The National tribune., 1884-10-02
OUR RqRAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
A cuEAp MANuRE.

The Gardeners Record gives the following
excellent plan for making "a large amount of
excellent manure Of easily -obtainable material:
CAS- early as the leaves of trees can be collected,
let them be brought in a considerable quantity
into close place and dressed up there in the
form of hotbed Let this be we'll saturated
with the DRAWINGS from the dung-heap with
suds from the wash-house, with urine from the
stable and eow-house. where this latter article
can be procured Let this bed or heap be
covered and lined with fresh stable dung to
make it heat. When, the heating is sufficiently
subsidized let the leaves be uncovered and
turned over, to mix the dry and wet we'll to-
gether, and if moisture be required let them
have it of the same description, repeating the
process till all be reduced to fine mold. This
will be ready for use in two months from. the
| time of collecting the leaves, and to prevent
any waste of the liquid recommend a layer
of maiden earth of two feet thick should be
made the substratum, which would receive any
of the valuable liquid that would otherwise
run to waste. Leaves of slow decomposition
should be avoided, as those of the oak, etc,
which, however, are the best for retaining heat
in hotbeds and pits. The leaves of fir should
also be avoided, but those of the sycamore, elm,
alder, maple and all the soft kinds are better
suited for the purpose. This compost should
be kept dry, in an airy place, and ridged up so
| that the rain cannot wash out the salts with
which it abounds"
FALL AND SPRING FLOWING.
| correspondent Of The Mirror and Farmer
! writes thus in regard to the advisability of
| Fall and Spring plowing: One of the ques-
tions which is in order at this season is whether
! to plow in the Fall or Spring. / shall not at
/ tempt to decide the question, being aware that
soils and locations make all the difference be-
/ tween right and wrong in different cases. Wet,
/ heavy soil that packs down with the heavy
rains of Fall and Spring, or hiIlsides that are
liable to be quilted badly by running water,
are no doubt safer il left till Spring unless
/ they can be protected by surface drains. Such
/ soils need not be plowed in the Spring anyway,
/ unless heavy coat of manure is turned under
/ IN the Fab to keep The ground loose. But fol-
/ lowing up my conversion to the theory Of shoal
plowlng on dry, sandy soil, have become con-
yineed that such soil can be made too loose for
a seed-bed and that for small grain Fall plow-
| ing, with thorough narrowing, deep enough
for the roots TO start in the Spring, is at least
q good plan to follow. A covering of loose
earth or the surface is without doubt pro-
lection against frost and dr0ut, but if that
I covering is so deep that the roots fail to reach
through il, it is too much of good thing. On
/ dry soil, that is to be planted, Winter rye may
| be sown this month, and it viii be late enough
to make good coat of green manure to plow
under IN season to plant corn next May.
/ SoTELETs.
- The United States raises 48 bushels of
| grain per head Of its population, and con-
/ sumes Al bushels per head. In both eases
/ they take the lead of all other nations italy
! EI,t 4
! Austria 1887 Spainl and Russia IL each;
Denmark, 30.83; France, 24.02, and Canada,
\ 3S bushels per capita.l
1 A writer in the Rural Ne1c Yorker SAYS:
To get rid of thecabbage worm [ have sue
cessfully used butsermilk and water the last
| two years; about ioneIthird of the former to
1 two thirds of the latter. Ny cabbages were
/ also badly infested with lice, but two applica-
4 tions freed them Completely
= Whitewash for barn or out house may
4 be made by mixing water lime with SKINNED
milk to the proper consistency to put on with
a brush. It win adhere to any surface, either
! rough or smooth, where oil has not been applied
1t is said that in Winnebago County Wis,
there are in one n9fghborhood 1200 cows,
which give yearly product of $4,000, and
/ that their yield has been increased thirty per
cent. within few years by improved manage
/ ment
New Zealand is shipping butter to Eng
land with satisfactory results The butter is
kept in temperature of 80 degrees while on
4 the voyage.
A good harrow should do more than to
simply scratch the surface an inch or two. 1t
should remove the young grass and weeds and
render the whole surface fine and clean.
A Newbury n. Y man has 200 different
sorts OF apples grated on one tree. One hun
dred and fifty-seven of them were in bearing
/ last year.
= Kerosene will soften boots and shoes har-
dened by water, rendering them soft and piiable
as new.
= So fast as the sweet corn is picked from
the garden, the stalks should be cut and fed to
cows They are much richer and sweeter than
other corn stalks; but if left to dry up, as they
/ often are, most of their value is lost Where
! milk Is sold, sweet corn cut up with ears on is
a profitable feed for COWS The small varieties
/ will ear freely when sown quite thickly in
1 drills with spaces between the rows wide
enough for cultivation.
- 1t pays TO commence a course of liberal
! feeding Of animals early for much of the food
/ needed later to keep up extra animal heat now
1 makes fat. If old corn is used it should be
| ground on the score of greater economy The
immature corn and nubbins that come with
! harvesting will soon form an item in the feed
and may be fed along with ground meal. The
/ animals should continue to receive green food
and the culls, parings, etc, from fruits will
contribute.
1 - If stock is pastured it is better to have
the land so used divided into two, or better still
/ into three or four compartments. When they
are allowed TO run over all they keep all eaten
4 down closely but by allowing successive por-
tions to get fresh start the cattle do less walk
| ing, waste and destroy less and much greater
amount Of feed is produced Whenever pas
lures fail grain or meal should be fed, and in
/ this way pasturing land rapidly enriches it.
- Washing the hen roosts and the bottoms of
nests with kerosene oil is an excellent means
of keeping the hens free from vermin.
- Clover hay is much better for mich cows
than timothy. 1t produces more milk and
better butter.
! In the Winter time there is q great deal of
value in cabbages for milch cows
/ FetichiSm Among the Bantu Negroes.
Besides these fixed amulets are also to be reck-
| oned in the category of art-works smaller toys
| that are worn as ornaments. Among these are