Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-09-04
FARM AED GARDEN.


One of our best farmers proposes to
adopt oats and peas rs a substitute, in
part, for corn. He wants Il crop, he
says, that can be sown with u drill and
cut witt. Il reaper and threshed with n
steam engine, and is off of the land
early enough to be followed by winter
wheat. For sheep, the straw from
oats and peas makes excellent fodder.
And if you get II heavy growth it
smothers the weeds and leaves the land
cleaner for wheat than an oat or barley
stubble. | have grown oats and peas,
and | think highly of the crop; and if
our corn should continue to be us pooC
as it has been for some years pad
many farmers like my friend, will be
inclined To plant less corn. and SOW
more oats and peas.
If we do this, We shall have to keep
more sheep and fatten them in winter,
or raise more fat lambs. Those farm
ers who keep large ilocks of sheep, cs-
pecially of the mutton breeds, find that
they need more pasture, and we shall
have to seed our land more frequently
to grass and clover, and keep it down
longer. This, while wheat is so low
and labor SO high, is by no means n
disadvantage. If red clover should
fail, when sown so frequently, we can
SOW Alaska and white clover occa-
Sionally.
now TO SUCCEED WITH FOWLS.
Success with fowls kept exclusively
for their cggs. is aained only by con
slant care for their cleanliness and
comfort. They must nave IA variety of
food. Il good, large run, with opportu-
nifty to exercise, or bc forced TO take
exercise ia scratching for their feed. rs
upon Il floor covered with chaifed
straw. Thry may be kept safely in
ilocks OF seventy to 100, bat the larger
the flock the more danger there i, from
disease and from thieves. Ihe free
use of crude carbolic acid j. Il great
safeguard. Ii may be applied in saw
dust or clay. the dry material being
moiStcnpd bS the carbolic acid thor
oughlv stirred into il. The less of the
carbolic acid that is used the better,
provided that every particle Of Sswdust
or of dry clay has its quota. The dis
infcctant thus prepared, may be used
in the nests, in the busting box, upon
the floors. under the roots. etc. 1t is
fatal alike to parasites and TO tendency
to disease in most cases. 1t cannot be
depended upon in dirty houses, for
~fcrmcnting manure, receiving fresh adj
ditions constantly, will oyerpower al
most any disinfectant that could hc
safely used.
BY spading or blowing up y portion
Of the runs frequently, fowls gain
hcalthful exercise and find Il few grubS
and worms. and with breeds Of fowls,
which are active 10y nature. exercise
means eggs. and incidentally. perfect
beaith.
LOOK L o SEED CORN NOW.
II is no eXaggeration to say that mill
ions of dollars are lost every year from
planting seed corn that will not grow.
We tested "A number of samples last
spring, of corn of our W growing,
and from some of the best farmers in
the neighborhood, and did MOI find one
that was uniformly good. Some of the
ears from the outside of the crib would
be poor. Farmers would say: IL know
good seed corn when ! see it, and will
warrant this to grow but on testing
it, more than half the kernels would
not terminate.
The trouble is not due so much to
Immaturity rs TO the careless method
Of gathering and keeping the corn. II
the corn Is thoroughly dry when pat in
the crib. and afterwards kept dry, the
chances are that it will prove good.
The growers of seed swcet-cOrn, late
varieties of which are exceedingly d:lii-
cult To cure properly, build racks on
which the ears are spread out for sew
cral days or weeks. There is Il general
impression that corn for seed should be
l'il 9lON NY III III - luoTbuIHiN mat
Hged. This is a mistake. Practically,
It is far safer TO cut corn for seed very
early and let il ripcn in the shock. thAA
to run the risk Of having it nipped -
an early frost. or of having the curing
delayed by the shorter days and damp
weather Of the late season. The first
point is to get the corn thoroughly dry
before putting in the crib. And then
the crib should be very narrow and with
open Stats ut bottom and sides and a
good wide roof, to keep of driving rains.
If all these conditions cannot be- secured.
the only way we can be sure of good
seed corn IS f. select the bes. ears and
leave the hus6s attached to the butts and
tie them mp in traces and hang the
traces IN IN airy barn or room for the
winter. The few farmers who had such
corn last spring, could get their "
price for il.
Ladies at the English Horse Races.