VOL. 1---NO. 9. JACKSONVILLE, FLA., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1887.- PRICE $2 A YEAR. KAFFIR CORN. tain about maturing seed, and I do not __ consider it first-rate feed. The yellow Its Charat -ristics as a pForage variety I have never seen until this year. Its nharactriscs as a rage Mr. J. H. Alexander, of Augusta, Ga., Plant and Cereal. sent me a small package, and it grows It is generally admitted, we beli6V, luxuriantly and has the most beautiful by those who have given any attention grain imaginable. It is a brilliant yellow to forage plants, that the sorghums, and twice as large grains as the white. especially the African or Imphee I never attempted to save seed of more varieties, promise to be of great service than a few heads. to those portions of the South in which The old cat-tall millet never fails. Let there. is a deficiency of nutritious the land be well prepared and sufficient- meadow grasses. When well grown ly pulverize', and it is doubtful in my they produce an immense quantity of mind whether there is anything which "-roughness" or coarsefodder. which can will yield more green feed and bear be cut five or six times during the grow- cutting oftener than this. ing season, either to feed in a green or For several years I have seen the Kaffir .dried condition or in the condition of corn advertised, and this season I got ensilage enough to plant one-fourth of an acre. Of the numerous varieties of sorghum The yield of seed is immense; the stalk the Kaffir corn seems to be most in favor, not near so high as millo maize, but but we think it has not been cultivated every stalk hprs a good head. I suppose *sufficiently in Florida to warrant any I made a mIhke in cutting off the heads definite conclusion as to its merits, and then cutting the stalks all off at the especially as compared with other varie- ground. Somebody says I ought to have ties. The results, so far as we have left the stalk to produce other heads. It heard, are quite satisfactory, and we occurs to me that for feed the plant is hope that hundreds .of our progressive rather tough when matured. For green --armers wi -test this and other varieties feed to cut repeatedly, it may do well. during-the coming season. The amount of grain will justify the The accompanying illustration is one growing of it for stock feed and for which has appeared in various seed cata- bread. I had a little ground last week logues. For the electrotype we are in- on a common corn-mill and wer have debatedd to Mr. J. H. Alexander, of Au- been trying some hot battercakes. gusta, Ga., whom we have recommended Some one said at the table this morning -before as an extensive and reliable dealer that they were equal to "buck-wheat- in Southern seeds. Later we shall cakes." -The color is dark, though I present illustrations of the Early Amber suppose if ground on a good flour-mill it ane and other forage plants, and we would be somewhat different. I like hope that all who have thoroughly the Kaffir, first for the amount of grain tested any such crops will favor us with it produces; second, its growth is such the result of their experience for the that it is difficult for the wind to blow it guidance of other experimenters, down.1 Dr. J. H. Watkins, of Campbell Co., The Spanish peanut, though small, is k Georgia." ha. givqp special attention to still, I think, the best we can plant, be- .t. e Kaffir corn. and the res'is.of' bi cauqe you can take hold of the bush with experiments have be viadsfiilished.'i r.'x jafdn, and on sandy land pdft up STo a reporter to the Atlanta Constitutio, nearly ever nut without using plow or he gave the following account of its hoe. .' distinctive features: ' In the first place It will- grow on thin land that would- notr-support any other "useful plant. Dr. Jackson. of Carroll county, insists that it will grow any- where that sedge, or old-field pine will lake hold. I know of my own experience that it is well adapted to thin land. In the next place it ripens early, and can be gathered and put away before there is any danger of drouth. It is a low plant, and can be easily handled. It will give more forage than any other plant grown - on grounds bf equal richness. Besides , the forage, it produces unquestionably f the best grain of any of the sorghum plants, surpassing the millo maize, the - seed being almost twice as large, and as many to the head. The,seed make ex- cellent feed for stock, fattens poultry quickly, and will be eaten by anything on the farm. If planted' early enough, - -Kaffir corn will produce one full- crop of forage, which may be cut-when the plant is in bloom, and-itwill then produce by fall another full cr6p of forage and ripe grain. I have little faith that the grain of any of this class of plants will be used for bread so long as Indian corn, and wheat can be grown, although the chemist to the department at WashingtWo in his i report for 1881-82 gives the food value