The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-06-29
Farm and Household Notes.

BONE MANURE FOR PAsTUREs-An Eng
lish paper, in commenting upon the subject,re-
marks that the Cheshire dairy farmer, by the
free use of bone manure laid on the grass
lands, makes his farm, which at one time, be-
fore the application of bone manure, fed only
twenty head of COWS, now feed forty. In
Cheshire two-thrds or more, generally three
fourths, OF dairy farm are kept in perfect
pasture, the remainder in tillage. Its dairy
farmers are commonly bound to lay the whole
OF their manure not on the arabic, but on the
grass land, purchasing what may be necessary
for the arabic. The chief improvement, be-
side drainage, consists in the application of
bone manure. In the milk of each COW, in its
urine, in its manure, in the bones of each calf
reared and sold off, farm parts with SO much
earthly phosphates Of lime as is contained in
half hundred weight of bone dust Hence
the advantage of returning this mineral ma
nure by boning grass lands. The quantity of
bones commonly given in Cheshire to an i'm
perial acre of grass land is twelve hundred to
fifteen hundred weight. The dressing on pas
ture land will last seven or eight years, and on
moved lands about half that period.
ENsILAGE-. Mr.. Albert A. Reed, of War
wick, r. l., said he had used ensilage two
years with corn, grass, sorghum, clover and
rye, of all which he presented samples He
had satisfied himself Of the enormous value of
ensilage by weighing his COWS and their food
and products with and without ensilage. He
presented statistical tables showing that the
same COWS with ensilage food, would thrive.
and give better milk and more of it. He
showed sample OF sweet yellow butter, which
he said was produced from the milk of cow
whose butter was white and insipid when she
fed on other food. In one cow he increased
the quantity of milk two pounds per day
His statistics showed regular decrease in flesh
and loss OF milk when the ensilage food was
Withdrawn. He had let his sorghum go to
seed before cutting it, and upon taking it
out OF the ensilage pit he found it perfectly
sweet. He let his cattle eat as much of the
ensilage food as they would. When eating
either ensilage or cured food he allowed his
COWS six quarts of bran day.
CORN FOR FoDDER-The largest Weld or
crop of fodder corn is produced by drill plant
ing. The value of the fodder is also much
greater. In close broadcast sowing the corn
does not grow tall, and becomes very white
and watery for want of light, and the fodder
so grown is next to worthless. Fodder corn
should be sown in drills three or three and a
half feet apart and about three inches apart
in the rows, and the ground should be thor
oughly cultivated Ii this is done and
Western dent corn of large growth planted or
Southern white corn, the yield of dry fodder
has been equal to eight tons, cured, to the
acre upon good ground.
CLOVER HAY FOR HoRsEs.-Clover hay is
a very nutritious food for horses, and when well
cured and pnt up so as to be free from dust
and mold, may be fed with entire safety. The
principal objection to it lies in the great diff
Guilty which attends its curing and preserva-
ton. Another objection is found IN the fact
that sometimes the second crop excites in
horses an unusual and exhaustng flow of sa-
Iva. When either of these objections are
present it is better to dispense W it'll its use en-
tirely as far as the horses are concerned, but
otherwise 1t is good and safe food -Ndtaon0
Laoe Stock Journal e" 1"
ROTATION IN CRoPs.-The famous system
of rotation, now extended quite generally
throughout England and Scotland, with oc-
casional notifications, is as follows: The
first year, clover and mixed grass seed the
second year, wheat the third year, turnips or
rutabagas; the fourth year, barley; and then
the same course again an innovation. on this
is to add another grain crop oats, to the shift,
making five years course; and so efficient
has this course been that it has been calcu-
lated that the grain crops have increased one
fourth.
HOUSEHOLD HINTs-A little spirits of tur-
pentine added to the water with which floors
are washed will prevent the ravages of moths
To clean oil-cloth wash with warm milk
Once IN six months scour with hot soapsuds,
dry thoroughly and apply coat of varnish.
They will last as long again.
The simplest and most effectual way of keep
ing out moths is red cedar chips. Keep them
IN drawers, wardrobes, closets, trunks, etc
They will also keep away the troublesome
ant.
Beef which has tendency to be tough can
be made tender by stewing very gently for
two hours with pepper and salt, letting cut
about pint of liquid when done and allow.
ing the remainder to boil into the meat
After taking up make gravy of the LIQUID
saved. -
What gives healthy appetite, an increased