Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-05-13
From the Western Rural
NOTES AND SUGGESTIONS
FOR MAY.
NEAT STOCK.

NEAT STOCK.
Neat stock of all kinds should be
taken particular care OF during the
critical time of changing from fod-
der to pasture. They should not be
turned out to pasture until the grass
affords good bite and the weather
is mild. Land newly seedel down
with grass seed is sometimes very
much damaged by turning cattle in
to it too early in the Spring when
the soil is soft and easily poached
by the treading of stock. The first
growth of grass is weak, and re-
quires to be supplemented with good
hay in order to keep up the condi-
ton of animals fed on it, A good
plan is to keep the cattle on pasture
during the day for two or three
weeks at the commencement of the
pas.uring season and to keep them
in the stable at night, supplied with
hay.
Mich cows should be kindly
treated, supplied with bran mashes,
roots, &c. to enable them to pro-
duce a large flow of milk. They
should not get too much soft food.
however. Hay should be given as
a corrective Of the bowels. 1t has
been remarked that when neat stock
are turned out to pasture for the
first time in Spring. fine weather
should always be chosen for making
the change; as if they are put out
during cold wet weather, their coats
will be rough and staring during the
Summer Working oxen should
have liberal allowance of grain, in
addition to hay Of the best quality,
Calves, yearlings, &C., should be
supplied with abundance of nourish-
ing food, and put on the best pas
ture at the right time. Attention
should be given tn the Improvement
of neat stock. 1t is great mistake
to vase provender and pasture, and
lose money by keeping inferior stock
of any kind.
MANAGEMENT OF GRASS LAND.
The grass crop, is of the greatest
Importance to the farmer; for upon
it depends the success or failure of
other crops. Without good pasture
and meadow, working animals can
not be sustained, nor can sufficient
number OF stock be wintered to
make barn yard manure. Upo n
the gram crop the farmer depends
for beef and mutton, and in some
measure for pork, also for dairy
products. &c The necessity of
paying close attention to the i'm
provement of grass land is apparent
Land should be laid down to grass
in good heart perfectly free from
weeds, and thoroughly drained.
The surface of grass field should
be smooth, so that the mower can
take off the crop without leaving a
considerable part of it on the ground
On every farm exertion should be
made to increase the area of grass
land and diminish that of tillage. A
few acres of well managed tillage
will produce more cereal or root
crops than large number of acres
of haIf-tilled, half-manured land
DISTINCTIONS of every kind should
be removed off the surface Of mea-
dows. Stock should not be admit
ted into newly laid down fields until
the soil is firm enough to sustain
their weight The top dressing of
grass land with composted manure.
gtono, bone dust, superpho sphate,
&c, is beneficial In laying down
land the best varieties of grass for
meadows or pasture should be used,
and care should be taken that the
seeds of weeds are not sown.
NARROWING WHEAT. SOWING CLOVER,
ETC.
Winter wheat may be very much
improved by narrowing in Spring,
if the operation is properly per
formed at the right time. In SOW
ing wheat in the Fall the land is
generally lett rough for the purpose
of holding the snow and also for
sheltering the young plants from
the cold winds of early Spring.
Ha rowing the surface in Spring,
breaks knobs and Jumps, and reno
YES the shell or crust which has
formed on the soil from the effects
of exposure to the vicissitudes of
the weather. The narrowing should
not take place until the wheat has
| recovered from the effects of Win
ter and has taken so strong hold
on the soil that the teeth of the har-
row cannot tear it up. When the
surface of the soil is freshened up
by the harrow, great numbers of
annual weeds, which are just COM
ing up from seed, are destroyed,
and fine mellow seed-b bed is pre-
pared for clover and grass seeds,
which may be sufficiently covered
by the roller. Clover stakes" much
better on Winter wheat that is har-
rowed, than on that on. which the
crust is not broken. The acreable
produce of wheat may be increased
from five to 10 bushels per acre by
narrowing and rolling in Spring.
COLLECT MANURE.
The collection of manure from
every available source should 60 on
steadily at all times, but especially
when the season for applying it to
the soil has arrived. 1t is very er.
| rOneOuS practipe tn sell stra w or n Z
| off the farm; it should be consum
ed on the premises by stock, and the
ma ure returned to the soil, to sus
tain or increase its fertility. Stables
| L,raS Shnda and MONA. OH. MD LIZ