of. Indian command the sorghum family as - practically the same. -The flavor, for .. -"- - man, is lacking. It is cheap stock food _- we expect, from the class of plants, and, -=---_ __ -_- in a "tight," cheap and nutritious human KAFFIR CORN food. I feel confident, however, if any are to be used-generally, or occasionally, - for bread purposes, it will be Kaffir corn. The extent of my cornfield is three The grain is large and white, and the acres or a little over, and this year I yield is early and great. It is easy to planted it all in the Mosby corn. There thresh and clean for the mill. It takes a are three things about this corn different whole season to mature, a crop of millo from the common native varieties. First, maize, or of -Egyptian wheat, while a the cob is. remarkably small; second, the crop of grain and forage, and still an- stalk is small (which I think somewhat other of forage in late fall, can be saved objectionable); third, it will bear plant- of Kaffir, in the cotton belt. ing thicker than other corn. As I am "As it does not sucker it must be gathering mine I find from one to five massed inthiee feet rows, if forage alone ears on a stalk; very few with five and a is-the object, but if for grain also, one to great many with one, and my decision three or more stalks, every ten or twelve is that the vield will be something inches, according to soil, will insure fine heavier than if I had planted the old heads. sort. This'corn makes beautiful meal "Being early, is is the plant for the and possibly is soft and will be troubled north and northwest, for grain and for- with weavils. age, and for the same reason, and because One old stand-by that I must mention it is adapted to the generally thin lands is "chicken corn." This I think gets in- of the cotton belt, it will supersede millo to the seed stores under the name of maize south. "Egyptian wheat." The only. objection "Kaffir, sown broadcast in April or to it is its rank growth, which causes it ./May, no doubt would make an immense to get tangled by the winds. amount of forage, and could be cut with an ordinary scythe, several times for us - forageralone, or once for both grain and The Umbrella China Tree. forage, and afterwards once again for The seeds of the Umbrella China tree forage. When crowded, the stalk which we were enabled to offer through is Slender and small, but the head of Mr. Danaby's lihberality, were diatibnted grain, however i s t by mail on the 25th ult. as Well as an- Ep. ..t with Forage other lot of the cherry laurel. Any ap- E.xperiments W orage, plicant who does not receive his seeds by A correspondent of- Home and Farm, the time this number of the FARMER AND :writing from Mansfield, La., gives in FRUIT-GROWER arrives, will please no- his experience with Kaffir cbrn, etc., as tify us at once and we will forward follows: I either kind desired, provided any' re- For several years, on my truck patch, main in our hands. Probably the small I haveexperimented with different varie- quantity left will be called for. within a lies of seeds. week. Millo maize grows well, but is uncer- Mr. Dansby has kindly furnished the following directions for seed planting, that the root louse does not thrive in native grasses, but readily find homes New Methods with Red Scale. etc. : sandy soil; experience has proven that in the roots of many o our cultivated The seeds may be planted any time in sufficiently. Therefore Florida could fruit trees, causing an extravagant In a report of the proceedings of a re- the spring and will germinate as soon as not be a very congenial home for the spongy growth with low vitality, which cent convention of California fruit grow- the hard enclosing shell softens in the Phylloxera. soon decays and the tree or plant dies. ers we find mention of some novel de- ground. They should be planted about H. voN LUTTICHAU. One infected tree soon fills the soil vices.for ridding trees of one of the in- two inches deep, and will grow to a ROSETTA, Alachua Co., Fla., with these worms, and trees planted in- sect pests which it has been found very height of about a foot the first season, Feb. 10, 1887. the neighborhood of this tree in time also difficult to reach: after which the growth is rapid. All become diseased. The use of cotton-seed, One of the most interesting discussions side shoots shou d be kept rubbed off to Budding Peach on Plum. or cotton-seed meal, stable manure or of the day took place on assembling a height of six feet, when the plant humus favor the development of the after lunch, which was opened by the should be allowed to form its head after Editor Florida Farmer and Fruit-Grower: anguillula, while sulphate of potash, reading of an essay on the red scale, its own way, which will be very much In your issue of February 2d, I notice kainit or wood-ashes seem to retard its written by Professor D. W. Coquillette, like a large umbrella, whence the name. that Mr. Powers objects to using plum