The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1881-05-18
FARM NOTES.

10 prepare night soil for use on land,
mix it thoroughly with any dry absorb.
eut, as powdered charcoal, dry muck,
road dust, or sifted coal ashes, so that
all Jumps may be broken fine, and then
apply it as any other manure
CABBAGE is best given 10 poultry
whole, hung up by the stalk. At first il
may not be touched, but when one fowl
begins 10 peck at it, the rest will be
tempted to keep on until little remains.
Being suspended, it does not waste OF
become polluted, and it will remain in
good condition to be eaten at will
THE NATIVE Cow. Occasionally the
agricultural press puts in a good word
for the native COW. Too long she has
been neglected, and the fancy or high
bredcows, withlong names aud pcdigrecs
running back into the dark ages, are
pulled and praised, and as carefully
handled as if they were 50 much gold,
while the poor native is often allowed TO
shift for herself; is kicked and cuifed
about; put upon short allowance Of
feed at times, aud then because she does
not yield large amount OF milk, she Is
denounced rs II scrub or scalawag. II
she had the care Of her more fortunate
high-brcd sisters, she would as often do
as well as they do; give the native Il
chance, and she will repay your kind
ness, with less trouble than the other
kind
CULTIVATION or Strawberries UN,
DER GLASS. Miss II. b. Trimble, Of
West Chester, Penn, who has been very
successful IN the production Of hot house
grapes for number Of years, met with
the loss Of her vines last summer from
the rayages Of the phylloXern. With
extensive green house and forcing facili-
ties at hand, she decided 10 engage in
the raising Of Strawberries and tomatoes
during the period necessary TO grow new
grape vines, and has the past winter
been remarkably successful IN her now
venture. The varieties Of Strawberries
selected were the Sharpless, Charles
Downing and Cumberland, the plants
being placed in boxes, five or Elk inches
in depth, which were arranged on tho
shelving Of the hot houseb. The tomato
vines were planted on the floor and care
fully trained up the sides Of the build
ing. New York furnished the best mar
kct, the strawberries bringing an aver
nge Of So per quart, while the tomatoes
realized fifty cents per pound. The
prices were well maintained throughout
the winter, thescycrtyoi the winter pre-
venting Southern fruit from getting INTO
the markets rs early US usual.
SHEEP liusBANDRY. Sheep husbandry
il one OF tho most remuncratlye
branches of farming there is, for, rs a
rule, there is but little expense attached,
and besides the profit which they bring
III their increase, the land upon which
they have been running has been very
much enriched thereby. Many Of our
rundown pastures could, in few years,
be brought up to their original fertility
by turning upon them ilocks Of sheep.
AS the droppings Of sheep are distributed
more evenly than any other Of animals,
increased fertilization would be more
general. Mich cows remove consider
able amounts Of phosphoric acid from
the soil in their milk, while sheep would
return n large percentage Of this valuable
material in the droppings, even should
they have no other food than that OBJ
tanned from the pasture alone. Large
areas Of light sandy soil could be made
quite fertile by first sowing II crop Of
winter red, say as early as September,
and turning sheep ON it, say in Noycm-
Der. You are thus saving land, Of which
no use could otherwise be made, and ut
the same time raising ilocks Of sheep for
market Mt little or no expense. Some
varieties of sheep require heavier and
richer soil than others, for instance, the
COtswold, Leicester or Lincoln, their
carcasses being larger than any of the
Down breeds The Mcrino require lit
tie care i'll the pasture, and yet 1T pays
well to take good care Of them, as it In
crcascs the length of staple and the
weight Of fleece; they form the best
stock for crossing upon coarse breeds
There is, in fnct, no species of livestock
that will not thrive better from being
well cared for than if allowed 10 look ont
for themselves, and sheep is IN animal
that will return larger percentage of re,
ward than most any other for receiving
attention ut the hands of its owner.
ENsILAGE.-Th short time which has
elapsed since the first silo was built in
this State renders it very difficult to
gather up many well-established facts;
but there are some which we think of
sufficient importance TO place before our
readers, aud also some points worthy Of
attention. Frst-It is n wclI-dcmon.
strated fact that the walls of II sllO should
not be built with brick unless fnccd with
cement Tho brick absorbs the mois-
ture from tho ensilage, which leaves it
IN state to rapidly decay. For the
same reason wood is an unfit material
And above all things the farmer should
avoid building with wood and covering
1t With zinc or lead TO keep the moisture
Ill, as the net Of tho ensilago coming in
contact with these metals will form
deadly poison. Brick may be faced with
cement, but where rocks are plenty they
are the cheapest and make the best wall
The walls should be perpendicular and
straight, and made smooth with cement.
Second--It will be demonstrated that
the more compact the ensilage is, il the
water is not pressed out, the better it
will keep. For this reason it should be
cut fine, not less than a half inch in
length. 1t should also be well tramped
down as fast rs put into the silo. This
is important. The whole mass should
be made compact, and kept 30 with
heavy weights, or other means OF pres
sure. Third-Thcre is no longer any |
doubt but that cattle, horses, sheep, and
swine will readily eat ensilago made of
corn, rye. and other green crops.
is but little doubt that
ensilage well kept produces good sweet
milk. Fifth-It is a well settled fact
that twenty-four tons of green corn fod-
Ter can be grown on an acre OF land.
Sixth-It is the testimonyof several that
nave tried il that a daily ration of from