The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-03-29
FIELD AND HOME.

ABOUT ORcHARDs.-This Is what T. s.
Gold, Secretary of the Connecticut
Board of Agriculture, says of caring for
orchards: Orchards should be MANFRED
every year if possible, but
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 il 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 il
merely to adopt a plan of rotation OF
crops, which involves 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 al
Englishman it is natural to feel inter
est in all the breeds coming from my
native land. cannot help wishing Il
caution every one owning any or thei
offsprings against keeping them to-
closely confined, and more especial,
would urge in all cases, under any cir
cumstances, to have them in sunshin
when there is any, for this apparentl,
trivial matter is ofgreat importance, par
ticularly with young stock to be kept on
and for breeding ewes.
Wherever the winter is open enougl
they should run out daily, and durin
all mild spells they ought to have rang
over some old pasture, for the roots give
in the United States are in such smal
quantities that the cold wet grass is G
great service instead of doing harm q
some writer's would make people believe
1t lisa mitaken idea with many farmer
to suppose the English make "hot-houst
plants" of their sheep, for it is quite tn
reverse, as there is positively no sue
practice as putting sheep under any kin
of cover, or providing shelter at an
age, or in any condition except the year
ing month when the ewes are confine
at night in a pen constructed for tn
purpose; but as the ewes drop the
lambs they are taken from those remain
ing to yean, and lie in the fields day an
night without any protection frol
weather or dogs.
Every farmer in England keeps sheel
and every farm has its shepherd who
quite as much expected, and as sure to
found as teamster, and instead of fine
ing only two or three scores, as is til
case with the few farms with sheep O
them in America, there are, on an ave
age, two or three hundreds; but while til
horses, cows and pigs have their stable
yards and sites we'll Uttered with stra
and protected from rain or cold, tt
sheep are in the fields with their wo,
only to keep them warm. which it do
do, for more mutton is made in whit,
than in summer, and the wool grow
) faster and does not wet through the san
: as the feeces do in this country on I'll
backs of sheep, which are treated unna
urally. The climate of Northern Stat
, makes it necess iry to shelter sheep, bl
to keep up the strong constitution ar
early maturity they must have fresh al
succulent food and sunshine.
By the time this caution against clio
confinement appears, there will be mar
sheep farmers who have just commence
!, sheep husbandry, who will find it to the
!, interest to pay attention to this advic
and should any be doubtful let them p,
/; a portion of the ewes out of doors eve
fine day, and feed those at home the san
way, and the difference will be astonis
ing when spring arrives.
, | Home Hints.
4 MOLAssEs CAKE.-One egg. one-h,