spread. the entomologist of the Society. At the It makes a dense shade at the season of stocks for the Kelsey, for the reason that I believe a dilute solution of sulphide special request of 'Prof. Coquillette it is the year when it is most grateful and the sprouts springing from the plum of potash will kill the worms, if the withheld from publication at. present,' satisfying. It will afford a perfect and roots would be troublesome in the or- disease be taken in time, but when the but we hope to secure it for a future agreeable shelter from an ordinary sum- chard, roots are decaying I have founa nothing issue. A scale discussion followed the mer shower. The tree attains an eleva- As I have been, and am. still making to have the slightest effect. I would dig reading and was pretty generally in- tion of about fifteen feet, and the diame- experiments in this way, I will give the, up the tree and burn it, burn all the dulged in by all those in attendance. ter of the shade is from twenty to thirty result of my labors up to the present, roots possible of the tree, and either W. B. Barber, of Azusa-:-The fruit- feet; consequently it should not be with the hope that it may have the ef- drench the spot with a strong solution growers of our valley nave:been doing a planted closer than twenty fest. feet of bringing out the experience of of sulphate or sulphide of potash, or dig little pioneer)work in hunting for some- The Umbrella China is universally con- others in the same line and thus be mu- in a large quantity of kainit over the in- thing to kill all kinds of scale, and wb ceded by all who have seen perfect tually beneficial to all interested in fected area andthen refrain from plant- believe wehave&1tfudwhat is wanted. specimens, to be, without exception, growing olums and peaches. ing there any, of the trees I have men- Inhcgmning our experiment h wd bAt'k0 amongst the most beautiful and.symmet- The great drawback to the successful tioned f or several years. ,. loose from the old methods of killing the rical of shade trees, growing of Peaches in this country is the scale with a caustic and looked for some- J. V. DANSBY. Peach- borer which attacks seedlings and thing to tear them from the leaves and PENSACOLA, Fla., Feb. 15, 1887. all alike. Many remedies are published fruit. -A series of experiments with in the agricultural press for his suppress- rosin dissolved in -an. alkali, failed, be- Vinifera Grapes in Florida. ion, but he manages to "get there" all cause it was too sticky. Finally Mr. J. the same, and it requires much disagree- P. Eckler arid myself began the use of a BY BARON H. VON LUTTICHAU. able work on the hands and knees to substance so simple that you will laugh It is generally understood that vitis get himin away from there even for the 'when I name it.. We use only flour and viniera.- the grape vine of Europe, tim; by the next season he is again on water. By making a stiff dough out of will not do as well on its own roots as if hand, and the same work is to be done onepoundofflour, and using cold water, grafted on stron g American to dislodgehim. He is also sometimes carefully breaking all lumps, and thin- afted on strong growing mer found in theplum, but so far as I now, g thi with ore cold water you get vines. This applies as well to all Ame- not to any injurious extent a paste that will pod from a vessel ican kinds of weaker growth, the Dela- If the peach will do well on the plum ware for instance. But it does not fol-each will do well on the plum easily. Pour this into four or fie gallons low that Vinifera-as well asDelawa- why not ud on it instead of the seed- of boiling water, and-boil until a very will not row ie and fruit on lingpeah? Such varieties as the Chick- a hin paste is formed. Spray this on the will notg row, live and fruit on their asaw, and hog plm make fully as large tree through apunp; just asjoudp'any ownroots, poviedtheplt agwth asthepeach, while the sloe is, AngululonGrapeRo isecicide. I wi enveop ba young haue been properlyy at dedlo,It Ihat tbe s and locality ar ftavoble an ing, still movigorous and alsouSi.a nd that tb- varieties chosen are suita- g4-oew'ta f fruitwiturs ble lto m i. Threb e o ears finds the roots of the peach knotty, he this coating will begin to crackand peel The Ives does very well, the Concord ChinecTinetpeach on a has a solution, I think, of the disease off. tearing the scale with it, and will will not succeed for any length of time, ago I budded nebed o that troubles his loquat trees. leave the fruit, twigs nd leaves .per though both belong to the same class of .