Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-11-21
FARM, FIELD and FIRESIDE.
Agricnlt iral lkiacellan

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To prevent the growth Of moss or
weeds on gravel walks It is recommend
ed to sprinkle salt pretty freely on the
paths, (about 9 pound to the square
yard does for one year at least, care be-
ing taken n st to let the salt fall on the
box borders or the edges of the graas.
A damp but not rainy day is the best
for this operation. Some apply boil
ing solution Of salt {abont a.pound to
the gallon Of water) with common
watering pan, so that a pound Of the
salt will be received by every square
yard Of walk. A much weaker soiu-
ton will serve the same purpose if it
should be required again. .ss.. %4..
Corn raisers are the largest corn-con-
sumers. It is the farmers themselves
who need most corn. More than three
fourths of the corn crop of this country
is fed on the farms on which it is raised.
The crop of 1882 was 1917 100000
bushels, and of this $50, 900, 900 bushels
was used as human food, 1877, 000,0 900
for export, seed, spirits and surplus,
and l 800 900, 900 for feeding animals
cattle, horses, hogs, sheep and work ami
mails. This shows that 3 bountiful corn
crop, even at low prices, is better for
According to DR.. Sturtevant's report
New York Experimental Station) salt
given to COWS once week in their food
increased the amount of water drank,
but not the food. Salt is regarded as
of little Importance. Ensilage is rec
commended as supplement to other
feeds. Whole potatoes for seed gave the
largest yields this year. The seed end
Of potatoes is as good for seed as the
stem end. Itwould now seem that as
between the butt. tip, and middle of the
ear of corn, there is little difference as
to its value for seed.
A farmer who has spent some little
time and money in draining a swamp
on his place that had become an eyesore
writes to the Ohio Farmer: / enjoyedit
hugely when got that drain through
and saw the water run out, and the
frogs jumping about in the greatest
CONSERVATION; but the enjoyment was
far greater yesterday. when l saw the
ground fairly covered with splendid
potatoes, worth almost cent apiece.
This enjoyment Was not all caused by
the dollars the crop would bring. al
though theae will come handy this dry
season, but part of it came from the
fact that a sinking, unhealthy ,unsight-
ly hole, birthplace for malaria and
frogs, had been transformed, by means
of little labor and skill, into very
fertilizing and productive piece of land.
It was the enjoyment of conquest, with
no harm done except to the frogs, flags,
and miasma.
The Government does a large seed
business. The object is "to introduce
into the various sections of the country
such new and valuable products as may
be adapted to the soil and climate Of
each" Last year $75 200 was voted for
this purpose, and this year the grant
has been increased to 100000. The
work Of distribution gives employment
to 100 women and fifty eight men.
Every year the chief Of the department
is buying up tons of seeds, two-thirds
of the appropriation being spent in the
purchase and the remainder in putting
them up. During the past year $685.
$50 packages were mailed, 2,912,730 of
which went to congressman. The rest
were distributed among the crop cor
respondents of the agricultural depart
ment in every county and state. All
sorts are sent out, from field corn and
potatoes to the rarest flowers. In last
years distribution SOS packages of sun
flowers were given away.
A writer in the Rural Record, in
speaking Of the field pea as fertilizer,
says: "These pea roots, penetrating
to such great depth in the soil and
permeating the land in every direction,
loosen it up more perfectly than all the
plows and harrows combined. I have
some black prairie hammock land that
is cold, wet and crawfshy. For sever
al years I could never get stand of
corn. Year before last, after failing to
get q stand, and as the weather was far
advanced, I plowed up the partial stand
of corn and sowed down the red chow
der pea. The yield Of vines was i'm
mense, and I saved T do not think less
than three tons superior hay per acre,
besides leaving a goodly number on the
ground to decay. The next year this
land was the loosest soil I had on the
place; it was ready for the pillow before
any other tit had before this been to wet
and sticky to pillow until very late in the
season., and was in a condition to re-
ceive almost any crop"