Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-12-02
FARM AND GARDEN.

UlSkllled lahurcr. VIII not do satisfactory
blowing. Flowing II moderately stiff
sod, with q growth of grass several
inches high upon it. Is n good test Of
both plow and plowman especially if
trees, rocks or other Instructions occur.
Flowing is generally Judged by the
straightneSS and cvenncss of the burrows,
and if the frrrow slice as turned over is
smooth throughout its length. people
are all the better pleased This ought
not to be the trst Of the quality of the
work.
In ploving Raf. the kind of blowing
usually done in this country. Il good plow
ought to turn furow to which it is
adapted 50 that the door Of the fuIrow
shall be flat and the land side moderately
cut under, while the furrow-slice is laid
we'll away from the furTow, mbroken,
hut ctWmblY, the grass side pe1f"ctly
covered and laid us nearly as possible
Hut in the bottom of the fuIrow. This
is called ''hat-fmTow" :" plowing, and is the
kind Of work adapted to spring and sum
mer culture, because the sward thus laid
flat Is less likely TO grow and trouble the
crop. Tn" same plow may hc used for
lap-furrow plowin@. which result will fol-
low setting the plow to run an inch
deeper while the width of the slice re-
mains the same, or taking a narrower
furrow while the depth remains rs be-
fore.
In blowing fiat burrows, the depth
may be six inches and the width ten.
Or they may be seven by twelve. Such
should be completely turned over, grass
4 /, fs..l1
plowcd may be- narrowed with Il heavy
harrow. and be thus well mellowed. with
ont danger Of tearing mp any of the
sods.
In lap-furrow plowing, the depth be-
ing six or seven inches. the width should
br about nine or ten. The slice Will
then be so turned that the edge of tia
sward would lap upon that previously
plowcd about two inches, if it could IL
flat, but on account Of the mass Of earth
living upon the grass side of the previous
fuTOw-slice. the now turned slice will
lie mp at mn angle of 80 deg. and the
whole field, when plowed, present an APP
paarance of even ridges or combs. it
is matter Of pride with English or
Scotch plowmcn to have these combs as
sharp aS possible. hence their plows M,
adapted to do that work, and TIA" pr $
sure brought to bear upon the long
mould-hoarls Is excessive. adding much
to the draft and to the labor of plowine
without commensurate. or perhaps amy.
good results
Lap-fuTow blowing is adapted to win
ter fallowing. or. rs we call it, fall plow
ing, when no crop Is put upon tn lind.
but it Is sired to expose the soil to th
am lioratiug Influences OF freezing and
thawing. nad is useful when some other
crop than Indian corn is to be put on in
the spring 1t is never worth while to
plow in the fall for corn -Imc.ican
1grjcult"rist III. DccCmber.
STRAW IN PLACE OF HAY.-Col. F. d.
Curtis has been experimenting in feeding
farm animals upon straw. in place of
more costly hay and finds profit III it.
provided Il suitable amount Of grain be
given with the straw Last winter H.
found himself short of hay. but with
plenty of straw. and h. gives the New
York Iiibu0e his experience III suhstitut-
ing the cheaper for the dearer fodder
The straw was fed chiefly in cold weather.
as the animals had better appetite then
than after the weather became warm III
spring. A horse ate cightv-for cents
worth of meal and sixty cents worth of
straw in seven DAYS, that would have
eaten two dollars worth of hay in the
same time. if hay alone had been his food,
thus making a saving of more than one
fourth. Alilch COWS, working oxen and
Young cattle. all did we'll with straw and
corn fodder as Il part of their ration. The
butter made was of excellent quality and
the milk Weld highly satisfactory. He
found that bright straw for horses driven
en the road is superior to hay. as they
will not 50 readily over-fill themselves as
with hay. Plenty of grain must BE- given
with straw to animals ut hard work He
believes that farmers can afford to sell q
portion OF their hay and then purchase
grain to feed with their straw and make
y profit by the exchange. 1t is no new
thing to feed straw in winter to farm ami
mails. but ii was not till such experiments
crs as Professor Sanborn and the agricul-
tmal chemists showed the philosophy Of
the practice. that farmers have felt free
to adopt it as sound policy
BLIND BRIDLE. ~ The .Ib,crican
Fur7ncr, ii speaking against the use Of
the blind bride. SAYS We know not
who invented this instrument of horse
torture. hut we know that he did not I'M
derstand the anatomy and physiology ot
the eve of horse Human vision is
binocular- Is. we see the same OH
iect with both cvcs-and 80 adjust the
axis of vision that the object appears
single. though seen with both eyes But
the ewes of the horse are placed ON the
sides of the head and the aNi, OF each
eye IS nearly at right angles with the
longitudinal line Of the body, so that it
is impossible that the same object can be
seen with two eyes. Now, by binding
the eve in the direction i'm which it was
intended in It's construction that il should
see ii is forced to use an obIique vision,
MS if WE should cover the front -four
optics and hc compelled to see only hv
the corner OF our ewes. This unnatural
and constrained use of the eve must, to
a greater or less extent. impair vision ii
not entirely destroy it. The object for
which the bliud bride is used is not ac-
complshed 10y it. A horse is more
readily FRIGHT med when he cannot see
the object of his dread than if he can
have fair view If it. But il is surpriS-
ing to see with what tcnacitv men hold
on To an absurd and cruel practice. when
a moments reflection would teach them
better Nineteen out of twenty horses
Won see in harness have blind bride ON.
and if You ask the owner to explain its
benefits. or why he uses it. he will be
utterly unable to give a rational answer.