The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-02-17
AGRICULTURE.

SEEK MORE LIGHT - Farmers, inssmuch
as their interests and employments are
moro varied than any other industry or
profession, require greater fund Of prac-
tical knowledge That farmer who hoots
at the idea OF ''book farming" is In the
most hopeless condition. When a man ls
too wise In his own conceit to learn, he Is
generally too ignorant and too full Of pre-
jndice to comprehend the platncst and
most important precept. These self i'm
portant farmers are generally on the down
grade, and no ordinary check will have the
least effect on them tor the better. A far
mer must, to great extont, learn Of others,
and this must necessarily be mainly done
by reading. Theories and instructions on
agricultural subjects are moro reliable when
printed than those which are merely verbal.
Public declarations of facts, and theories
are subject 10 criticism, ahd thus the truth
on almost any subject can be elicted.
1cnce articles in newspapers are prepared
with moae care than the mere declaration
OF opinions in q verbal way. And 1t would
DO difficult to find farmer who is now
pursuing the advanced system OF agr1cul.
ture but what takes and carefully reads
from one to FIVE papers on the subject of
his greatest interest. lie does not ALWAYS
greedily adopt oil he reads. He compares
investigates, crltlclses. anG thus awakens
and strengthens his own mind. In this
way truth la developed. Light is thrown
On dark or doubtful subjects. There ia no
doubt that the great advance which has
been made in agriculture III the past 2t
years. Is mainly indebted to the invIgorat-
ing and inspiring influence OF the agricui.
tural literature Of these lator days. And
II Is about settled question that the far.
mer who Is not supplied with reading on
the subjects Of his business and interest le
yet In darkness.
NO other domestic animal gives as full,
quick and easy return for gram feed Of
the pig. When rationed for the sbamble,
the experienced eye of the feeder can al.
most measure the ratio OF gram per day.
Tho healthy porker is so we'll regulated d
machine for the conversion of corn into
nesh that the former who feeds by regu
lar system can generally tell about how
much pork given quantity Of grain will
produce. 1t is comparatively easy, there
lore, as compared with other stock, to tell
just when and to what degree pork pro-
ductiou Is profitable. These things, cou-
pied with the fact that crop of hogs can
be ored, raised and marketed almost while
the feeder is laying his plans for growing
ana rlpening cattle and sheep, have render.
ca hogs more popular as a market I,rOCuc,
titan any other class of domestic ANIMALS:
and there are vastly more producers OF
hogs III this country to day than of cattle
ana sheep combined, while 1t Is perhaps
truo that threc-tourlhs of the meat produc
crs prefer beef 10 pork as an article of food
q GOOD WKkDER, Get your blacksmith
10 cut out piece of piece Of plow steel
inches wide and six inches long for the
blade. BY drilling two holes in The centre
he can tasten Oh the shank for the handle.
which should he forkcd and provided with
socket for the insertion Of the handle.
ana should be set at an angle Of forty-fivc
degrees TO the plane Of the blade. The 2
long edges should DC drawn thin and shar.
pcncd. You have now one of tho most
elective wedding hoes ever invented, and
1t IS not patented. 1t has double edge.
and can be worked equally well by pulling
or pushing. 1t passes along just under OF
on the surface and etfcctually cuts off eve.
ry weed between the young plants in the
row without too much disturbance of the
surface. 1t is not intended rs Il cultlvato1
ol course, but as a Wceder is hard to beat.
IIK fact that corn possesses dccp roots
may otter Oh explanation as to why corn
In certain measure seems ranovatlng
crop, aid it is believed by some TO obtain
nitrogen from the atmosphere or some
source OF supply not furnished by our
1ernhZers, bCcnrsc these roots very proba-
bly, bring nitrogen from the lower areas of
Inc soIl US we'll az the water. The facts
OF culture add somo support to this view.
Upon pasture land in New England which
has become run down and which seems
incapable OF growing grasses any longer III
lN&uriancc, corn may be planted without
lertiliZcr with the almost certainty of Il
more than average crop, while the reports
from many parts OF the country upon the
use OF 1ertlllzcr indicates that less nitrogen
needs to be applied than theory would
seem to indicate as necessary.
a MEMBER OF tho Oxford (Ohlo) Farmers
Club claims that 1t is no trick TO raise five
hundred bushels and even one thousand
buehels per acre of mangold wurtzcls, IN a
good season Oh good land, with the same
IADor needed 10 raise an aero Of potatoes.
The root should be pittcd Just as winter
closes up the ground, and kept In tho Dit
until March. Then they are ripe, the sac.
cacharlnc matter ls abundan: and the fibre
tender, and tho COWS ready 10 appreciate
the change from any feed, He think,
imansoiu wurtzois the cheapest green foot
Tor that season that can be produced, bu
leeds ground teed and hay with them. liz
prefers to pill them TIL March aud remove
them, a cart-load at u time, 10 his bank
barn, and has no trouble about freezing.
CUTTING TllR CULIs. cowo arc
greatly benefited and will increase and
maintain tho flew of milk if fcu upon the
little potatoes, Irish or sweet, winch arc
lett over trem the crop, and are too small
TO sell or usc at home. But they should bc
cut fine. good plan 10 to hayc trough
or sttut box in which, after washing, til,
potatoes can be cut with common spade;
hut better plan Is to take an old spadc or
hoe or fire shovel, and by attaching stout
short handle, provide an implement OK.
pressly for the purpose and eavc the wear
and tear and rust Of tho spade.
FoRMlo acid, which Is the acid obtained
from ante. is identical in kind with the
acid of wasp and bee springs. Professor
Rcdway, of California, has discovered that
1t Is valuable to prevent fermentation. II
wanted for this purpose in quantities 1t
can be chcapy obtained by heating oxalic
acid. In refining houey the formlc acid.
which il alWnys COntnjDs "a cxpo)lod o,,I