Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-02-17
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
Advantage OF a Rotation of Crops.

Advantages OF n Rotation of Crops.
The past year has not, on whole. been
satisfactory one to farmers. especially to
those engaged almost wholly in the cult
vation OF wheat, oats and cereals of like
nature. 1t has been pretty well demon
strated that to sell wheat at eighty cents a
J bushel entails an actual loss of fully twenty
five per cent. to the average farmer AS
far as corn and oats arc concerned, il NAV
be truthfully said of those who have at all
entered largely into their cultivation. have
barely held their own. While the prices
of grain have thus ruled low, those of ami
NAL products have been comparatively high.
This, however, would be no reason for
farmers to rush extensively into the busi-
ness'o of stock raising; the lesson which they
received from hops ought to be sufficient
to make them refrain from ever embarking
in similar enterprises
But it teaches the necessity of rotation
of crops, the advantages of which very
obvious In the first place, there is less
exhaustion of the soil. Single crop farm.
ing is very severe on land; a rotation has
been found to improve it. Again, rotation
brings in improving crops, such as clover
and hoed crops, which either in their
growth or cultivation add largely to the
amount of crops produced on the farm.
The farmer, through this, is better pre-
pared to meet the various demands in the
different markets, and is not dependent on
the success or failure of one crop for his
success or failure during the year. And
another great point is that with good ro-
tstion the farm work is not SO hurried at
any particular time, but is spread over the
whole season, doing away with the cost of
much help, which single crop farming must
IL
Horses, Working Oxen, &c.
Horses require constant attention through
the winter, as they are liable to contract
diseases when kept in dark, unclean, badly
ventilated stables, and to fall away in con.
dition when n 1t regularly fed and CLEANED
The ammonia which is so abundant in filthy
stables frequently causes Inflammation of
the eyes, and sometimes total blindness, in
horses. It is good practice to scatter
plaster over the floors Of stables frequently,
for the purpose of fixing the ammonia.
which is volatile. Every stable should be
q model of comfort. cleanliness and regu-
larity. Every improvement that adds to
the comfort of the horse and the economy
of provender shoHld be introduced. Work.
ing oxen should be kept in good condition
throughout the winter, and should have
exercise when not at work; close confne-
ment in the stable or sheds is not good for
them. Mich cows and young stock should
be well cared for throughout the winter. for
they are entirely dependent on their own
ers for provender at this season. Vicious
oxen or cows should be separated from
other stock, and got rid of as soon as pos
sibie.
Care Of Swine I'm Winter.
According the cold of winter increas-
es, swine of all ages and sizes require in
creased attention, 1t is we'll known that
animals of every kind require more food in
Geld weather than in that which is mild
and open, as instead of being appropriated
for laying on fat or strengthening bone or
muscle, large part of the provender con-
sumed goes to form caloric to sustain the
heat of their bodies. Fattening hogs III
cold weather is difficult process unless
they are provided with warm and comfort
able pens aud feeding places. 1t Is not
good management to turn hogs out of
warm beds in snug pens. to feed in cold,
unsheltered yards. The men who make
the most money by breeding end feeding
swine, keep none but the best breeds.
manage to have the pigs come early, and
sell the hogs fat before they are year old
Sows with lltters should be taken special
care of in cold weather, provided with
warm pens, good beds, and nutritious food
Sows sometimes devour their young, being
driven mad by indigestion. This terrible
propensity may be prevented or cured by
giving the animals moist, soppy food;
mash of boiled turnius, carrots, potatoes or
cabbage, will remove the cause of the
malady.
Germination Of Seeds.
Some curious statements have recently
been published in regard to the extent to
which the termination Of seeds can be IA
cllitated by chemical agencies, especially
by ammonia and oxalic acid. By placing
them in a salution of the latter substance,
they will begin to germinate within one or
two days. even after having been kept
forty years, and are then to be planted oct
in the usual way. Coffee seeds, which are
proverbially hard to start, are best for
warded by placing in covered vessel,
containing equal parts of water and of
spirits of sal ammoniac, at the ordinary
temperature. At the end of twelve hours.
the roots will be found to have started,
and even the young leaves can be discov-
cred by careful inspection. In 1884, wheat
was exhibited to the German Scientific
Association raised from seed found in an
Egyptian tomb, 2 600 to 1850 years cid.
This had been soaked for q considerable
time in fatty oil beforeplanting.
FEEDING Hoos-AN EXPERIMENT.
fessor s. johnson. Superintendent of the
College Farm, Maine, made an experiment
in feeding swine last fall the result of
which was as follows: "The 18th of No
vember, four Chester pigs were weighed
and put in two pens, two in each. The
two in pen No. weighed SO fbs., and have
been fed on whole corn. The two in pen
No. 2 weighed 76 lbs. and have been fed
on meal. Equal values of corn and meal
have been given to each, and equal quanti
| ties of swill. December 18th they were
weighed again. The two in No. l weighed
12s fbs., and the two in No. 2 123 lbs. The
two fed on meal gained on the other two
IL bs.. which at II cents lund, would
amount to $l.44, which is NOR, than the
cost of the meal fed, and gives net gain
over the others of "a az per cent In this
experiment "a TBS. of corn equaled so lbs.
I of meal. This month the pigs in No.
will be fed on meal, and those in No. 2 on
corn"
MILKING WITH DRY HANDs.-I believe
that much of the milk gets tainted with
noxious or bad odors before it reaches the
pail. Some persons. and hired help espe-
cially, have habit Of wetting their fingers
with the milk once in q while, aud then
wetting the cows teats, as they say, to
make them milk easier. Now this wetting
process causes much foul stuffto drop from
their hands or the teats into the pail while
milking. This is all wrong-cows can be
MIXED as easy with dry hands as wet ones.
have been in the habit of milking cows
and although have met with some hard
mixers that require their teats to be soft
ened in order to draw the milk, have gen.
orally found it both easier and pleasantsr
to milk with dry hands. If the teats are
dirty. the udder should be washed with
tepid water and allowed to dry before milk
ing; and If the teats are very hard and
tough to draw, the COW had better be
turned into beef, or kept to raise calves
from.
THE New "CaJRcH OF ZIoN.-S Salt Lake
letters state that Mormon schismatics have
formed temporary church organization,
called the Church of Zion," which, in its
constitution is more liberal than Brigham
| y L. =. - -.~~ -. <...