The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-03-10
Farm Notes and Suggestions.
BY H. REYNOLDS, NJ. d.
HurdIing sheep i'm Orchards.

The old English practice of hurdling
sheep might be made useful in orchards
where it is not convenient to turn the sheep
in loose. The hurdle is wooden fence,
made in lengths such as can be easily han
died. The length may be such, as one may
form a side to the Enclosure, and be fastened
together at the corners, or two lengths may
be used for side making lager enclosure
One of these enclosures or hurdles may be
placed around tree, and two or three sheep
placed inside. The sheep will eat off the
grass and gathers any fruit that may have
fallen, thus destroying the worms contained
in the fruit. 1t is very desirable to have the
wormy fruit destroyed before the worms es-
cape. If this were generally effected in all
our orchards, the coddling moths ravages
would be greatly diminished. To pick up
the fruit which falls prematurely, requires
considerable time and is very likely to be
neglected, but if the owners had hurdle
which he could move about the orchard from
day to day and let the sheep pick up the
fruit, the work would be more likely to be
attended to. 1t oftens happens that the
farmer has one or two bucks which 1t is nee
essary to keep from the rest of his flock, and
these might be kept in hurdles and allowed
to destroy the wormy fruits, in orchards.
A hurdle might also be constructed for keep
ing pigs in and thus afford them chance TO
eat grass. The pigs would be equally as eff
cient in destroying Wormy fruit as sheep
would be. By thus combining pigs and NOV
ipo tbouo ahouf from dow ~ dow thau xu0r1d
have the advantage of clean pen and would
enrich the land that they were moved about
on. A covered hurdle might be used for
keeping hens in in summer.
DIGGING WELLS TO DRAIN swAMPs.
1t is sometimes the cas- that the water is
held in swamp by an underlying bed of
clay which if broken through would allow
the water 10 drain of through the porous
earth underlying the clay. In such cases,
by sinking a few holes or wells down
through the underlying clay, openings will
be made through which the water will drain
away and the land become dry enough for
cultivation. In western Michigan an in
stance of this kind occurred. Says the
Michigan Farmer, "A large swamp lay for
d
noisome barrier to progress, and bone of
contention in village and township politics
To drain it large ditch mile or two long
would have been required; but some one
fortunately discovered that thin sheet of
clay was all that kept the water from going
down into deep stratum of gravel, boulders
and sand. Wells were sunk and the swamp
l., Il, al
leaving rich, black soil, which is the most
productive and valuable in that district"
1t would be we'll to sink an exploratory
shaft in any swamp which needs draining,
and ascerta if this method be practicable.
There are probably many swamps which
might be thus drained and converted into
productive land.
SKIM MILK CHEESE.
1t may sometimes be found advisable in
butter diaries to use the skim milk for
cheese making. The skim milk in such
diaries is usually used for feeding to swine
and can not be regarded as having value
for such purposes, of more than one cent
per quart, while if made into cheese, much
more might be obtained for it. In making
skim milk cheese a somewhat different ar
rangement is required than in making whole
milk cheese. Rather more rennet will be
required and the cheese will need to be
cured in warm room. A temperature of
about IS and so degrees will promote the
curing OF skim milk cheese. According TO
a New York dairy paper, Mr. jerks of
Chester, Massachusetts commenced six
years ago making skim milk cheese, and
found that he was able to make as good
cheese as when he used the whole milk, and
actually sold it for a higher price. This
seems like claiming too much for skim milk
cheese, yet there is no doubt that under
proper management very fine quality of
cheese eau be made from skim milk.
FISH PoMACE AS FERTILIzER.
There is little doubt that farmers general
ly could obtain their fertilizers cheaper by
making them than by purchasing CONNER
cial fertilizers. 1t is not difficult to mix the
different ingredients of fertilizers, aud farm
ers may as well do it as to pay manufactur-
ers large profits for doing the same. At a
recent meeting of the Massachusetts Horti-
cultural Society, this subject was discussed
and one speaker said: "The cost of CONNER
cial fertilizets is thirty per cent. more than
than the ingredients they contain are wori b.
Farmers should buy the materials and mix
for themselves. They can buy fish pomacs
by the ton at about the same rate as the
dealers in commercial fertilizers do. By the
mixture of this with meadow mud an almos
perfect fertilizers can be secured" Farmer.
who live near the sea shore can generally oh
tain good supply of refuse fish or fish pom.
ace and can make valuable fertilizer ats
small cost
NIGHT SOIL AS A FERTILIZER.
Night soil is regarded by many as fertili
ger of little value or as being one difficult t.
manage properly besides being offensive t
handle. The substance is almost invariabl
wasted in our large cities and large towns
and even on some farms is regarded more a
asauisanee than as an article of Tuch value
Night soil, however, is very valuable fer
tilizer, and should be carefully saved anc
applied to the soil. An intelligent farme