The National tribune., 1882-11-09
FARM AND PRESIDE.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.

Much interest is now being given to the
forestry question, and, as frequently occurs
when matters of this kind become popular
questions, much of vague and crude specula-
ton is INDUCED in by those who have but little
knowledge of the subject, but feel called upon
to promulgate their ideas, which may be right
or wrong. according to the lead they happen to
follow The correlation existing between trees
and rainfall is one Of the popular themes IN this
connection. and while there is no lack OF asser-
TONS there is a notable lack of facts upon which
assertions must be based, in order TO make them
valuable or worthy of consideration. While
there are those who hold that the destruction
of forests diminishes the rainfall, there are
others who maintain that the existence of for
ests is altogether dependent upon rains and
that the cause of rainfall is the meeting OF
warm moisturc-laden winds from oceans with
the colder currents from northern and CONT
mental regions. and the cooling of the atmos-
phere which follows their contact causes the
moisture TO fall in rain, and that the presence
of trees on the earth has nothing TO do with
these atmospheric currents which originate III
remote distances, ii may be, from their point OF
contact But in order to encourage the care OF
existing forests and the planting of forest trees
for future use, the matter of rainfall may be
entirely ignored without diminishing the neces-
sitv for, or the encouragement to, plant trees,
and it would be well if every agricultural col
lcge in the country would include the exam
pie of practical forestry as one of their educa-
tional branches. This would be simple
matter-as simple as raising crop of corn or
any other farm product-and would only In
volve the setting out yearly one acre Of Young
trees This should be Systematically performed,
and, in the course of few years, all OF the
operations Of cultivation, pruning, thinning,
cutting back sicllly or crooked plants for the
purpose of securing vigorous and better growths,
could he demonstrated and explained by prac-
teal results The addition of one acre yearly
would afford an opportunity for beginners to
study and acquaint themselves with the entire
process of tree growing; and, far practicable,
a small nursery ground should also be formed,
where seeds could be sown, and cuttings planted,
thus showing the whole routine of tree culture.
TRAINING VICIOUS HORSES.
In an account of an exhibition showing how
TO treat vicious horses it is stated that the first
which her owner said had allowed no rider on
her back for five years. She became tame in
about as many minutes, and allowed herself to
be ridden about without a sign of her former
wildness. The means by which the result was
accomplished was by piece of light rope which
was passed around the front of the jaw of the
mare just above the upper teeth, crossed in her
mouth, and thence secured back of her neck.
Il was claimed that no horse Will kick or Jump
when thus secured, and that a horse, after
receiving the treatment a few times, will aban-
don vicious ways forever 4 very simple
method was shown by which kicking horse
can be shOd. 1t consisted in connecting the
animals head and tail by means of a rope fas-
tened to the tail and then to the bit, and then
drawn tightly enough to incline the head to
one side This, it is claimed, makes it abso-
lutely impossible for the horse to kick on the
side of the rope.
THE SOIL THE SOURCE OF PROSPERITY.
The prosperity and permanency of nations
depend greatly on the productiveness of their
soil, and any application of science which may
tend to maintain or increase that productive
ness must be of paramount Importance. Pales-
tine, once a land Glowing with milk and
honey" feeding numerous "cattle on its
thousand hills" could not, at this time, sup
port the large population which formerly lived
upon its fatness; and many territories in At
RIGA, for the same reasOn-the exhaustion of
the soil-are now barren wastes, where once, as
the ruins of ancient cities show, dense and rich
communities existed. Everywhere the decay
of nations and the dispersion of population
follow the exhaustion of the soil and when
we see in such countries as China OF Japan a
dense population of great duration, we see also
minute and careful attention paid to the colIec-
ton and use of fertilizers, and that the art of
agriculture is held in high repute and indus
triously employed; or, as in the case of Egypt
and on the bank of the Ganges, the natural
fertilization of the soil by the overflow of these
great rivers keeps up its productiveness, which
IS 50 dependent on the rich deposit from the
muddy waters in Egypt, that the abundance of
the harvest is closely to be measured by the
height of the Nile in its annual overflow.
FARMYARD MANURE
In a recent number of French agricultural
journal there is a summary of some elaborate
researches on the evaporation of water from
arabic land, and the conclusions are given that.
whether considered as physical agent in the
improvement III the texture Of the soil. or
chemically, farmyard manure is the most valu-
able fcrtilizng agent a farmer can use. Com
pared with other substances, it absorbs and
retains larger quantity Of rain water; it gets
rid of superfuous water quickly; it attracts
and condenses at night the vapors of the at
mosphere and their valuable constituents; it
absorbs the solar rays and the oxygen which
are so important TO plant life; and it renders
the soil more porous and adapted for the pene-
tration and ramifcation Of the roots As the
dung is the principal agent in condensing the
fertiIizing gases from the atmosphere. it is
important not to bury it too deeply in the
ground, but TO take care that it is well-mixed
with the surface soil, or in special cases that it
be used on the surface as a mulch
INFLUENCE OF THE GRANGE
Mr. Daniel Flint, Master of the California
State Grange says, in his recent address to that
body: Il find the Grange the cheapest in
structor and the best teacher In my travels
and intercourse with the members of the Order.
/ have observed that those who are the most
regular in attendance are the most intelligent
and the most ready and able debaters, as well
as the most cheerful and happy in disposition.
At their houses ! find a greater amount of
order and system than is apparent with those