Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-08-21
PRINCIPLES, NOT MEN.
AGRICULTURE, DC.



Farmers should try several kinds o.
provendcr in order that they may see
which is the best both for fattenine
and produeiivedess. seme kinds o
feed are good for butter, others fol
cheese; some for forming bone and
muscle, others for fattening. 1t would
be q great benefit ane would not take
much time TO keep an account of the
various kinds of food given to milch
cows and their effects. The compare
tive value OF ruta bagas, turnips, man
gel and sugar beets, potatoes, carrots,
psrsnips, hay, straw, all kinds of gram,
as well as cooked and prepared foods,
should be ascertaincd by repeated ex-
perimcnts.
GRATING THE HICKORY.
Noticing this subject discussed in an
agricultural paper, last season | mado
the attempt with tho following re-
suits Cutting the scions from n she'll
bark hickory in March, inserted
them at once (by cleft grafling) into
a worthless hickory, but none Of them
started. | set more about the middle
of May, when the leaves were well
out, and succeeded to my satisfaction.
In view Of the difficulty in transplant
ing the walnut, it is an acquisition to
be able to change the quality of the
nuts on these beautiful shade trees.
There is tree in this neighborhood,
grated several years since, which
bears satisfactorily. J. W. r.
NoRwooD, Mass
GAS LIME FOR INSECTS.
A correspondent of an English
journal, after trying various nostrums
for ridding his young turnip crop of
the 6y, at last hit on the following,
which we give in his own words "I
had few cartloads OF the gaslime
carted, and put under cover till want
ed, at the same time mixing with it
just enough Of fresh Stacked lime TO
make the whole light and powdery.
With this preparation ready, kept a
sharp lookout for the first Mr.. Fly on
the young Swede plants. | had not
long to wait before legion Of flies
made their appearance and began the
work Of destruction. Early the fol.
lowing morning, while the dew was
on the plants, set all hands to work
to SOW the gas-lime mixture broadcast
over the plants. The leaves being
wet, the lime adhered to them, and,
to my great satisfaction, the enemy
were completely vanquished and dis.
Ever since that time ] have
employed the same remedy, and with
invariable success"
SUBSTITUTES FOR POTATOES.
Supposing the potatoes should fail,
for awhile, as the peach did, what of
it. We are going TO get the peach
back again. Without potatoes VIC
should plant more asparagus, celery,
and lettuce. We should use more peas,
beans, and corn. We should plant
more parsnips, carrots, and satisfy.
We should grow more sweet potatoes,
and learn to keep them too, near the
in the chamber or garret.
The potato is very modern form of
starch. Would you not as lief have
rice, wheat, barley, oats, or even buck
wheat2 Bright men and women were
raised before potatoes were thought
Of ] heard an old Yankee inquiring
for artichokes the other day. Arti.
chokes are good raw, and boiled too,
and there are a hundred kinds OF fruit
better than any roots. If we plant
potatoes and the beetle piles on SO as
TO whip thcm out, why then we may
be able TO comport ourselves that we
have got our railways built for awhile
and don't need potato civilization so
much now.--Hdritord Courdm.
WHY MANUREs SHOULD BE coMPosTED.
Fresh horse manure contains not
more than one pound of manure in fif-
teen tons. Yet in these fifteen tons
there is nitrogen enough to furnish
one hundred and forty pounds Of am
monia. But the nitrogen cannot be
used by plants until il is changed into
or nitric acid. If the fresh |
is applied to tho soil, part of
the nitrogen will be decomposed and
assume the forms of ammonia and nj
trio acid, but q considerable portion of
it remains united with the elements of
the soil in insoluble forms. In this
state it may remain for years Of no
use to the farmer. Nearly every soil
contains large quantities Of nitrogen
in insoluble forms far in excess Of the
needed for crops. 1t is not
profitable for farmers to apply their
barn manure in such condition that
its nitrogen may assume an insolublc
state. To guard against this it is nee
essary that the manure should be com
posted and thoroughly dccomposed
In this way the nitrogen changes its
form and becomes soluble in the form
Of ammonia and nitric acid and these
nrc available and highly beneficial to
farm crona