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THE SOUTHERN WORLD, AUGUST 15,1882,
account of this difficulty it is important in
stocking a pond to have not less than ten or
twelve individuals in order to assure at
least one pair of adult fish. Some expert!
claim that they can distinguish the sexes at
a much earlier period than spawning. We
would be greatly obliged if Dr. Hessel and
Mr. 8etb Green will each give the readers of
Tiia Would the history of fish in this re
spect, especially the carp. K.
Mslntni Floors.
Will not some one who knows give a few
suggestions about staining floors of dining
rooms and store-rooms, and oblige a subscri
ber of your useful Southern World.
Ebenezeb.
Answer.—We are not posted on this point
and will be obliged if some of our readers
will give the information asked for. The
following is taken from Diek’t Encylopedia of
Practical Knowledge and is worthy of trial:
Wax fob Polishing Floors.—Twelve and
a half pounds of common beeswax, rasped
and stirred into a hot solution of six pounds
of good pearl-ash, in rain-water. Keep the
mixture well stirred while boiling, until it
ceases to froth. Then take from the fire and
stir in six pounds of dry yellow ochre. It
may then be poured into tin cans or boxes,
and will harden on cooling. When wanted
for use, one pound of it diffused in five pints
of boiling hot water, and the mixture well
stirred and applied, while still hot, to the
floor by means of a paint brush. It dries in
a few hours, after which the floor is to be
polished with a large floor brush and after
wards wiped with a coarse woolen cloth. A
coat of this paint will last six months. R.
Here is a specimen of Orange county far
ming taken from the Hillsboro paper. It is
a brief statement of crops on ‘‘Popular Hill”
farm, owned by Mr. James Norwood, one of
the best and most successful farmers in North
Carolina. The land on which these crops
aro growing has been in cultivation for three
generations, and is wlmt is styled “old field.”
Winter oats not fully headed and will grow
over one foot, now 6 feet 8 inches, and flO
stalks from one grain. Red rust proof, 554
feet, and 128 stalks to the grain. Rye 6 feet.
8 inches. Smooth head wheat, 5 feet 10 inch
es, 101 stalks to the grain. Bearded wheat 6
feet, 42 stalks to one grain.
Grasses, mountain evergreen, 80 inches
high. Orchard grass, 02 inches high. Ken
tucky blue grass 45 inches high. Lucerne
50 inches high. Whito clover too big and
heavy to stand up to be measured. I also
send a lock of wool about 14 inches long
from a yearling Cotswold buck, the fleece
weighed 1254 pounds; two others weighed
11 54 and 1054 pounds.
The Atlanta Constitution indulges in the
following resume of the wheat prospect:
“The crop is now bo nearly gathered that
the statisticians have resumed business at
the old stand. The first day of July was the
first day of the new crop year. The men of
figures put the supply on that day, visible
and invisible, at 40.000,000 bushels. As
spring wheat has become very promising,
they claim that the year’serop will certainly
be 480,000,000 bushels; it may exceed this
amount 50,000,000 bushels; and it cannot be
less. The estimated supply is therefore
520.000. 000 bushels. Fifty-three millions of
people will consume 454 bushels each, or
238.000. 000 bushels. To this amount add 59,-
000,010 bushels on account of seed, etc., and
we have the home consumption fixed at 300,-
000,000 bushels. The surplus is thus 220,000,-
000 bushels. From this deduct 50,000,000
bushels on account of a visible supply on
July 1,1883, and there will be left 170,000,000
bushels to be exported to countries that do
not make their own bread. This is a very
handsome surplus. Our heaviest exports of
wheat were 178,000,000 bushels in 1870-80,
and 180,000,000 bushelB in 1880-81. Last
year we sent across the water 120,000,000 bu
shels. The United Kingdom requires 102,-
000,000 bushels, and the English crop, which
is not promising, is now put at 72,000,000
bushels. The shortage will therefore be 120,-
000,000 bushels. As the Russian crop will
not be an average one, the United States may
be able to find a market for one-half of its
surplus in English ports. Our surplus bids
fair, however, to exceed 200,000,000 bushels,
and if it does, cheap bread is in sight fora
twelve month, and no small amount of re
sultant prosperity and general contentment.
