The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1877-10-03
Farm. GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
s.IcrtInE Sod.

We know from actual experiment, not
only that any given variety of grain may |
be brought TO high standard of excel |
Ience. but, this attained, care must be
used in keeping the standard good, else
it will degenerate in far less time than
was required to bring it up. The means
to be used to breed up grain or other
vegetable products of the farm, are pre-
cisely those used by the breeders OF ami
mails. That is, careful selection, and
breeding to type. This, and attention
in selecting only thoroughly ripened
seed, with good cultivation, will in few
years increase the yield on any farm from
80 to 100 per cent.
From our experience, we know, that
one of the great disabilities in the germ
nation of seed corn, is, the practice OF
many otherwise good farmers, who Sc
lect their seed from the field as soon as
the grains are glazed, trace it up, and
use this for seed. 1t is true, this will
tend to earlier ripening, but at the sure
expense of both quantity and quality.
The same is true of our cereal grains
generally, and of every other product OF
the farm. From this we see the neces-
sity of examining, not only into the per
feet development of the seed, as regards
quality, but also that the seed be per-
fectly ripe.
Let us take n case in point: A farmer,
well known for his care in the selection
of his seed, made it a practice to set
apart, each year, certain portion of his
fields for the raising of seed. Upon
these seed-plants none but the most Sc
lect seed was used, and of a given quail
ity. The best cultivation was given,
without regard to cost, and the product
of these seod-plants was used for the
general crops, the top or extra grain
being carefully sorted each year, to be
again sown for futurese Thus he al
ways had none but the best and most ma
ture seed for sowing, and always obtained
an extra price from othersf for seed from his
fields. But his own selected seed from
these plants could not be bought at any
price. Any farmer may do this, and If
all woulddo so, the careful cultivation re-
auired in these cases would soon educate
the individual to more careful cultivation
in his general crops, intendedfor market.
1t will pay !-Prajrje Farmer.
Raising and Curing Corn Fodder.
take the stubble gromd-sod pre-
ferred, should the sod he well pulverized
pillow and harrow it thoroughly, furrow
three feet wide with a two-horse pillow,
drop in drills about two and half bush
els of corn per acre. If the surface is
smooth, 1 use scraper made of two
inch plank seven or eight feet long with
a pole for two horses; 1 ride on the
scraper and first drive lengthwise with
the furrow, then cross, and there will be
but few grains not covered. Ihave COW
cred four acres in half day in this way,
and it came up well. When nicely up,
[ run cultivator through; then pillow,
with two burrows thrown towards each
row when the corn is about one foot
high. The corn should be planted early,
so that it may get its growth before frost.
L prefer to let it cure somewhat stand
ing; use, to set up the stalks with, a
wooden horse made of pole ten or
twelve feet long and two legs (high
enough to suit the height of stalks) in
serted close to the large end of the pole,
and transverse stick put in loosely some
three feet from the head end. Now place
the stalks in the corners, set the stouts
up large, some four or five feet in di-
ameter on the ground, tie a stalk or straw
band around near the top of the stout,
then draw the horse out for another stout.
Let stand for week or ten days, then
two men, with two cornstalks each, tie at
the same time. one year harvested, l
think, about forty tons of corn fodder,
and l did not lose 100 pounds. 1 hauled
the last on election day, and piled it in
the NOW like hay. 1t requires two men
to pitch on the wagon, with long and a
short handled fork. The secret of my
successful curing is, to never tie a bun
die of green corn with a band, MS it is
sure to mold. The wooden horse leaves
space in every stout for the air to Cir
culate through, and causes the stalks to
dry much aster.-Henry c. Crapsen,
Greene Co., ". Y.
| ROup In Fowls.
"Subscriber writes {" I have few
chickens Of very valuable breed, but
they are afflicted with disease which
do not understand. They have q run
ming at the nostrils and rafting in the
throat, and have difficulty in breathing,
and are very small and sickly. If you