Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-12-16
FARM NOTES


Ii is a very common practice to shut
up fowls and keep them confined most
of the time during the summer, on ac-
count of their propensity to scratch In
the garden and among flower beds.
Much of the Ill effects of their impris-
onment may be avoided If they are let
out for a short period at evening. Ii
might be good plan to watch them
while they are out, although there IS
but little danger of their going into the
garden, and they will find enough on
the grass plots to keep them busy. lt
is surprising how much benefit the
fowls derive from this time Of exercise.
The fowls seem to know that they are
to have chance to get out, and are
much mere quiet during the day and
if they are allowed their liberty at JUST
about such time each evening they
will return to their roost without any
trouble. am inclined to think that
an hours exercise at evening is nearly
as good as a whole day, so far as the
health of the flock is concerned, for IL
there is any article of diet that they are
in special need of, they will hunt for IL
all the more diligently. 1t is for this
reason that they will prefer the grass
to the plowed ground. BY such an ar.
rangement as this large fiocks of fowls
can be kept in perfect health and good
condition, although shut up most OF the
time during the year.
PLowING IN WEEDS.-There may
be some advantages in permitting
weeds to grow on the stubbles, with the
intention of plowing them in, provided
they are not left long enough TO rlpen
their seeds. A bare fallow, in which
the soil is exposed to the sun and rains,
is injurious to the land it is far better
TO have the soil covered with some KIND
of vegetation, if it Is nothing but the
prevalent Summer weeds. Every crop
of weeds plowed in lessons the stock ot
weed seed in the soil, and does so much
toward cleaning the land, If care IS ex-
ercised to bury the weeds before the
seeds are formed. An excellent meth
oil of covering the weeds is, to loop
chain from the plow beam, so that 1t
gathers the strip of weeds on the fur
row and as it turns, drags the weeds
into the furrow, where they are covered
in completely and buried where they
will soon decay and enrich the soil.
THE farmer who attempts to raise
hogs and begins by keeping them until
a wear or more old before attempting to
feed them out for market makes a mis-
take and will find the business, as
rule, improbable. The cheapest pork
is made from pigs that come in the
early spring and are fed out in the late
fall, at about eight or nine months or
age, for market, though 1t may be bes'
ter to have the pigs come IN the late
fall and then feed them out and put
them on the market in the summer
months; as it is generally true that
better average prices can be obtained
in these months than at any other time
HEAVY rains in the principal beaL
growing districts have greatly injured
this crop. Most lots will be uneven III
ripening and be more or less discclored.
Where dirt washes on the pods 1t rots
them. and thus destroys the beans.
For this reason experienced bean grow
ers do not cultivate this crop after
blossoms appear, preferring 10 let beans
and weeds grow together until harvest
rather than to disturb the SOIL Dy pull
ing UP the weeds.
EVERY farmer should, at this season,
look over his stock, and set out for sale
or to fatten what will not be worth IN
spring the cost of wlntering. 1t costs
as much to keep poor horse as good
one, often more, for the old horse Will
eat and need more grain and require
more expense in doctoring. The great
drawback to many farmers who grow
good crops and are successful In othe1
respects Is that they are handicapped
by live stock that does not pay the cost
Of IFS keeping.
The average devoted to the cultiya'
ton of tobacco in the United States, Is
said to have increased from 63S, ,o4l
acres in 1880 to 700, 0,0O0 acres at the
present time, while the product has IN
creased from Az ,66l, 600 pounds to
COO, ,O01, 900 pounds. Until 1870 Vir'
cinia led as tobacco manufacturing
state. Now Kentucky is first. The
late crop of that state IS said to be the
largest ever raised, with the exception
of that of 1877, which amounted to
Isl. .IS4, 900 pounds.
A PIG that won't eat won't fatten
Corn is an essential part of the ration
/ but corn, with something that ap'
proaches green food-as beets, potatoes
pumpkins, boiled vegetables-is better
than corn alone. Don't dump load af
ter load of stuff into the pig yard, ol
! throw corn on tie ear into the pens K
| be trampIed INTO the mud and filth. Il
doesn't fatten it isn't economical.
INDIAN corn or maize IS, perhaps
one of the most economical foods fol
poultry, and has the advantage that
owing to the size Of the corn, sparrow:
are unable to rob the fowls. Pieces Of
bread and vegetables of ali kinds may
be utilized, and scraps OF meat chopped
up rather small are of great value il
feeding fowls shut up in the small yard!
where they are unable to obtain worm!
and insects.
A CONSTANT supply of fresh, clear
water is essential, and a moderate
quantity of green food, such as cauli
flower, cabbage, lettuce, broccoli leaves
and turniD tops should be thrown int
the poultry yard daily, otherwise i
will be difficult to keep the occupants il
thoroughly healthy condition.
]
THE juice of the Bartlett pear is use'
in some diseases in California both TO
food and drink. The invalid first lose
flesh upon it and then gains strength.
OPEN all the drains along the roa,
before the fall rains begin, in order t,
allow the surplus to flow off, and thu
avoid some of the difficulties with bal
roads in winter.
THE soil is the farmers bank, ma
nure draws the checks, and the stoc
grower has the manure.
Experiments are making which seen
to show that cocOanut cellulose can b