The National tribune., 1886-04-08
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
HOW TO pRUNE.

| have sharp knife III the hands OF an Ignorant
man. Much of the indifference the culture of
the dwarf pear has fallen into came about from
the bad mistakes of ignorant primers 1t is
not at all uncommon to see a dwarf pear tree
with all its young, vigorous growth cut away
nothing but fruit spurs left. All the force is
thus sent into the Towering condition in the
Spring. The trees are mountains of snOwwhite
blossoms; but few fruit follow. judicious
thinning out of weak branches, so as to get a
good form to the tree, is about all the pruning
required. If there is a tendency to produce an
over proportion of fruit spurs, cut out good
portion of them.
The apple often requires pruning when some
what advanced in years. The old stunted
branches should be cut out now and then,
whenever young and vigorous shoot is in
clined to take its place. Peach trees especially
love this sort of pruning The grapevine,
| when trained on lattice work or trelises, is
very liable to have its strong branches at the
end of the vine; and the good primer is over
on the alert to get young strong branch up
from near the ground. When he can get this
he often takes out an older one weakened by
age or bearing, and replaces it with youth and
vigor.
The rule in pruning grape-vines is to shorten
the shoots in proportion to their strength; but
if the advice we have given in former Summer
hints has been attended to there will be little
disproportion in this matter, as Summer pinch
ing of the strong shoots has equalized the
strength of the vine. Those who are following
any particular system will, of course, prune &C
| cording to the rules comprising such system
As general rule we can only say that excel
| lent grapes can be had by any system of prun-
ing; for the only object CT pruning in any case
is to get strong shoots to push where they may
DO desired, or to add to the increased vigor of
| the shoot which pruning suppOses will follow
the act, increased size in the fruit it bears.
| Blackberries, raspberries and currants are
also much assisted by having the weaker canes
| thinned out, and those left shortened fourth
or fifth of their length. Gooseberres need
thinning, but not Observation-Disclosures
Monthly.
| VALUE OF CATTLE IN THE UNITED STATES.
The Commissioner of Agriculture has just
| issued report of the numbers aud values of
| farm animals in the United States and Terri
tories for January and February, 1885, Some
time since semi-otficial list of stock was pub
| lished, in which Texas exceeded all others in
number and value of stock, putting it in that
! State down rs worth $3.50 100000, and Iowa at
| $82O00000. These estimates were for neat
| cattle. Mr.. Colmangive Texas 4.724, 053 head
| of CATTLE worth $665iSS6l. While to Iowa he
accords 3,105,0l9 head, valued at $85, 776, 996,
putting the value of Iowa cattle at $l9,000,000
more than that of any other State or Territory.
| In hogs Iowa is put down with 4,Si9,00S head,
| worth $24, 596, 107, being worth $6,000,0O0 more
| than the hogs of Illinois or any other State.
| The butter makers have been content with
| giving Iowa the credit of having 100000 COWS,
but this report gives it 100000, or more than
| any other State, except New York, which has
1870 300 COWS. O.
| NoTELETs.
| Potatoes require liberal manuring says the
CtItiuator, and will usually pay for the increase
| of manure over the amount usually used.
Truck farmers ON Long Island frequently use
| two car loads Of manure per acre, and some
times from 1000 to LOGO, pounds of phosphate
| in the drill.
There is no "best" bit for horses mouth.
If there was such one there would be no
other used. The kind of bit for any horse must
be determined by use. Try until one is found
that suits horse and driver, and that is the best
for them.
1t pays to build straw barns, for good straw
cannot be put in stacks without great loss,
| even in the best of years Good straw, well
| saved, for feeding to fattening stock which eat
largely of oil meal, cottonseed meal, bran, etc,
| is worth half as much clover hay, and is o
| very necessary component Oh leeu.
| - correspondent of the Michigan Farmer
| tried painting his pear trees with red lead and
| linseed oil, filling up the cracks, giving each
! tree two coats of paint. Those thus treated
have been free from blight while others have
suffered severely. Such remedies, however,
must be tried with caution. Kerosene oil will
| kill peach trees and some kinds of paint con-
tanning it may be injurious to pear trees.
| "A Missouri farmer who has been testing
seed corn from the butt, tip and middle of the
ears for three years past, finds that the corn
from the tips will ripen first, from the middle
next and from the butt last.
Oats and rye are very similar in compost
ton. To make good feed for horses, corn
should be mixed with them. A bushel of rye,
two bushels OF oats, and five of corn, ground to-
gether, will make excellent food.
- Use plenty of plaster in the fowl house and
in the stables 1t is an excellent deodorizer
and absorbs gases and moisture. 1t is very
| cheap and cannot be used too freely.
| A handful of linseed meal fed to each COW
or horse at least three times week will not only
regulate the system and promote health, but
will also loosen the skin and keep the animals
from becoming hide-bound.
| - Black pepper is the cabbage protector says
the Farming World, and the way to apply it is
| to reduce it to very fine powder and dust it
over the plants. Go early in the morning,
while the dew is on the plants, and dust over
each a small quantity and the vermin will
| leave. Prof. Reilly, however, suggests as remedy
| against the cabbage worm the use of ice water
| sprinkled over the cabbage.
| -IfyOn have young calves or colts the time
to commence their education is Immediately
after weaving. Teach them to lead and obey
| the word of command. 1t is the groundwork
| of future usefulness.
| The secrets of successful lettuce culture are
early sowing, rich, well-prcpared soil and CIV
ing the plants plenty of room. The seed should
| be sOwn early because, being small, it must be
| planted shallow and hence cannot endure much
drought, and also because lettuce is cool
weather plant, and so thrivcs better in the moist
and mild weather of Spring than in the dry
and hot weather of Summer.
| 4 Careful experiment and close observation
everywhere show that liberal top dressing sur
| face manuring on most crops-Winter grains,
| meadows and some Spring crOpS-is the best
| mode of applying manures.
| - One Of the most useful, as well as necessary
| things about farm. is to have on hand con-
| slant supply of good oil, and this can generally
be obtained with scarcelyan expense and very
little trouble. For softeping of leather and for
many other purposes few oils surpass meats
| foot, and about the making of this there is no
mystery. The only thing necessary is to boil
| in a kettle as many cattle's feet and hoofs as
| can be obtained and skim off the oil nntil no
! more rises. From the four feet of one animal q
pint of Oil is generally obtained, and IL Is well
worth the trilng cost Of making it.
Many dairies are made profitable by half a
| dozen ponl cows Will the rest only helO to nav