The Farm

This plant is not classed vrith the cereals, as it is not a grass. It is said to be a native of northem Asia, and was introduced into Earope by the Saracens when they invaded Spain in the 8th century. The graiD, uulike most other seeds, has a triangular form, henee its botanical name (polygoneum) "many cornered." The stalk is branchüig and begins to flowerearly in the season and continúes in bloom till arrested by frost. It may be sown any time in May or June, but if sown early, it should be cut before frost, is the early ripened seeds will drop if snffered to wait for the ripeniug of the later bloom. Buckwheat makeá a fair erop even on a poor soil, though it has the reputation amoug farmers of being an exhausting rop. The grain, wnen rreeu irom ilb hell-like brau, makes a white, nutriious llour, ohiefly used in the í'orm of xitter oakes. When ílowering it form3 i rich pasture for bees, though the íoney gathei srt f rom it la not of the ürst quality. It rnakes an excellent cleansing orop on foul or rough land espteially upon a rich soil, whero il makes a ríen growtn and smothers out all otuer planta. iSuokwüeat is used to some extent as a green manure to be turned under for wheat or rye. This plant is a. deep feeder, and has the power of obtaining the food element when present only in small quantities in tlie soil. Light sandy soils, deficiënt In vegetable matler, can be brought up to a good state of cultivation as a green nianure erop, folio wed by elover, wbich is afterwards turned under. ïhough buckwheat will gia.vonpoor soil, it makes good use of a large dressing of barnyard inanure or some quiek-aeting fertilizer. A hundred pounds of Peruviau guano 01 an equal weight of üsh scrap will greatly raise the yield of a buckwheat erop on a pooi son, auu piove t yiuuuiuio investment for the ovitiay. The harvesting of buekwheat is quite different froin that of othcr graius. The grrain "shells," or drops trom the straw very readily, and iherefore must ba gathered with special care. it is best to cut it with a eradle and leave it ia the svrath until the next morning, wlien it should be rolled and set on end while it is rnoist with the dew. After standing for a few days it is ieady to be threshed. The straw has no special valué as a fodder, but should be used as a litter and absorbent of liquid manure. The gram manes an excellent food for poultry, and when its flour is in the form of cakes it is highly prized, especially in cold weather. - Ex. Heïiedies fok "VVheat Tliere is gooi reason, founded ou experience, to believe that bluestoue solution of proper Btrengtb will kill every saiut germ in tho seed, and that none will be propagated from it to affect the erop if the seed is suiliciently steeped. But a siight sprinkling of the solution is not suffleient for seed that contains smut grass, or sacs; they must have time in soak for the solution to penétrate and reach all the millions of germs which eachof them contains, or they will vetain their vitaHty and affect the growing erop with the seed of which they are sown. It may also be, aud frequently is, no doubt, infected from smut grains of a very previous erop on the same ground. As a rule, while blue3tone sprinking will answer for seed that contains few or no unbroken smut sacs, it is better to give it all a thorough soaking for assured protection from the smut protecüon .- Contra Costa Gazeite. Texas Cattle Fevor. Tlie appearance of this fatal dÍ3ease in different localities in the northern states, particularly iu Psrmsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio, and lately in lllinois, bas led Dr. Stuart to giye, in the Ohio Farmer, sonie observations on the symptoms and development of the epidemie, from wliich we condense the following: Tbis dangerous uialady bas somo peculiarities that all should understand in order to prevent its introductiou. It does not apparently affect Texas, Cherokee, or Indian Territoiy cattle that are brougbt to the nortb. To all appearance they areperfectly healthy,but if they come in contact with our native cattle, or the latter should pass over the same road, graze on the same field, nr be shiDDed in the same car, shortly af ter the disease is communicated, and is alarrningly fatal. If these southwestern cattle pass one winter in the north, there is no danger of infection from theia, as freezing weather soon stamp3 out the disease, as it does yellow fever. The cattle of all the Gulf States are subject to Ihis disease, and it is thought that the present outbreak in Virginia was caused by cattle brought from Suuth Carolina, In the Western States the nature of the nialady Is woll understood, and these southern cattle are kept from coming in contact, in any way, with northern cattle, and thu8 its fatal effects are preveuted. The flrst sign of anything wrong in a cow is the failing in milk, a refusal to feed, standing apart from other cattle in the field; the freces beeorne hard and dry, emaciation follows, the animal passes bloody urine, and in a very few days death ensues. By postmorteni we find enlarged spleen and liver, with cists and abscesses, frequently, and the livor linu-wTre n nonnlinr vpllnw nr i3h appearance. In a nurnber of cattle that we examined we found the same appearance generally. The flesh takes on a black, yellowish appearance.caused by an excess of the coloricg matter of the gall, and in every case becoming putrid in a short time as the result of congestión. By the inexperienced, Texas fever is pronounced to be typhoid, from the black, tuvbid state of the blood. The ticks that are gorged with thepoisoned blood of the southern cattle, gettiug upon our natives and inserting their proboscides.bring a true vaccine poison. Our ovvn cattle wero severa! times exposed to the iLÜuence of Texas cattle, with only one rail fence betweeD, the cattle on either side sinelliug each other and touching noses, but no ill effect f ollowed till they became inf ested with the ticks; the aplenlc fever was the result forthwith. It would not be our choice, had we power, to stop the trafilo in southern cattle,but as a protection to our farmers and stock owners, vse would repress traffic at a place of debarkation, and slaughter every animal where it lands from the cars." In no case should they be permitted to travel over our roads or feed upon our lands. A Farmer's Scrap Book. Shoukl be kept on every well regulated farm. There are thouaands of receipts for the curing of sick animáis which may be of gieat valueif referred to at the proper time. Usef ui hints, regarding special crops, may be forgotten, unless preserved in this manner, convenient for reference. Plans for farm buildings or thelr interior arrangement may be preserved until wanted. Gates, fenee3, ditches and the ttaousand other things which roake up the tout ensemble of Mie farm, require frequent repairs or entire reconstruction, and the hints and help3 which rnay be afforded, if the scrap book has been well Icept are of immense value. We base our assertions on the supposition that the farmer reads. If lie does rot, wlij, ouv remaiKS uo nut uyp]y to him or to those of his clas?, who do not believe they can he tauglit anything. Fortunately ior tlie worlcl, thia class is not numerous av.á every day. It is fair to assert tbat there is aot a newspaper publislied ia the wbole world which dü9E not return to its patrons invaluable Information many times its animal coat. Progressive lamiera llHlu uioie LiitiJi uno ytíí , - sometimes ten or more andcousidertlie invcstmcut i paying one. The compilation t;f Lhe valuable items we have referred to, duriug a series oL yeara would make a volume of great value ïot to compiler alone, but to hls chil hen and liia children'a children. - Ex