The Colleton Press, of Walterboro, 8. C., an
excellent and fair minded paper, publishes
the article “ThePeaasa Renovator,” appear
ing in the Southern World June 15tb, and
inadvertently credits it to another journal.
We feel confident that our cotemporary is
willing to give credit where it is due.
§orticaUuml fftynrtment.
Hicks’ Everbearing Mulberry for Figs,
Poultry and Carp.
Nurserymen report that thedemand for the
trees of this variety of mulberry, is rapidly
increasing among those who appreciate its
value. This variety commences to ripen in
May, and continues to fruit until first of
August.
Pigs, poultry and carp fish, are very fond
of the berries. Some have planted a consid
erable area in them for pigs and report that
they thrive remarkably well upon them.
Poultry also thrive upon them, if fed sub
stantial food while consuming them. If
planted around carp ponds, the berries drop
ping doily into the water furnish appropri
ate food for the young fish. It is also des
tined to occupy an important place among
the fruits of the South. J. S. N.
GEORGIA STATE HORTICULTURAL
SOCIETY.
Its Seventb Annna) Convention held at
Macon, August l, and 2,1882.
There is no association in this State com
posed of more earnest, disinterested men
than this Society—none which conducts its
business with more dignity and self-sacrific
ing devotion to the industry they repre
sent and none which has, in so short a time,
wielded a more beneficial influence upon
the people of the State. It cannot boast of
a lnrge membership, but of one devoted to
the influence of the Society and to the pro
motion of the health and happiness of the
people of the commonwealth by encourag
ing the cultivation of fruits and vegetables
and flowers so conducive to the comfort,
health, economy, refinement and profit of
the families that have the good sense to avail
themselves of the fruits of their labors.
Their Conventions arc conspicuous tor the
harmony and business-like conduct of the
work before them; there are no long-winded
speeches by men who know nothing about
the subject on which they speak, but short
talks directly to the point. Indeed, the
Conventions are regular love-feasts at which
the best feeling prevails and a vast deal of
information isscattered to the winds. Young
farmers who must necessarily be to somo
extent fruitgrowers, should avail themselves
of such a school by connecting themselves
with this Society.
In connection with the Conventions the
Society holds an exhibition of fruits all cor
rectly labeled. This in itself is a school in
which the young fruit grower can learn
more in the three days of the display than in
months of reading. There he finds spread
out all of the varieties of fruit then in sea
son together with specimens of the varie
ties which ripen later. An examination of
such a display affords a rare opportunity for
selecting varieties to bo planted.
After the usual preliminary exercises, in
cluding speeches of welcome, response, etc.,
in which the reader is not interested, the
Society proceeded to the perfection of its
re-organization, which changes the 8ociety
from a joint stock pompany to one composed
of annual memberships. To complete the
re-organization the following officers were
elected, viz.: President—P. J. Berckmans,
Augusta, Ga.; Secretary and Treasurer—T.
L. Kinsey, Savannah, Ga,; Vice-Presidents—
First District, Dr. IV. B. Jones, Herndon,
Go.; Second District, John Stark, Thomas-
ville, Ga.; Third District, 8. H. Humph,
Marahullville, Ga.; Fourth District, Dr. H.
H. Cary, LaGrangc, Ga.; Fifth District, Dr.
SuniT Hape, Hapeville, Ga.; Sixth District,
Col. E. C. Grier, Griswoldvllle, Ga.; Seventh
District, Maj. Geo. H. Waring, Cement, Ga.;
Eighth District, Dr. J.P.H. Brown, Augusta,
Ga.; Ninth District, Gen. Wm. M. Browne,
Athens, Ga.; State at large, Hon. Thos.
Hardeman, Macon, Ga.
Prof. Willett of Mercer University, and
Chairman of the Committee on Entomology
as related to Horticulture, read an Interest
ing and Instructive report in which he paid
his respects to the tree girdler which is so
destructive to the pear trees, the persimmon,
the linden, the hickory, pecan, walnut, etc.
He explained to the Convention the habits
of the insects in which he concurred sub
stantially with the account we gave of them
in our notice of the Woodruff fruit farm
published in Southern World last spring.
