The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-01-19
FARM AND FIRESIDE.

w COscI use lluuuItu acres, anu the largest
garden OF Strawberries to contain forty acres
Many farmers. in mixing compost from
hen manure, take ashes as an ingredient,
which liberates and cxpels the ammonia
Muck or vegetable mould is the only ingre
dent proper to be used One-fourth of hen
manure to three parts Of good vegetable
mould.
Montana puts fourth a claim as the cham
pion wheat growing region of the Union. One
of her papers declares that the wheat crop of
that State this year will average not less than
80 bushels, and perhaps IS bushels per acre
The best average ever made in Minnesota was
21z bushels.
The great error in ali our farming is the
neglect Of the manure heap Study constant
ly to Increase this. Keep your animals sta
bled or in close Sheds that all manure may be
daily thrown into heaps, and mingled with
muck and other absorbents, a supply Of which
should always be kept on hand
G. NJ. Pennington, Of Rome, Ga, has in
vented a combined pillow and planter, which
he calls the Cherokee Chief According to
the inventors statement, sit lays off, subsoils,
opens out, distributes the guano, makes the
bed on it, opens the top of the bed, drops the
seed and covers it, all in one operation
The great error in all our farming is the
| neglect Of the manure heap. Study constant
iy to increase this Keep your animals sta
bled or in close sheds, that all manure may
be daley thrown into heaps, and mingled with
muck and other absorbents, supply of which
should always be kept on hand
Tn setting out fruit trees, they should be
set about the same depth at which they stood
in the nursery. Many fine trees are destroy
| ed by having the roots placed too deep in the
ground. You need not trouble yourself
about ascertaining their position in the nur-
sery in regard to tie cardinal points, as that
makes no difference
The successful management of farm, es-
pecially ia this age Of progress, requires
thought no less than hard work Something
more needs to be done than scatter the seed
and reap the harvest. What to plant, in Or
der to be tolerably certain to obtain good
price for the product; in what soil, as to
quality and rotation of crops; and just when
to cultivate, and with what implements, to
secure the best results-all these things need
to be considered
The training of the branches of trees low,
in pyramdal form, is one of the most effec-
tual plans of shielding the trunk against the
i'll effects Of the sun. Where trees already
have high branches, board adjusted to shield
the bark from the midday sun will be found
useful. A western cultivator, trying this once
states, 'sthat since he tried it he has lost no
more trees, and the bark on that side remains
as smooth and as soft as on any other part of
the tree"
ORCHARD GRAss.-A correspondent of the
Ruraz Nea0 Yorker, writes as follows con-
corning this variety of grain:
I have had it growing on my farm for five
years, and have found it valuable for pas
ture grass and for hay. It stands the drought
we'll with me, and the winter also. It's roots
penetrate the soil to great depth, and grow
in the shape of a hens foot The stem grows
up punching [ know of no two varieties
The seed can be sown in fall or spring; but
the best time is to SOW it in the fall The soil
on which [ have it growing is a clay. The
seed can be sown with clover in spring, as
the two together make an excellent grass for
hay or pasture. 1t has given all my neigh
bors who have tried it, perfect satisfaction.
The seed can be bought at nearly all the seed
stores.
Stable Manure.
Many Of the stables throughout the coun-
try are built OF logs, or the cheapest kind of
framing, without any floor except the hard
earth. The manure is usually thrown out in
a pile daily, or at least two or three times a
week, exposed to rains, and thus becomes al
most worthless by the time it is carried out to
the field or garden. We would suggest a
simple, and at the same time a very effective
methed, Of preserving this manure with all its
enriching qualities Litter the stall we'll, and
allow everything to remain in the stable. As
soon as the bedding is tramped down and sat
urated, apply other bedding-straw being
preferable, but if not convenient, leaves an
swer good purpose. Very soon the amount
of manure is sufficiently thick to absorb all of
the droppings. The stall should be we'll pro-
tected against rains, and an occasional addi-
ton Of dry muck, charcoal, or even pulveri-
zcd dry clay, should be made, to prevent the
escape of ammonia. When the beds are re-
newed once or twice week, the horse has a
comfortable stall and the amount of the very
best stable manure thus collected, even from
one ANIMAL would astonish almost any one.
It will accumulate to the depth of two feet
frequently, and is worth five times as much
as the same amount exposed to sun
and rain for weeks and months AS this plan
requires no ouslay of money or labor all our
farmers, with nothing but covered pens for
their stock, should try it.
Concentrated stable manure is the best fer.
tilizer we can get either for the field or the
garden, and should not be exposed to rain or
sun for even day; but should be plowed in
as soon as removed from the STALL
AS little can be done at this season of the
year in the garden, the manure heap should
receive special attention, and everything ad-
ded to it that has any enriching properties.
To save manure successfully there should
be covered house, or even rail pen cover
ed will answer. Build it in some convenient
location, and into it throw the sweepngs from
the yard, the rakings from the lot, and wood
pile, the cleanings from the smoke house, hen
house, and the ohal from the kitchen. Over
this pour the Stops from the bed room, and