The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-12-20
AGRICULTURE.

ago tried the experiment of raising
hungarian tor grass crop for winter
reedtng, and so satisfactory were the
feSults--to mel have raised several
acres yearly since. There were many
objections offered--the exhaustive char.
acter OF the grass upon the soil, and the
extra labor to properly secure the crop
| etc.; but L find that the objections
we're, when tested, only myths. l dc
| noC regard 1t as more exhaustive crop
than oats. The plan 1 follow is to put
about ten loads Of barn manure pcr
acre, plough about seven or eight in
ches in depth, thoroughly harrow, SOW
ABOUT three pecks Of seed per acre,
then roll with moderately heavy land
roller. Tho crop is cut when the seed
- III the "milk." Selecting day when
the weather promises TO be fair for Il
iew days put tho moving machlne at
work. The roller has sunk the small
stones and Jumps out of the way Of the
cutter bar, and II the knives are kept
sharp no trouble will be found in cut
ting. The grass is left upon tho ground
until the following afternoon, when it
IS raked--and cooked up, about hum
ured pounds being pat in each cock.
After standing three or four DAYS the
cocks are rebuilt, the bottom thus COM
ing on top. The day following the
tumblcs are tipped over and the work
OF gathering commences. 1t has been
my practice to stack in the field, put
tlng about five loads in each stock, and
ufaW TO the barn rs needed III the
spring, for | save 1t for March and
April feeding. 1t Is TO be ranked with
the best coarse feeds, and for dairy COWS
it has no superior. Fed once per day
upon it, my cows arc healthy and strong
ana the flow of milk last spring was
nearly equal to the usual June supply.
with this system Of putting in the crop
have no difficulty in securing about
three tons OF cured grass per acre, a
value for feed closely approXlmating
five tons Of tho best timothy hay.
Golden millct is regarded by many us
the full equal, if not superior to Hun
gnrian, and III an unusually dry season
will stand the drought, perhaps better.
uoESE SnOEING.-The first time a
horse is Shod the shoes should be vcrv
light, and OF equal weight behind and
forward. This is Il scll-cyident truth.
You have added little moro weight to
each limb, equally and the horses gait
is not affected, thus obviating cutting,
forging, kEcc-EnockinG and quarter
grabbing. When the horse becomes
waywise he can be shod in proportion
to his strength and capacity. The old
adaSc Is true, 'no frog no foot; no foot
no horse" Here tits, all in nutshell.
Shoe the horse low, and in every in-
stance allow frog pressure upon the
ground surface, both behind and before.
In so doing You obviate the following
6lcmishes and diseases: Corns, quar-
tcr-cracks, bruised heels, thrush, quit
ter, navicular disease, timbcr-toc, an
klc-knocking, wind pufts, sweeney and
interfering. Ninety per cent. of all the
lamcness in horses Is positively pro-
duccd by improper shoeing. The aD-
plication of the hot shoe in fitting to
the foot, should not be permitted under
any circumstances. One and half
pounds OF iron are often used in Il shoe,
when twelve ounces are quite sufficient,
thus obviating much labor and feed to
protect ana carry the same. The part
OF most vital importance is the frog,
which is the only gland in the foot to
support nature as we'll rs the animal.
Allow 1t to take the place of the caulk
for conclusion, weight Of pressure or
hearing upon the ground surface, which
action will prevent all the troubles
above named. Many farmers do not
shoe their horses at all, and to my Ger
tain knowledge they are rarely troubled
with lame horses; they do not inter-
fere behind, or kuock their knees for
ward. What better evidence is needed
to prove that in ninety nine cases out
of every hundred, the cause Of lame
ness can be traced TO improper shocing?
When the horse is lame take OFT the
shoes, turn him out for three months,
and You will find him all right usually;
and If badly wmd-puiled or bog-spav-
incd these troubles will disappear.
What does this prove? Simply that
the shoeing caused the lamcncss.
WASTE PLACEs.-The conspicuous
waste places on Il tarn,-thc fields al
lowed to grow up to berry bushes and
brush-arc only part of the land
which year after year is permitted to
be Idle. Careless ploughcrs leave much
more untitled land next to the fences
than there is amy need OF leaving; on
large farm, fenced into small fields,
1T Is plain to see that a strip of Il few
rect VIII amount to several acres. Much
lana IS rendered worthless by shade
trees IN fields where they are not much
needed; stulnps and large stones are
left TO encumbcr the ground and impede
work; land from which an early crop
is taken Is permitted TO lie unused for
several months when 1t ought to be
producing something. Farmers are re-
sardcd rs IL very economical class, but
There arc many lessons OF economy to
be learned in our farm management,
and one OF them is to utilize every acre
and every rod Of our farms To the best
possible advantage.
SQUARE BOLT uEADs,-Thcre arc
some reforms, mighty in tllcir aggrc-
gated Importance, which it appears to
be vain to contend tor. 1t is probable
there Is not man who has worked ON
farm duL who would unite with us in
demand for square bolt heads in The
manutacture Of agricultural improve
nents. Bolts naturally rust the nut
fast. When an attempt is made TO re-
move it, the bolt turns in the hole in
stead OF the nut turning Oh the bolt.
III the farmer hrppcns to have two