Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-04-14
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
Farm Notes.

done this month for mangels. No roo
crop pays better than this. Choose
pieco of clean corn stubble, plow thor
oughly, open drills, in which drop mnnur,
at the rate OF eight or ten tons per acre
cover with the plow, level with ligh
harrow lengthwise of the drills, 80 as no
to obliterate them; then SOW tho seed ovel
the manure with n hand or horsc-planter
and scatteralittle guano, or blood fertilizer
along the row. our pounds of seed foi
M acre is required. We prefer the Yel.
low Globe. Don'taim to get big roots,
but a full crop of fair-sized ones. We
are satisfied with thirty tons, or 1000
month, OF 1saflyfn ..Aat this rate bushel
PorAroEs.-Early potatoes may be
kept lightly covered with the hoe or q
light one-horse plow. Watch the ma
ncuvrcs of the potato beetle, and when
it begins work, pick the insects from
the leaves into pan. BY proper care,
paris green need not be used until the
larvae get to work, when no time should
be lost. Every beetle killed this month
may prevent the existence of over 1000
larvae.
Cows AND CALvEs.-Incoming COWS
need careful feeding Moderate feed
will be found preventive of trouble after
calving. With high-bred cows there is
danger of milk fever or garget. Prevent
these by light feeding, for month pre-
vious to the birth of the calf, and by a
moderate purgative just after the cali
appears, as mentioned last month.
Garget is now n very prevalent trouble.
1t comes through the higher feeding and
greater milk production now so common.
1t is an inflammation and swollen condi-
ton of the ulder. When it appears,
bathe the udder frequently with warm
water, working it we'll with the hands.
If the milk is clotted, dissolve one ounce
of carbonate of soda in pint of water,
inject with syringe into the teats, and
milk it out in a few minutes. Leave tho
calf with the COW.
CA1vEs.-Spare the heifer calves of
the best cows. A very good heifer may
be raised on skim milk; the cream MY
be replaced by little oil meal. To feed
calf for tho butcher for five weeks, on
new milk, does not pay, even if it brings
$40 or $12 Our cows are not 80 good as
they might be, did we keep and gener-
ously raise the best heifer calves.
MANURE. to the ground intend
ed for corn. If it is sod ground, all the
better, the sod will be made thicker and
more valuable as fertilizer.
Flowing for corn may be delayed until
the season admits of planting. We are
satisfied that it is good plan to plant on
the mellow, freshly turned soil before it
dries, or has been beaten and hardened
by rains. Time is often lost with this
crop by planting too early, and before
the soil is warmed.
CLEANING UP.-This should no longer
be neglected. Warm, damp weather
causes active decomposition of all rub
bish, and the gases given off by this are
Clean ont and whitewash
the cellar; if the floor is of earth, scrape
it thoroughly and remove the top, re-
placing it with clean sand; then at the
first opportunity cover it with cement Of
hydraulic lime and gravel. Rake up the
yards, burn all the rubbish, and save the
ashes. Clean up the manure heaps, ana
let off all surface water.
POULTRY. With grassy run for
fowls, The grain feed may be reduced
somewhat. Whatever grain is fed, may
be given only i'll the morning, and at
night, thus obIiging the hens to forage
in the middle of the day for themselves.
Some stimulating condiment will i'm
prove the health and prevent disease.
Ducks should be kept shut up in the
morning until they have laid, as they are
very careless about their eggs. Geese
may be set now, and should not be dis
turbed on their nests. The less fussing
there is over sitting fowls the better.
Keep water and food near the nests.
Young fowls of whatever kind need a
little feed often, but overfeeding is un-
wholesome.-Agriculturist.
BAIT for the Potato Beetle.
BY putting small heaps of bruised po-
tatoes here and there in the field, early
in spring, and sprinkling the heaps with
a little paris green the labor of fighting
the Colorado potato beetle may be les
sened thousand fold and the chances
of crop of potatoes correspondingly in
creased. The bugs begin to fly the first
warm days, long before potato top is in
sight. 1t appears to be taking general
survey and cogitating on main chances.
At this early day its appetite is keen and
it will smell bruised potato long way.
The heaps should be visited every day OF
two, and the potatoes rebruised and
sprinkled to keep up the odor. If the
sun be very hot, the heaps should be
shaded from the direct rays or the pota-
toes will soon dry and make poor bait.
According to entomologists one beetle
may be the mother of hundred million
in single season. If this be true, or
true, it will be seen that much
is gained by giving the prolific mother a
bite of green before she lays an egg. 1t
is astonishing how many bugs can be
killed at one small heap. Any small
worthless potatoes will do. Care should
be taken to place the heaps where stock
cannot get to them, and, above all, every
farmer and every one owning garden
should work in concert.-D. Il. C., in
Tribune.
SAT1sFIED.-A man who, from his
youth upward, had been leading most