Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-10-12
Small Talk.

Few persons are aware Of what an in
teresting harbor for great many varie-
ties of birds is cluster Of evergreens
near house.
A good dressing for sore teats is to
apply clean, fresh lard with few drops
Of turpentine stirred into it. The teats
should be washed with warm water and
soap previously. Grease the teats and
wipe them off, before and after milking
Ashes are useful for any crop, from
roots to fruit. On newly seeded grass
land they often work wonders They
may be used as top dressing or put in
the hill or plowed or narrowed under.
They are excellent for composts also.
For forcing early crops, guano, phos-
pilates and other quickly acting fertiliz-
ers, when used in small quantities, may
do better. But, generally speaking ash
es will be far better for standard man
| ure.
Squashes, pumpkins and all that class
of vegetables require first, an absence
of light; second dry temperature not
exceeding fifty-fve or sixty degrees, and
third, to be so placed that one does not
come in contact with another. We have
always had success in keeping them well
into spring by placing them in cool,
dry chamber until freezing occurs, and
then removing them to closet for safe
keeping over winter Thus Hubbard
and other hard shelled varieties may be
kept until May and even June. For use
until February, they will keep tolerably
well in dry cellar placed on shelves.
Feeding cattle must in the future be
made an accessory of all grain or mixed
farming Dairying, grain and cattle
raising, and special cultures, will I'M
doubtedly form the three chief divisions
of agriculture in the future This is
made necessary by the course Of events,
some Of which are the gradual change
of the soil from it's new condition to one
in which it must be fed systematic;io y
and scientifically; the increasing popu-
lar demand for meat, dairy products, and
other choice domestic supplies, which
are needed in a community whose man
ner of life is improving year by land
also by the necessity OF conducting our
industries in very economical manner,
so as to meet the present active compe-
tition.
In selecting seed corn, says the Agrt
culturist, it has been frequently advised
that before corn is cut up one should go
through the fields and pick out those
stalks which have borne two ears, for
future seed This is very well if the
two ears are perfect ones, but we have
found it very rarely happens when one
stalk bears two ears that both ears are
1aI cuff Nv
good to be kept for seed. 1t is not wise.
we think, to choose in this case the one
good ear and reject the poorer one,
simply because the good ear is a twin
For there is a relationship between the
two ears, and it is the whole plant, and
not part of it's product only, that gives
character to that product. We would
much rather take long, sound, early
ripened, heavy, plump, and well-flled
ear, although it be single one, than one
equally good, that has poor nubbin on
the same stalk.
Describing frost-proof stable the
Agriculturist says: 1t was Immediately
over the basement, and had for one OF
its sides the bank wall This was point
ed with cement. The other sides were
made of tongued and groovcd inch pine
boards and. battened the lumber well
seasoned and painted. The windows
and doors were close-ftting, and there
was no crevice left where the wind could
creep through. The trap doors through
which the manure was passed below,
were perfectly tight We were sur.
prised at the agreeable temperature as
we entered the barn on bitter cold
day. 1t seemed as if a stove or furnace
must have been used in the building.
But the proprietor said that the animals
were the only stoves in use, and the
manure had hardly been frozen in the
zero nights. He spoke with great salts
faction of the economy of such a stable.
1t saves greatly in fodder. All the hay
and grain that are used to keep up ami
NAL heat in the open air in winter goes,
in such stable, to the production of
flesh, fat and milk. The saving is about
one-third the value of the fodder con
sumed. The flow of milk is kept up,
and butter is made all winter.