Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-12-06


and can soon tell whether the earth is
dry or wet, by the eye or finger alone.
If 1t is wet, il of course wants no more
water; if much lighter than its usual
color, the earth is dry and needs some.
It is an exceedingly simple matter to
those who will try to learn; to those
hopeless task. ,,,.. H..
that NAV be of value. If the earth
never gets dry the plants are not in
good condition. Something Is wrong.
1t Is the active, growing, working roots
that takes the moisture out OF the earth.
II is a sign of good health for the plant
to want frequent watering. AS we have
already said, the color Of the soil, as
compared to what it was when wet, will
tell whether it wants water or not
RAISING COWS.
Very little attention is paid by most
farmers to raising good milch-cows. 1t
is only exceptionally that we find a
farmer whose COWS are all good mixers,
unless he has begun to breed Ayrshires
or Jerseys. Too many OF them are
content to keep cows which give muk
in considerable quantity, but of
wonderfully poor quality. We have
owned Just such cows, aud bought them
because they We're recommended as
being good, rich mixers. This we found
TO be true in one sense, they gave large
quantities of milk; but the cream-the
only indication of its quality-was thin,
white, and fiaky. The progeny of such
cows is usually no better, and 1t Is folly
TO cake the trouble to raise such cows.
The true test of a cows value to her
owner is in the amount of butter that
she will maks per week. Any less than
eight pounds per week, when feed Is
GOOD, is not profitable. A cow that will
not make that quantity Is hardly worth
keeping. and she should be fattened for
the butcher.
GIRDLING FRU1T-TREES.
Mr.. Samuel Edwards, of Mendoza,
writes to the Fu1Rer and Fruit Gr0'DeF
as follows concerning his experience
with girding fruit-trees to make them
produce fruit:
~ am greatly pleased with one years
practice Of it, propose doing more i'll the
future. In all, SONS 800 trees or more,
mostly apple, We're treatedin June, 1880,
and they are generally well loaded with
fruit: while others here, and orchards
on adjoining farms, are barren or bear
ing very little. From my brief exper-
fence, would advise removing Il very
narrow ring of bark, not over II quarter
of an inch wide, and never from u tree
making thrifty growth. With judicious
girdling and mulching hope for better
results from our apple and pear trees
than heretofore, and, in connection with
root-pruming and manuring, to compel
some lazy-blowing Miner plum trees to
90 to work. Several instances have
recently come to my notice where man.
uring with barnyard manure has been
the only known change in treatment of
Miner plume, which have afterwards
borne abundantly."
Now, if Mr.. Edwards trees which
bore profusely this year will only keep
on doing SO every other year, he Will
have achieved something worth while;
but We fear that he will be unable TO get
them permanently into the notion. We
regret also that he neglected to furnish
the public with list of varieties which
he had girdled. If he has succeeded
with the obstinate Yellow Belltlower or
Northern Spy, we should be pleased to
hear of it.
SALT ON WHEAT.
The evidence of benefit derived from
sowing salt on wheat does not appear
to accumulate rapidly. A correspondent
of the New York Tribune says:
SIN Michigan, on light soil, sowed
in April salt on wheat ut the rate OF fit-
teen barrels to forty acres; and it made
an addition to crop of from five to eight
bushels per acre, as compared with 9TH
er winter-wheat not thus treated, and
where other conditions were equally
favorable. am convinced that salt is
beneficial on wheat any time from seed
ing up to the LIST of April"
This is pretty strong and positive; but,
at the same time, might not some 9TH
er causes, not noticed, have been more
active i'll promoting the yield than the
SALT
HAWTHORN HEDGES.
Is there not some tree or shrub, other
than Osage-orange, suitable for hedges?
What about the hawthorn? F. c."
There are number of shrubby trees,
producing thorns, which answer very
well for hedge-purpOses. Hawthorn Is
too tender for our climate. Whitethorn
"a native of our forests-makes very
good hedge, ifkept trimmed. Buckthorn
is very durable and beautiful, and can
be kept trimmed in shape, and forms an
impossible barriereven when defOliated
in autumn. Stock will seldom go
through hedge, if they cannot see
something on the other side to tempt
them. In setting a hedge, we should
ridge up the ground, and, where in the
least moist, would put in tile to carry
Otfthe water.
FEEDING BREEDING-EWES.
The New York Times says on this
subject, in answer to query:
"Breeding-ewes will thrive better
upon bran than corn. Bran supplies
the needed nutriment better than corn.
Oats are next in value to bran. Mixed
food, however, is the the best. One
bushel each of corn, rye, buckwheat,
oats, and bran, mixed, combine 1.-THE
needed and most nutritious foOd-elc-
ments. One pint daily will be q fair
allowance. One bushel for 100 sheep is
a common ration"
MILKING QUALITY OF SOwS.
10 dS uLlIClShNO III NAAN
quality of milk of sOws as in cows, and
its richness has marked effect upon
the pigs. The Indiana Farmer says
tkat milking qualities in swine are as
surely transmissible to progency a. in
cattle. Thus it is true Of swine as of cat
tie that this trait may be greatly inn
proved by retaining only good mixers
for breeders as we'll as by feeding them
when young with view to their de-
velopment as milk-producers. For
this reason, spring and early summer
litters are usually the best from which
to select your brood-sows. Ifmore at
tention were given to this subject, there
would not so often be seen, or rather
heard, squealing litter of pigs running
after mother that is unable to supply
sustenance to keep-them growing.
PROFITS OF SHEEP.
A correspondent of the Ne'c England
Farmer says:
zone man in Franklin County has q