Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-09-16
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.


| many iarmerb Will not grow any OF
the best varieties of roots for cattle ON
account of the expenses of wedding and
proper cultivation, and IL may not be
out OF place TO remind them that after
any grain crop some kind of manure
can be applied, and a great many tur-
nips grown to feed 10 sheep, to calves
and TO any cattle excepting cows giving
milk. Turnips will do well sown
broadcast, If the soil is we'll prepared
and the seed evenly and not too thickly
distributed; but drill that will not run
the seed more than is required, without
thinning, will be better, because there
are so few men who can SOW at all regri-
larly. Turnips must be singled out and
the ground hoed thoroughly, but the
very mention of doing any labor to n
root crop will deter hundreds from try-
ing them. can we'll remember the
old-fashioned English farmers growing
turnips about the year 1920, and some
being had between the rows of horse
beans, which crop grows and ripens
like corn in the United States, much
later than grain; but labor being
cheaper in England, there were men
who would thin them out and cut all
weeds for from twoup to three dollars
an acre. Farmers should consider the
advantage of growing turnips, because
OF the difference il makes TO young
stock, If they have them every day in
sufficient quantity 10 distend the
stomach, not in n pot-bellied" way.
but by bowling out the ribs in barrel
shape. 1t is the absence of roots and
the:ieeding of too much meal and rich
food that causes the degeneration of
many pure-bred animals.
/ am not recommending the cultiya-
ton and growth of the common turnip
in preference TO other roots, but in con-
sequence of the difficulty of persuading
farmers to go to the trouble of produc-
ing the better sorts. have myself been
hindered from growing carrots for
more than twenty years, excepting in
very mall plats, but this year have
nearly three acres of great promise.
These carrots are from four pounds of
seed bought of Landreth, and Mt least
ten plants have been cut or pulled out fol-
every one left. 1t Is of essential conse-
quence TO obtain all varieties of
agricultural seeds from reliable sources.
Common turnips, although of less
value per ton, and not proper TO give
to milch cows on account of the un-
pleasant flavor to the butter, are yet of
great service; for as they can be cheaply
grown, n farmer can well afford TO give
little meal shaken over the cut
or pulped mess fed TO the animals
which it is desired should most increase
in flesh.
1t is admitted that Indian corn is to
a certain extent an equivalent, but for
young cattle, and sheep especially, there
is decided advantage in feeding both,
on the score of health. II all the labor
and attendance on n corn crop is
reckoned, IL will be found 10 fall little
short of the cost of raising good root
crop, and certainly an equal number of
acres in roots and corn would be quite
an advantage on every stock farm. and
the manure Il always much increased
where there is an abundance OF roots.
Therefore let common turnips be grown,
which win lead 10 the growth of other
roots and the increase OF fertility gener-
ally, which of course means prosperity
10 the proprietor George Gardiner, ia
Country Gentleman.
small Farms hest.
Apropos of this subject, the Spring
field (Mass.) Union says: There has
been some lament over the tendency in
this country to mass great areas OF rea
estate under one management, and fears
have been expressed that, in the West
at least, we shall some time experience
the evils of landlordism which have
cursed older parts of the world. But
such fears appear to be groundless. We
have no law of entail, and the prob
ability that these vast areas will remain
under single management for more
than one or two generations Is rather
small. The big farms of the West are
proving comparative failures. Dali
rymple, the Dakota farmer, and Glenn,
the California nabob. have not sue
ceeded well. The Sullivan farm in
Illinois has been cut up, and the work
of subdiy ision Is more likely TO 90 on
than that of accumulation. The To
ronto Globe points out that great farms
require n vast amount OF machinery,
which, TO be made profitable, must be
kept at the same work year after year.
The most successful farmers of the West
are those who own comparatively small
farms. which they can keep entirely
under their own supervision and man
age with little help, and improve rather
than deteriorate, by proper rotation ol
crops.
A still better example of the superior
iiy of small farms over big ones, ia
| found naarpr homa II, tha x,.ariek s~ar.