The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-06-15
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HINTS FOR THE SEASON.
tFrom the American Asricuiturst for june
TOP-DREssING FALL GRAIN.

tFrom the American Asricuiturist for june
TOPDREssING FALL GRAIN.
Grain fields that look until fifty and yellow
after the drying winds Of the spring VIII be
benefited by Il top-dressing of active fertilizer
this will help the clover and young grass
Plaster is often very useful upon young clover
fields-frequ doubling the hay crop Thus
applied it will serve to produce good crop To
be plowed in upon distant fields, where manure
cannot be easily handled. One bushel eighty
pounds) up to four, six to eight bushels even
may be used to the acre as early as practicapie
this month
EARLY POTATOES,
that have net vet been planted, should be goo'
in without delay. With this crop earlness Is
a great advantage where beetles abound;
Pure Paris green is the best remedy lor the
beetle. Last season we mixed 1t with plaster,
which is much cheaper than hour, does not
scatter so much when the wind is blowing,
and adheres to the leaves equally well. As it
is best to be prepared for the beetle, Il supply
of Paris green should be procured in readiness
for his arrival
Now, with hard work, teams require good
care. Horses will come from the field in much
better condition if they are protected from wor-
nv by the flies. The best protection is a thin
sheet made to fit the neck, with holes for the
ears, and to buckle under the throat, and to
cover the back hanging loosely at the sides to
give access of air beneath. 1t should be held
by crupper-ban beneath the tail. Too much
corn fed now is apt to produce irritation OF the
skin, and to make the animals restless. Clean
illness will be found a great comfort to them.
COWS AND CALVES.
Caution should be exercised in turning cat
tie on the fresh grass Young stock are cspcc-
tally subject to disease from overlooking with
succuent heritage Black leg, black quarter
or carbuncular eryslpeas, frequent at this sea-
son. is so caused. Where there IS danger, a
seton in thesdewlap has been found effective to
prevent it. To change the feed gradually,
however, is the best preservative of the health:
Incoming cows that have been well fed should
be watched to prevent garget To reduce the
feed before calving, and to guard the cows
against lying out during cold rains, VIII be
safe. Every owner Of Il COW should possess
good book on the care of cattle.
SWINE.
Pigs given a run at grass will do best The
orchard sown to clover, might well be appro-
prated to them in part. The effect will be
beneficial in two ways; the pigs will have
good grazing, and many yermin will beldestroy-
ed If the pigs gnaw the bark, wash the lower
part of the trees with some thin mud mixed
with cow-dung feeding coop is useful Tor
young pigs. In this some milk in shallow
pan may be given them without disturbance
from older ones.
SHEEP AND LAMBS.
The most profit from q sheep is to raise
lamb that Will sell for more than the mother is
worth This can be easily done by caring well
for the earliest lambs A lamb, 80 days old
and well fattcned, will often sell for $40 in the
cities, and half that in country villages.
halfbreed Cotswold lamb, fed now with little
mixed oatmeal and bran, and sucked by ma
tive eve, will make an excellent market lamb.
Lambs now being fed should be protected from
cold storms, and the ewes should have some
extra feed.
POULTRY.
Young chicks should now be coming for
ward As Il rule those Matched this month,
if in good breeds, will begin to lay early in the
fall. and continuing through the winter will
brood early next spring. The profit of feeding
hens when eggs are scarce is obvious. The
loss of feeding dead heads" through the win
ter, to lay only when eggs are plenty, is ap-
parent
THINNING OF FRUIT
Those who practice this should begin as soon
as the crop is fairly set. Others may doubt It's
value, but no one who grows choice fruit for
market can afford to neglect it. The expert
ence of single sn9son with two trees side by
side will decide tn" matter. Let one tree ripen
all the fruit tl;' scjS, and from the other re-
move three-!ourjh> of the crop. Keep an ac-
count of the cost Of thinning, and Of the return
of the fruit from Zach tree
TREE DISEASES.
The black rpt is not confined to plum trees,
but attacks On, rries, and we have seen the
same or somching very similar on nectarnes.
At its worst Il j. in the form of large, black,
ragged excrc. ces; it begins 10y small
swelling and blyakinc away of the bark. Cut
ting off and burning Ill affected branches is
the proper remedy. When the cXcrescensccs
are not large and few, cutting them out down
TO the sound wood, and washing the wound
with a solution of chloride of lime have been
found useful The blight comes without warn
ing; We only know of ii by the death of the
branch, several branches. or sometimes of the
whole tree. Cutting back TO the sound wood
if it takes the whole tree and burning the
prunings is all that can be done.
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