The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1886-09-08
farm gotes.
STARCH IN

~
STARCH IN POTATOES.
Starch forms the most important
solid constituent of the potato. In
seasons of abundance large quaint,
ties are used in making starch, ana
this keeps the prices up near starcn
factories. Bakers use potatoes IN
making bread. and it is a decided
improvement, though since wheat
-four has become SO cheap no
saving is effected by using the po-
tato. Only good we'll ripened pota,
Toes abound in starch. Those injured
by the potato bug destroying the
vines are watery and worthless. 1t
is through the leaves of the plant
that the starch is elaborated in the
tuber.
RYE INFERIOR TO CLOVER.
When rye is cut off the greatest
portion Of it's value has gone. 1t has
little root and that is not rich in
fcrtiIizing properties. Notso clover.
It's root is it's most important part
as a manure, reaching down into
the subsoil and Astounding in nitro
gen. But this does not imply that
v is worthless as a fertilizer. 1t
will succeed on land too poor to get
a good clover catch. By growing
a few crops of rye and blowing them
in, enough vegetable matter may be
put in the soil to get a good clover
catch. The after improvements will
not be difficult.
H PRICES OF FRUIT.
Never again will growers get the
prices formerly paid for fancy fruit.
Time was when pears readily sold
for three dollars a bushel in the
orchard, and even higher prices
were often obtained by shipping to
Eastern cities. Pears are now SO
common that 81 a bushel net to
to the grower is considered a good
price, while large quantities not
quite up to the standard are sold at
fifty cents a bushel. And yet prob
ably never before was so much
money made in fruit as now.
Lower prices have compelled fruit
growers to study the best methods
of production and to economize a $
much as possible.
VARIETY OF FEED.
Young calves, especially those in
tended to be kept for COWS, should
be taught at an early age to eat a
great variety of food. Cows worth
anything as mixers are v~oraciou>
feeders and not dainty. This is one
reason why the unexpected cow OF.
the poor man is commonly superior
for milking qualities to the best ina
large herd receiving only ordinary
care. Variety of food is as conduc.
tive to health and appetite for stock
as it is for people. 1t is necessary
from the fact that no one kind of
food is a full ration, and when one
alone is fed heappetite pals because
the food offered does not meet the
requirements Of the system.
VALUE OF A NEW SEEDING.
the remark ola cIear-headed
farmer many years ago that he
would always SOW grass and clover
seed, especially the latter, on grain
in the spring, ven when he proposes
to ploughing and SOW wheat in the
fall. Something might occur to make
it inadvisable to pillow and SOW with
the wheat, and in any event he
thought growing clover worth quite
as much for manure as the seeding
had cost. For keeping over a good
seeding is certainly worth more than
the cost Of the seed. Thus with
grain crops that allow a good Seed
ing there is an additional profit often
overlooked in the preparation for
future successful cropping. Nc good
chance for seeding land should ever
be lost, for frequent seeding is the
surest method of maintaining soil
fertility.
CROPPING WITHOUT ROTATION.