * '24 9AA
IA 4A A A " Relief.-rite " ... *32 9AI
• Si; 4AA " MlleahnrK " ... * 4.1 10 3
|• H 44A " Purlin ... *Mlo 14
81* 44" " Mount Eagle " ... 90"1" 19
8 9 431 " Howard " ... 9 *1" 29
AV. 420 .... " Englrrllle " ... 91*10 42
A 4 1.1 ...... " Baarh I'reek " ... 9 '22 I" 47
A34 4 3 " Mill Hall " ... 93411 00
1 A 20 400 " Fleminaton " ... 937 11 4
A2A 3AA " Lock llaran " ... 942 11 *
1 PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD.
A —fPhiladelphia and Bria Dirlaton.)—On and
after Dacambar 12, 1*77 :
W KNTWARH.
IKK IK MAIL leave, Philadelphia II AA p m
" " Harrlvbnrg...... 42A a m
" " Wlttlamaport A3A a m
" " lan k llaran 9 40am
• " " Ranovo. 10 AA a m
" arrlrra at Krta...„ 73A p m
ItIAtIARA KXPHKSS laaraa Philadelphia- 7 2" a m
" " llarrlrhiiry ... 1" .I" a m
* " IVllliamaport. 22" p m
" arriraa at ttcnoro 4 4" p m
; Paaaanyara hy thla train arrive in Halle
fnnla at 4 3A p tn
1 FAST LIN B laaraa Philadelphia II 44 am
" " tlarrtehuri 336 p m
" " WUliamaport ... 7 311pm
I " arriraa at Lock llaran top in
KAATWARD.
PACIFIC EXPRESS laaraa lea k llaran 8 40 n m
•' " WUliamaport... 7 6.1 a m
" arriraa at llarrlalmr* 11 AAam
i " " Phllsdalphla.... 346 p m
DAT EXPRESS laaraa Ranoro 10 10 a a>
*' " Lork llaran ........ II t"am
" " WUliamaport... 12 40am
" arriraa at
" " Phlladalphia. 7 21pm
ERIE MAIL laaraa Ranoro A SAp m
" " Lock llaran ... 94A p m
* WillianporL-....„ 11 Kpa
" arriraa at llarrlabnrc.. 2 46 a m
" " Philadelphia 700 a m
FAST LIBR laaraa WUliamaport 12 36 a m
" arriraa at llarrlabnrr-.. Iltaa
" " Philadelphia. 736 a m
Erie Mall Want. Bla*ara Rtpraaa Waat, lawk llaran
Accommodation Wast, and Day Rxpraaa Fast, make
1 close connactlona at Northumberland with L. A B. R.
, R. trains for Wllkaabnrra and ScniaUin.
Rrla Mall Waat. Nlairara Rxpraaa Waat, and Krte
i Express Weal, and lack llaran Arcomlaudation Waat,
: make close connection al WUliamaport with M. C. R.
W. tralna north.
Eria Mall Waat, Niagara Express Want, and Day
Ex press Baal, make close connection at Lock llaran
With R. R. V. K. K. tralna.
Erie Mail Bast and Weal connect at Erie with train*
on L. S. * M. S. R. 8,. at Corry with AC.4I V. R
R„ at Emporium with B. X. T. A P. R. R., an I nt
Driftwood with A. V. R. R.
Parlor can will run between Pbilailalpbln and
Willlamaport on Niagara Rxpraaa Waat, Kris Rxpraaa
Waat, Phlladalphia Rxpraaa Mast and Day Ripreaa
East, and Sunday Rxpraaa Beat. Waaplnf ran on nil
night tralna. Wu. A lui.nwi*.
Oan'l Snparlntandant.
(feutw $ etna cat.
BKLLEFONTK, PA.
-2^G-H.IOTTXjTT73rI.iX.Ij-
NKWH, FACTS AXI* BUOOEBTIONB.
THK TKST ur THK NATIONAL WKLKAKB H Tilt INTLLLI
UINUC AND f-UOKI-KltlTV Of THK lAHMKIt.
Every farmer in hit annual experience
•Iwcover* comet hiny of value, Write it anil
tend it to the. "Agricultural Editor of the
DKMOI KAT, llcllcfontr, t'enn'u," that other
farmer* may hare the benefit of it. l.rt
communication* be timely, and be mire that
they are brief and well pointed.
