The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-09-16
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
ECONOMY on THE FARM.


money and time. A small workshop should be
put up on the farm, and should be supplied
with such small tools and appliances as almost
any man can handle to advantage. Care
should be taken always not to let things go to
waste, but Immediately put in the one pro-
verbal stitch. There is probably nothing
about the farm that receives less attention
than the harness, and nothing could be kept
more easily in order aud at less expense, with
little trouble. The breaking of one stitch in
the collars or traces If not at once attended to
soon ruins the article. These things should be
mended at once by rivets or stitching.
workshop will also be found a very handy
place in which TO turn to profitable account
many wet days. Here posts may be prepared,
feed boxes made, and thousand and one little
things done which would come in very useful
and save good deal of expense.
PRODUCING LARGE FOWLS FOR MARKET.
Poultry raising is branch of farm economy
which does not receive one-tenth the attention
TO which it is entitled. 1t is rarely ever that
the head of the household takes any special in
terest in this part of the farm work. 1t
is generally left TO the care Of the overworked
wife or the careless children, and yet ii prop
erly managed there can be no doubt that, TAX
| ing the original outlay into consideration
| and the cost OF keeping no stock on the farm
returns such a handsome profit as the chickens,
| turkeys and geese The Farm, Field and Stock
man publishes the following excellent article on
| the subject, which we commend to the careful
consideration of our readers:
"Just in the same manner as our steers are
| produced for the butcher, so may the best
| fowls for market be raised. At nearly all
| our fat-stOck shows the best steers were those
| bred with the native as a foundation. First.
| there was a cross of the ShorthOrn, then the
| Hereford, and something of the black Scotch
| breeds. II we will begin with the large coarse
boned hens. and cross them with Brahma roos-
| ter, we will largely increase the size and add
| hardness The pullets of this cross mated
with Dorking or HoHdan produce fowls much
| larger than either parent, and when the cross
is still carried on and the next generation IS
half Plymouth Rock the result will be bird
that grows very rapidly, is hardy, and will at
| tain the greatest weight possible.
"In experimenting with crosses We used
| pure light Brahma hen with HOudan cock
The chicks were forced in growth in order to
| observe how fast they would grow and how
| quickly they would be made to reach q given
weight, and the result was that they averaged
| two pounds the day they were nine weeks old,
when dressed and ready TO be drawn. The
| weight was such as 10 create doubt, and as a
second experiment. n Plymouth Rock cock was
used with Brahina hen, and the chicks also
reached the weight Of two pounds each when
nine weeks old. The Plymouth Rock was then
crossed on the pullets of the Houdan- Brahma
cross. and at the end OF 10 weeks they weighed
four and One-fourth pounds each. more than
pound for each months growth, the greater
| weight having been made during the last two
weeks. Here was the result of good breeding,
and, we may add, of good feeding, too, for they
| were fed for the purpose Of making rapid
! growth from the start. There was secret
mode of feeding. The chicks were given all
they could eat and received all the attention
possible Of being bestowed"
NoTELETs.
Purchase good implements If you would
have cheap ones.
All mineral manures should be left on OF
very near the surface. They are never bulky
and to pillow them in is TO bury them where
roots of crops will find them so late as to receive
little benefit therefrom. The decomposition oil
barnyard manure under the burrows gives both
warmth and fertility to the roots. But potash
or phosphate buried SO deeply is either soon
washed away or become insOluble and of nc
value.
Wheat is superior to corn for feeding poultry
for eggs The latter is better for fattening.
Green fodder should be fed TO the COW:
night and morning as soon as the pastures fail
There cannot be too many varieties of grass
in fields intended for pasture. BY having diff
ferent varieties which flourish at different
times during the year, constant supply of food
| IS kept up Tor the animals. 1t IS known thai
some grasses wither during warm weather
while others flourish during drought Other
grasses cannot do so well in wet weather, and bS
having all kinds 10 suit all weathers anC
grounds good stand may be kept nearly al
the time
The feeding OF the hogs intended fo
-. N.l. i
now be pushed forward with all possible vigOr
Remember that the animals will take on leSl
much more rapidly during temperate weathe
, than during the extreme cold.
- Care should be taken at this season Of TIT
year that the work OF getting cattle aud sheeI
in a condition to Withstand the rigors of Win
ter is commenced. If they are not in gool
r order when the cold weather commences they
5 will come out in wretched condition in tn
Spring and it will be both expensive and diff
4 cult 10 repair the waste
5 The farmers near Kankakee have mad
an excellent move and one which cannot posi-
bly, fail TO prove of great advantage to them
+ They have opened club-room, where the,
5 may come together and learn prices and com
r pare notes All the best agricultural paper
S are TO be kept Oh file and home and foreigl
1 crops and markets carefully bnlletined.
: A lightning-rod which does not 60 dow
a into the ground far enough to reach perpetua
moisture is worse than no rod at all.
-Geese can be fattened eheaply, as the
will eagerly consume variety of food, but (
get them very Eat they should have grain. !
. goose shOuld not be too fat, as such are objeC
iionAble, but they should be fat enough {
present an excellent market appearance,
Young geese cannot be fed too literally. The
A will not become extremely fat until matureC
, The problem of successful farming consist
q in making the soil constantly increase in fel
4 tiity. The close Ofeyery year should find tn
ground more capable of bearing paying croI
than IL WAS at tho beginning. Profit comes
high fertility and'eKcallent tillage.
Cut down the garden TO the smallest spaC
consistent with the needs Of the family the
IL get it at once in the highest possible state
cultivation, and il will pay far better and Civ
you more satisfactioRn in every way than
much larger piece Of ground imperfect
o titled. .atlI
IS The fattening Of sheep should be con
menced before the grass fails, and half pint
day of grain is Enough for a sheep at frs
They should have roofs or vegetables of son
kind every day.. In three months they ca
bear two quarts of gtslin a day if they Al
brought TO it gradually, and have green foe
,f enough TO keep their stomachs in order. Ma
keiing half fed sla,ep is wasting what you hay
a gwen them. The last few pounds are ii
J. cheapest TO the feederiand add to the value
a, the whole.
It A writer in the Husbandman, who sells h
= butter at high prices, carefully prepares h
II brine. He uses the best dairy SALT and stirs
0. in hot water until it will no longer dissolv
Of When the brine is as strong Ms it can be mad
/ l.. -. 81, q.