Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-01-23
Farm Notes.

A liberal dressing of hard wood ashes,
or, when these cannot be obtained, MUIR
late of potash, on peach trees, is said to
be the best preventive of the yell
lows.
1t has been proved by experimenting
that the yield of milk can be largely in,
creased by warming the water given to
cows during the winter, so as to bring
the water to about sixty-six degrees
Fahrenheit.
In very cold weather it is difficult to
make COWS drink as much as they should.
Giving them a daily small ration of
salt in their feed will increase their de-
mand for drink. When fed partly with
roots or green food, twice watering will
answer. Fattening cattle often drink
but once day.
Although clay is less easily worked
than lighter Soils a good admixture of it
is desirable in growing all kinds of fruit
except peaches and grapes. Even for
grapes a well-drained clay is preferable
to sandy soil. The pear blights less on
heavy soil, perhaps, because they are not
liable to sudden changes in temperature
1t is sometimes advisable to plant an
apple orchard on land 50 stony that it
cannot be plowed, and, indeed, where
holes can scarcely be dug to set the
young trees. 1t is not necessary to dig
hole. Set the trees on the surface and
bring III rich earth from somewhere else
to cover the roots as deeply as needed
| nh mill tIri,yo InE +
in hole.
1t is good plan for farmer to grow
two or three short rows of apple trees,
planting the seeds, grating at the root
the winter they are year old with va
rieties desired. Some of these trees he
will probably wish to plant himself, and
what he has left can readily be sold
to neighbors when the trees are old
enough to plant
The old canes and branches of black
berries are very convenient to cover
strawberries in places where other GOV.
ering would be scratched off by hens
They do not blow off easily, and hens
will not disturb them. Potato tops are good
covering for strawberries, as they con.
tain no weed seed, and they make {
very fertilizing mulch.
1t is true saying that an ANNA
which goes into winter quarters in gooc
condition is already half wintered. Bu
this is in part because an animal in poo
condition cannot be fed unreservedly al
one in good order can. 1t is best will
all stock, when grain feeding is com
menced, to begin very gradually, taking
care not to impair the digestion.
The coarse straw that is apparent,
worthless should not be burned, unless
it contains weed seeds, which may maxi
burning necessary What can be fed t,
stock with grain should be so utilized
The remainder may generally be used a
bedding Even q slight mixing O
liquid or solid excrement of well-feC
stock will make it valuable manure.
Farmers often desire cement tina
will hold substances together unde
water Or in damp places. AS good a ce
ment as can be wished is made as fol
lows: Dissolve one pound of India rub
Der in five gallons of coal naphtha. Adj
an equal weight of gum shelac, and sti
over low fire until the shellac is thor
oughly dissolved. The gum shellac i
naphtha or in water makes stronger mu
cilage than gum arabic. The addition
of the India rubber makes a glue tina
will not be affected by water.
The barrel il the most inconvenien
possible package for apples. 1t is to
large, occupies more room than it shout
in shipping, and finally in the collar
the most inconvenient possible receptacl
FOR examining the fruit. Apples wi
probably continue for time to be sol
in barrels, but farmers putting them i
their own cellars will prefer to keep al
Piles on shelves or in shallow boxel
where they can be easily examined, an
the decayed fruit will be removed.
The green color in potatoes is properl
objected to by consumers, who regar
them as poisonous. They err, howeve
in attributing the green color to ii
poison used in destroying the beetle