The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-05-15

wood 10 sDrOuglC OUT muCn better by
using a dark filler, which fills in the soft
porous parts of the wood, and when it
/ IS; wiped off, the close, hard portions
make very pretty shading, and con-
strast. with the darker portions" The
lighter woods, oak, ash and yellow pine
keep their good looks longer, under
proper varnish, than the darker floors:
=. Methods 81 watermelon Culture. ::
Either Of the following methods seem
to promise good supply of melons for
home consumption:.
b kA&correspondent Of the Rural New.
Yorker describes the following method
by which an extraordinary crop of water
melons was raised: Holes were dug ten
feet apart each way. eighteen inches
square and fifteen inches deep. These
holes were filed with we'll rotted man
ure, xwhich was thoroughly incorporated
with the soil. A low, fiat hill was; then
made and seed planted. When the
vines were large enough to run the
whole surface was covered to the depth
of foot or fifteen inches with wheat
straw. The straw was placed close up
around the vines. No cultivation what
ever was given afterward; no weeds Of
grass grew. The vines. spread over the
straw, and the melons matured clean
and nice. The yield was abundant
and" the experiment an entire success
The editor of the journal of Agricul
trre says: ...
We have plan practiced in our own
garden, but only for the purpose ofpro
ducing some very fine specimens for our
own use. A barrel, old and leaky, was
set on the ground, a bank. thrown up
around it. to. within foot Of the tor. and
extending out say eight feet from it. In
this bank, two feet from the barrel, was
placed sufficient number of seeds;
The barrel was filled with we'll rotted
manure, not so old of course as to have
lost its strength. About every second
day few buckets of water, OF as much
as the barrel would hold, were thrown
in on the manure, from which it would
seep out through the cracks into The
bank, and any person can imagine the
effect. We had a. crop of magnificent
melons. Lest the watering might be-
neglected the barrel should pc placed
close - pond or othe1awater supply.
Raising turkeys ~s@ "e- .
No surer crop can be raised, SO far as
the sale is concerned; than that of Eur
keys. If farmer has reasonable "luck
that is, if he has as good luck as gen.
orally comes of intelligent care-he. can
make 1000 pounds of Turkey meat for
800 easily, and sell the same for 5000:
This allows high estimate for grain;
for q flock Of 100; $65 would cover the
grain fed. If they are killed before
Thanksgiving they ought to average
twelve pounds each which makes 1920
in all. They will market at 20 cents
per pound three years out of five, Civ
ing a net Of $24O. Allowing $40 for
loss Or lower prices there is still COM
Portable margin of $135 to pay for the
trouble. In raising them afford every
facility for the sitting Of the turkeys
as earl y as possible. EARLY, turkeys are
twice as likely to live as Late ones:
When the young comes off, put them in
little board pens in warm
place for week or more, feeding them
six or eight times a day with coarse
meal and chopped hard: boiled eggs
mixed with water, or, what is better,
sour milk. AS soon as they are strong
enough. give Them g pasture range at
first, then turn them into a meadow,
but by, all means. feed them at noon,
and to this end drive them up to the
house. This will get them accustomed
to coming up for their, dinner, and so
they will not go far from home. See
shat they are always fully fed and safe
ly housed at night, so that. foxes and
skunks will not and cannot destroy them
Make it a matter Of thought to see that
your turkeys are safe all summer. :. Be-
gin to fatten in September and kin for
thanksgiving, and you will be able to
put few dollars in some near savings
bank which you may honestly call pay
for your care and work and profit on
the grain feed. This business, is not
likely to be overdone, and therein lies
the profit.