Read Ebook: Prairie Farmer Vol. 56: No. 4 January 26 1884 A Weekly Journal for the Farm Orchard and Fireside by Various

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FORESTRY.

Henry Stuart writes the New York Times: A wise and careful system of agriculture might have left our fields still fertile and productive, so an economical use of the forests might have made them a perennial source of wealth. Fortunately the injury is not beyond a remedy, for it is easier to restore a growth of timber than it is to bring back fertility to a barren soil. It is easy to care for what is left and to replant and renew the growth, and even to do this better and more quickly and with more and quicker profit than nature has done it. It is easy, too, by a wise and practical use of the forests that are left, to so husband them as to take regular harvests from them as the farmer regularly harvests his fields or selects the fatlings from his flocks. He does not gather in all these at one fell swoop, taking the fat and the lean and the young and the old, as the fisherman gathers all into his nets, and as the lumberman has felled the woods, but he selects those that are ripe and carefully rears the rest until they are ready. Had the timber been culled in this way from the forests year by year there would have been a periodical harvest, and as the mature trees were cut out a new growth would spring up. But, on the contrary, as in the old fable, the goose has been killed for its golden eggs, and the source of a lasting profit has been recklessly sacrificed.

Fortunately the land is left, and can be put to its proper use as soon as it can be controlled. And still fortunately, by a wise administration, the forests may be made a profitable source of public income, instead of, as heretofore, the prey of the spoilers. It is useless to complain of past mistakes. They have been, as we have pointed out, mere incidents of our system, and possibly unavoidable. But the time has come when the system must be changed, and the necessity for a change has become so apparent that it can not be long delayed. It is not only the commerce of the country that must suffer by a continuance of the system, but agriculture suffers still more; and it is not only the public who will gain by a change, but the example will be followed by the farmers, who will doubtless soon learn to take care of their own timber lands and plant more, and so the benefit will be general. Besides, the farmers will not be long in discovering the profit in growing timber, and would plant groves as one of the most profitable crops that could be grown upon their rougher lands, or as a resting and restorative crop for their worn soil.

Before the New York Academy of Science a few days ago, Professor Albert R. Leeds gave some "facts gathered from eight years of personal inspection as to the alleged destruction of the Adirondack forests." He said that a rapid course of spoilation was going on in the outskirts of the forest, and the effect of it would soon be felt in the flow of the Hudson. The impression that the Adirondacks were pine-producing was a false one. Pine trees were seldom seen and the mountains were covered with spruce and hemlock. But the spruces, owing to a disease which attacked them a few years ago, are rapidly dying off. On the Ausable river and along the shores of Lake Champlain the destruction of the forest is especially great. Persons living about the forest start fires in the woodland which spread rapidly and are more destructive to the trees than the lumbermen. Professor Leeds thought that the railways which are making their way through the forests would be an important element in their destruction, for the sparks of the locomotives would originate forest fires. He said that the purchase of the forests by the State might not require so great an expenditure of money as was anticipated.

In closing an article on "Forestry and Farming," the Germantown Telegraph maintains that the idea that farmers and land-owners generally entertain that they may not live to enjoy the advantages of the tree-planting, should be utterly banished from their minds. It will require only about twenty years to realize the most liberal hopes of success; at least it will add to the value of the farm by the fact that the amount of timber is to be increased instead of diminished. We all know how anxious every purchaser of a tract of land is to know whether there is any and how much timber upon a farm offered for sale. In fact, there is no greater mistake made than to cut down the wood upon a farm when purchased, with a view to meet the second payment; and this mistake is invariably brought home to everyone in a few years. It is like taking the life-blood out of the land.

SCIENTIFIC.

Official Weather Wisdom.

A Remarkable Electrical Discovery.

The London Times of recent date states that a new electrical contrivance has been perfected by Mr. A. St. George, the inventor of the telephone which bears his name. This invention, which is really supplemental to the telephone, will enable every description of conversation carried on through the instrument to be not only recorded but reproduced at any future time. Briefly stated, Mr. St. George's invention may be thus described: A circular plate of glass is coated with collodion and made sensitive as a photographic plate. This is placed in a dark box, in which is a slit to admit a ray of light. In front of the glass is a telephone diaphragm, which, by its vibrations, opens and closes a small shutter through which a beam of light is constantly passing and imprinting a dark line on the glass. Vibrations of the shutter cause the dark line to vary in thickness according to the tones of the voice. The glass plate is revolved by clock work, and the conversation as it leaves the telephone is recorded on the sensitive plate, the imprinted words spoken being fixed as is done in photography. The plate can be brought forward afterwards, and when replaced in the machine and connected with a distant telephone, will, when set in motion, give back the original conversation.

