The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1869-07-02

FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.

FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
IMPROVEMENT IN CoRN.-It may seem alb
surd to some of our readers Chose who
have spent life time in the cultivation of
corn) for us to say anything on this sub
iect; but when we consider the repeated
failures that are annually occurring from
use OF poor seed, requiring repeated plant
ings and where varieties are often Guilt
waited that are not adapted to the locality;
where corn of different varieties is grown
together, lowering the standard, the ag-
gregate losses from these sources is i'm
mense, and the subject becomes of import
ance.
Pure corn, either yellow or white, will
always sell for more than enough than a
mixture, to pay for the trouble in selecting
the seed.
improvements have been made in many
other grains. by careful selections of seed,
and by keeping the varieties pure. Who
would think of mixing two other varieties
of wheat for crop, or two varieties of bar
ley, or potatoes? Then why do so with
corn2 We are glad to see the subject at
tracing attention and efforts made to test
different varieties on the prairies.
Mr.. r. r. Murdoch, of Paxton, ILL.,, has
taken the matter up during the past winter
and spring and collected from various
sources some fifty varieties of corn from
the extremes of the South, North, West
and East, many of the samples being pro-
cured ut great expense, and has contracted
with several of his most enterpxising
neighbors who felt an interest on the sub
ject, to give the matter thorough trial.
The plan is, to cultivate one hundred
acres in five acre lots, isolated from all
other corn, to prevent mixture
Mr. Murdoch contracts with these par
ties to grow the crop for so much per acre,
he furnishing the seed, and paying liberal
ly for the labor, the crop to be his when
gathered. To encourage good culture and
the best results, Mr.. Murdoch offers three
premiums 500, $50 and S25 respectively
for the three best results-in addition to
the contract prices.
Careful records of each field will be kept
the kind of seed used, the kind of ground
condition of it, whittier MANFRED or not
and every particular which will give value
to the experiments. Mr.. Murdoch is en-
titled 10 much credit for inaugurating these
experiments (Which he intends to continue
beyond the present year, and we hope for
some valuable results to come from tive
shall watch the progress of the work with
much interest.
If the 4 1000, 900 acres devoted to corn in
this state, could be made to yield an in
crease of but five bushels per acre over the
present low average, it would add immense
wealth to the state, annually. We believe
this result can be easily attained by care
in culture and the proper selection of seeds.
We hope to visit the scene Of these ex-
periments soon and have something more
| to say of them. - Prairie Farmer.
! KILLING POTATOES Last year we were
testing the capacity of the Early Goodrich
| and laid off one acre, exactly square, 70
the purpose. In our practice we find i,
most profitable never to tell our men, it il
none of their business, but merely do what
we tell them,-We like to encourage
though in them and frequently allow things
to be done we disaprove Of if it is likely tC
educate them at no great cost to them
selves. SO when the potatoes were in sea-
son for killing we found there was disa-
greement between the superintendent and
the ploughman. The former was for hill
ing up the latter-a good Montgom-
cry county farmer for leaving them on the
surface. We agree with the latter; but in
order to respect the opinion of the superin-
tendent decided that only every other row
should be hilled. On digging, the crop
| "uo ioouu w oO NCIy SfChly
over the whole square. In every row OF
hilled ones there was more than in the
others-about half bushel generally
making on the half acre total gain of sew,
enteen bushels over the flat cultivated ones
though every other circumstance was ex.
actly the same. The whole crop WAS 211
bushels on the acre; had they all beer
| hilled, there would have been 228 bushels
We plant very wide apart. rows three feet
and potatoes two feet apart, and soil stony
hill top.-Press.
HoRsEs.-I wish to call the attention OF
the farmer to this subject. Did you evel
know of time but what a good horse
would sell at high price? When beef
pork, mutton or wool, would not sell fol
enough to hardly pay the cost of produc
ton, even then good horses sold readily
at paying price, and the reason why
they command a high price is because the,
are scarce.
IF you take the trouble to examine thu
brood mares in your town or county yo1
will wonder that there any good ones.
Occasionally you will find a good mare ant
the owner most assuredly knows that it re
quires such 10 bring forth good colts. You
will find more than three-fourths of thu
brood mares are either deformed, ugly
| lame or broken down by hard work, 81
they are unfit to drive on the road, or worl
on the farm, and the owner keeps them il
some back lot. Should he be fortunate
enough to raise a good appearing colt, ht
is ashamed to show the mother, for fear i
will spoil the sale of it. Can you expect t.
improve the breed of horses by such (
course as this-or will you go on in THU
way until you force the man of money ii
search of good horses, to make journey
to some other place ere he finds such lie
us act for our own interest, and breed bet
ter mares, and use better stock horses; ant
shun the worthless ones, that flood the
country offering their services for mere
| trife. 1t costs no more to grow q foul
year old colt, that will sell for three o. foul
hundred dollars, than it does one that will
sell for seventy-five or one hundred dollars
Boston Weekly Spectator.
ExHAUsTING SoILs.-There is said to be
carried off from the soil nine pounds O
lime in twenty-fv bushels of wheat, nine
pounds in fifty bushels of oats, and fifteer
pounds in thirty-eight bushels of barley
There are thirty-five pounds of lime in two
tons of rye grass, one hundred and
twenty-six pounds in two tons of clover
and one hundred and forty pounds in
twenty-five tons of turnips, and two
hundred and seventy pounds in nine tons
of potatoes. Some soils contain abundance
OF lime for thousand years, while other
soils require an occasional application OF
lime as fertilizer.
coRRrspoNnENT of tho Journal IF Ao