Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-06-05
AGRICULTURAL.
SUMNER SOILING.

SUMNER SOILING.
American Agriculturist: In mid
summer it Is rare to find, in most sec
tons, anything like fresh pasturage
unless the summer be q wet one. IL
mich cows be allowed 10 fall off at this
time they will not be able to recover
full fow later in the season, even II
full pasturage is abundent. The best
evidence that summer soiling will help
to bridge over the dry months and
guarantee q good supply OF milk
through the summer, is the fact that
farmers who have tried soiling on a
small scale are ready to repeat it on a
larger n
The principal objection to soiling is
the extra labor it entails; but we be-
lieve that the economy in feed and in
manure, whore cattle are kept in the
stalls and yard, will more than offset
the cos 10 the extra labor. OF course,
there should be some system in the
time and method Of gathering and
feeding ~tlesoiling crop, and if for a
dairy Of twenty-five or thirty cows n
mans time will be necessary to do the
cutting and feeding. in connection
with other attentions to the stock and
stables. At the comparatively low
wages at which such q one could be
hired, the expense would be very
slight.
CROPS FOR SOILING.
The best crops for soiling are rye,
clover, or lucerne (also called alfalfa),
oats and peas are sown together, and
corn; the succession will be in about
the order here named. Rye, sown the
preceding fall, will surely be ready to
cut by the latter part Of May, and il
corn be own early in the same month
it will follow on after oats and grass,
and il sown thereafter at intervals of a
fortnight or SO. there will be a supply
until frost. Each subsequent sowing
will require a slight increase Of seed.
The quantity of rye sown per acre
should Re about two sushels. and the
soil should be rich. 1t is we'll to pillow
land on which corn is to be sown in
the fall, then harrow it about the mid
die of April and prepare at once for
sowing. Ii no manur is ready for the
corn and commercial fertilizers are
used, SOW about 500 pounds to the acre
in the burrows. Burrows should be
marked out two and a half or three
feet apart. or if the d%ouble-row system
is followed, SOW two rows about six
inches apart and then leave a space of
about two and a half feet or more, for
cultivation, between the double rows.
In n respect, at least, corn is more
valuable than any other crop for soil
ing, as it can be fed in a green state
from midsummer until frost comes.
One advantage the crop Of oats and
peas is, that it is of quick growth and
can be worked in between other crops
and got out of the way. and it will
leave the land ready for turnips or
fodder corn. About three bushels of
oats and two of peas to the acre, sown
broadcast are proper. This crop,
raised Tor fodder purposes, is one not
often enough grown by our farmers to
have it's real value appreciated.
THE CROPS.
All green crops for soiling should be
cut from twelve to t%wenty-four hours
before feeding in order that they may
be wilted. They have better effect on
the COWS both as regards quantity of
milk and as being then less liable to
bloat them. A bushel basket twice a
day is about the regular ration for a
COW unless in full milk, when a little
more may be given. Too much should
not be given at the outset, however.
Stock must get used to it gradually.
Special ARE is always necessary at the
time of change from dry to fresh feed,
and this applies also to turning cattle
upon fresh pastures after winter aud
spring of dry feed. 1t Is n good plan
to cut some hay and straw with green
rye TO prevent blOat when first begin
ming the season of soilingl AS stock
becomes accustomed to the green feed,
they may be given all they will eat up
clean.
SMALL YORKSHIRE SWINE.
American Agriculturist: These pigs
are called small, as has been before
explained in the American Agricultur-
ist, not because they are not of good
size but because they are not large and
coarse like the Large Yorkshire"
Pigs that a be made to weigh from
800 to 400 pounds at nine or wen
twelve months old are really not small,
and those are no unusual weights
among good feeders. The breed has
been growing in Importance in the
United States for a number of years,
and is championed by the american
Small Yorkshire club" which pub.
fishes q register of pedigrees. The
pigs are all white, have small bones
and offal, have very short faces-in
fact, the nose is almost eliminated.
The body is both long and deep. the
skin thin and we'll haired. the hams
and shoulders of excellent shape and