On October 15, 1881, a gentleman in Newburgh, N. Y., inclosed a spider in a small paper box. He carefully guarded and watched it, and affirms that for 204 days it partook of no food or water. It showed no emaciation, and appeared as active and strong as at first until within a very few days of its death on May 7, 1882. Tamerlane learned patience from a spider; perhaps Tanner was taught by them how to fast. The Hour, from which we take this item, also has the following: Another spider story is sent from California by the Rev. Dr. McCook, of honey-ant fame. He found a small cocoon of eggs and young spiders, which had no less than five other kinds of insects living in and about it. These intruders consisted of small red ants, a diminutive beetle, and a series formed by a minute chalcid, parasitic on a larger chalcid, which was parasitic on an ichneumon, which was parasitic on the spider. All were seeking to devour the eggs and spiderlings, yet the whole cocoonful, victims included, seemed to be living on most amicable terms.

Various methods for hastening the conversion of cider into vinegar have been recommended. A French method is as follows: Scald three barrels or casks with hot water, rinse thoroughly and empty. Then scald with boiling vinegar, rolling the barrels and allowing them to stand on their sides two or three days until they become thoroughly saturated with the vinegar. The barrels are then filled about one-third full with strong pure cider vinegar and two gallons of cider added. Every eighth day thereafter two gallons of cider are added until the barrels are two-thirds full. The whole is allowed to stand fourteen days longer, when it will be found to be good vinegar, and one-half of it may be drawn and the process of filling with cider be begun again. In summer the barrels are allowed to stand exposed to the sun and in cold weather kept where the temperature is 80 degrees.

A Party of the United States Geological Survey have found it practicable to ride to the highest peak of Mount Shasta, and suggest the establishment there of a third elevated station for weather observations, similar to those on Pike's Peak and Mount Washington.

A herring produces from 30,000 to 50,000 eggs, and the eggs are so small in size that 20,000 can be put one layer thick on a square foot of glass.

MISCELLANEOUS.

To Our Readers.

THE PRAIRIE FARMER will discuss, without fear or favor, all topics of interest properly belonging to a Farm and Fireside Paper, treat of the most approved practices in AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE, BREEDING, ETC.; the varied Machinery, Implements, and improvements in same, for use both in Field and House; and, in fact, everything of interest to the Agricultural community, whether in FIELD, MARKET, OR HOME CIRCLE.

IT WILL GIVE INFORMATION UPON THE PUBLIC DOMAIN, WESTERN SOILS, CLIMATE, ETC.; ANSWER INQUIRIES on all manner of subjects which come within its sphere; GIVE each week, full and RELIABLE MARKET, CROP, AND WEATHER REPORTS; PRESENT the family with choice and INTERESTING LITERATURE; amuse and INSTRUCT THE YOUNG FOLKS; AND, in a word, aim to BE, in every respect, AN INDISPENSABLE AND UNEXCEPTIONABLE farm and fireside COMPANION.

Terms of Subscription and 'Club Rates':

ONE COPY, 1 YEAR, postage paid $ 2.00

TWO COPIES, " " " 3.75

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Address

The Prairie Farmer Publishing Co., Chicago. Ill.

STANDARD BOOKS.

ROPP'S CALCULATOR AND DIARY.

Practical Arithmetic made EASY, SIMPLE, and CONVENIENT for all, by this unique and wonderful work. Is worth its weight in gold to everyone not quick in figures. Contains nearly 100,000 BUSINESS Calculations, SIMPLE and PRACTICABLE Rules and ORIGINAL Methods--the CREAM of this great and useful science--which makes it possible and EASY for ANY ONE, even a child, to make CORRECT and INSTANTANEOUS computations in GRAIN, Stock, Hay, Coal, Cotton, Merchandise. INTEREST, Percentage, Profit and Loss, Wages, Measurement of Lumber, Logs, Cisterns, Tanks, Granaries, Wagon-beds, Corn-cribs, Cordwood, Hay-stacks, Lands, Carpenters', Plasterers', and Masons' work, besides THOUSANDS of other practical problems which come up every day in the year. Will prove of GREAT BENEFIT, almost A NECESSITY, in the hands of every FARMER, Mechanic, and Tradesman.

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How to Paint

"EVERY MAN HIS OWN PAINTER."

Full directions for using WHITE LEAD LAMP BLACK--IVORY BLACK-- PRUSSIAN BLUE--ULTRAMARINE--GREEN--YELLOW--BROWN--VERMILLION-- LAKE--CARMINE--WHITING--GLUE--ASPHALTUM--PUMICE STONE, and SPIRITS OF TURPENTINE--OILS--VARNISHES--FURNITURE VARNISH--MILK PAINT--PREPARING CALCIMINE.

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STANDARD WORKS.

Gardening for Profit,

A WELL-KNOWN WORK ON

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PRACTICAL FLORICULTURE,

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Address PRAIRIE FARMER PUBLISHING CO., Chicago.

TALKS ON MANURES

While we have no lack of treatises upon artificial fertilizers, there is no work in which the main stay of the farm--the manure made upon the farm is treated so satisfactorily or thoroughly as in this volume. Starting with the question,

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