The National tribune., 1885-06-04
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for 0ul
Agricultural Readers.
THE FODDER VALUE OF CORN.

|
most valuable of all. The great claim for sweet
corn is the great amount of sugar-fat formers
it contains, but an Eastern experimental
found that his acre Of horse tooth corn con.
| tanned 700 pounds of sugar and $500 pounds
! dried fodder more than did the acres of sweet
| corn on like soil and culture If one argues
that all Of tho fodder is food the superiority Of
| the horse tooth fodder is apparant but when
| the statement is made that only small pro-
portion Of tho total weight of fodder is food
! elements like sugar, starch, etc.-then the
| greater value of the large Southern corn fod-
| der is seen at glance.-Cleretapd Plain Dealer
HOW To TRANSPLANT TREES.
The Boston Transcript gives the following ex-
| celent hints in regard to the transplantng OF
! trees One general rule concerning trees for
| transplanting is universal in its application to
all trees alike, whether fruit, shade or orna-
| mental, whether large small, and to shrubs
| and vines as well as trees: They should never
| be left with their roots long exposed to any
| kind of atmosphere and not at all if the tenn
| perature is low. Roots at their outer ends are
| very soft, cellular and tender. The first thing
done upon arrival at the ground should be to
| cover the roots by setting them in hole and
throwing loose earth about them, and when you
| are ready to set the trees do not carry out a
large number, throwing down one at a time at
the places where they are to be set, and let them
| lie there an hour or two in the open air. If the
planting is done by hand prepare number OF
holes or spots in the furrow and then take one
! tree at time and set it, leaving all the others
| with covered roots until they are needed, one
| by one. If the planting is done with help OF
piow and several hands the trees may be
| handled a good deal faster but do not, ia any
| case, let them lie long with their roots exposed
| to the atmosphere.
THE SEVENTEEN-YEAR LOCCSTS.
| Fruit growers must now prepare for the COM
| ing of two brOods of locusts-the 17-ycar and
| 13-year. The entomologist of the Agricultural
! Department gives warning that they will soon
| be here and will remain until late in July
Fortunately he is able to predict that they will
not do great deal of harm. For the first time
| in POI years the two brOods will appear in con-
| junction. A short arithmetical calculation
will prove that only once in 22l years can these
| two bands Of marauderS meet and become ac-
! quainted with cath other, if they strictly
observe the periods of what may be called their
| cvoluti0ns.
| LOCATION OF THE BARNARD.
Manure is an incidental and important pro-
| duct of every farm. 1t is not clean and there
| fore not wholesome. We can stand some of it
| i'll the country with no great harm. but too
| much Of it anywhere, in city or country, is bad
! for the health. The farmer should so arrange
| his buildings and establishment that the value
| of the manure shall be as great as possible and
| its evils as small as possible This means that
| it should not be kept or stored too near the
| house that its drainage should not pollute the
well water and its gases the air How this can
best be done depends on the local condition S
about each farm, and each farmer must adapt
his methods to his wants and conditions
KEEPING FARM TOOLS.
The Country Gentleman advises us that by
keeping the wooden parts of all tools and ma
chimes well oiled with petroleum. and giving a
bright polish to the metallic portions, it will
make them last longer and render them more
efficient. A spade or hoe or the mold board of
plow, when fresh from use, is easily cleaned
from the soft fresh soil: but in few days. after
the soil has hardened and the tool has become
| rusty, the cleaning is difficult, and the rough,
rusty surface diminishes its value. The cheap
est way is to put tools up every night thoroughly
cleaned.
POULTRY NOTES.
Feed hens wheat for growth and corn for fat
and heat
Lime is good purifier for the poultry house.
Whitewash Spring and Fall.
Poultry farming is declared to be the
most profitable department. of husbandry in
England.
Young chicks turned in the garden will eat
up all the bugs and insects; but keep the old
fowls out, as they will do more damage than
good.
Save the manure. Poultry manure is very
valuable fertilizer, and can readily DO disposed
OF. 1t always pays to carefully gather it to-
gether.
Don't forget the dust bath. Have a box in
your coal house filled with sieyed coal ashes.
The fowls enjoy it and it cleanses them of YER
min
Those keeping large focks of poultry will find
an advantage i'll separating the cocks from the
hens and keeping each by themselves until
Mdwinter.
DO not distrub the hen by removing the chicks
too soon after they arc hetched, but let them
remain with her until they become strong and
sprishtly.
Never grease n hen that is setting, for if
grease gets on the eggs it closes the pores
through which the confined chick gets its air,
and the consequence is death.
Every poultry yard should have at least a
pair of guinea fowls in the flock. They are ex-
cellent protectors, as their shrek always signal
the approach of hawks.
NoTELETs
"A Kansas flock master sheared 600 fine
mcrinO sheep, trusting the fine sunshiny
weather as the beginning of Summer. That
night came a cold rain, and in the morning 200
sheep, living and shivering. stood among the
carcases of 400 that had persisted.
- Ohio has 1.017, 600 head of cattle, making
2f.S to the square mile. Iowa has 1873 to tho
mile; Illinois. %; New York. Is, and Texas
l5.9 For the United States at large this is s
| head for Zach GAO acres Germany has 80 per
square mile. Great Britain "a. In the United
States there are three head Of cattle for each
four inhabitants, while in Europe there is only
one animal for every six persons.
- The dairy products of this country exceed
the oat crop $3.50, 100000 the wheat crop $780,
100000. the cotton crop $220,O00,0O0, the pro-
duct of iron bars and steel 1857 900 900. and the
pigirOn output $419000000.
Keep the old hen cooped, but let the coop
be so located that the chicks can have long
| run on grass or in garden. They will kill
| myriads of small insects to their own and the
farmers good, and do no harm. Young chickens
should be petted little, by feeding them from
the hand and otherwise, so they will remain
tame. This will ease the work and add pleasure
of caring for them very much.
- Orchard grass is robust grower and very
tenacious of lifey 1t masses its roots so as to
resist the encroachmentSef other grasses, cover
ing much of the ground with it's large, pendent
leaves, that spring outi near the base of the
plant to shade, nOurish and enrich the soil not
occupied by the plant itself. This, perhaps &C
counts largely for its ability to endure exces-
sive drought 1t will produce two large crops
of good hay on rich soil, and submit to more
abuse than any other forage plant, except blue
grass, which is of little value in a very dry
season. t1E g.
1t is said that there is no better index to
the health of cattle and horses than the con-
dition Of the hair. Indigestion and all dis
eases that farm stock is heir to, even in short