The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-05-11
AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.


IT is a good plan, both for the wheat
and the catch Of clover seed, to harrow
wheat in the spring. Select some day
when the ground is dry enough to pull.
verize freely, and, if possible, just before
rain. Where wheat has been drilled
in, common, heavy drag will only
break down the ridges between the rows
and cover exposed roots. If s0wn broad
cast, the Thomas Smoothing Harrow
should be used, and Is preferable under
any circumstances.
HENRY SHAW, proprietor of the cele-
brated gardens at st. Louis which bear
his name, favors the Prairie Farmer with
his recipe for wash for protecting trees
from the flat.headed borer To barrel
of water put ten pounds whale or fish oil
soap and five pounds Paris green" Ap-
piled during the summer months to ash
and other young trees with smooth bark,
in the recently planted Tower Grove
Park, it prevented the entrance of the
insects, which had previously done much
harm.
THE Fancier's Gazette speaks as follows:
A very important duty of the poultry
breeder is to see that his chicks are free
from vermin. Sprinkle sulphur con-
tinually over the chickens, roosts,
and houses, the latter two occasion
ally washed with kerosene. If you
find the slightest symptoms of the
presence of vermin, get rid of them i'm
mediately. Sometimes careless breeders
will lose setting eggs simply by not occa-
sionally sprinkling the hens and nests
with sulphur, or other good insect pow.
der, and the poor hens, unable to stand
the dreadful pests, fofsake their nests.
A careful breeder will never allow the
scourge of lice among his poultry to
trouble him, but will see that che has
none Of it"
The following is the testimony of DR..
Loring respecting Hungarian grass: l
believe can make more milk with this
grass, cut and mixed with corn meal and
shorts, than can with the best timothy
hay cut and mixed in the same manner.
And when you remember that you can
raise on ordinary land, by sowing the
seed of Hungarian grass late in June,
from two and half to three and half
tons of good fodder to the acre, and that
this crop can be sown after we have as
certained whether we are to have good
crop of hay or not, you will see the value
of this grass. / have such high opinion
of it that on my own farm have this
year and last year raised from seventy
| five to one hundred tons of it for the pur-
pose of feeding to my milch cows during
the winter.
In treating of "clover-sick SOIL" Mr..
Bruce, an Aberdeenshire farmer, states
that in some districts of Scotland the
clover plant dies out after taking root.
Having noticed in several fields where
this occurred that there was a good
growth of plants near the gate, and head
and end ridges, which was much trodden
upon, Mr.. Bruce procured heavy roller
and rolled the field twice before putting
in the grass seeds. The experiment was
perfectly successful, full plant of clover
being the result, although the field had
for years before shown signs of sickness:
The farmer got roller which weighed
fifteen cwt., and rolled his fields, leaving
in one field ridge which was not rolled,
in order to prove the efficacy of the
operation. The result was that, while
there is abundance of clover where the
soil was rolled, on the ridge that was left
unrolled scarcely plant Is to be seen.
A GOOD reputation in business affairs
is of the first importance to any farmer
and especially to a young farmer. A
reputation for being a grower of first
class fruit is worth as much, yea more
than the crop itself, if such comparison
is permissible. A farmer noted for grow
ing fine fruit and for putting up moth
ing but fine fruit for the market is al
ways in market at highest rates. Indeed
the market seeks him and pays him 9
bounty for his care and honesty. A good
reputation is a good thing. A farmer
who grows fine wool and cleahses it In the
most thorough manner, and offers moth.
ing but fine wool, is known among al
manufacturers through their agents, ano
his product is worth premium. Hi:
reputation makes him market at his
door.
| WILLIAM WADE writes to the Ohic
Farmer: If we take into account thu
ease of culture, freedom from the ravage
of insects and surprising yield, also tha
it requires no protection through th'
winter, freezing not injuring it in thu
least, | think that the artichOke woult
take the front rank among crops to feec
stock. Five years since, while conversins
with practical old farmer on the sub
iect of raising roots to feed stock, he gav'
it as his opinion, based on experience
that there was no other root as cheaply
raised or that yielded so heavily as th'
artichoke. The course that l hav,
adopted in raising them is the same al
for the potato, they may be plante'
either in hills or drills, and, as the fros
does not injure them, they may b
planted as early in the spring as tn
ground is ready. AS they make an i'm
mense growth of tops the tubers DO no
, form until fall, about the time the,
blossom; but then they grow yer,
rapidly-probably as much in one wee
| "a the potat0 does in four.