The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-02-23
EARN AND FERESIDE.

'oard of Agriculture, SAYS of caring for y
richards: Orchards should be manured
every year ii possible, but :
as often as every second year.
Ashes are always good. Young orchards :.
10 best when cultivated, if the land is :,
evel, but side hills are too much injured =
oy 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 set fifty years ago and 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 manuring the land enough to
supply plant food to both the grass and |
thetree.
To PRESERVE THE FERTILITY OF |
LANDS. Country Gentleman: }: 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 wet spell is less reliable
for crops, and harder to cultivate-at
least this is my experience. The remedy
is simple, but will require 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 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 l
saw with my own eyes. The great
yields of the West recede farther and far
ther 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. l cannot help wishing tc
caution every one owning any or theil
ofsprings against keeping them toc
closely confined, and more especially
. would l urge in all cases, under any cir
| cumstances, to have them in sunshin,
: when there is any, for this apparentl,
1 trivial matter is 0fgreat Importance, par
= = ticularly with young stock to be kept on
: and for breeding ewes.
d Wherever the winter is open enougl
). they should run out daily, and durin
e all mild spells they ought to have rang
over some old pasture, for the roots give
; in the United States are in such sma
t, quantities that the cold wet grass is
n great service instead of doing harm
.. some writer's would make people believ
1t 1t is a mitaken idea with many farme
II to suppose the English make " hot-hous
n plants" Of their sheep, for it is quite Il
n, reverse, as there is positively no sue
g practice as putting sheep under any XII
e. of cover, or providing shelter at al
OF age, or in any condition except the yea
~. =. ing month when the ewes are confin,
a. at night in a pen constructed for Il
ne purpose; but as the ewes drop the
no no lambs they are taken from those renal
e. ing to yean, and lie in the fields day al
ne night without any protection frc
O.: o: weather or dogs.
ey Every farmer in England keeps shee
nt ut and every farm has its shepherd who
I'd, quite as much expected, and as sure to
a; found as teamster, and instead of fiji
raj raj ing only two or three scores, as is t
es, case with the few farms with sheep
ed them in America, there are, on an av
es; age, two or three hundreds; but while
use horses, cows and pigs have their stab
ny yards and sites well Uttered with str
lat, and protected from rain or cold,
ar sheep are in the fields with their W
,re ,rl5 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
no backs of sheep, which are treated UNI
ted urally. The climate of Northern Sta
makes it necessary to shelter sheep,
tne tnts to keep up the strong constitution I
the early maturity they must have fresh
and succulent food and Sunshine
nne Ine By the time this caution against G.
q of confinement appears, there will be M
sheep farmers who have just commen
TSl. Fd sheep husbandry, who will find it to tt
der interest to pay attention to this adv
11ed, and should any be doubtful let them
an.y aisy portion of the ewes out of doors ev
that fine day, and feed those at home the 81
lak- way, and the difference will be aston
tile. tte ing when spring arrives.