The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1886-05-05
THINGS O r KNOWING.
Farmers Friendly

Rotten cOrncObs are said to be
a valuable fertilizer on any soil that
is deficient in potash, and their value
is much enhanced by being rotted
with other manure. Save your cobs
and mix them with refuse.
"A single rat will destroy hun
dreds of young ducks and chicks.
Put chloride Of lime in their holes.
If this cannot be done the rat must
be caught, ven if the poultry house
must be removed in order to do 50.
Calves that are to be kept for
dairy purposes should be trained
from birth with this in view. They
should be petted and kept gentle by
constant handling and management,
and be accustomed to the use of hal
tiers, etc.
When a tree is to be transplant
ed never leave more branches than
are wanted for mains, four or five at
most never grow a mass Of unnec
essary limbs to be crowding, which
must be cut out afterward, much to
the injury Of the tree remove them
from the head at first.
1t is safer to feed fowls upon a
board floor that can be frequently
cleaned, than upon a dirt floor or in
the yard, where they are liable to
take into their crops unwholesome
particles of old droppings that may
adhere to the food.
Washington country, Pa, is said
to be the largest woolgrowing coun-
ty in the Union, and produces an
nually $500, 900 to 5000, 900 pounds
Of wool, worth in cash $1,000 900 for
the wool alone, besides the sale of
fine sheep for breeding purposes, and
mutton, sheep and lambs for the
meat market of the East.
"A very complete filling for open
cracks in floors may be made by
thoroughly soaking newspapers in
paste made of l pound of -four, 3
quarts of water and l t%easpoonful of
alum, thoroughly boiled and mixed.
Make the final mixture about as
putty, and it will harden like paper
mache.
-"AlI flesh is grass" is a true
saying. The various kinds of farm
stock that derive their food from the
grass is beefsteak, mutton, etc. More
than this the cereals belong to the
kgrass family. Botanists reckon
\wheat, oats, barley, rye, rice and
corn as such. So man feeds upon
grass directly or indirectly.
Give your chicks meat scraps
three times a week in their soft
food, and keep plenty of fresh, clean
water for them to drink. Milk in
alp shapes is excellent for them.
II eep them free from lice if you
want them to be we'll and grow rap
idly. The pure breed varieties are
nj lore healthy than mongrels, and a
much larger per cent. Of the chicks
reach maturity.
Winter plants are liable to fire.
qlent attacks from insects. The red
spider is an annoying little pest, APP
pdaring in large numbers on the
stems and under side of leaves. We
have found a solution Of tobacco wa
tex sprinkled over the plants, follow
ed by the use Of sweet Or kerosene
oil, gently rubbed on the leaves and
stems, to be a most effectual remedy.
ESince it is we'll known that i'm
pure water produces fevers, dysen-
terry and other fatal diseases in man
kind, it is a fair inference that bad
water is not good for farm animals,
Especially for dairy ows Bad wa
ter will make bad and unwholesome
milk. A cow ought not to drink
Water that is not palatable and
wholesome for her owner.
Zone hundred pounds of honey
is bot a large yield for a strong col
only Of bees in an ordinary season,
but it is as much as a small family
will use in a year. A successful
be&keeper would not think he was
doing extra we'll to clear sixty dol
la1f a season on a half dozen strong
colonies. A day laborer could take
care of this number of colonies with
oft hardly feeling the time it would
Jequire. One man can care for a
HUNDRED colonies in the busiest e a
on, and during the most of the year
they require almost no attention
whatever.
A small piece of resin dipped in
xuator which iS nlaco6 in q vessel on