The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1882-03-16
FARM NOTES.

YIN Sco.
4 N years ago II cost nearly as much
10 q q bushel Of grain from Buffalo to
New York - il now does TO carry it from
Chicago 10 Liverpool
A WRITER of experience and reputa-
ton has stated that the fence tar on the
farmers in the State of New York In
three and . half times greater per acre
than the State, county, and township
taxes ON the land.
DR.. J. M BAILEY says: "From my
experience in feeding, 80 far rs I con-
sider ensilage to be worth one-half as
much as the best timothy hay. / would
not, however, exchange ensilage for hay,
and give two tons for one."
The best of forage may not always
furnish in suitable proportions all the
elements necessary TO produce the best
milk therefore, give o large variety of
food, but guard against anything that
viii taint the milk or butter.
A TRIAL was made in Scotland to test
the feeding value of an acre Of cabbage,
compared with the value Of IN acre of
Swedish turnips for fattening sheep, and
II was found that the cabbages were
worth very nearly $40 the most
1t Is commonly stated that superphos-
pilates, potash, salts, and other similar
materials are more effective when used
together than when applied separately.
Certainly complete fertilizers are more
efficient than partial fertilizers.
THE SOW should be fed but little corn
during the last two months of her preg-
nancy. Her diet should avoid that which
Ia too heating and fattening. Oats, bran,
middlings, aud beets are great deal
better than the everlasting corn diet of
the West.
The food Of animals, has duties to per-
form which are not demanded of the
food Of plants. In plants the food merely
provides the matter for building up the
vegetable tissues. In the animal, be-
sides constructing tissues, the food has
TO furnish the means of producing heat
and m echanical force.
Cows purchased from rich lands and
carried to poor soils seldom do well. It
Is far better to buy a good COW from a
poor farm, in which case improvement is
almost certain. There is no good reason,
however, why poor animal should be
kept on poor farm. Keep better stock
II you have to keep less of it.
WHERE plants are abundant the old
stools Of strawberries may be lifted, the
grass picked from around them, and
they may be reset in trenches with q
well-rotted manure put about them on
the surface. In some localities strong
plants of last seasons growth may be
transplanted with good results.
EXPERIENCE and observation will con-
vince anyone that better results will fol-
low the application Of manure at the sur
face, or at least within three inches of it,
than If plowed under to three times that
depth. For immediate results all we'll
rotted manure should be intimately
mixed with the surface soil by repeated
civilizations or harrowings.
TIE character of the winter has often
considerable influence on that of the fol-
lowing season. In q wet winter the soil
may lose nitrates by drainage to o con-
siderable extent. Root development will
also be prevented by excessive wet. AZ
ter such winter the wheat crop gener-
ally is in . backward condition and finds
itself in an impoverished soil.
A. J. DOWNING, who was perhaps the
best horticultust America has known,
said: "H were to preach sermon on
horticulture, should take as my text
Stir the Soil" Frequent and deep
stirring will enable one to grow fine veg
etables on comparatively poor and
slightly manured soil; while without it
one fails to gain the proper advantage,
even from the richest and finest soil.
WHERE nitrogen is required an @ fer
than nitrate of soda, and sulphate of
ammonia or dried blood is preferable to
nitrate OF soda, the latter as general
thing being too soluble and too energetic
forplant food. The 10 per cent. ammo
mia standard guanos are not always the
most profitable, because with their ex-
cess Of nitrogen they have n deficiency
in phosphoric acid and potash. Next to
Peruvian guano. fish guano. fish SCRAPS
OF sulphate Of ammonia would be the
cheapest source Of nitrogen.
THE character Of the food will affect
the quality OF the manure even more
than the character Of the animal. A diet
Of corn fodder and straw, for instance,
can yield only poor manure, because
these foods contain very little nitrogen
or phosphates. A diet including lib
eral amount Of oll-cake or beans will, OF
the other hand, yield valuable manure
these foods being rich in nitrogen and
ash constituents. A common mode in
England and France of increasing the
supply of manure on farm is by the
consumption of purchased food by the
animals of the farm.
Is HIS pamphlet ON Fertility" DR.
j. B. Lawes asserts that practically th,
source Of the whole Of the nitrogen Ii
our crops is the store within the sol
itself and in the nitrogenous manurel
brought upon it. At Rothamsted ther,
are about twelve acres of land, distribu
ted In six different fields, and unde,
more THAI as many different crops, which
have either been kept entirely withou
manure, or have only received purely
mineral manures, for periods of from
twenty-five to forty years. As thes,
areas are exposed TO the same atmos
pheric influences as other fields. and a,
crops growing on them are, with the ex
ceYtion that they receive no nitrogen b,
manure, subject to the same Influence
rs similar crops In neighboring fields
we may look with confidence to the re
suits which they will yield In the cours
of time.
WRITER in the Scientific America,
says 1--WE clean our premises of tn
detestable vermin, rats, by making
whitewash yellow with coperas and GOV
ering the stones and rafters with it. Il
every crevice in which a rat may 90 W
put the crystals Of the coperas, AM
scatter in the corners Of the hcor Tn
result was q perfect stampede of rat
and mice. Since that time not footfal
of either rats or mice has been hear
around the house. Every spring Goa
Of yellow wash Is given tho cellar ar
purifier, a. q rat exterminator, and n
typhoid, dysentery, or fever attacks tn
family. Many persons deliberately al
tract all the rats in the neighborhood b.
leaving the fruits and vegetables uncoI
cred in the cellar, and some times evel
the soap Is left open fortheir regalemeni
Cover up everything eatable in the celia
and pantry and you will soon starv
tInxv ont - 4