He also reported upon the curculio, in re
sponse to an inquiry as to the identity of the
varieties which puncture the hlokory-nut,
acorn, chestnut and plum, showing that
while they all belonged to the same family
they embraced three distinct varieties: one
attacking fruit, another the acorn and hick
ory-nut, and still another the chestnut, etc.
Prof. Willet’s reports are always interesting,
practical and instructive.
Dr. Sam’l Hape, of Hapeville Nurseries,
near Atlanta, read a paper upon the effects
of the afternoon sun upon fruit trees, full of
practical good sdnse. Observation shows
that our fruit trees are blasted on the south
west side by the blistering effects of the
afternoon sun. This occurs as soon as the
trees reach such size that their bodies present
sufficient surface to subject them to this
baneful influence. Dr. Hape suggested two
methods of preventing this influence: one
by pruning the trees so as to cause them to
protect their own bodies with their foliage.
This is practicable with some spreading va
rieties, but not with the erect growers,
suchas the Shockley, Horse, Equinettileeand
some other varieties of apples, with many
of the varieties of pears and with nearly all
of the varieties of the cherry. In such
cases he suggests either wrapping the bodies
of the trees or protecting them by wrapping
with some soft material or by so arranging
plank driven into the ground on the south
and westside, that the afternoon sun is in
tercepted from the bodies of the trees.
Gen. Wm. M. Browne, Professor of Ag
riculture in the State College, at Athens,
read a paper on ornamental gardening in
which he gave very minute directions for
laying out lawns, etc.
A large part of the time of the Conven
tion was occupied in discussing the cata
logue—a most important work as it is from
the catalogue that the public derives its
chief benefit from the deliberations of the
Society, since by full and free discussion of
each variety, the Society decides which are
adapted to the different sections of the State
and for different purposes and uses. Any
beginner may take the catalogue of this
Society and plant in any county of Georgia
and in the corresponding sections of South
Carolina and Alabama with perfect assu
rance that he will secure nothing but good
varieties, while a* a rule he will secure those
varieties best adapted to his particular local
ity.
It, is gratifying to be able to state that
Commissioner Henderson has offered to
print a portion if not all of the proceedings
of this Society, certainly embracing the cat
alogue of fruits. In our humble.opinion he
can not print any matter of greater value to
the farmers of Georgia than this catalogue
Any one who has planted fruit trees and
waited from three to ten years to gather
fruit only to be disappointed, either in the
productiveness of the trees or the quality of
the fruit can appreciate the value of a list
of varieties that have been carefully tested
by one or more growers with almost identi
cally his surroundings. Judging from the
multitude df inquiries we receive annually
asking what varieties to plant in particular
localities the demand for such a publication
is far in excess of the supply.
Again, if this catalogue is in the hands of
a large number of the farmers of the State
and they will make a proper use of it, the
tree peddler will not be able to apply his
gouge with such success as formerly. There
will be about 17,000 of these catalogues dis
tributed by the Department of Agriculture,
thus reaching every fifth farmer in the
State.
PACKING AND SHIPPING FRUIT.
This question—one of special interest and
profit to shippers of fruit to distant markets
was discussed at some length. Some had
shipped peaches wrapped in tissue paper,
packed in moss or excelsior, and without
either wrapping or packing with most varied
results, the condition in which the fruit ar
rived at destination, being some times in
favor of one and sometimes in favor of an
other method.
It seemed, however, to be well established
that only good fruit well and securely
packed so that there shall be no jostling and
bruising while in transitu paid remunera
tive prices. Messrs. Berckmans and Rumph,
one at Augusta and the other at Marshal-
villo, have had uniformly satisfactory results
from shipments made by express where the
fruit was carefully selected, sized and packed.
The fact was developed that by careful
preparation of their fruit for market
Messrs. Berckmans and Rumph had secured
such a reputation for their peaches that
they commanded from 25 to 50 per cent, above
the quotations for Georgia peaches. Tha
subject of transportation was very fully and
freely discussed without arriving at definite
conclusions of practical Importance further
than to request the Commissioner of Agri
culture, Judge Henderson, to collect statis
tics of the quantity of fruit shipped from
the State this year, as a basis upon which to
found their negotiations for cheaper and
otherwise more satisfactory transportation.