Mil. HKNKY ROTIIHOCK, of Spring
township, showed us a stalk of oats
last week, w hich had been taken from
his Held, and which measured over
; lire feet lung. It was "superb." Mr.
Kothrock says his Held is full of just
sueli oats as this, that it is all Han
cock oats, and that his crop will he
like Hancock's majority in Pennsyl
vania—big.
I n K subject of "Ensilage," or, in
other words, the preservation of
green corn, or other greet) crops in a
pit in the earth, for w inter feeding, is
now attracting much attention among
| farmers everywhere. Of course, the
| entire subject is new to many of our
J readers, and for their benefit we quote
j frmn the Chicago Lice Stock Journal
a reply to an Ohio farmer which gives
the clearest explanation of the pro
cess that has yet come under our ob
i nervation.
We have received, from Secretary
MeConkey, the premium list of the
great sheep show which is to take
place at Philadelphia in September,
immediately after the close of the
State Society's Exhibition,and under
its auspices. The premiums offered
are on a very liberal scale, and will
doubtless have the clTcct of bringing
out the finest display of sheep, wool
and wool products ever gotten to
gether. The "Grand Sweepstakes"
! prize, offered for the best pen of Mer
inos, is $450, and sums between that
and SIOO, are freely sprinkled all
through the list.
Dt'Rlxu a drive down the Raid
Eagle Valley aud up Xitlany, a few
days ago, our attention was directed
to the greatly improved farming of
the two valleys, and particularly
that of the Raid Eagle. Crops in
both arc looking well, and giving ev
idence of good care, and intelligent
and improved cultivation; but our
friends in N'ittany, among whom are
some of the best farmers in the
county, will have to "look a leedlc
out," or their Raid Eagle brethren
will soon bo fully abreast of them.
"Raid Eagle furming" has long been
a sort ol by-word of reproach, but at
the rate of improvement now mani
fest all along the valley, the old-time
sneer will soon become a compliment.
Fence rows have been cleaned out,
lines straightened, stumps pulled and
burned, swamps drained, brush patch
es cleared, old buildings repaired
and new ones erected, and the spirit
of improvement and evidences of
thrift are seen on nearly every farm.
Tile jand seems to be better tilled
than formerly ; crops are more
abundant and more diversified.
Among the novelties we noticed
"fodder corn," sown to help out the
short hay crop; Hungarian grass or
millet for the same purpose, and to
bacco. This last mentioned crop
seems to lie commanding a good
share of attention. At Mount Eagle
Jacob R. Leathers is cultivating it
to a considerable extent; at Howard,
four acres of the lieverly farui have
been devoted to it by Samuel Brick
ley, and J. A. Woodward has given
up nearly eleven acres of his place
to its culture. This is divided Into
lots, which are l>eing cultivated by
men from Clinton county whose
names we did not learn. Roth lots
are fine, and wc saw individual plants
with fourteen leaves, nnd found num
bers of leaves raeasuring from twelve
to sixteen inches long. At Kagle
ville, Mr. Manskcr, on the old Liggett
farm, now owned by P. B. Crider,
has no less than seventeen acres de
voted to the weed, ail of which looks
Well. It is divided up into several
small lots, under the care of as many
individuals, most of whom live in the
village. All this is decided improve
ment upon the old "Bald Eagle farm
ing," and we congratulate our friends
there upon the progress tliey have
made.
Book Notices.
A recent vitiit from an agent of the
Amcrirnn Cyclopatdia haa net us to think
ing h good deal about the education of
farmers' boys. The truth in that the
average farmer finds very serious dilli
cuiticH iii the way of giving bin conn even
a good ordinary education. While,
thunks to our common school system,
the rudiments of an education are :
placed within reach of every boy in the '
land, the sparsely settled communities j
of the rural districts cannot afford the j
bust schools or the most competent ,
teachers, and the larutcr who desires to I
give his children the advantages of even I
an ordinarily good Kriglish education, i
finds himself confronted by difficulties |
which the people of the towns do not j
have to contend with. Absence ol
proper schools and competent teachers
near home, and inability lo incur the I
heavy expense of sending to the towns j
where these advantages may be had, 1
prevent many a farmer's family from
attaining that degree ol intelligence
which should he the possession of every !
young man and woman in the laud.
