The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-04-28


Poem butter or cheese II always the
first to feel the effects Of dull market
The hest products are always inquired
for, even on the poorest market.
To prepare night soil for use On land,
mix It thoroughly with any dry absorb
ent, rs powdered charcoal, dry muck,
road dust, or siftcd coal ashes, 30 that
oil Jumps may be broken fine. aud then
apply it as any other manure.
CABBAGE Il best given 10 poultry
whole, hung mp by the stalk. At first it
may not be touched, but when one fowl
begins to peck at it, the rest will be
tempted to- keep OH until little remains.
Being suspended, it does not waste or
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 pedigrees
running back into the dark ages, are
pulled aud praised, and as carefully
handled q If they we're 50 much gold,
while the poor native is often allowed to
shift for herself; ID kicked and cuffed
about; put upon short allowance Of
feed OF times, aud then because she does
not yield large amount Of milk, she is
denounced as u scrub or q scalawag. II
she had the care of her more fortunate
high-brcd sisters, she would - often do
As well as they do; give the native :
chance, and she will repay your kind
ness, with less trouble than the other
kind.
CULTIVATION or STRAWBERRIES US-
DER GLASS. Miss H. B. Ttimble, 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 ravages Of the phylloxern. With
extensive green house and forcing facili-
ties at hand, she decided to 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 new
venture. The varieties of strawberries
selected were the Sharpless, Charles
Downing and Cumberland, the plants
being placed in boxes, five or six inches
in depth, which were arranged on the
shelving Of the hot houses. 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
ket, the strawberries bringing an aver
age Of S. per quart, while the tomatoes
realized fifty cents per pound. The
prices were well maintained throughout
the winter, the severity of the winter pre-
venting Southern fruit from getting into
the market as early a. usual.
SHEEP ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Is one Of the most remunerative
branches Of farming there ir, for, IS q
rule, there is but little expense attached,
and besides the profit which they bring
in their increase, the land upon which
they have been running has been very
much enriched thereby. Many of our
rundown pastures could, in q few years,
be brought up to their original fertility
by turning upon them focks 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 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 q crop Of
winter red, say As early as September,
and turning sheep on it, say in Novem-
Der. You are thus saving land, Of which
no use could otherwise he made, and ct
the same time raising focks Of sheep for
market ct 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 Merino require lit
tie care in the pasture, and yet it pays
well to take good care of them, as it In
creases the length Of staple and the
weight of fleece; they form the best
stock for crossing upon coarse breeds.
There is, in fact, no species of livestock
that will not thrive better from being
well cared for than if allowed to look ont
for themselves. and sheep is an animal
that will return larger percentage Of re.
ward than most any other for receiving
attention at the hands Of its owner.
ENsILAGR.-The short time which has
elapsed since the first silo was built il
this State renders it very difficult ia
gather up many well-established facts;
but there are some which W think Oh
sufficient importance to place before Oul
readers, and also some points worthy Of
attention. First-It is q well-dcmOn
strated fact that the walls of silo should
not be built with brick unless faced with
cement. The brick absorbs the mOis
ture from the cnsilage, which leaves il
in state to rapidly decay. For tht
same reason wood is an unfit material
And above all things the farmer should
avoid building with wood and covering
it with zinc or lead to keep the moisture
in, AS the act Of the ensilage coming il
contact with these metals will form (
deadly poison. Brick may be faced witt
cement, but where rocks are plenty the,
are the cheapest and make the best wall
The walls should be perpendicular ane
straight, and made smooth with cement
Second-It will be demonstrated tina
the more compact the ensilagc il, if tn
water is not pressed out, the better
will keep. For this reason it should b.
cut fine, not less than half inch il
length. 1t should also be well trampe.
!. down as fast as put into the silo Thi
] is important. The whole mass shoul,
. be made compact, aud kept 50 will
heavy weights, or other means OF pres
sure. Third There is no longer an,
doubt but that cattle, horses, sheep, an,
swine will readily eat ensilage made Q
corn, rye. and other green crops
Fourth-There is but little doubt tina
ensilage well kept produces good swee
milk. Fifth-It is well settled fac
that twenty-four tons Of green corn fod
der can be grown on an aero of land
| Sixth-It is the testimony Of several tina
have tried it that . daily ration Of fror
fifty to seventy pounds Of ensilage, an
one or two quarts Of grain, will keep
! good-sized mich COW in Q thriving con
, dition. On this point our Observation
, teaches us that we need more timt
more exact measurements, and NOR
| care tn keen the COWS from the havmov