*o rd plum sprut which ha ome It makes no difference as to Georgia or fectly clean. Twoorthreeappications Anmerican grapes, the Lebrusca. Noth- p obeinr n ea e fen Florida grown trees; either will do well will clean a very- dirty tree. Itis most ing b r must beexpectedfrom the The firstear heeach made growth in soil far from the anguillula, either efficaciouson a treethathanot been re- differe %-kinds of Vinifera; where one o s feeta the wo will become knotty-rooted in infected centlysprayed within oilysubstance, as a total six fee',the'seon ithioretwosolthe flour paste can not stick to it. will. succeed, another may prove a~totapeaches, and now in its third year it is soil. failure. .We cannot grow every one of f of it buds The plu has kept Dr..all, of Santa Anna:-I made a our grapes in Europe, everywhere, in Upwith the each and now it is hard to recent visit to Los Angeles for the pu- any locality and on any soil success- te whereone begins and.the other ends. pose of investigating the method of fully, and it would be absurd to expect Not gle sprout hasb killing scale referred to in Prof. Coquil- such a thing for Florida. n id the best of all seenosign lette'sessay. I found that it has been Many kinds of Vinifera are ordered ground, an e used in the old Wolfkill orchard on every year frbm California for this State, repress ing I procured about apeck of Alameda street. The process is to enve- which are utterly worthless, not only in sloe seeds, which were drilled in the lop the tree with a tight tent, and then regard to their probable success, but furrow d cultivated as corn Bysum- pump into this a gas in sufficient quan- also.as to their, quality, .some -having mer the yun seedlings being suffii- ty to suffocate the scale bug. They had nothing more .attractive "than a fine- e ,tLeyibud umb r... wy fumigated about fifty trees, and had sounding foreign tnamte. A gentleman enl large, I budded I hve wi ust th carefully noted the results in each case. sent me a list.of about 20 varieties of Vi- Genera peacrd When takwhich'I have just The gas had been applied in periods of nifera-he had ordered several thousand set out' inthera h en e eup from five to fifty minutes on trees which vines from California-the entire list for transpl aimg the res were iney had red, black and white scale on them. contained but one that I should have develop, c win near b a I examined a large number of trees to cared to plant, hadthe borer, and someghad club root which the gas had been applied thirtyor so In a late number of the lorida s- sixty days ago, and even on those fumi. patch somebody stated the fact that a I shall g-aft a number of the sloe seed- gated only five minutes I could find no Black Hamburg, grown from a cutting, ling th the Kelsey, and Marianna living young scale of any kind. The bore 80 pounds of fruit and the next plum.ngs Ifouthink it of sufficient iM- leaves were uninjured so far as I could year it died, Conclsion, Hamburgs are plum. If eo r thk t result of these nt im- ascertain. Mr. Alex. Craw, who bas a failure. -But it need not have been a exportace 1ireprt the reA FA AND charge of the work here, says that the Hamburg for that, and the parties should epimTs o F Angunula on Peach Root cost for each application will'be about have been surprised if the vine had J. V. DANsBY the same as spraying the tree with a li ved. NEW FAM, near Pensacla. The cow-pea and bean have the least whale-oil soap wash. All grape vineb, an Vinifera especi- degreeof resistance to the ravages of ,: -. , ally, are greatly injured if allowed to, [The FAMR -tAND FReIT-GROWEReisadegreeoresista ctthe graves mul- A 'PAR A ' bearmuh fruit beor they arestrng designed ecially to furnish a medium this worm. Thefigch, gra m A POSPEROUS YEAR A D. enough to do so. And here willbeOngofcommunicationetween the progres-.berry, loquat, quince, plum, resist as enoughtodo s An here will beP ouncadorkersof Florida a indicated in the order named. ,All indications point to a ye4r of one reason for so many failures. Planu-sie thinkersandrn With the exception of the wheat abundant crops for Florida. A i- ters are too eager to get fruit, when adjacent States, both for their mutual Withng thllula, but e exept ion has beeat canopy e takes a view of the more patience would assure an unusual advantage, and that ofthe public at paid to these wOeand itwould be situation retospective and prospetit, Produce of fruit for any length of time. largecib Intinsvpes Fansbe worthy of a carefulL-investigation to our and in the folowing language express Allow the Vinifera to overbear, especi- escrbed On s page vy r a y, fruit growers, fortbeestis wide spread, what we believe to be the prevailing ally when young, and it will be injured r.el or and will do us Mchdamage, unless sentiment: e di: , for life, if it does not die outright. ticulture y in time be reduced to a some remedy is redly foange The past year has certainly bee one But lant some strong growing kinds science ecomeamuch s AOB, la., Febr. 17th, 1887. of gloom and despondency. With the of Vinifera, some which are compara- of income than at present. Some time great freeze came the spondency. ss ithof a the tively free from rot and mildew and ago we advanced the idea that plum *g* r ono the o of the timely fee from rot iB portion of the orange,-crop of