The National tribune., 1886-03-18
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
SELECTION OF GARDEN SEEDS.

SELECTION OF GARDEN SEEDS.
It is now time that farmers should attend to
obtaining their garden seeds and procure such
as have not been saved from the garden. There
are certain seeds, such as beans, cucumbers and
some Others that can be saved from the gardens
for time but the best results can only be OBJ
tanned from the occasional change that comes
from the purchase of new seeds. That portion
of the farm devoted to gardening purposes
should be made the most profitable portion, and
| surely can be by proper management; but this
will not be accomplished by the use of poor
Seeds such as have been saved from the garden
itself or have been procured from some unre-
liable source and of doubtful quality. With
the flood of seed catalogues with which the
country is deluged, there ought to be no great
difficulty in making satisfactory selection of
all seeds required to plant a garden of the most
approved character. The question may occur
to the minds of some, Why not grow your own
seed -? This may answer fairly well, if there
is care made in the selection of the parent
stock. But no individual on small scale can
succeed as we'll as those who make business
of seed production, and who are supposed to
injure the seed. Perhaps the professional seed
growers are not as careful as they ought to be-
but with the present extended competition in
the seed business, there must be reasonable
honesty manifested i'll the putting up of seeds
or soon the occupation would be gone. All
dealers gladly distribute their catalogues, and
with supply of these at hand selection of
all that is desirable can be made without any
difficulty; and with the ease that all orders are
filled by mail, the best seed stores that the
country affords are brought. as it were, to the
farmers door. But the selection should not
be delayed too long, SO as to necesSitate too
hasty action, as this might result in making
selections that are undesirable, and little
error in this direction will often make a vast
difference in the amount and value Of pro-
duct.-Germant0Un Telegraph.
HOW To TELL THE AGE OF SHEEP.
Almost every farmer can tell the age Of
horse by his teeth but we doubt whether the
same can be said in regard to sheep. 1t is said
that the ages of the two animals can be deter
mined in the same manner, and we quote the
following in regard to the matter from an ex-
change: "a sheep has eight front teeth which
make their appearance during the first year,
when they are of small size. The following
year the two middle teeth are superseded by
others of larger size. During the third year
two other small teeth, one on either side, are
shed and their places are filled by larger ones.
This makes four large teeth in front, fanked
by two pointed ones. The fourth year the
large teeth are six in number; and only two
small teeth remain, one at each side. These
disappear during the sixth year, when ali the
teeth are large. After this time the age cannot
DO definitely determined, but the condition of
the teeth enables an experienced person to
make close guess Signs of wear are generally
visible during the sixth year, and during the
seventh year, sometimes earlier, the teeth begin
80 Gil atyn,, nf4o ntxy
NoTELETs.
The Kansas State Veterinarian estimates
that the value of the swine which died from
cholera in 1886 is over 100000.
= The Texas Lire Stock Journal is authority
for the statement that gentleman advertised
for 900 lambs, and requested answers to be sent
to that Office. Only one reply was received.
Shecpmen will hold their lambs.
They have goose farm in Massachusetts,
of sixty acres, where geese and ducks are fat
tened for market Some 10000 goslings are
Matched each year and grown into geese to be
eaten.
The man who drugs bis horse to make his
hair sleek and "shiny" shows little sense. The
best means to keep the coat glossy is careful
and daily grooming. This with plenty of oats
and water and an occasional bran mash, is all
the horse needs when in health. The arsenic
groom should be discharged.
- The shepherd should breed for size. weight
of fleece evenness of distribution over tho body,
for length OF staple and finenesS, for vigor,
healthfulness and constitution, and IS a result
he will soon have flock of large, thrifty sheep,
which will yield him each season feeces of the
highest merit.
If you have good farm horse, keep him.
The difficulties in the way of securing good
horse cannot be realized until the animal is
really required and attempts are made at pur-
chasing. But few horses are exempt from de-
feet of some kind.
"A hill of raspberry plants, after being
trimmed in the Spring, should only have three
or four canes, about three and half feet high
and nearly one inch in diameter at the base,
each cane having few side spurs about 10
inches long.
1t is not advisable to run q pillow through
an orchard, as the roots of the trees may be cut
and hacked to pieces so greatly as to do injury.
light cultivator may be of service, however,
as by its use weeds and rank grass may be kept
down.
At discussion among the New York hor-
ticulturists the opinion was expressed that
many nurserymen grow their trees too fast;
that Iow-branched trees are healthiest and
best; that the land should not be manfred
when the trees set that grease or blood
put on to keep away rabbits attracts the mice.
-Turnips and other roots may be fed once a
day to cows very uSefully. The best way of
low box with a sharp-edged spade. and then
sprinkle them with cornmeal or middliugs,
adding little salt. A heapng shovelful is a
good feed for a COW. This feed may be given
to milking cows twice day, either immedi-
ately before. or after milking. so as to avoid
tlavoring the milk disagreeably. AS a rule,
mangels better for cows than turnips on
account of the greater ease of growing them
and the absence of the strong flavor of the
turnips.
Nothing will purify and keep stable so
free from odors as the free use of dry EARTH
and every one keeping horses or cattle will
find it pays to keep heap of it at hand. to be
used daily. few shovelfuls of earth scattered
over the floor after cleaning will render the
air of the apartments pure and wholesome
The value of the seasons manure pile may be
largely increased by the free use of such alb
sorbents. The strength of the gases and liquids
absorbed is retained, and is the very essence OF
good manure.
Practical experience clearly demonstrates
II 4 Ia