He was also requested to collect as early as
the first of May of next year estimates of
the quality of fruit likely to be shipped dur
ing the next season. Some difference of
opinion and experience was expressed as
regards shipments by refrigerator cars,
though Judge Cunningham expresses him
self highly pleased with his experiment
made this season by shipping peaches by
the Tiffany refrigerator to Chicago from
Orchard Hill, near Griffin, Ga.
THE DISPLAY OF FRUITS.
In variety and quantity the display of
fruit was remarkably fine, though the quan
tity was less than on some former occasions.
The display of peaches, pears, apples, grapes
and melons was superb.
Some of the seedling peaches crown and
exhibited by Mr. 8. H. Rumph, Marsbal-
ville, Ga., are deserving of special commen
dation ; of these, the Elberta is very superior
in flavor, size and color. It is a free seedling
from Chinese cling. J. S. N.
Manchester Strawberry.
The Manchester, regarding which we have
hitherto restrained any positive expresssion
of opinion, is one of the most desirable
strawberries we have ever raised, and we
have tested not less than 250 different kinds.
The only thing that can be said against it is
that it is a pistillate, and must be grown
near perfect-flowering sorts.
Our plants are exceedingly vigorous and
productive. We have just examined them
and find that each plant, on an average,
bears 16 peduncles of flowering stems, and
that each flowering stem bears, on an average
10 berries—giving 100 berries to a plant. We
beg to emphasize that we are speaking of
average plants. On one plant we counted 22
peduncles und 220 berries in the various
stages from ripe to just set. This berry is
firm, very uniform in shape, which is
roundish conical; it ripens in every part
and averages about medium os long as it re
mains in fruit. The quality when ripe is
good, though, like the Wilson, it is sour
when it first colors—a characterisic, it seems,
of all excellent market berries. It ripens
with the Sliarpless and after the Bidwell.
On the grounds of the plain, hard-working
farmer, Mr. Jesse Battey, with whom it or
iginated, it thrives in a light, dry, sandy
soil. With us it thrives in a moist soil in
clining to clay.—Rural New Yorker.
What of the Future on Regard* Grain.
As the decline in wheat has attracted so
much attention, and farmers are reported to
be holding back for better prices, it may be
well to examine a few statistics upon the
matter. To us the decline seems only nat
ural, though from its suddeness there may
possibly be a temporary reaction. We have
a yield of wheat of not less than 500,000,000
bushels, and the very superior quantity of
it will increase its bread-making properties
to much above the average. For a popula
tion af 54,000,000 we need at the outside for
bred 243,000,000 bushels, and for seed not
over 57,000,000 bushels, or a total of all our
home wsnts 300.000,000 bushels, leaving a
surplus of 200,000,030 bushels, all of which
is available for export, as the stock of old
wheat and flour In the country is fully 40,-
000,000 bushels—and this is ample for re
serves.
Now, with 200,000,000 bushels surplus,
what are we to do with it? The highest
amount of wheat ever exported was 180,-
000,000 bushels (flour included) for the year
ended June 30th 1881, and the average export
value for the whole year was $1.11 a bushel;
while for the year ending June 30th, 1870,
the average value was $1.06 a bushel. Dur
ing the year ended June 30th, 1881, we had
almost the world for our customers. Nearly
every European country needed large im
ports, both France and England having
smaller crops than they are promised this
year. The requirements of Europe were
greater than they will probably be for the
next twelve months and then we had but
little competition. Russia had short crops
and consequently a very small surplus,
while India had not begun to ship wheat to
any considerable extent Thus, we have the
prospect for a smaller demand than in 1880-
81, and more competition from other coun
tries than in that year, while in the face of
all this the surplus is 14,000,000 bushels
greater than the amount we then exported.
In view of these facts the part of wisdom
would seem to be to ship our wheat out as
freely as possible.—Boston Journal of Com
merce.
Mrs. C. A. Staples, of Scottsboro' Ala.,
has a two year old grade Jersey heifer from
which she gets three gallons of strained
milk and one pound of butter per day.