The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-25
Farm Notes.

1t is said that it has been found that a truly
surprising yield of alcohol has been obtained
from the melon
The American Cultivator suggests that ono
great reason why much dilapdated wire fence
is seen is because the wires are stretched too
tightly. Cold contracts iron making the wire
shorter in winter than when the fence was built
at a milder temperature, and something has to
give way.
Lime slaked with q solution of salt in water,
and then properly thinned with skinmilk from
which all the cream has been taken, makes a
permanent whitewash for outdoor work, and, it
is said, renders the wood incombustible. 1t is
an excellent wash for preserving wood, and for
all farm purposes
Professor E. NJ. Shelton, of the Kansas Agri-
cultural College farm, having tired of the neees-
sarily wasteful way of feeding loose salt to
stock now finds that six-inch square lump of
rock salt in a box to which the animals have free
access at all times, is an economical and beauti-
full plan, which proves entirely satisfactory
Cooked potatoes are eaten greedily by hogs
and unstable potatoes can be best disposed of in
this way. Careful experiments show that on an
average cooked potatoes are threefourths the
value of corn for feeding, while raw are less
than one-haf This year the relative value of
potatoes and corn will give still better showing
for the tubePs
No farmer can afford to winter more animals
than he can keep well. If he has too many
cows for his stock of fodder, and has none but
good ones, II Is far better TO reduce them TO the
number he can carry through in good condition
than to squeeze through the winter by pinching
along till the whole herd comes out in the spring
with only hide and bony frame to start
for a summers work 1t doesn't pay to pinch
COWS at any time, and most assuredly it doesn't
pay to pinch them in the winter.
In the Iowa Horticultural Report, c. H. Gard
ner speaks of the value of evergreens as shell
ter for small fruits. He says that small fruit
patch, surrounded by evergreens, has produced
double the quantity of fruits and plants over
that not thus protected This, if true, may be
taken advantage of by many in this section at
least where evergreens spring up and flourish
wonderfully. We would like to have DR.. Hos
kins tell us if he has had any experience as to
the value of evergreens for the protection of
small fruits or of orchards 1t has been a the
DRY with us that evergreens would make the
best possible protection for any kind of fruit
orchard, and would be of especial advantage in
guarding them against the rigors of our severe
winter weather.
From careful experiments conducted by DR.. e.
L. Sturtevant with Ayrshire cows, for period
of ten years, on high feed and low feed and ordi
nary feed, he arrived at the following conelu-
sion That the normal yield of good Ayrshires
under plain farmers keeping is In excess OF 900
quarts per COW per year, and that Improvement
in feeding can add 500 quarts to the yield
These figures give a good idea of what the Ayr
shire will accomplish nthe hands of the Ordi-
nary farmer. Were we to select twenty-five
cows from herd of 500 we could probably be
able to give much bigger figures, but would that
be honest, or would it be representative OF the
breedl