Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-02-03
RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for
Our Agricultural
Readers
Information of Value to the Farmer,
Stock.Breeacr, Housewife, and
Kitchen. N aid.
AGRICULTURE.
Via, y,.yee feeds Ca, 10.

AGRICULTURE.
IJhut THREE feeds Can DO.
Three weeds, of moderate size and
growth, will occupy as mucn ground, draw
us much nutri1nent from it, take in as much
OF the life-givng sunlight and of the food
bearing atmosphere as II good stalk of corn.
1T must be rich and strong soil that can
stand tho full draft of two crops growing
on it at the same time, one of corn and
one Of weeds, and yet stint neither of them.
The rays of sun, SO necessary TO the life
and growth of nearly all vegetation, of all
crops, come to the plants in direct lines,
and ii interrupted by the stalks or leaves
OF weeds, cannot go around them to reach
the corn. The carbonic acid OF the air is
the great supplier of the main portion of
all crops, both stalks, leaves, and roots.
But this carbonic acid exists in very small
quantities in the air, only about one quart
OF it in $500 quarts of air. Air must be
moving quite rapidly to bring in enough OF
this gaseous carbonic acid to supply the
wants of a reAdy-growing corn-stalk. A
whole gallon of the carbenic acid weighs
only ll3 small grains, of which it takes
1000 to weigh pound. Now, if weed
leaves stand along with, or near corn
leaves, they steal away good deal of this
ctTbonic acid that corn leaves want; ana it
is only when the wind is blowing strongly
that enough comes to meet the wants of
both corn stalks and weeds. The practical
lesson of this is that every weed growing
with or near the corn is robbing it of the
very things it wants from the soil and from
tho air, and is also stealing some of it's
needed sunlight.
Sixty to seventy corn-s stalks yield on an
average about bushel of corn. Two hun
dred weeds, on the same ground, use all
the materials that are needed by corn
stalks enough to produce bushel of corn.
He must be poor, slow worker indeed,
who cannot with hoe cut and kill 1000
weeds in day, if he takes them when
small.
The evident lesson from this is, that
after we have used the horse implements
to kill out what weeds we oan without 60
ing down to disturb the young roots of
corn, it will pay grandly to have men go
over the ground with hoes and remove the
last weeds which are left. II one man kills
1000 weeds in day, he has destroyed a
sufficient number Of thieves to steal from
the soil, the air, and the sunlight, which
would support stalks enough to yield ten
bushels Of corn, worth SO or 81. If the
weeds are not large enough and growing
thickly enough to rob the corn of all its
needed earth, Dir, and sunlight, yet every
weed that does grow is doing something 10
diminish the health, vigor, growth, and
ultimate yield of corn.
Brethren, think OF these things, and keep
the hoe going now. Look upon every weed
allowed to grow up as being AZ much a
robber Of your crop as is the thief who
takes it at night out of Your corn crib,
with only this difference, that the weeds
rob the field in open daylight, right be-
fore your eyes, and when you at perfect
liberty to murder them without mercy and
without any formalitv of dragging them
before courts of law.--P 7niYie Farmer.
Farm Notes.
Raw onions, chopped fine and mixed
with the food twice week, are said to be
preventive of chicken cholera.
TIE freshest eggs are heaviest. Placed
in a pan Of water they sink; older egg:
partly sink and stale ones float on the top
PYIErHRUa1 is not poisonous to verte.
brate animals, but little of the dust blown
upon insect of almost any kind is sure and
speedy death.
New EsGhA,SD farmers attribute the
disease known as weak lons in hogs tc
matte trouble which may be cured by active
and continued rubbing. 1t may also be
cured by exercise and fresh air.
A SARATOGA. n. Y. farmer reports that
he keeps crows from pulling the corn by
scattering q few quarts over the field fol-
them 10 pick up, and repeating it if neces-
snry. The crows eat enough grubs and
cut worms to pay for the corn.
RUN green clover, rye, wheat, oats, o,
corn through the feed cutter, set to cut in
half-inch lengths, and feed to fowls con-
fined in yards. This is the soiling system
applied to poultry keeping, and works ad-
mirably, as those know who have tried it
FARMERS do not, as rule, pay suf-
fcient attention to the comparison of re-
suits obtained from different animals. Fol-
instance, one COW will give fyo pounds OF
butter per week; this at 90 cents per pound
for twenty weeks, the average period OF
usefulness during the year. would amount
to $40. Now if another COW yields eight
pounds of butter per week for the same
time at the same price, the result would
be S32, difference of SO or per cent.
on 5000 for the year. And supposing an
other COW to yield ten pounds of butte,
per week at the same price for the same
time, the difference would be S20, OF
equivalent to the interest on $333.5O fol
the year ut E per cent. Improvement OF
the stock is step to improved farming
and the same care should be exercised by
farmers that is exercised by professional
breeders. Telegraph.