The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-02-26
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
PROFITABLE PIGEoN-KEEPINa.

PROFITABLE PIGEoN-KEEPING.
Owing to the immense number of wild pig
cons in this country, few, if any, have thought
of keeping them to any extent for the market
That this can be made profitable in large cities
there is little doubt, as the common pigeon.
like the English sparrow, will forage for itself,
and require little or no feeding, except in the
very depth of Winter.
What is necessary is to fit up pretty large
| garrett or top of barn with nests all along the
sides, with convenient outlet sufficient to let
several pigeons out and in at the same time.
Get a dozen pairs to commence with. keep
| them in and feed we'll till they are used to the
place, when they will return to it, bringing
many stragglers that are not so comfortably
| situated. with them. They will pick up their
food about the streets, and not cost anything
| for keep, while as they breed all the year round
| except while moulting, regular supply OF
! squads for the market can be got. Boys could
manage them, and would enjoy the business
and if you had large enough flock dealers
would come and get them regularly.
We remember a case in point in Scotland.
Our father had moved into larger and more
| commodious premises for his business. AS a
| ool-boy Giving in the country, we went
! there to eat our lunch. In wandering over the
premises, we discovered that the garnet had
been fitted up by some former occupant as a
pigeon house, where they had been accumulat-
| ing, without anyone to Interfere with them, for
years There were at least hundred pairs,
and any number of young in all stages OF
| growth. 1t proved a perfect SCHOOL, boys bo-
nanza as we could sell on the average dozen
pairs of squads every fortnight at fair prices
! to the dealers, who came for them. This was
! upward of so years ago. and as things do not
little doubt that the pigeonhouse is still in full
| blast.-Erchange.
PEAS FOR STOCK.
Prof VIM Brown, of the Ontario Agricultural
College, has repeatedly declared that peas form
a cheaper and better food than does corn for
| stock. Others who have experience assert
the same; yet very few peas have ever been
| fed in the United States. Farmers in Northern
Illinois say that peas cannot be raised profitaby
! in this climate; but several varieties of garden
peas flourish here Is it not possible that this
matter has not been sufficiently tested, and
that stock owners are neglecting profitable
| food crop when they ignore the pea? Those
| who have practical experience in growing peas
and in feeding to stock will confer a favor
| upon many farmers if they will give an account
of that experience. The points of special in
| tercst would be the cost of growing the peas,
| the value of the vine and the seed in feeding,
| and the best methods known to them for grow
| ing and feeding the crop. Skillful professors,
! experimenting with all the advantages of State
| appliances chemists, who have analysed the
pea and its vine, and successful feeders and
| breeders in Canada and Great Britain have
| found peas satisfactory crop. They have been
| tried in the United States, but the fashion has
| been to grow corn as almost the only grain crop
| for feeding animals Corn. however, produces
a large quantity of fat, which has Been con-
sidered the chief object i'll feeding But people
| are learning that fat is not desirable food in a
| climate SO temperate that of this country.
Nutritious tender, juicy flesh, free from an
| excess of ttllow or lard, is wanted for food.
| The demand for meats of this description will
| grow stronger year by year. 1t will require
! and cause a marked change in methods OF feed
| ing in this country. Flesh forming foods for
stock will be wanted, and fat-producing grain
will be in less demand than now. Peas are
among those flesh forming foods. Will it not
be well for the American farmer to be pre-
pared tosupply the requirements of the markets
for beef and mutton and pork of high quality,
but not fat 20 lticogo Tribune.
SHELTERS FOR CATTLE.
The loss of cattle the past Winter from Ill
feeding and want Of shelter has been much
larger than usual. One hundred, thousand
head, valued ut so each, would bosequal TO
! $i,000,000. How much rough but sufficient
shelter could be provided for this sum! More
| is permanent one, and needs net to be re-
! pcated yearly, while the loss is annual and is
continually repeated Nevertheless, stock
owners neglect to provide shelter aud a small
quantity of feed for their herds. on the old
| fashioned principle, it is to be presumed, that
in the Summer these are not required, and in
| the Winter it cannot be done. And SO il goes
on year after year, the losses and waste being
| paid for by the public who are charged eXorbi-
tant prices for meat, to enable the herdSmen to
| divide large profits and to stand the enormous
yearly losses.
NoTELETs.
That grass is the most profitable farm crop,
| taking one year with another, is evident to
those who have investigated the subject. The
value of three-acrc field of oats one year was
about S!5. The land was seeded to grass, and
the hay taken from the same field next year
was worth as much. The cost of growing and
marketing the oats was more than three times
that of the hay, saying nothing about the value
Of the fertilizers used and allowing that each
crop received an equal benefit from them. But
in order to grow the best grasses we believe
that land should be worked over and reseeded
every few years. BY blowing more and cult
waiting thoroughly more grass will be raised, as
well as an abundance of other crops.
PLANT your pium trees close about yonr
house and barn, and plant them close together,
not mere than 10 or II feet apart You can
then shake them readily in curcuiio time and
every year get load of fruit. Never ALLOW II
black knot to romain week after ii - discoy-
cred. If the branch is small, cut it off six
inches below the knot. If the branch be
large, cut deeply in and shave il wholly out.
- Every crop we grow upon our farms makes
its demand for lime, and if our crops are to be
produced IN a uxuriant condition, and If we
are to secure abundant produce there must be
a sufficient supply existing in the soil in con-
dition ready for acting as plant food. For this
purpose lime is quite ready after it has served
all lis other duties.
-Swindlers, the Massachusetts POpghmGa re-
marks, a rule contine their operations to
farmers who do not attend clubs or read agri.
cultural papers.
Horses should be bedded with chaff OF
iinely-cut straw. This will absorb the liquid
droppings better than uncut straw will. The
manure in this fine condition will ierment verv
rapidly, and with a very little heating viii be
ready 10 spread evenly on the land. If horses
are bedded with coarse straw the fermentation
| will be uneven. Some parts of the heap will
be dried up and " iirefangei," while the coarse
straw is not in good condition for spreading.
= Sorghum blades as fodder, cured or green
are said to be rclished by cattle, though they
do not relish the cured article as we'll as they
do the green blades
"A horse with high ridge on the top Of
his head will be very bal1y unless carefully
treated. This ridge is located on the phrenologi
cal bump of firmness, and in the horse, at least
| this indication is to be avoided. A horse
broad in the forehead will be generally intelli.
cent and kind Those eynerinucrd in ind zinc