The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-02-22
FARM AND EIREsIDE.

FARM AND FIRESIDE.
ABOUT ORCHARDs.-This is what T. S.
Gold, Secretary of the Connecticut
Board of Agriculture, says of caring for
orchards: Orchards should be MANFRED
constantly, every year if possible, but
certainly as often as every second year.
Ashes are always good. Young orchards
do best when cultivated, if the land is
level, but side hills are too much injured
by washing if the soil is constantly un-
der cultivation. Flowing orchards is
detrimental to both trees and fruit. He
described four orchards ON his own farm.
One was setffty years agoand cultivated
often, and twenty years later the fruit
cracked and the trees have been in grass.
They have improved both in health and
quality of fruit. The best and fairest
apples he gathered this year grew on
trees standing in permanent pastures
where the soil is fertilized by the COWS,
who are attracted to them by the shade.
1t will not do to keep an orchard in grass
without m%anuring the land enough to
supply plant food to both the grass and
thetree.
To PRESERVE HI FERTILITY OF
LANDS. - Country Gentleman: l have long
expected the farmers in the West would
wake up to the fact that there is an end
even to the "inexhaustible" soil of the
great West. When land grows lighter
by cultivation, it means that the vegeta-
BILE matter stored up in the soil during
long ages, is nearly exhausted, and a
change in the method of cultivation
must be made, or the end is ruin. When
land fails in color it grows cloddy and
sticky after a wet spell is less reliable
for crops, and harder to c~ultivate-at
least this is my experience. The remedy
is simple, but will require a long time
to cure the disease in some places. 1t is
merely to adopt a plan of rotation of
crops, which involves a heavy manuring
and the turning under OF a heavy sod
every few years. Without this course,
the land grows poorer every year, finally
ending in ~barrenness. This is no exag
gerated view of the matter, but what
saw with MY own eyes. The great
yields of the West recede farther and far
Their every year, showing that the above
is proving to be true of that rich section,
as it has at the East already.
ENGLISH BREEDS OF SHEEP.-As an
Englishman it is natural to feel inter
est in all the breeds coming from my
native land. 1 cannot help wishing tc
caution every one owning any or theil
ofsprings against keeping them too
closely confined, and more especially
would l urge in all cases, under any cir
eumstances, to have them in sunshine
when there is any, for this apparently
| trivial matter is ofgreat Importance, par
, ticularly with young stock to be kept on
!. and for breeding ewes.
Wherever the winter is open enough
they should run out daily, and durin,
e all mild spells they ought to have a rang
4 over some old pasture, for the roots givel
' in the United States are in such SINAI
), quantities that the cold wet grass is @
: great service instead of doing harm a
some writers would make people believe
t 1t is a mitaken idea with many farmer
! to suppose the English make "hot-houst
n plants" of their sheep, for it isquite tn
reverse, as there is positively no sue
3 practice as putting sheep under any kin
of cover, or providing shelter at an
age, or in any condition except the veal
= ing month when the ewes are eonfne
at night in a pen constructed for tt
purpose; but as the ewes drop the
70 lambs they are taken from those renal
e. ing to yean, and lie in the fields day al
!, .e night without any protection fro
); weather or dogs.
y Every farmer in England keeps shee
ut and every farm has its shepherd who
quite as much expected, and as sure to
found as a teamster, and instead of fin
al lbS Ohl' gWO VI GuICO GtOlSo, d. 10 u
Is, case with the few farms with sheep
~ them in America, there are, on an av,
age, two or three hundreds but while t
Sc horses, COWS and pigs have their stabl
W yards and sites well Uttered with str.
at, and protected from rain or cold,
ar sheep are in the fields with their W.
IL only to keep them warm. which it d.
of do, for more mutton is made in win
IN than in summer, and the wool gro
of faster and does not wet through the sa,
of as the feeces do in this country on t
no backs of sheep, which are treated unn
urally. The climate of Northern Sta
. makes it necessary to shelter sheep, |
me to keep up the strong constitution a
early maturity they must have fresh {
nd succulent food and sunshine.
me By the time this caution against CT
Of confinement appears, there will be ms
-, sheep farmers who have just commend
E ISi- sheep ~husbandry, who will find it to tn
der interest to pay attention TIC this advi
ed, and should any be doubtful let them
o a portion of the ewes out of doors ev,
hat fine day, and feed those at home the sa
way, and the difference will be astoni
tIe. ing when spring arrives.
Household Helps.
the
ase MoLAssEs CAKE.-One egg, 5ne-l
the cup sugar, n cup molasses, one
oee sour cream, one teaspoon saleratus,
In teaspoon ginger. a little salt.