The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1886-11-10
farm 9ons.
COVERING FOR STRAWBERRIES.

with weed seeds, besides being in
the way in the Spring. Potato tops
are free from weed seed, and by
Spring much of their substance will
be washed down into the soil, max
ing a fertilizer rich in potash.
KEEPING BETS THROUGH H WINTER.
Beet roots are commonly too dry
if kept in al ordinary cellar. They
shrivel and lose equally in weight
and value unless some dirt is mixed
with them and thrown over them
to exclude drying air. Again, the
temperature must be kept only a
little above freezing, or they will
sprout and grow before Spring.
FATTENING FOWLS.
Too long feeding is a common
mistake in fattening fowls for mar
ket. 1t takes off the profits when a
shorter time will answer If kept
in a dark place and stuffed with all
they can eat they will fatten in
twelve days or two weeks, and if
this is continued much longer they
begin to grow poor again. Those
to be kept over should never be
subjected to this fattening or rather
stuffing process.
KEEPING APPLES UNDER WATER.
While many agricultural ex-
changes are advocating dryness as a
means of keeping apples it is a fact
that they have been successfully
preserved till late in the season
under water, but at a temperature a
little above freezing. Too much
warmth is worse for apples than
moisture. But TO keep well in a
damp place apples must be free
from bruises the slightest Of which
will induce rot.
HOME CONSUMPTION OF CORN.
No kind Of grain, and excepting
hay, no other farm crop, is so gen
orally consumed on the farms where
grown as is corn. 1t is a ration for
every kind of farm stock, and in
many places is an important part
of the food of the farmer and his
family. We r increasing our ex-
ports of corn, asthe people of Europe
are learning its value, but to do this
must increase the quantity grown
as it's use here is never likely to be
less than it is at present.
INSIDE FAT OF ANIMALS
Much of the of feeding
animals may yet be known to the
butcher by examining their insides
after killing. Those which have
most fat on their intestines have
been fattened after a prolonged
period of starvation at some earlier
period Of their lives. Fat in this.
position is natures mode of provid-
ing ]sustenance against a time when
food is scarce, which as it has oc-
Cured once in the animals expert
ence is presumably likely to
again.
CARROTS FOR HORSES.
The best Of roots for the horse in
Winter is the carrot. Enough
should be provided to give two or
three messes a week, though where
they are plenty a still better plan is
to feed some every day with oats
or other grain. the ration Of which
may be proportionately diminished.
To buy them they are generally as
dear as oats, but may be grown for
much less cost, a good crop Of car
rots yielding 200 to 600 or 800
bushels per acre, according as the
small or large varieties are grown.
LEAcHED ASHES.
Ashes which have been leached
often contain much fertilizing value.
In phosphates they TX sometimes
richer than the unleached, from the
fact that phosphate in ashes is not
readily soluable. But this inert
phosphate is Of little value. ,Occa-
sionally, however, old leached ashes
have been SO long in places where
they have absorbed nitrogen hat
they have formed nitrate of potash,
which is one Of the best fertilizers
known. Such ashes, whether leach
ed or not, are very valuable.
GATHERING PPLES. tt
Though apples should be picked
rather than shaken from the rec
some will undoubtedly fall while
gathered. The removal Of all
from under the tree orspread-
q bod Of ctram Miu nnoront