Under these circumstances the farmer
and his family should buy, read and
study the best books to be hud ; ami of
these we know of none better, as an aid
in the general education of the family,
than the American Cyclojnrdia. It is lit
orally filled with the best obtainable in
formation upon all subjects, nnd in such
I condensed form that even the farmer,
bu-y as he is, may po-1 himself thorough
ly upon any matter lo which his atten
tion may be called. We have neither
time nor space to speak of the merits of
this work in detail. It is enough to say
that it is the latest, fullest, most reliable,
and in all respects the best of all the Cy
clopaedias published, and as a medium
of obtaining general information is
wortb more to the young man or young
woman who has mast ere i the ordinary
branches taught in the country schools,
than all the schools in the State.
THE Fruit Jlrcordvr has the follow
ing:
(.OLDAN LAW! or T( >IIIA*UIII.
I
MmtlierrifM •!*.;. wotiI1t tVa**t prornrr?
liig tlwji Aii-1 nnil.li urn! lrr m*rv.
II
T* make the fruitful tiitra • itdtiir,
lig and litlllt h and utrrw tii*ntir.
111.
T> mat# UMtimtu - d<ti)d> aurr,
I rig Jeeji and 14! tilth Ali'l EUrW tHAUUf
flfcm rjtiic, hrfc I* to irolT At.
On thww three Un tumg* AII th# profit.
fine or Coarse Grouud Feed.
•'K. W. ft," In Conntrjr <Miil runn.
L., page 200, inquires how fine feed
should be ground for stock, stating
that nearly half the farmers there
think it should be ground line. I
fully agree with the first part of the
answer, "that it lias been proved that
whole grain is inferior to ground
meal," and also that when very fine it
is more likely to become packed in a
mans in the stomach than w hen it is
I coarser or granulated; but this does
not prove that it is as well or l*cttcr
to grind it coarse, as L. perhaps might
infer. Whole grain is inferior to
ground liecausc the fineness of divis
ion in the ground grain gives it much
more surface for the digesting fluid
to act upon, and thus digestion be
comes much more complete.
The question must be, in what
condition of fineness is meal most
digestible when properly led ? If we
grant that coarse cracked corn allow s
a freer circulation of the gastric juice
than tine corn meal, still it does not
prove that more of this coarse ground
will be digested. 11l fact 1 have
conclusively proved the contrary by
a numlier of careful experiments in
feeding very tinciy-ground meal for
one week, and then coarsely-ground
the next, and carefully examining the
manure, found scarcely a trace of the
fine, while about 10 per cent, of the
coarsest passed without digestion. It
would have been somewhat more sat
isfactory if the manure had lccu
analyzed ; yet inspection was quite
sufficient as a general comparison.
This experiment consisted in feeding
alone three quarts of either quality
dry per day. I alao tried the same
experiment by mixing first the fine
meal with twice its bulk of cut hay,
moistened, during ten days, and then
the coarse mixed the same; and in
this case not a trace of the fine meal
could lie found in the manure, but
what was judged to le about 6 per
cent, of the coarse was found in the
manure. In feeding shelled corn
alone, 20 per cent, appeared In the
manure, hot when the shelled corn
was fetl with cut hay, whioii rendered
it difficult to separate the corn front
the hay, liotb being eaten together,
about half as much appeared in the
ntnnttre.
I think the principle holds good
that the benefit of grinding is in
proportion to the fineness of division,
nnd if this is the case, farmers should
be advised to feed the meal with such
coarse food as will separate the par
ticles of meal, and thus secure com
plete digestion. Because careless
farmers will feed meal without any
admixture of cut hay, straw or chaff,
their had example should not lead us
.to modify the true principles appli
cable to grinding and proper feeding.
HEMS and milk go well together.
Ply persistently the former with the
latter, and great shall IKS your reward.
How They Treat Stable Manure at the
Kaunas Agricultural College farm.
Uy Prof. V.. M. Wmllon.
Our barnyard is situated on a
slight slope, and all drainage of the
hill side is conveyed by ditches
around the yard. We have found by
ex|>erience that the rain-fall upon the
barnyard, if it can be all retained, is,
with the liquid voidings of the ani
mals, about the quantity of moisture
needed to keep the manure pile con
stantly moist. To retain the mois
ture properly the barnyard bottom is
made slightly concave 10 prevent any
overflow of its contents. Occasion
ally this does happen, but only during
or after very heavy rains, into this
concavity, or "basin," as your corres
pondent lias it, the drains from the
dilh rent tiers of stalls in the barn
empty. Each day the manure from
horse and cattle stalls alike is dump
ed into this depression, where the hogs
turn it over and extract whatever ol
pig feed it contains. Hut we aim to
feed our pigs so that they have no
temptation to carry investigations
beyond the manure thrown out each
I day. I would, on no account, allow
the pigs to constantly turn over the \
whole pile. The pig is an expensive I
laborer in more senses than one; and
then the manure must be kept com
| pact if we would have that slow fer
mentation, during which the ammonia
is held in the pile, in the form of am- !
i monia salts. Our manure pile we
j keep low and flat, and in such a posi
tion that the stock constantly pass
! over it, treading it solid from the
! first.
