The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-05-05
FARM NOTES.

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ammonia.
TURNps contain more sulphur than
other farm crops.
THE yield of maple sugar In Vermont
for 1881 was about IL, 000, 900 pounds.
The intelligent stock raiser keeps
young animal growing from birth to ma
turity.
CLOVER is developed by the applica-
ton of manures supplying potash and
lime, and by pasturing instead of NOW
ing.
BARLEY possesses considerable de-
yelopment of root near the surface,
and is apparently more capable of OBJ
tainingnitrogen from the soil than wheat
The Maine Board of Agriculture in re-
cent session unanimously advised " the
/ farmer" of the State to await the re-
suits of experiments now in progress ON
the ensilage of corn and other forage
crops before adopting the system on a
scale involving any considerable expense.
CLUcKING is the noise which hen
makes when she is broody and in calling
her chickens together. If not wanted
for incubating purposes, any hen begin
ming to "cluck should at once be given
change of scene, which will divert her
notions and prevent a tedious spell for
broody idleness.
MANdELs have far deeper roots than
turnips, and also a larger period of
growth. They have great capacity for
drawing food from the soil, including
| both nitrogen, potash and phosphoric
acid. When removed from the land,
mangels are one of the most exhaustive
crops that farmer can grow.
The latest official returns show the
/ production of wheat in Australia to
amount to about $4,000, 600 bushels,
/ distributed among the colonies as fol-
/ lows: Victoria, 9,719, 049 bushels; South
Australia, 5000, $40; New Zealand,
/ 8, 147, 705; New South Wales, 3, 702, 737;
Tasmania, $50, 040; West Australia, 413,
GAL, and Queensland, 223, 243 bushels.
MosT of the so-called " cat-gut of
commerce is formed from the twisted
intestines of sheep. In Italy there is a
small native breed of sheep from which
| the best strings are made-though very
likely the skill of the manufacturer has
quite as much to do with the merit of
/ the article as the particular animal from
which the material is procured. Great
skill is required for producing the best
article IN musical instruments.
Four ducks are ample to one drake.
/ Ducks may be bred In a small pen,
where there is merely tank of water
| four feet by two, and two feet deep.
Many of the eggs, however, will be I'M
fertile. For success on large scale a
good-sized pool of water is essential.
/ The birds should have the run of field.
Care should be taken not to overfeed
breeding ducks; and if early eggs be re-
quired, meat diet must be given and
warm quarters at night.
By TILLAGE the surface soil is kept
IN an open, porous condition, favorable
for the distribution of roots. BY this
means, also, capillary attraction is dini-
nished, and the land consequently suf-
fers less from drouth. The water hold
ing power of the surface soil is also in
creased. A still more important result
of tiHage is that the soil Is thoroughly
exposed to the influence of the air
Soils containing humus or clay will
absorb ammonia from the atmosphere
and thus increase their store of nitrogen.
ANY putrid odor about the skin-drain
or privy, should be regarded rs menace
to the health and life of all living in the
neighbOrhood. Both these places should
be often and thoroughly cleaned out, and
the privy-vault should admit of constant
ventilation. 1t should be cemented so
sink drain should be far from the well.
Ii after each use scoopful of dry earth
or coal ashes mot wood ashes) be thrown
into the vault, all unpleasant odor is
prevented
POULTRY are truly domestic and love
their homes. If eggs are an object, it is
most important that birds should not be
moved from pen to pen, as it viii delay
egg production, and diminish it greatly.
Pullets for early laying should, if posi-
BILE, be brought up in or within sight
of their future laying run, pen, or
paddock; if, on the other hand, it is
wished to delay the laying of pullet
and to encourage growth for prize pur-
poses, her home must be changed often.
A sitting or broody hen may be best
cured by removing her TO n new scene
with fresh companions-a more reasona-
bic and humane way of checking her
maternal instincts than that of half /
drowning her, or shutting her up in dark /
ness and dirt
FARMYARD manure rapidly undergoes
fermentation. If placed in heap, the I
mass gets sensibly hot and large guam /
tity of carbonic acid Is given off. When +
the fermentation occurs in n place pro- 1
tected from rain, carbonaceous matter Is
destroyed, but little loss of nitrogen
takes place. Rotten manure, when well
made, IS more concentrated than fresh,
having diminished in weight during fer
mentatlon, with but little loss of valua-
bic constituents. Some of the constitu-
ents have also become more soluble
Farmyard manure supplies all the essen
tial elements of plant food The imme-
date return from its application is much
less than from the same amount of plant
food applied in artificial manures. The
effect of farmyard manure is spread over
a considerable number of years, its nj
trogen being chiefly present, not as am
monia, but In the form of carbonaceous
compounds, which decompose but slowly
in the soil.
VIM. w. PERKINS, ofkNewbury, Mass,
who received premium from the county
society for a crop of grass grown on one
acre of land, gives the following account
of its cultivation 1.-The first crop of
hay from this acre of land was cut the
second week in July, and weighed G, 700
pounds. The second crop cut the last
OF September weighed 2,1I0 pounds.
Ihlrty-hve years ago the land was cleared
up, being covered with growth of
aiders and huckleberry bushes at that
time 1t was seeded down with herdsgrass
and redtop; for the first few years the
crop was fine one; since then it is
quite small, hardly paying for harvest
ing. The land was plowed in August,
1880, rolled, and ten cords of manure
carted on from barn cellar, spread and
narrowed In with n disc harrow and
brush harrow until it is made fine. One
peck of herdsgrass and one-half bushel
of red-top seed was sown. The whole
cost of manure and labor was about S75.
l have known some farmers to use more
seed, even as much as one bushei of