The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-12-27
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
SOWING SEEDS.

SOWING SEEDS.
One of the most wasteful practices in farming
and one that seems to be entirely overlooked
by the great majority of farmers, is that of ine-
quality in the covering of seeds. Drilling OBJ
yiates this to great extent; it does so very
completely when the land is properly prepared.
The want OF thorough preparation of the sur
face is q principal source of the evil, whether
the seeds are broadcasted or drilled If the
operations of the market gardener are observed,
1t will be seen that his preparations for seeding
are most systematic and exact. For the larger
seeds, drills of uniform depth are provided, and
in order that proper uniformity may be main
tanned the surface OF the soil is brought to
fine degree of pulverizaton, so as to avoid an
inequalities. The depth Of the drills coTre-
spond with the size of the seeds, and the result
of this adaptation is uniform condition Of
termination and series OF equally vigorous
plants. With seeds of the finest grades,
smooth surface is prepared, the seeds scattered
evenly overit, and all the covering given is that
afforded by passing a roller over the ground,
crumbling such snail Jumps as may exist, and,
the most important point, pressing the seeds
firmly in the soil. With seeds thus committed
to the ground there is an equal development
of plant; fewer seeds will be needed, because
every seed win vegetate and produce a healthy
plant, vigorous from the start. But TO secure
the best results seeds should be covered with
such depth of soil as is found most suitable to
their size and kind; the nature and character
of the soil will also influence the depth of cover
ing; the climate will also be tafzea into consid-
GRAFTON. On light sandy soils a deeper covering
may be allowed than would be proper in strong
clay soil, and in all cases a heavier covering
may be allowed in dry climate than would be
proper in wet one. The best crops can only
be secured when a happy combination of all
the elements of success Is provided, and one of
the most important is that of putting the seed
properly in the soil.
The most eoncisely emphatic treatise that
could be written IN favor of our native land
birds says naturalist, would be the statement
of the fact that, with the exception Of most
OF the diurnai birds of prey, they are all
beneficial to agriculture; and if this fact were
recognized by the farmers, and if they were to
extend their protection and encouragement 10
these benefaetors, the grain and fruit crops of
this country would be greater than they are.
Birds sometimes get I" bad name" and are de-
stroyed numerically because Of their sup
posed destructive tendencies, but IF careful OBJ
seryation is made of their habits and the food
/ they prefer, many erroneous notions would be
| dispelled. The following IS good illustration
of the kind OF observation we mean: A
farmers boy in Ohio, Observing small flock
| Of quails in cornfeld, resolved to watch their
motions. They pursued a very regular course
/ IN their forGeIug, commencing on one side OF
| the field, taking abont FIVE rows, and following
| them uniformly to the opposite end, returning
/ IN the same manner over the next i've rows.
| They continued in this course until they had
/ explored the greater portion of the 1sld. Sus-
/ pieious that they were pulling up the corn. he
/ fired into the flock, killing one Of them, and
!. - y
/ the whole space over which they had travelled
| he found but one stalk Of corn disturbed. This
| was nearly scratched out Of the ground bat
! the kernel still a heTed to it. In the craE Of
the quail he found one eat-worTn, twenty-one
| striped vine bugs. and one hundred chinch
bugs, but not single kernel of corn"
DRAINING MACHINE
l A correspondent of the Country Gentleman de-
scribes machine which effeetually exeavates
drains for tiles. The machine consists of heavy
| wheel, seven and half feet in diameter and
| ten inches thick or wide with cutting rim
| four inches wide all around On each edge, and
| similar one in the middle OF the rim. The
| wheel turns on an axis that plays up and down
| vertically in an upright frame rising from &
heavy-framed, broad wheeled truck drawn by
four horses. The weight of the large wheel
crowds these three cutting edges into the
ground, compaeting the earth as it is passed
| between them, SO that as the wheel rolls on il
peels up long ribbon Of earth ten inches wide
| and from two to four inches deep, according e
the hardness of the soil and the depth to which
| themachine is regulated. The earth iscarried e
the top of the wheel, where it is cleaned out o
the wheel by two long, wide, stationary knives
running into the gBooves, whence it Is guided
to each edge Of the ditch by kind Of doubl,
mould board arrangement. The msehina
leaves the edges or sides of the ditch as straigh
and smooth as if planed or cut with SHARP
knife It ws-ks in all soils except that which
is extremely stony, or dry, loose sand, that vii
cave or run. Stones from the size of one'
double fist are lifted out with the soil. Twelve
single courses six bouts y viii put the ditch
| thirty Eight inches deep, so that fourteen mile
of travel will dig and grade nils of ditch Il
the average depth of over three feet SO that
mile day of finished ditch can be dug snt
graded by four horses and two men,-ani
this much is claimed to be done.
"woRS-oUTD PEARS.
In some places where pears crack open in
stead of ripening, the reason given for thi
disease is that the varieties are worn out
This is rather q vague expression when Up
piled TO a variety of fruit, although il nigh
with considerable truth be applied TO rre'
which might be wearing thin and Old" Ba
varieties can be extended indefinitely, fo
aught We know, by periodical grating upoi
young trees. The White Doyenne pear, one o
the Oldest and best of pears, which was former
| " well known in our markets under the name
of Yirgalieu, Butter pear, Autumn Bergam0t
and q host OF other local names, is nov
rarely seen. In most places the fruit cracks 8
as TO be absolutely worthless hence it is eiasseC
among ''worn-out" varieties, and yet it ma,
still be seen as large snd perfect az it ever WAS
In sheltered city yards fruits are annually pro
dueed upon trees OF this variety which are per
feet in every respect, while, even a few mile
distant under ordinary orchard culture per
feet fruit is rarely seen. The cracking OF tn
fruit is therefore the result of climatic eOndi
| tions TO which the trees are subjected, and can
not be explained by the mere statement tha
the variety Is wearing cut"
WATER FOR STOCK IN WINTER
Tbs National Lire Stock Journal urges tn
Importance of full supply Of water 70
stock, especially for cows, in winter, and say
| they often, suffer from the lack of suficien
supply. During the summer, when IN pasturc
the succulence of the grass supplies in part tn
water their systems require; but when on dr.
| feed the demand for allsupply Of water i
! imperative. When water is furnished in in
sufficient quantities all tho functions Of I'll
animal economy are interfered with. Youn
animals stop growing cows shrink IL milk
and fattening animals cease to increase i
weight Water in sufficient quantity and G
good quality is quite as important as food, ant
deprivation of it will destroy life sooner thal
| * lxn xTfF,TaSa that in cnl.