The Red Cloud chief., 1877-02-08
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD
Tree Planting.

IN groves ana Sneiuer-DellS, dnu IOT
ornamental purposes. has become very
general in that county. Ten years ago
% per cent Of the area of the county
was treeless; but, now, a farm without
a grove is an exception to the general
rule. Black walnut has the preference
for profit and case Of cultivation; but
elm. soft maple. willow, cottonwood
European larch and ash are common.
while evergreens are popular for Orna-
mental purposes, and occasionally are
planted in groves and shelter-belts.
The Rural NeD Yorker observes: If
there should come a black-walnut fever
in this country, Prof. Beal, of the Mich
igan Agricultural College. would be the
man to blame for il, for he has been re-
porting the sales of trees Of this kind at
$1,000 each and upward. The age Of
these trees, however, was not given,
which, if it had been, might have dis
couraged the planting of black-walnut
for timber.
Raise Good Cattle.
Mr. j. s. Latimer, near Abingdon, ILL.,,
sold. OF the 18th of November last, one
car load Of steers, sixteen in number,
netting him sa2s.54. Ten of them were
high grade steers raised by him. two
years old last spring. These cattle, he
SAYS, had no extra care, no stabling, but
were pastured on good grass in summer,
and run in the stalk fields. and had
straw in winter. They were fed a little
corn last spring, from February to May,
and from the latter month had grass
only. The six steers purchased were
an uneven lot in weight and quality,
and were n year older than those of
Mr.. LIS raising. The total weight Of
the entire lot in the Chicago yards was
21,l50 pounds, selling at $40 per cwt.
And this price vas 81 more per cwt.
than cOrnleld scrubs sold for on the
same day. This is simply another proof
of what is being constantly demon
strated, and it may assist in opening
the eyes of farmers and feeders to the
necessity of raising good cattle.
The Value of tho Apple.
AT a recent meeting of the New York
Farmers Club a member said that of
all fruits grown in the Northern States
the apple is the most easily raised, the
cheapest and the most durable. and
gave the following rotation in the Gull
ture OF orchards Is n that has been
successfully practiced: The first year
plow, manure and plant potatoes; the
second year plow, manure and sow oats
and clover, and NOW the oats for fod-
der; the third year take off the clover
crop and plow in the fall, preparatory
to the potato crop which is to follow.
Thus the land will be MANFRED two
years out of three, a good crop of oats
and clover taken off, and a tolerable
crop OF potatoes, without apparent
injury 10 the trees. In selecting trees
varieties such as come into use at dit
ferent seasons should be introduced. so
as to secure a supply for the whole year.
The common error Of setting the trees
too a each other was referred to and
cautioned against by this member, who
thought that thirty feet apart is much
better than nearer, as apples require
both sun and air. No fruit, unless it be
the grape, is more dependent on the sun
for its flavor and color than the apple.
Changing Seei.
Great diversity of opinion exists in
reference to the propriety OF frequently
changing seed. A New York farmer
Of some note contributes the following
views of the Rural Home:
ut is unnecessary to refer to indiyid-
uall cases where seed corn has been
kept unchanged on the same farm for
twenty, thirty or fifty years, with no de.
generacy, but with marked improve.
ment in size and quality of ears, by
only the yearly selection of the best for
seed, for the cases are numerous, some
farmers claiming that, after selecting
from the best cared stalks, the yield has
been increased twenty-five or fifty Der
cent. On my own farm I have corn
which has been thus grown without
change during the past fifteen or
twenty years, and 1 am sure it has
greatly improved in the size of ears and
yield of corn. Tile peachblow potatoes
have also been grown about the same
term of years without change of seed.
with no appearance of running out =
During the period of over FORTY
years of farming on the same farm. I
nave Y but once changed seed of
grain or vegetable for the benefit of
change. and then with bad results, for
the seed obtained was not as good as
that on the farm. and the crop grown
was not as good. but have uniforluly
sown seed of my own growing only
when new varieties have been intro
duced thought to be better than the old.
And 1 think my success in cropping has
been as good as those who have prac-
ticed change. Farmers may be bene-
fitted often by change of seed, if thew
get seed more perfect than that grown
On their own farms, but not otherwise
Don't Feed Corn to Your Fowls.
In forty-ive out of fifty locks of
poultry you will find the feeding-boxes
supplied with Indian corn.
This grain is the lazy mans blessing.
No work is required in feeding it out:
it keeps clean; the fowls like it; and
nothing is wasted.
Now, for laying hens it is worse than