Farm Notes

Some light soils suffer from certain manures as men stiffer from alcohol. The stimulation cansod by them is followed by an injurious reaction, resulting in sterility. Kii'bness in sweet potatoes may generally be determined by cutting scvoral and allowing the cut surface to dry. If they dry evenly white, without dark spots, the erop is eonsidered mature and ready for digging. - North Carolina Farmer. The wicks of kerosene lampa should be changed frequently, or, if not too short, washed in strong, hot soap-suds, with some ammonia in the rinsing water. We think the trouble with poor light from kerosene lamps probably arises from the wioks being full of the sediment or refuse matter which cornos from the oil, and that impedes the free passage of the kerosene through the wieks. - Christian Union. How to Save Clover Seed.- Out the clover about the 15th or 20th of September. The usual wny of entting the clover for seed is to cut with a reaper set to cut very low, and to cut it off in small bunches. Theu turn these bunches two or threo times a day. Do not commit the common error of taking it in too soon, or the clover will be hard to thrash. The seed should be thrashed out with a clover huiler. - -Toronto Globe. The end of the potato nearest to the plant is called the stern-end, and the opposite the seed-end. At the seed-end the eyes are much more numerous than elsewhere. It is generally conceded that these are more excitable tlian the others, and consequently start first. In illustration of this fact are the experimenta of Dr. F. M. Hexamer, of New Castle, N. Y. Out of 100 potatoes planted whole, 98 started from the seed-end. - Neiv York World. Clipping Fowls' Wings.- To prevent poultry from flying, etc, it is a common practice to simply cut the feathers of awing; but these, unfortunatelygrow again. A plan muchadopted fiere is to cut the extremity of the pinion, or tip-bone, about half an inch from the articulation. This maims the wing for life. The operation must be performed when the bird is four or five months old,and in the spring or autumn. The wound quickly heals. - Paris letter 1o New Éngland Farmer. Temperature for Seeds. - Seedsare more easily killed by high temperature than low. Though no seeds have been known to germinate below 37 degrees Fahrenheit, they are, with few exceptions, destroyed by a temperature above 168, and many kinds perish below that point. They will not germinate above 128 degrees. Most seeds will stand the severest cold of the winters in this latitude, and wheat left for years in the Arctic región has been sown in England af terward, where it germinated f reely. - Springfield Union. Many years ago a friend of mine had a dozen very large trees that were bearing heavy crops of apphjs every other year, so he took a long pole and gave them a heavy beating just as the fruit was about the size of hickory mits, knocking off every fruit on the south side of the trees. " The result was, as I saw for several years, that these trees bore heavy crops on one side one year, and the next year a heavy erop on the other side, so that for many years he had plenty of apples for home use every year. His trees stood in a rich soil that was annually cultivated - no grass sod to cover the roots. - Weekly Rural. Soot as A Mantjke.- To strong growing greenhouse plants, such as pelargoniums, fuchsias, roses, carnations, chrysanthemums, azaleas, solanums, and many others, soot is a valuable and easily obtained stimulant. A handful of it tied in a bag and stirred in a threegallon can of water has a marvelous effect on all the plants just named, and on many others besides. It induces vigorous growth, and adds freslmess and substancc to both leaf and flower. It is better to use it in small quantities and often, rather than charge the compost with more carbon than the plants can readily assimilate. For the more robust growers, especially if grown in small pots, mixture with fresh mamire from the cow-shed is desirable, but this should be allowed to settle bef ore using, otherwise the grassy partióles will remain on the surface of the pots, and, while giving them an unsightly appearance, exclude the free aeration which all healthy roots require. -Montreal Gazeite.