Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-11-29
The farm aud fireside,

SCIENCE IN fARMlNG.-N IdNc l1uSii
poor land in the United States, and an i'm
mense area of good land. The poor land
will be used to grow timber, or be improved
by converting more or less OF it, gradually,
into pasture, and stocking it with sheep and
cattle. The main point is to feed the sheep
or cattle with some rich nitrogenous food,
such as cotton seed cake, malt-sprouts, bran,
shorts, mill-feed, refuse beans, or bean meal
made from beans injured by the Weevil, or
bug. In short, the owner of such land must
buy such food as will furnish the most nu-
triment and make the richest manure at the
least cost-taking both of these objects into
consideration. He will also buy more or
less artificial manures, to be used for the
production of fodder crops, such as corn,
millet, Hungarian grass, etc. And, as soon
as portion of the land can be made rich
enough, he will grow more or less mangel
wurzels, sugar beets and other root crops.
will be found admirably
adapted for this purpose, and two, three or
four hundred pounds of cheap potash salts,
per acre, can frequently be used on fodder
crops, in connection with two or three hum
dred pounds of superphosphate, with con-
siderable profit. The whole subject is we'll
worthy Of careful study. Never in the @ MS ms.
tory of the world has there been a grander
opportunity for the application of science to
the Improvement of agriculture than now.
On the richer lands, the aim of the farmer
will be to convert the plant food lying dor
mant in the soil into profitable crops. The
main point is good tillage. In many cases
weeds now run away with half our crops
and all our profits. The weedswhich spring
up after the grain crops are harvested, are
not an unmixed evil. They retain the nj
trogen and other plant food, and when
turned under make manure for the succeed
ing crops. But weeds among the growing
crops are evil, and only evil. Thorough
blowing is the remedy, with drainage where
ed.-JOsEPH HARRIS, in Anerlcan Ag-
ricult,rist for November.
COMPARATIVE DURATION OF FERTILI-
ZERs.-The Scottish Chamber of Agriculture
has issued for the government final report
on the subject of compensation for farmers
improvements, with special reference to un-
exhausted manures. In this document
there are embodied the views of upward of
six hundred of the leading practical farmers
throughout Scotland. The report gives the
proportions of exhaustion during the years
which cover the active existence of the prln-
cipal applications, and indicates the margin
to be allowed for arabic and pasture lands.
Lime is said to last for two rotations on light
arabic soil, and on hill pasturage, consumed
by sheep and cattle, for thirty years, save in
wet climates. On arableland it is generally
computent to exhaust at the rate OF one
tenth per annum, but is by some deemed
most beneficial after the first year or two.
Horse, COW, and town manure last from
three years on sandy soil to nine years on
clay land, two-fifths being exhausted the
first year. Of guano, bones and phosphates,
{l,oo iS (riX inch
bones, which are said to extend over seven
years, at the rate of one-tenth per annum.
Bone meal covers six years, with most effect
the first year, while quickest action is as,
signed to dissolve bones. AmmOnalcal and
phosphate guano, nitrates, sulphateS, and
special manureS are yet more speedily eX-
hausted, the former often spending its ef-
fects in single year, though special manures
and cakes sometimes show their effects over
three and four.
BEDDING FOR ANIMALs.-The farmer
who takes pains to "make up the bed'' Tor
his cow or horse, gains ten times more than
the cost of the labor of SO doing. Ifall ma
terial is passed through the cutter previous
to being used for bedding, it not only adds
to the comfort of the animal, but assists in
the matter of cleanliness by reason OF its
great power Of absorption. For this reason
sawdust is becoming favorite, as its tineness
not only admits of its being handled easily,
we'll spread in the stall, and removed, but,
after having absorbed the liquid flows of the
STALL still readily mikes with the matter in
the manure heap The merit of sawdust is
due to it's fneness and to its absorptive quail
ity. fany bedding is plentiful, fine, and
absorptive, it prevents loss of manure by in
timately mixing with it, and as the drop
pings are more readily Incorporated with
greater mass of absorbent material, the risk
of evaporation and escape of gases is lessen
ed. Now, if the labor of cutting is to be
taken into the account, it is more than bal
anced by facility in spreading the fine ma
nure when it is hauled to the field. The
cutting can be done in winter and during
wet days, and is 4 luxury to spread nice,
tinely-divided manure. Good, fine, clean
bedding adds to the thrift and health of an
imals, is cooler in summer and warmer in
winter, and those who use it prevent much
loss.-Puirie Farmer.
SAVING WINTER CABBA GE.-There are
several methods usually given about this
time of the year to preserve cabbage through
winter, and we have tried nearly or quite
all of them. We prefer the one we intro
duced nearly thirty years ago, and with
WnlCn we nave always SuCCeeueit III hecPlliS :
our cabbage in perfect condition until late
in the spring. 1t is simply to eXcavate
slight trenches side by side on a rising or
dry spot where the water will readily drain
off, in which to stand the cabbage just as il
grows, sinking it up to the head. The rows
can be as closely put together as the size OF
the heads will admit; cover over with corn
fodder, straw, or bean haulm. Then set
four posts so as to form pitch, placing the
head against stone wall or board fence,
On these form roof by bean poles, when
boards are not at hand, and cover this with
cornstalks or straw. If ordinarily well
done, the cabbages will keep as long as may
be desired, having usually preserved ours
sound and fresh until the end of April or the
beginning of May. We are aware that it is
commonly recommended to place the heads
of the cabbage in the ground with the root
sticking up but having tried this way, we
found the cabbage kept fresher and better as
we recommended. TO prove this we have
had coldslaw in May.-GermantO"n 1ele-
graph.
CoRNs ON HoRsEs.-This is very com
mon falling in horses, and often a very
serious one. They may be very minute
and the animal may be lamed by them,
or they may bevery extensive and not injure
him in the least. A horse with cOrnS or