Thistles and Hay.
1 'or. of lb* Tribnp*.
Thistles on rich meadow land in
grass may be eradicated in two years
with no direct cost or labor. Every
farmer, whether troubled with this
ties or not, should cut his best and
! heaviest grass in June, about the
! time it begins to head out (Timothy
! grass), nnd then, in due time, cut the
second crop. 'This practice followed
two years (on my land) w ill kill every
thistle, no matter how thick they may
le, in small patches, even to cover
the ground. This is my experience
on my farm ; I cannot say how it
might lie no other farms and under
other circumstances, only as I reason
from analogy. I am inclined to
j think that ail those farmers who
practice cutting the first crop of
grass in June are not troubled with
I thistles after the second year of mow
j ing. Many farmers will consider
I this remedy worse than the disease,
| but with me it is not a remedy, for 1
j thus practice, thistles or no thistles,
j I am aware that most farmers regard
the cutting of two crops of grass
upon the same ground in one season
as very exhausting to the soil, but
! reason and experience teach me that
j one late crop exhausts the soil more
; than two crops, the first of which is
cut in June. Repeated analyses of
green grass indicate its quantity of
i nutrition to be 8s per cent., while
that which is cut in bloom contains
02 oer cent., and that cut when ripe
has only .'<! |>or cent. Then cut
early and kill out your thistles, and
j thus cut oil propogation by the rip
! cuing of the seed ; and, still more,
i by this early cutting prevent any
I and all weeds from going to seed.
Doininiques.
0.0 Rri'it in Amrixan Farmer.
Mr experience lias been, that the
American Pominiques are the liest
winter layers—they are excellent
mothers. Mr. J. Addison Smith, of
I Reulali Farm, Howard Co., Md., who
J recently spent some eighteen months
1 travelling in Europe, visited the I'ar
i is and Belgium Hardens of Acclima
tion, and saw the choice jsiultry,
writes me as follows: "I am convinc
ed beyond all peradventure that the
American Pominiqucs are the best
! chickens for farmers They combine
! every good quality, are good layersf
; the best of mothers, hardy as hawks,
; and, like a good llerkshire hog, you
can fatten them from the time they
• are hatched, nnd on less food than
I any other breed. The cocks are
splendid breeders, take most admira
ble care of their flocks. They (tossi
i lily may not lay quite as many eggs
as the Leghorn tril*e, or make quite
as much meat as the Cochins. I
have during the past few years tried
nearly ail new breeds and now I've
settled down on a substantial basis,
and pro|ose to breed for profit—
consequently shall conflne myself to
American Doininiques.
I am glad to give an opinion that
coincides with mine from such a good
authority.
The i'lymoulh Rock Fowls arc
becoming quite popular, and they
combine many of the qualities of the
Pominiqucs. Although they are a
made breed, produced by crossing
the Dominique on the Black Java,
arc now, after years of trial, breeding
quite true. Tliey are larger than the
Dominique. In plumage the same.
As yet their eggs vary in color.
Tliey are hardy. Thus it will be seen
all the good traita, or iierfection, can
not be found in any one breed of
fowls.
■ ■ - •' i 4
It is said that there is no better
way to destroy sorrel than to plow
the land in early summer, aud in
July sow buckwheat. Sorrel la a
potash plant, and has sometimes Itcen
used as a fertilizer for potatoes.
Ensilage.
From Hi'- 1.1 *# H"ck Journal.
An Ohio farmer wanU us to ad vise
liim OH to whether it would lw: safe
for him to try the preservation of
green corn or other fodder in u silo
in the earth as lie supposes Herman*
did years ago. We certainly do not
think tni* the l<est way to keep green
food for making milk. Fermentation
should be avoided as far as possible :
and it is much more difficult .to
prevent fermentation of green corn
or clover in a trench in the earth
than in a silo with air-tight walls, as
is now used by .M. (ioflart,of France.
