Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1867-05-16
Agricultural.
Agricultural Notes for May,

the vigiant husbandman. During
the latter part of this month, animals
in some of the grazing districts, will
be turned from dry feed to grass
With all such stock, this is critical
period I'D much care should be ex-
ercised to feed every one with boun-
tiful supply of dry feed, be ore it is
allowed to eat grass. When milch
cows are about to be turned to grass,
each one should receive a liberal feed
ing Of meal and cut fodder Other
wise, grass will operate as a purga-
tive, to the injury of the animal.
Many COWS will come in this month
If they have, heretofore, been troub-
led with the garget, or infamed I'D
der, better keep them on hay, for the
most of the time, until their calves
are q week or more old, before they
are ;,llowed to Craze. A preventive
of the garget, is far superior to any
remedy, after the disease has once
appeared. Mich cows require a
great deal of care at this period of
the year, lest they fall prey to some
of the numerous diseases incident to
new milch cows.
Selecting heifer calves for COWS
should not be neglected. In many
parts of the country, where most of
the calves are knocked in the head,
before they are one day old,there are
q great many inferior mixers and
so long as the injudicious practice of
killing all the calves is continued far
mers must milk miserable cows. The
true way to secure a prime cow is, to
select the calf with reference to the
milking qualities Of the future COW.
Brood mares that will foal this
month, or the next, may perform a
vast amount of labor, if they be trea-
ted with care and fed well. Such an
imals should never be tied in a stall
during the day, nor at night. A large
box-stall should be provided, in which
mare can turn around with freedom.
If mare with foal be thin in flesh,
let her feed consist of equal parts Of
wheat flour unbolted and oat or Indian
corn meal. Some farmers feed rye
-four chiefly to their horses, which
makes excellent feed. But, in some
instances, there is large quantity
of ergot-or smut-among the grain,
which will often cause a mare to stink,
when she is confined to such feed, for
few days.
In localities where the soil consists
of muck, or fine alluvial deposit, free
from gravel, few bushels Of fine
gravel should be hauled expressly
for domestic fowls, as small gravel
stones are eminently essential to the
thrift of gallinaceous fowls, turkeys,
geese and ducks. Young chickens
and young turkeys frequently droop
and die, simply because they have no
gravel stones for macerating their
food. Gravel stones in a fowls giz.
zard subserve the purpose of teeth
When they have access to gravel,
they swallow more or less, many
times day. Were gravel not essen
tial to perfect digestion, fowls would
not swallow it. Thousands of domes-
tic fowls appear to be i'll ; and their
owners do not understand that they
need gravel.
During this month, preparations
should be made for a crop of turnips
and carrots. If barn yard manure is
scarce, procure barrel or two of the
raw bone superphosphate Turnips
and carrots require rich soil 1t is
folly to attempt to grow a crop of
roots of any kind, even on mellow
ground, if the soil has not been made
rich by some kind Of fertilizing mate
rial. A few hundred pounds of raw
bone superphosphate, properly ap-
piled, will produce a bountiful crop of
roots. In those sections of country
where the soil is Of heavy calcare-
Gus character, half an acre or more of
mellow ground may he selected, in
almost every field, where Indian corn
is to be planted, which may be appro-
priated to the production of roots for
feeding horses and milch COWS next
winter.
Every farmer should raise at least
pne fourth of an acre of sorghum -
Stake off plot in the corn ground for
this crop and about the first of June,
pulverize the surface of the ground
with horse hoe, or cultivator, for
the purpose of exterminating all the
noxious weeds. Then put in the seed
The young plants will then get the
start of weeds and but little labor
will be required to hoe the growing
plants. But if the seed be planted toe
early, it will be long time coming
up the young and tender plants will
grow exceedingly slow ; and so much
manual labor will be required to
dress out the rows, that farmers fire.
quently resolve never again to at
tempt to grow sorghum. These same
suggestions touching the preparation
OF the soil are equally applicable tc
raising turnips. II the ground be
managed as herein directed, unless
the land is unusually foul, "a crop may
be raised with about the same amount
Of manual labor that is required fol
Indian corn.
Examine the bodies of apple trees
and peach trees, near the surface OF
the ground, for borers, as they will
commence working as soon as the
weather is warm and dry. The pres
ence of borers in any tree may readily
be determined by the fine bits 0
wood, like sawdust, which they expe
from the orifces where they may be
found. They must be cut out with
knife, or a small gouge, and the
wounds smeared with grating wax
or they will soon destroy the tree.
Young trees, vines and shrubs may