The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-06-20
FARM AND GARDEN.

tomato plants and substituting straw.
This material is placed loosely under
the plants which rest upon it. It serves
as . mulch and also keeps the frui,
clean.
THE mad itch in cattle is said to arise
from their eating indigestible sub
stances, such as tn woody fiber of corn.
stalks after the juices have been extract
ed from them by hogs, and the feeding
Of hogs and cattle together in the West
is given as reason for its prevalence
there.
A GERMAN gardener is reported as
saying that he prevents lettuce from
running to seed by drawing q knife
through one-half of the stem to which
the head is attached. This weakens the
plant by depicting it of its sap, yet
leaves enough to keep it fresh and grow
ing for another week or two.
A MAINE farmer says: "Were I to
plant an orchard and had two locations,
one in q valley surrounded by hills ex.
cept on the south side, and the other a
high elevation txp ,sed to high winds, l
would choose the latter in preference
to the former. The same holds good as
regards peach orchards. A great OBJ
ject is to keep back the blooming as
lorg as possible, and this an be best
done in northern exposures withou:
shelter"
IMPROVING EARLINEss.-A CORE
spondent of the New York Tribune says
that for - years past he has always Sc
lected for seed of the Lima beans those
which are largest and first ripe. When
he began this series Of selection, the
beans did not become large enough to
eat till the 9th or 10th Of September !;
now they are fit for eating on the 9Th of
August. He has pursued with success
the same course with marrowfat beans.
THE analysis of hay cut at different
periods of growth at the Connecticut
Experiment Station shows, says the
Cuitirator, that the early cut hay is
scarcely better than the later moved !;
while the feeding records give no great
er actual value to the former. The
early cut hay, moreover, is reckoned to
diminish the crop on seventy-five aces
by some twenty tons on account of
shrinkage. This is contrary to general
belief.
The following was evidently uttered
by true farmer: "Ihe country home
can be made very pleasant by fixing up
the yards and houses more than they
now are. Farmers should be without
debts, and then they can make farm
life very pleasant. The farmer should
read and study several hours every day.
He should have good laberers, and
have them understand that his interest
is theirs. Plenty of reading matter
should be kept on hands at all times
Instead of straight lines about the place
devote more space to landscape garden.
ing. The keeping of good stock will
always add to the pleasure of farming.
Farmers should get out and interchange
views with each other.''
AN exchange tells of q farmer who
plants, two or three weeks after the
crop is put in, new hill of corn every
fifteenth row each way. He gives the
following explanation as a reason for
this: If the weather becomes dry after
the filling time, the silk and tassels both
become dry aud dead In this condi
ton, if it should become seasonable,
the silk revives and renews its growth,
but the tassels do not recover. Then,
for want of pollen, the new silk is una
BILE to fill the office for which it is de-
signed. The pollen from the replanted
corn is then ready to supply silk, and
the filling is completed. He says near
ly all the abortiye ears, so common in
corn crops, are caused by the want of
pollen, and he has known ears to dou-
BILE their size in this filing.
FIELD CULTURE OF ToMAroEs.--I
have lately read in your paper several
different articles on the field culture of
tomatoes. l will describe my way: I
first pillow the ground deep; then, with
. double pillow, work it out one way as
deep as can run the pillow. l then
mark crosswise with an ordinary mark
er. I then throw out with spade
Or hoe all the loose earth where
each plant is to be, making
yood-sised hole. After it is marked,
drive along with load of COW man
IRE, which has been well forked over,
and put into each hole all the manure
hat I can hold on q shovel. Earth is
hen hoed on top, and set the plant
while the manure is yet moist. In Au-
gust, when we genersly have dry
the COW manure keeps moist,
md carries the crop through. Last
7ear I sold 800 bushels from 8 quarter
If an acre of land, and had plenty Of
lnsalable ones besides for my fowls
Cor. Country Gentleman.
FEEDING DRY Cows.-It ia common
practice among some dairymen to give
heir COWS while dry but scanty living.
When q COW ceases to give milk or is dried
Up any feed is considered good enough
or her. 1 think this a great mistake,
md the result is diminished product
4 milk both in quantity and quality
Vhen she does come in. There is q
arge draft on the system to sustain the |
alf while the COW is carrying it, and to |
.eep the COW in good condition good |
eed is as important as when she is Civ
ng milk. 1t is my opinion that dol |
ar's worth of food when the COW is dry |
worth 81 SO worth after she comes in. |
In animal in poor condition can not |
igest as much food as one in good con-
ition. If the COW is poor when she
ONES in she will not digest enough food
D support the system, and at the same
lme to make large quantity of milk.
he practice of turning cows out on
DOR feed while dry, expecting to make
p when they come in by good feed, is q
cry unec0n0mical one, and will not be
,llowed by good and careful dairymen.
he way treat my cows when they get
calf is as follows: In the summer
me keep them in the stable for two