The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-02-10
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.


little beef has, we confess, always been
something we failed to understand. All
of them are beef raisers to some extent,
and at this season of the year the cattle
are generally in good condition, yet not
one in five kills one beef annually. A
yearling or two-year-old heifer well fat
ted can be bought in the country at two
cents per pound gross, can be butchered
at little or no cost, makes a change OF
diet that is wholesome, and one that Is
relished by every member of the family;
yet the fact is as stubborn as ever, that
farmers eat but little beef We allude
to this subject now because we think ell
can see the economy of it, since pork is
likely to be higher than for severai years.
Another view: We save the wintering
of these young and, in many instances,
Improbable cattle, all of which is an
argument in favor of killing them in the
fall or early winter. There is, besides,
the change of diet, and the economy OF
this system of living, the luxury Of good
dried beef, and mince pie that follows as
its corollary. Try more beef and less
pork.-S. Louis Journal of Agriculture.
How TO FEED PoULTRY.--B arn-y yard
fowls thrive best on variety of food,
and resemble swine in their omniverous
propensity. They readily devour nearly
all kinds of grain and most kinds of fresh
meat. The grains best adapted and gen.
orally used in feeding poultry are corn,
wheat, oats and buckwheat. When these
are given separately they should be al
ternated daily in order to insure variety.
But the better way is to mix two or more
kinds before feeding. Mashed potatoes
are found to be very nutritious and
healthy food, and, when mixed with sour
milk and bran. are well adapted to young
fowls I'm cola weather this combination
may be fed warm once day to all fowls,
young and old, with excellent effect.
Chopped onions are eagerly relished by
most fowls, and may be given several
times week with great advantage. The
same is true of meat scraps and clover
hay. During winter either meat scraps
or other equivalent animal food should
be continually accessible. In addition
to these hints on feeding poultry it is
portance of warm quarters, cleanliness,
ventilation and sunlight. When these
points are all duly attended to there is no
difficulty in haviry good supply OF eggs
through tie winter, or in making poultry
profitable throughout the year.
How MUCH Stock TO AN ACRE
Many Interesting experiments have been
| tried by our farmers at various times to
determine the highest feeding capacity
of an acre of grodnd, and some very re-
markable results have been reported but
precisely what the best attainable results
are is still. an open question. Probably
some of our numerous readers can shed
some light on this subject from their own
experience.
Whether ten acres of ground of aver
age fertility will keep more or less than
that number of cattle, carrying them
through the year in good condition, is a
question of no little interest, for it is
closely related to the prosperity of hus.
bandry.
One thing at least is certain. If we
take what has been considered the aver
age experience of farmers on this subject
it will be found to fall very much below
the higher results actually reached by
the skill and perseverance of some of our
practical men. And here comes in the
point we wish to get at. Why do the
average results of our husbandry invari-
ably fall 30 fer below the achieve
ments of some of the Leading men? Of
course we cannot expect that all " ii rise
to the level OF the highest. Eut why do
so many fall behind. end so far behird?
If one man by adding brain-power to rs
muscular force can make an acre support
two or three cows, there any sufficient
reason why another should require two
or three acres to support one? We should
like to receive from farmers some account
Of what they have accomplished in this
direction; and also from what particular
crop or kind of food an acre can be made
to produce the greatest amount of actual
nutriment, or feeding value.
CROPS FOR Poor LANps.-It often
happens that farmer has portions of
land on his farm so poor that they hardly
pay for Gu tivating. Often the soil is
chiefly sand or gravel, though it may be
clay. Not unfrequently the exposure IS
favorable to ripening fruit. These por-
tions OF land are hardly more valuable
for grass than for cultivated crops. 1t is
true they might Es made productive by
Isthe application of sufficient manure; but
sufficient manure would cost enough to
purchase an equal number of acres of
fertile land.
The best way to utilize these portions
of poor land is to put in them some crop
where the individual plants grow at some
distance fran each other. By do ~ this
the ground may be highly MANFRED and
deeply pulverized at the places where
the plants are to stand, while no manure
and put little labor need be expended on
the remainder of the ground. BY this
course little manure may be made to
ego a great ways and the comparative
ly barren piece of land may be made as
productive of crops as any portion of the
farm, even the most fertile. This will
be in consequence of the manure being
placed where it will do the most good.
1t is the nature of quite a number of
plants to "spread themselves" although
their roots extend but short distance In
any direction. Pumpk rs, squashes and
citrons send their vines long distances
over the surface of the ground, although
their roots are confined to very limited
area. These plants require large space
in order that the fruit may thoroughly
ripsn. There is actually an advantage
in having the soil over which the vines
extend poor, as the labor in keeping down
the weeds is very small. The poor soil
will be improved by the shade and by
the plants that gc to decay upon it.
Lands of this kind may also be adj
vantageously planted with those varieties
of grapes that have extensive branches,
such as the Delaware (O and Fox. BY
having wide and strong supports these
vines do their best to produce the best
fruit when they stand OF nearer than
twelve or sixteen feet apart. Large holes
may be dug at the places where the vines
are to be planted, and full load of ma
nure be placed in each. il the earth be
mixed with this, there will be supply
of plant food sufficient TO last the vines
fer years.
Tomatoes furnish another excellent
crop for land of the kind mentioned.
They do best when they stand five or six