the pre- which ripen early; give good cultivation, stocks derived from sprouts should never China Berries as Feed. edin ear and lef its e ta swn but do not force by heavy fertilizing nor eeyare.A correspondent of Home d Farm by a tird of a crop for the past year. encourage late growth; do not allow spreaoer ound aneewhom we quoted recently in our veteri- Then came the continued .oldmaking more than a few good bunches the third and that a similar caution should be oh-wrr es, oe s served in e letting live oaks, cherry nary column, complained of losing hogs the early vegetable crop an.dU|urenid. season, if a one-year-old vine has been laurel, etc for planting. With us it isb y eating Chinaberies. The fact was, had it not been for the staple, gopa wanted, renew the canes oftener, andt laurel, etcn faor pan tne pue we e probably, that the hogs gorged them- there would certainly have beenb lej when pruning retain but one-half, 'or atty prod ed enc selves and died of a sureit. suffering. But out of the gloom, now the most one-third of the wood you %oo rW raetl Oe \\, e have often madi inquiries of per- comes the brightness, as the sinlvar lngo would allow to a strong growing Amen- rootof vetables bear to the c plub-root e sons hav n hina tree s to the effects of thte bloud. The early vr co can vine.- Keep up a correct course of Of trees? They are analogous to the sons having China trees as to the effects of thecloud. The early vegetable crop canine. Keepupacorrect course of the berries on live stock, of the beies on live stock, and the is very promising, and now comes the summer pruning and sowe of the best g Ofstem, leaves, etc. A la is general report has. coincided with the beautiful orange bloom. Every bearing kinds of Vinifera vines will live and do the Latinfor a little eel. A. H. .j following communication to the southern tree is now putting out its new spring well. At least mine do. -e Live Stock Journal: growth and with it can be seen the Grafted on strong growing American The Root-Knot Disease. I keep ten mules and five horses and a millions of blooms, which in another vines, more.luxuriant growth is assured BY T. 0. NEAL, M. V. ." large lot of oxen and cows; in the spring week will be fully open and shed their and consequently more fruit. The oper- My first acquaintance with the minute when the berries fall I let allof my stock delightful fragrance on every hand. action is simple enough, but nevertheless worm anguillula and its effects was years out to them twice a week and let them With'a good orange and vegetable crop not of everybody's undertaking. If a ago, when after repeatedtrials I found it eat as many as they want, and have this year the prospect is assuring,and now vine grows strong and healthy and does quite impossible to grow the fig, plum, never seen any bad effects from so that all probable danger from cold is well in a certain locality, cuttings of the peach, loquat, grape or cow-pea upon a doing, but have found that it acts as a over, more confidence will be felt in the same will be as good a stock as wanted, certain spot. The place was an old barn tonic on them. It makes them shed. business prospects for the coming year. Our wild kinds do very well-Vulpina yard and had been heavily sheep-penned, My stock are never wormy-I have never ' (Bullace and Scuppernong) excepted, so it was not due to poverty of soil. seen one of them back up to a post E W rne. y ...s , but it would be difficult to find enough In each case I found the knotty-roots, rubbing their tails. If I did not have .. ,.a through the New suitable vines in-the woods to plant a and microscopic examination showed the China trees,, and know what I do York T.Wbune: "From thirty .years' ex- vineyard of any size. I am using Ripa- the minute worms, even in the smallest about them, I would not let a day pass perience in orchard-growing, I have ria in preference of all others, and pre- knots on roots barely a day old. The before I would set them out. found that a tree with many side fer two-year-old vines, which can be knots are analogous to the rose and oak branches, inclining somewhat to droop, bought at any large establishment at a galls without doubt, and threaten to be and slender, feathery offshoots, with a small cost. a troublesome hindrance to the growth Every farmer who knows how to write moderate strength of body and but slight - I should not think the Phylloxera of of the fig, rose and pea families unless should consider it a duty to communi- inclination to upright growth, is the tree much consequence for Florida. The in- some remedy can be obtained, cate the lessons of his experience to that can be relied upon for profit; it has sect is probably all over this State lon My belief is that these worms are others who need instructions in the way the stamp of fruitfulness, and will not ago. Authorities on ths subject t *tic upon the roots of some of our to secure better return for labor.-Ex. disappoint."