The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-06-23
Suggestions 70 Farmers.

tribune Farmerl
Coon DRAINAar.---Tbere is hardly
any plant that Mixes stagnant water
Some things, like the cranberry for in
stance, like water, but it nust not be
stagnant, there must be fall to allow
for drainage. For field crop, fruit
trees, and such things, there must
be drainage. How quickly a grain
field tells the tale of good or poor
drainage. The yellow patches tell
where the water lies longer than it |
should. 1t pays always to provide |
proper outlets of water. Potatoes will |
thrive in moist season, but the water
must drain off quickly. A heavy rain
will do little damage to wheat field If
provision is made for the prompt re-
moval of the surplus water, while a
moderate rainfall upon undrained
land, which is already too wet will
cause the destruction of many OF the
plants, and largely reduce the possible
yield of the crop. While thorough
drainage is much better than any make
shift which can be invented, it is much
better to adopt the very imperfect plan
recommended above than it is to make
no provision for the protection of the
crop from injury by an excess of mois
ture in the soil 1t is better to set fruit
trees on mounds, where the ground is
low, rather than run the risk of under
draining.
VALUE OF Roor CRops.-We think
the time is coming when farmers will
be surprised that they have so long
overlooked the great value OF root
crops for winter feeding on cattle.
There are hundreds of farmers within
days journey of any one who
never grow any root crop but
turnip. Probably the most easily
raised, most productive and most pro-
fitable root crop for us to raise, is some
Of the varities of beet, some of which
grow very large, and yield 800 to 1000
bushels to the acre, if the land is well
manured and thoroughly titled. The
best way to grow them is to let them
follow some deeply worked, highly
manured crop, and on thoroughly good
land, putting on no manure the year
the beets are grown. There will then
be few weeds to trouble, which are
often the plague of root culture. The
carrot is also easily raised. There is
nothing but the cultivation n corn crop
would require needed, and in deep
ground the yield of this root is very
heavy. The feeding of roots with dry
feed in winter is highly beneficial to
cattle.
FATrENING HoGs--The following
experiment in fattening hogs is related
in an Iowa paper:
"An Iowa farmer put up twenty
year-old Logs for fattening, and for the
first twenty days fed them on shelled
corn, of which they ate eighty-thret
bushels. During this period they
gained s37 pounds, or upwards of tel
pounds to the bushel of corn. He ther
fed the same hogs for fourteen days or
dry corn meal during which time they
consumed forty-seven bushels anG
gained 535 pounds, or 11a pounds tc
the bushel. The same hogs next fed
fourteen days on corn meal and water
mixed, consumed 55t bushels of corr
and gained 73l pounds, or 1871 poundl
of pork to the bushel. He then fec
them fourteen days on corn meal cook
ed, and after consuming forty five bush
els of the cooked meal the hogs gained
100 pounds, or very nearly tifteer
pounds of pork to the bushel of meal.
The PROFITABLE PIG.-Among th'
many kinds of pigs recommended, W.
do not often find the name of one O
thsbest, which is the conte'sted pig
There is no breed like it, and if W,
want a pig that will pay to keep W.
must get that kind. The quiet pig il
always fat pig, and however healthy
the pig, and however good its appetite
if it is restless and uneasy, it will
always be hard keeper. Look in an,
pen of fattening pigs and you will
always find one restless and squealin!
pig the poorest of the lot. The rest
less pig is also great rooter, and a
most farmers are fruit growers as wei
they do not want their orchards tor
up and the roots broken and destroyed
The fruit grower has two objects i
view in keeping pigs; of these tn
most important is the eating of a
wormy and prematurely fallen frui
and the destruction of all insects COZ
tanned in them the other is the maxim.
of reasonable profit on the GROWN.
and fattening of the pig for marke
and to him the quiet, peeceable, MOI