The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1886-08-26

| Through mioto that 6y. s.-,
The toilins team move slowly
In rythmic beat,
With patient heads bent lowly,
Their heavy feet
Past fresh-cut burrows clear;
While low waves whisper near, ts-5..-s
And sweet earth-odors here
The salt airs meet.
Dim wings Of twilight hover -
| Der field and sea,
For day 10 past and over; r
And silently,
with weary sense aud sight,
Through wells Of fading light,
The ploughman welcomes night
When rest shall be.
-1he Acddemv.
| STUDY THE SOIL.
There 10 no more important study for the
farmer than careful study Of bis soil. While
soils are composed Of three distinct constituents
sand, clay, hutius-yet these vary greatly In
their composition. All soils as far ss their inor.
ganic materials are concerned, were originally
composed BY the breaking down and decomposi-
| ton Of rock. Sands result from the dccompoei.
ton OF quartz or other rock containing quartz or
silica In some form, and the composition OF each
individual grain Is that Of the rock from which
| 1t is formed.
Soils formed OF granite are among the mort
productive known. Why2 Granite Is composed
Of quartz. feldfpar, and mica. The quartz is
pn!e slick, 40 necessary for proper divisions OF
| soil. Feldspar again consists of Silica alumina.
and potash. Alumina 10 the base Of clay, just
% the metal aluminium IL the base Of alumma,
| alumtna being An oxide OF aluminium, and IL the
Characteristic Ingredient In oil clsye. Without
! 1t soils could not be combined and held together
With too much alumina it becomes too dense,
hard, and impervious both to water and the roots
| Of plsnts.
Humus is any organic matter in process of
cay or in that state when reduced to IN inpal-
pable powder. Prairie soils contain great deal
| OF humus that seems to have been deposited
when tho soil WAS under water or partially 50.
To the fact that these soils, 40 rule, are large
" composed OF clay. are due their fertility and
lasting qualities, the dark color Of this coil being
| due to humue, and also to the effects Of bum
Ing OF the vegetation year after year.
Soils are generally classed ~ sandy. loan
ci:yey, mueky, and peaty, the latter being form
| ed IN marshy land under water. Out. very black
pratrie soilr, containing much clay and v-ge-
| table matter, are often Designated muck dts
ttnct)y clay coil 10 that composed Of pure clay.
Pure sand has no fertility, pure clay cannot be
| ciaesed as fertile, and peaty soils are not fer
careful thorough drainage.
Mixtures OF eand and clay are our noet fertile
| soils. They are classified as loan when they
contain equal volumes Of sand and clay, AZ sandy
loan when about Is per cent is clay. As soils
approach either Of these conditions they are
classed with that to which they relate most
closely.
The province of humus In the soil is two.fold:
to render the soil light and mellow, though ite
principal value IL the power that humus pos
eesses Of decomposiDg and rendering soluble
tho valuable constituents Of the soil, especially
those Of potash With nitrogen.
Humus IL formed by the action OF the air on
solid animal or vegetable matter. in fact, 1t IL a
process Of exceedingly Glow combustion, as
much a. 500 years being considered necessary
to reduce large oak to humus in the natural pro-
gress fdecay. During all this time, however, such
portions a. are gradually converted into humus
are performing their natural functions in the
soil. One Of the most important is the con-
servation OF nitrogen-the most costly, rs it IL
the most easily dispclled Of the organic pro-
ducts. Under the action Of heat and moisture
nitrogen combines with the potash Of the soil,
forming nitrate Of potassa, the common name Of
which is saltpetre.
From the foregoing the farmer may by care
OF his soil, and hence the proper crops to be u.s.
ca, and also the manures necessary to increase
productivcness. A sandy soil may be rendered |
productive by the addition Of clay. Ten per |
cent OF clay will convert it into a sandy losm.
But pure clay cannot be rendered productive
by the addition Of sand. 1t would require at !
least Is per cent Of eand to convert it even to a
stiff clay loem Pure clay freed from nm. |
combined silica consists Of alumina AS, silica |
~, and water 1875 parts in 100. But except in |
rare cases it is not found, except combined more
or lees with free silica, or sand.
BREEDING Br RULE.
In lecture in England on breeding OF cat
tle," Mr.. Mcconnell enunciated the following
sentence. 1.-THE great rule in breeding is that
like produces like and any characteristic Of |
breed becomes more and more defined and con-
spicuous according to it's being repeated and ad-
hered to generation after generation
This rule 10 we'll known among scientific breed
ers, but generally ignored by or unknown among
the rank and file. For whatever purpose. or Of
whatever breed, the rule should be followed.
Cheap croes-road stations. scrub bulls, the racer
breed OF hoge, degenerate sheep, and dunghill
ROSTERS have cost the country untold millions
this might be saved IL farmers would study up
the qualifications necessary to secure the pro-
per form IN the progeny.
Every businessman posts himself thoroughly |
in reference to the goods in which he deals.
Why should not the farmers? How many Of |
them who make stock breeding and feeding an /
essential part Of their labor have paid special /
attention to what constitutes the money value |
Of the stock they breed? As rule, instead Of |
building up. they scatter and mix up blood lines,
thus departing from definite purpose in breed |
ing. Instead intensifying the good qualities of |
come particular excellence in their grades. they |
breed to ''whatevcr IL handy" and thus produce |
what may be termed ':succotash'' In breedin 81
something very good when composed Of green |
corn and butter beans, as an appetizing dish; |
but disastrous to the pocket, when applied to |
the breeding of dissimilar animals, As we'll |
might one expect to continue the excellence of !
these vegetables in the trial to tx hybrid Of |
the two, as to expect excellence in the progeny
of animals the parents OF which held not . char
acteristic sought to be introduced in tho prog
eyn, The extra dollar for the bull or SIS for |
service of the stallion may be many times re.
paid in the calf or tho colt II the farmer has
echooled himself in the proper judgment Of |
stock. !
ARITHMETIC OF BIRDS.
''Csn birds count?' 10 . question that has |
been asked more than oLce. Scotch |
newspaper Of the year 1916 states that carton !
crow, peEceiving a brood of fourteen chickens
under the care Of parent hen on lawn, pick
window and giving an slsrm. the robber dropped
bis prey. In the course Of the day, however.
the plunderer returned, accompanied by thirteen
other crows, when every one seized his bird, and
carried Of the brood at once.
FENCE POSTS.
A farmer stated to the Elmira Farmers Club
that he found the limbs of the White oak much
more durable for posts than the body of the tree
He had tried setting posts erect and Inverted,
but could dnd n~ difference In their durability.
Posts were found to strongest when set In clay
soil beaten compactly about them to prevent the
passage Of water, and to keep them in . uniform
state Of moisture. In gravelly soils, which per-
NIT them to become often water soaked and again
soon dry, they did not last long.
ROAD MAKING.
Wherever q road is made across vet place the
foundation should be made Of rocks; this is q
good way to get rid of the surplus rocks on q
farm. 1t places them where they are we'll out
of the way, and they furnish one of the best ma-
terisls for . road bed that We have: when cover