Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1885-06-06
FARM NOTES.

4 TAhM NOIn'
In times of drought, MANFRED soil con-
tains more moisture than that which
has received no manure, the covering
acting as mulch.
The driven-well patent, which has
been the source of so much troublesome
litigation against farmers, expired on
January IA, and any one is free to drive
a well on his own premises without fear
of prosecution.
A man poled some lima beans with
common, six foot laths, driven one foot
into the ground, and when the vines had
climbed the five foot poles they were
pinched back. Result, more and earlier
beans than ever before.
In blowing, use subsoiler to loosen
the hard pan, or else gradually bring up
the heavy clay by sinking the pillow a
little deeper each year. Another profta-
bic way is to give two plewings, first
bringing the clay to the surface and
throwing it back again.
The best way to market grain is 10
first feed it to cattle, sheep, hogs and
poultry then market them. Two birds
are then killed with one stone. You
get the top Price for your grain, and the
top price for your food supply. and, best
of all, you cut off part of the S6O00000
drain that has formerly gone abroad for
these very supplies.
Aside from the looks of the thing dead
limbs on fruit or other trees should be
promptly removed. Where limbs die
from blight the cutting should be below
the diseased part, or it will spread the
infection. Prompt cutting down to
healthy wood will check most cases of
blight. The saw used should not be APP
piled to healthy trees unless first washed
with carbolic acid and water.
Heavy soils, and those rich in vegeta
BILE matter, should receive frequent light
dressings of salt. 1t does not act directly
as fertilizer except in very rare in
stances, but salt in small doses helps to
dissolve and make available other plant
food, of which heavy soils usually have
an abundance. though not in availa-
BILE condition for use. On land entirely
deficient in vegetable matter, salt is
usually of little benefit.
Every tiller of the soil knows that
vegetation grows best in natural surface
earth, SAYS the Tribune and Farmer,
which is made up of decayed vegetable
matter. The roots of plants rejoice in
deep soil, but send out their feeding
rootlets near the surface and absorb
sustaining elements from the earth and
air. No clay soil from underneath the
surface vegetable mold will feed veg Ia
ton to any profitable extent until it has
been for considerable time exposed to
atmospheric influences.
The most economical food is that
which gives the best results. Fodder
which was left in the field las. fall will
not compare favorably with that which
was protected in the barn. The value
of the food depends upon its care and
preparation, and economy is practiced
by JudiciOus management of the stock
and feeding food that has not lost its
nutritive Qualities by exposure. Even
straw may be made valuable by good
care, and especially if fed in. connection
witn concentrated food.
DR.. Voelcker found that the average
weight of clover roots or an acre was
about three tons and that tais furnished
100 pounds of available nitrogen, the
most stimulating Of all manures. This
is one reason why clover sod plowed
under is such good preparation for a
wheat crop. Why clover sod will not
always bring good wheat is due to the
lack of phosphate, which this grain must
have if anything more than a crop of
straw is to be grown. Farmers who
used to find wheat lodging badly and
not filling after summer fallow now Sc
cure heavy grain crops, with strong
straw, by the Use of mineral fertilizers.