He formerly used the trench in tin:
earth, and found that much better
than drying the fodder, but lie was
not aide to prevent the air entering
tlirough cracks in the covering of
earth when it settled, lie succeeded
in preserving green fodder in this
way for some six or eight years, and
regarded it as a great improvement
for winter feeding, as its succulence
was largely preserved, although fer
mentation had proceeded further than
was desirable.
The trench ensilage was put up a*
follows: On a dry piece of ground
the oaitli was excavated in a trench 7
feet wide at the top and ( feet wide
at the bottom, and a* long as desired.
The green corn was cut and laid in
lengthways of the ditch and trodden
down solid. It was filled to tire top
of the earth, and then carried up
both ways like the roof of a house
some '•> or 1 feet above the ground.
Then some straw was laid over this
and the earth thrown out of the
ditch used to cover it some two feet
deep. When the green fodder settled
and caused the earth covering to
crack, more earth was thrown upon
these cracks and rammed down to
keep the air frotn entering. This
was done several times ; and when
the fodder was taken out iu winter,
it was eaten by cattle with a better
relish than dry fodder. This is call
ed sour fodder.
Hut now M. (Jolfart has adopted a
silo built with a tight wall of mason
ry, 1G feet high, upon each side, and
12 to 10 feet apart, with roof over it.
The roof is placed some feet above
the top of the wall, so as to give head
room for filling.
The liest way to build, in most
places in this country,is with a water
lime concrete wail, 20 inches at the
| bottom and 1 4 inches at the top, the
slant being on the outside of the w all,
! since the inside must be perpendicu
j lar and smooth, for theplanks, placed
j on the top of the ensilage, to settle
: as the green fodder settles or becomes
i compressed. It is more convenient
j to have the silo walls 12 to 14 feet
1 apart, rather than wider, as the planks
are more easily handled that length.
A silo 12 feet wide, 16 feet high,
and 40 feet long, will hold about 100
tons of green fodder. When more
room than this is needed, then build
I two silos, side by side, and let the
middle wall be 20 inches thick,carried
up perpendicular on both sides, and
the two outside walls built as above
j described.
The door of the silo is in the end,
and the planks are placed cross-wise
;on top after the silo is filled. One
plunk is taken off at a time and this
space cut down for feeding. Instead
of laying iu the corn lengthways
without cutting, as was formerly the
way, it is now run through a large
cutter, and cut into half-inch lengths,
and, by a carrier attached to the ma
chine, is delivered over the wall into
I the silo. Here it is spread evenly
and troden down solid. It will pack
much more solid after being cut
, short in this way, and thus keep the
air from entering. When the silo is
( full and solid, loose plank* are fitted
j iu across on top from wall to wall,
; and a weight pressure i* placed on
these with stone —alxuit 500 jmiind- to
the square yard of surface. As the
green fodder settles these planks go
down with it, and keep up a constant
1 pressure on the upper surface, and
thus prevent the entrance of air. M.
tiotfart think* the small cracks IN*-
tween the plunks facilitate the eaca|N*
of air contained iu the ensilage, allow -
ing it to pack so solid that further air
cannot cuter. It is found to lie pack
! Ed so hard when the end is cut down
for feeding, that the air does not ef
fect it during the long time of feeding
it out. When the air is properly
excluded, as hv this method, ail kind*
of green fodder may lie preserved,
and thus stock can IK* given, not mere
ly green corn, hut clover, timothy,
millet, oats ami |(C&*, oats, Hungarian
grass, rye, or any other green food,
lleet pulp, sugar meal (refuse of corn
in gra|>c sugar making), brewers'
grains or other like damp refuse, may*
be preserved in this way by excluding
the air.
I If AVI liecn engaged in the fruit
business for a long time, and for the
last four or five years neither spade
nor plow has been allowed in my
grapery, or among my other small
fruits, ami the result ia au abundanee
of flue lierriea, when my neighbors'
fail. When I gave thorough cultiva
tion I had for labor, wood. When 1
changed to thorough mulching I was
rewarded with an abundance of fine
fruit, and wood enough for all pur
poses. I mulch freely in late foil or
caily spring, with almost anything
that will keep the weeds down. 1
think the beat thing 1 ever tried was
com stalk litter ; especially ao of a
dry season like the summer just past.