The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1864-05-14
AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

We clip the following items from the
American Agriculturist for May:
a Corn CRoP THAT PAID.-A subscriber
to the American Agrcuiturst. in Ottawa,
ILL.,, sends the following account of a corn
crop, the second one from new prairie land !:
Paid out for rent of 45 acres, S135; for
help in planting, So; paid for husking, SAT;
total expense out, $185. Received 521
bushels per acre, or 23624 bushels of corn,
which sold for 80 cents per bushel, or ST..
800. Deducting Sl85 leaves Sl705, for
seed and his own 991 days work, viz break
ing old stalks, p days; blowing, 21@ days;
narrowing, 4 days &; marking, p days !;
blowing out three times with two .horse
pillow. 231 days; husking, 10 days and
hauling off, 10 days. No manure used.
Expense of team not stated. This was Ear
above the average yield last year in Illinois,
as the ground was very high, and the corR
not injured BY the frost. The result would
also have been very different in ordinary
years, with corn at 15c. to 25c. per bushel.
SHEEP KEPT ON WHEAT STRAw.-A
friend Informs the Agricultufist that be kept
40 sheep, weathers and ewes, years old
or over, not breeding, from the time they
were taken up until April, on wheat straw
and half pound of corn per day. They
held their own perfectly. AT one time 8 OF
a pound of corn vas fed, and it produced
indigestion, or ut least, some Of the sheep
got "off their feed The straw was cut
down from the stack once each day and
spread upon the snow. 1t would have gone
much further if it had been fed three times
day in racks.
SALT FOR STRETcHEs.-From the same
source comes the following communication :
AZ have found common salt an effectual
preventive and also cure for stretches, alias
constipation, in sheep. My sheep have no
stretches while their salt trough is sup
piled if not furnished for few days I am
sure to see symptoms of the disease, whic h
afresh supply of salt Immediately removes"
OsAoE ORANGE FENcEs-BEND1NG THE
Tors DowN-Frank French, Winnebago
county, Illinois, sends to the American Ag-
riculturist his method of treating hedges,
as follows II turned down the tops Of a
piece of hedge, took some little crotches
and pegged them down, and buried them
about inches deep, in the fall of 1862. /
never saw shoots grow faster, and this
spring intend to bury the tops of long
piece more, which neglected TO do last
fall. l presume l shall get my fingers
scratched, but I shall have a tight, quick.
growing fence" The tightness of a fence
made in this way. we can testify to. Il is
absolutely dog-tight, and rabbit-tight, too,
we should think.
Cole sLAw.-"J. L. F." Chester coun,
tY, Pa. This name of sliced cabbage is
II -
eral name for the Brassica or cabbage tribe :;
Slsw is from the Dutch slaa, signifying sliced
SORGHUM CCLrURE-The requisites to
success in the cultivation of sugar sorghum
are good seed, soil not too rich in vegeta-
BILE or animal matter, but loose and deep
and of fair strength, and good culture.
The seed ought 70 be soaked before planting,
and covered very lightly. Planting in
drills, 81 feet apart, is now preferred, aud
AT the FIRST hoeing the plants are Trimmed to
or 10 inches apart subsequently, every
other one IL cut out, which will leave them
standing in the rows Is to go inches apart.
The suckers are allowed to grow when in
drills; but, if the sorghum be planted in
hills, it Is best 10 leave FIVE plants to hill
and remove all the suckers. The remain =
ing culture is like Indian corn until the cane
Is ready to harvest. Theimportance of this
crop to the country is beginning to be ap-
preciated. The Great West is fast coming
TO provide its own sweets, and between hon.
ey, maple sugar and sorghum syrup the de.
mands upon the eastern markets are very
greatly reduced. the quantity produced
has been vastly overestimated, but still il is
very great. Combinations of neighborine
farmers ought to be formed to buy one O
the largest aud best evaporators, and setting
il up in a conveniently central place, have
it ready to convert their cane-juiee into
syrup well and rapidly in autumn.