Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-12-08
AGRICULTURAL.


lfroin the Massachusetts, rlouVhman
Among the shrubs that grow in Ncv
England, there are few more hardy o
more beautiful throughout the seasol
than the barberry. Its symmetrical form
, its beautiful foliage its large, attractive
clusters of yellow flowers, and its sl
more attractive clusters of corul-lkc fruit
that add to its beauty during the cntirC
autumn, all combine to make it one o
the most beautiful as well MS dcairnbl,
shrubs to grow among the ornamental
shrubs that adorn the home.
There seems to be only one undesira-
BILE feature about it, that it is too com.
mon. 1t grows in the woods and fields,
and is treated as an interloper, except
when its fruit is needed forprcscrving for
n winter luxury.
served fruits for winter use
If it was n rare shrub that could only
be obtained by large outlay of money,
it would be found in every choice colec-
ton Of shrubs Now because it is with
i'll the reach of every ono, few think of
transplanting it, and still less number
know how easily it can be trained to grow
i'll n most beautiful form. 1t is very easy
to transplant it from it's native soil to the
garden, and it can be grown with success
in almost any situation from an extreme
northern exposure to Il very sheltered
southern, and from moist clay to Il dry,
sandy or gravclly soil. Its favoritc soil
is somewhat heavy rocky or stony one,
and it seems TO prefer the north side OF II
stone wall to almost any other place.
1t can be trimmed to make very prct-
ty hedge, and at the same time one that
will keep out both boys and cattle It's
sharp thorns prevent the passage of both
man and beast When hedge is to be
set, it is best to grow seedlings for the
purpose, aud, when two years old trans
planted, cutting the tops to six inches in
height
Few shrubs are more easily grown from
the seed than this, and very few indeed
take more kindly to cultivation. The
| fruit when cultivated is vcrymuch larger.
and the clusters longer, that when per
mitted to grow naturally. BY careful
selection, no doubt, fruit of very large
size could be obtained. When seedlings
are to be grown, the seed should be coll
lected as soon as thoroughly ripe, and
planted at once. When the shrubs are to
be transplanted, the work should be done
in the spring, the last of April, and small
shrubs from the open ground selected.
shut ont thc Cold.
TDr. IIalstcd, in American Agrlru;lr.H
The temperature of the living animal
body cannot vary greatly, and therefore
when the weather grows colder there is
an increased demand for food to he con-
sumcd III keeping up the natural heat. \
low temperature Is IN expensive condi-
ton, as every farmer who has wintorcd
his stock well knows. There are twu
general methods of overcoming the wear
ing or exhausting effects of severe cold
weather; giving the anImala an abunl-
ance of rich and palatabe heat forming
food, and securing them froN exposure in
warm and comfortable stables. A happy
| combination of these two methods is the
one to be provided by every stock raiser
who looks both to the comfort of his ami
mails and their protitableness.
If stables generally cDull be warmed
with safety by stoves, there is no doubt
that n saving i'll the amount of fodder
would result. Much can be done i'll this
direction by keeping the animals in we'll
built stables, and free from all chilling
currents Of frost-ln,len air. The writer
has in mind a stable, where long row of
milch cows suffered almost to the point of
freezing. on many winter nights, hccausr
the stable was full Of large cracks, and
the floors only partly shut ont the drift
ing SHOWS. A few hours of patching the
walls, flooring and doors, with very little
expense for lumber, would have made its
good effects evident within single week
ut the dairy room. A cow is not nt her
best when she must shivrr with the cold
and have her rough coat covered with the
frost and snow of Il severe winter night.
Looked mt in simply the prcuniarv light,
this method Of keeping farm stock does
not bring the best returns. There Is no
farmer who, being able to- own herd of
cattle or flock OF sheep, can afford not
to house them well. He may let them
cat at will from the stack OF the best hay
that is made, but if they have no more
shelter thnn the stuck affords, hr may
come to the conclusion common TO all
bad agricultural practice, that farming
does not pay, Let this be word III sca-
son for all those who may profit by it,
Stop the cracks in the stables, and save
pain for your animals and money fur
yourself. Take special care not t. have
the farm stock exposed to the chilling
winter blasts in short, shut uut the
cold.
r.nsilu.ine t.rcvn Ford
| EnSllnEing is yet anlnscttlrd question.
Opinions of those in the United States
| who have tried II Hrr conflicting" Some
! Of our most careful men III Iowa. (twu ut
least ARE giving 1t II fair trial. They ARE
so prudent about it that they do NOT 70
before the public cnnlemung or cudors-
ing on one years trial. In various parts
of Europe, where the climate il different
and where food is dcarer and labor cheap
er, the testimony appears to he uniform
ly i'll its favor.
There are two systems of cnsiugc, the
French and the Austro- Hungarian. The
French process is the one gcncrully adopt
ed i'll this country. The system prlctisgd
i'll Austria and Hungary is what Is called
the sour fodder. Corn grows in those
kingdoms and is principally used for the
purpose. The system seems to be cheap
er and simpler than the French process.
Mr.. Appleton, of Massachusetts, who
has visited Austria and carefully inspect
ed their systems, and conycrscd with
many farmers and dairymcn who have
long used the sour fodder. gives de
scription of the process. The corn is
sown broadcast, OF drilled in rows from .
to Is inches apart, about three and one
half bushels to the acre 1t is cultivated
and kept clean of weeds At blossom
time the corn is cut, loaded into wagons.
and hauled to the silo. In this condi-
tion, without cutting up short, rs in the
French fashion, 1t is put In long bitches,
ten or twenty rods long, and is pressed
| Il Inv,