The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1875-04-29
for the farmer.
,-,.,~.-s,.,,;-TGHAL NOTES FOR MAY.


~. farmer and gardener, the month OF May,
To ntifnde is the busiest season Of the entire
u Domestic animals Of all klnds-irom tno
/; rncd of chickens to carriage horses-requiIe tue
,ersunal attention OF the fiSl:ans husD :"i. ~
Rnr;nr the latter part of the mouth, animals III
re Of the grazing districts, viii be turned from
Az frti to grass. With all such stock, TINS Is
cr;,icaI period and much care should be exercised
God before it is allowed to eat grass. When
miJcb COWS arc about to be turned to grass, each
one sbu,Id receive liberal feeding of meal and
cut fodder. Othern Use, grass will operate as a
purpative to the injury OF the animal
MANY cows will come in this month III they
have heretofore been troubled with the garget,
ar inflamed udder, better keep them on hay, for
the inost of the time until their calves are week
or more old before they are allowed to Craze A
prereRtire of the garget, is far superior 10 any
remedy after the disease has once appeared
Mich cows require great deal OF care at this
period of year. lest they fall prey TO some OF the
numerous diseases incident to new milch cows
Selecting heifsr 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 great many IN
ferior milkerrf and 80 long as the injudicious
practice of killing all the calves is continued,
farmers must milk miserable COWS. The true way
TO secure 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
IL,
he treated with care and fed well. Such animals
should never be tied in a stall during the day,
at night. A large box-stali shOnld be provided,
in which a mare can turn around with freedom
If a mare with fOal be thin in flesh, let her feed
consist of equal parts of wheat -four unbolted and
oat or Indian corn meal-- Some farmers feed rye
flour chiefly to their horses, which makes excel
lent feed. But, in some instances, there Is large
ouantity of ergot-or smut-amOng the gram,
which will often cause a mare to stink, when she
is confined to such feed, for a few days.
In localities where the soil consists of muck, or
fine alluvial deposits, free from gravel, few
bushels Of fine gravel should be hauled expressly
for domestic fowls as small gravel stones are en-
ipently essential TO the thrift of gallinaceons
fowls turkeys, geese and ducks. Young chick
ems and young turkeys frequently droop and die,
simply because they have no gravel stones for
macerating their food. Gravel stones in fowl
gizzard subserve the purpose of teeth. When
they have access to gravel, they swallow more OF
less, many times a day. We're gravel not essen
tial to perfect digestion, fowls wOuld not swallow
it. Thousands of domestic fowls appear TO be III;
and their owners do not understand that they
need grdrel.
During this month, preparations should be
made for crop of turnips and carrots. IL barn
yard manure is scarce, procure barrel OF Two oil
the raw bone superphOsphate. TnrnIps and car
rots REQUIRE a 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 fertliZing material. A few hun
erly applied will produce a bOuntiful crop o.
roots. In those sections of country where the
soil is of heavy ealcareOus character, half ar
acre OF more of mellow ground may be selected
planted, which may be appropriated to the pro
duction of roots for feeding horses and mich cow
next Winter.
Every farmer should at least raise one-fourtl
of an acre of sorghum. Stake off a plot in th
corn ground for the crop; and about the first o
June pulverize the surface of the ground with
horse hoe, or cultivatOr, for the purpose of ex
terminating all the noxiOus weeds Then put il
the seed. The Young plants will then get tn
start of the weeds; and but little labor will b
required to hoe the growing plants. But if tn
seed be planted too early, it will be long tim
coming up; the young and tender plants viii
grow exceedingly slow; and 50 much manua
labor will be required to dress out the rows, tina
farmers frequently resolve never again to at
tempt to grow sorghum. These same sugges
tioDs touching the preparation OF the soil ar
equally applicable to raising turnips. II tn
ground be managed as herein directed, unles
the land is unusually foul, crop may be ralse'
with about the same amount of manual labo
that is required for Indian corn.
Examine the bodies of apple trees and peacl
trees, near the surface of the ground, for borers
as they will commence working soon MS tn
weather is warm and dry. The presence of boz
ers in any tree may readily be determined by tn
fine bits of wood, like sawdust, which they ex
url from the orifiees where they may be found
They must be cut out with a knife, a SINAI
Vou9e and the wounds smeared with graftIn
wax, or they will soon destroy the tree.
Young trees, vines and shrubs may be trans
planted, the former part of the present month
II the leaves are not developed. When trees an
vines are removed, the IoOts should be well pr
tected, as a few hours of exposure will destrc
the vitality of every root Thousands of tree
and vines are transported in wagons, on the cal
and on boats with the roots exposed to sunshir
and the driving wind; and oil the little fibres al
thus rendered lifeless in a few hours. The col
sequence is il is difficult to make snch trees liy
and if they do survive the Summer, the braneh'
will not grow one inch.
Wage a war of utter determination against II
tent caterpillars on fruit trees A few hon
labor will save crop of fruit