The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-06-10
AGRICULTURAL MISCELLANY.
THE AMERroANs HOPES ABROAD.

our meat and grain will find more
OF less ready market in London, and
the Continental cities. With q mar
ket that may be considered as tOler-
ably secure, the American cattle
growers should do all they can to de-
velOp it by devOting their attention
to the improvement of the quality OF
their meat, at the same time prac-
ticing the greatest economy in feed
ing. We need to increase the num-
Der of our first.class animals. There
are thousands of herds that require
the introduction of pure.blOod bulls
to greatly increase their value. Some
one has very truly said " A bull is
half herd Another point that
should not be overlooked in improv-
ing the quality of American meat, is
the early maturity of animals, and
this can be attained by using breeds
IN which this is prominent char
acteristic. Much can also be done by
breeding to this same end. With
sufficient care in the management of
our vast herds, and the facilities for
growing beef cheaply, we need not
fear the sharpest competition in the
foreign market.---Americnl AgrieaLtn-
ruiia
SENSIBLE ADVICE.
Mr.. Parcel, in the report of the
New Jersey State Agricultural So
ciety, gives the following sensible
advice in relation to handling dairy
stock:
1t is important that dairy stock,
from the young calf to the old COW,
that is being fed for beef. should he
handled and treated kindly. If
calf is handled roughly and becomes
wild and vicious thereby, when it be-
comes cow you may expect the
same, but if handled carefully and
treated with kindness, when grown
up she will be mild and gentle. 1t
may not always be so, but in general
it is. There have always been many
cows spoiled by the person having
the care of and milking them, by
whipping or frightening them when
ever they come in his way, or if,
when milking, COW HOSTS her foot
or kicks (Which is generally caused
by PAIN such fellow stops milking
and commences whipping, or worse.
kicking the COW, and she becoming
enraged, holds up her milk, kicks
back, and is finally ruined. Never
whip a COW for kicking, if she does
Kick the milk-pail out of your hand
and sometimes upset and knock you
over, but be kind and gentle with
her, and milk her out with as little
excitement as possible, and if she
gets over her kicking propensity it
will be by mild and not by harsh
treatment. Never whip a COW be-
cause she kicks, for it will do no
good, but vii. do a great deal Of
harm.
If this advice should be fully OBJ
served it would be the source of q
good deal of satisfaction, not only to
those who milk the COWS, but to the
poor animals themselves, whose COM
fort should always be considered.
IMPROVING STOCK.
Occasionally we meet those who
lament that they can do nothing to-
ward obtaining an improved breed of
animals because they cannot afford to
avail themselves of imported or SUI
periOr animals to begin with. To
such we would hint that all the i'm
proved breeds now commanding high
prices must have sprung originally
from. common stock. Some particu-
lar male or female must have been
selected for some special good quality,
and this good quality would he in
herited more or less by the progeny
of that peculiar animal. This must
have been the starting point of the
most celebrated breeds of domest;ca--S
ted animals. Certain animals hay
ing some special superiority must
have been selected for breeding and
this quality having been sought after
and aimed at from generation to gen.
and every auxiliary which
good Judgment could suggest i'll feed
ing and management, being brought
to assist in the development of the
quality or qualities desired, at length
q herd of animals celebrated for
some particular point of excellence
was obtained. Now if in this way
all our distinguished herds have been
produced in the past, and in foreign
the secret is at the service
Of those who think they cannot af-
ford to get good animal, or the use
Of one to commence breeding from.
But this may he only an apology for
Indifference, or for a very question
able economy. 1t will take genera
lions, perhaps, to improve ut home
up to point that one may start from
by the expenditure of a very few
dollars. - Indianapolis Tribune.
SOIL EXHAUSTION.
A soil is said to be exhausted when
It fails to give paying crops under
the most favorable circumstances of
tillage, weather, etc. This eXhans-
ton is brought about by the removal
Of the constituents needed by the
plants, through the growth and re-
moval of plants, without any cores
ponding addition of these food ele-
ments. Thus a soil may contain
enough phospheric acid in an avail
lble form for ten full crops, but after
that, if none of this substance is
added to the soil. the crop can not
make full return for the labor en-
pended upon it. A soil may thus be
exhausted or deficient in only one of
the several food elements, and yet it
Is not much better. as far as plant
growth is concerned, than if all the
elements were equally lacking. All
crops do not exhaust soils equally
some remove more potash than others,
and one requires greater amount of
nitrogen than another. This is very
clearly shown in the long extended
of Lawes and Gilbert at
England. 1t is found
by them that the plots upon which
crops of clover, beans,
md roots. have been grown without
my manure. have declined more rap
dly than the land devoted to cereal
grain crops. This is surprising, in
30 far as clover. etc., are generally
restorative rather than
crops. A judicious rOta-
ion of crops is as much needed to
preserve the even fertility of the soil
IS to keep it mellow and free from
yeeds.-Anaerican Agricultuyist.