Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1880-10-20
FARM NOTES.

rain ought to be ground.
LATE experiments have shown that
eeds thoroughly dried are much slower
n producing plants than the undried,
vhile the crops yielded are considerably
Grass seed may be sowh \ few weeks
after the grain. Thrifty growing tin.
othy Of the grain if sown as early as the
wheat crop, and clover seed is best
sown in the spring after OF with the last
NOW.
Tafs month offers the most favorable
time usually for the painting and repair
Of farm buildings, and putting them in
for the winter. A great part Of
this work may be we'll done during this
by the farmer and his boys.
IatpjlEaESfs put away fot the winter
be painted OF prbtectea in some
way from the action Of the air and mois-
ture. Paint or varnish for the wood
work, and a varnish Of two thirds resin
and one-third mutton tallow is excellent
for protecting iron and steel.
PLowrNa for spring crops may be
done at my time where the soils not too
light and not likely to wash dtiting the
winter. The ground should be left
rough to be subjected to the fullest ac-
ton of the weather, freezing, thawing,
wetting, driving, etc. Should a crop OF
weeds come up, it will very likely pay
to harrow and pillow again.
A LITTLE extra feed brings cattle and
horses to to the beginning Of winter In
good order. The tops Of carrots, beets
and turnips may be fed to good advan.
tage, and there is a great deal Of sweet
ness in the October pasturage. Where
much corn is planted, there will always
be soft ears and "nubbins," which are
best feet to horses and pigs.
THE sowing Of a bushel of oats per
acre. with the winter wheat, has often
proved q material benefit to the whea,
crop. The oats grow more vigorously
than the wheat and aid In catching and
holding the snow. The oats act as a
protection or mulch to the wheat. The
little food the young oat plants draw
from the soil is returned during the
spring when, being killed by the winter,
they rapidly decay.
RIDGE blowing of stiff clays is often
of great benefit. 1t is done by turning
the burrows two and two together, SO rs
to leave the land uniformly ridged. The
ridges must run up and down the slopes;
otherwise, in heavy rains, water will be
held by the ridges until it breaks
through somewhere, when there will be
dangerof q wash out" This system OF
winter following involves blowing again
in the spring, but shows it's good effects
in the crops.
Corn fodder by which we mean the
stalks after husking mot the leaves OF
the corn merely stripped Off, should be
bound in bundles, probably best done
with willow withes, and stacked up so az
to shed rain. Large stacks, well set and
firmly bound, may be left in the field
until needed for feeding, without injury
to the fodder. In fact, it is Otter
brighter and better when treated in this
way than in any other. In stacks, or III
sheds, it is likely to heat and mould, un.
less it can be more thoroughly dried
than We can be sure of having it.
AFTER the roots have been re.
moved from the field, the sheer
should be turned in that they
may pick up the small, imper.
feet roots and the scattered leaves. This
will accustom them to the change OF
food that must soon come. If early
lambs are not desired, then rams must
kept from the ewes" or otherwise BIZ
aproned or " Drafted" 1t il an impor.
tant matter that the ewes that are tc
bear lambs should be well fed, and be.
gin the winter in good condition. A
little grain fed to the ewes now will dc
much to insure strong lambs.
EXTRA mixers should be kept to
breed from, their milking qualities
alone emitting them to the preference.
1t it quite as necessary to raise the
calves Of good mixers, in order to have
another race Of good mixers, rs it is tc
raise the colts of good trotters in orde,
to have fast horses. Extra dairy cows
are always in demand. It is certainly tc
be regretted that more care is not taken
to improve the milking qualities of GU,
COWS, and it is also o source of regret
that 80 many of our farmers arc in the
habit of disposing of SO many of thei
young calves to the butchers.
If pure water does not flow ut the
barn, look into means for securing it.
Barnyard wells are convenient, but otter
dangerous to the health, if not Of animals,
certainly to men, who may drink al
them. If the water Of some spring cor
be led to the house and barn, by al
means bring it down-use plain iron
pipes or enameled ones-not "gal
vanized" pipes. Zinc is a slow poison,
but not quite rs bad as lead. A well OF
higher ground will often furnish flowing
water, conducted by q siphon, at thu
level Of the buildings. No well should
be dug a less distance than three hun
bred feet from the b~arn-yard, cesspool
or privy vault.
TIE use of implements of husbandry
of imperfect construction, or in bad con.
dition, it is confidently believed, is 8
greater annual tax to the farmers thar
all the assessments imposed by law.
The hindrancc TO labor, loss in time,
tho greater ~hardships of its accomplish
ment and it's less efectual operation by
the toggled chain, the racked cart, the
lpIOW -pOlnt, u IOOtnle66 MARROW, the
broken hoe, the spade, the rake, If KEEP,
in accurate account of each individual,
would present an aggregate Of loss r..
prcachful to many and criminal in the
most careless.
The Hessian Fly is the most trouble
some upon the early sown wheat, but il
makes smaller growth before winter
sets in, and 40 far as that goes it is dis
advantage to grow late, excepting on
well prepared lind. A farmer Of our nc.
quaintance Tin the state OF New York;
for many years sowed his wheat the
dtst week in October, and his average
yield has been over forty bushels per
acre. He was first led to practice late
sowing to avoid the ravages Of the Hes
sl..L ii. , but the practice proved 80 salts
factory that it was continued after the
ay had disappeared. Hi land vas in
nigh cor dition, and a topdressing Of
tine manure was applied to give the
Young plal t. a good start. It may be
better to a " late If . thorough prepar-
alton of the soil is thereby secured.