The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-07-19
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
STACKING Hay AND STRAW.

fore it is desirable to stack. Stacks should be
put up by those having experience, and such
men command in most farm districts extra
wages, and are hard to get even then. 1 would
advise every farmers boy to learn to stack, and
this can only be done by going on the stack
with one who understands his business, and
learn of him by following his advice, and, after
some days work spent thus, making a small
stack all by ones self. 1t may be failure as
| far as beauty is concerned; yet, if the attempt
| is persevered in, success viii come at last
l well remember the first one l put up
I got along well enough until near the top
when it took to leaning at an angle of about 45
degrees, and then propped it up for the night
| being assured it would settle straight by morn
| ing. In the early morning got up only to find
| it leaning worse, if anything, the other way.
then took it down and put it up again under
| the guidance of an experienced stacker, for
which advice l paid some 81, and though it
was laughed at for being out of shape, and
some said it looked dreadful, yet it answered
| the purpose-it shed the rain, and when hauled
away in Midwinter very little damaged hay
| could be found. From that day to this, when
ever necessary I do my own stacking and rick
ing of hay and straw, and can, therefore, COM
mand my own harvesting; whereas if ignorant
| of the art for it is an art / would be at the
mercy of some one who, if he had the will,
| could stop all farm work, and that in the bust
| est season.
An old man taught me, and cannot do bet
| ter than give it as near as / can in his own
| words: Choose ground for q stack that is high
and will carry Off the water readily; get three
good logs from the woods 10 feet long, lay these
level upon the ground three feet apart; have
some 30 or 40 fence rails, set one rail deep in
the ground aud lay the other rails in a circle
around this rail-thus the hay will be off the
ground, which will give free access to the air
and keep it from molding at the bottom. Now
start the stack; set two good forkfuls next to
the right rail, and so on on courses until the
| limits of the rails reached, which will make
an even circle Always commence stacking in
| the center and work outwards, and keep the
center full and well trsmped. The stack should
look like the appearance of an umbrella when
shedding rain, and it is built in precisely the
T same principle. When high enough and well
rounded large canvas is thrown over it and
it is allowed to settle for day or so, and if it
has been well made according to these direct
ions, 1t Will settle pretty straight. 1t is then
topped off with good, long hay, handed up in
small forkfuls to the stacker, and when finish
ed, tied down by two wires running from the
! ground over the top of the stack in opposite
directions These wires keep the top in place
and the hay top cannot blow of, and it will
keep thus IN good condition for long time.
By having rail to set up in the center the in
experienced has guide to follow, and even to
the experienced one it is of great help.
We find it much better TO stack only one
stack in place, and if necessary to have sew
eral stacks in the same field; to have them
situated SO far apart that in case of one being
set fire by lightning from any other
cause, only one stack will be lost, whereas, if
built in a stack yard, all would go, and thus
cause quite loss. Hay can be stacked much
greener than it can be put in the barn, if pIen-
ty of salt is spread in layers about halfa bushel
! to load.
Grass that has great many weeds in it can
be cut before the weeds mature their seed, and
: can be stacked using plenty Of salt, and a
most toothsome hay will be found ready at
hand in the cold Winter months for all kinds
4 of stock.
Straw at the time of thrashing should be
stacked or ricked in the very best manner as
: it is not only a very valuable product of the
a farm for bedding but if nice and bright, will
astonish those unacquaintedwith the art offeed-
ing how cattle, though having an abundance
of the best hay and grain, will, when allowed
liberty, eat large quantities of straw.
Straw ricks, after they have settled suffi-
9 GENTLY should be retopped and then well
d combed down, and if day or so is spent thus
/ it will pay all that it costs during the Winters
feeding. 1t Is pleasure to drive through 6
farming community where these seeming
little things are looked after and taken in hand
in time; and if we would look little further
we would invariably find that it is Just such
farming that pays.-BaltimOre american
GOVERNMENT GRASS GARDENS.
The proposition to establish Government ex
A perimeutal grass gardens in view of the fac
;. of the Importance of the grass crop as an agri
=. cultural product, is one that ought to NEE
a with general approval. So far as our expert
4 ence goes there is general want of knowledge
3 among farmers regarding the various grasse
T. which might be brought into more general use
Save few of the more common and well
established varieties. but little is known, no
can they be distinguished one from anOthe
either by any common or botanical name Tht
trouble arises from the difficulty in determin
ing varieties by means OF the descriptive tex
or illustrations Of even the best works upoI
grasses. We do not wish to dispaYage de
tract one particle from either of the severa
valuable works upon grasses or forage crops
because they are very important works bu
are not at all calculated TO instruct the average
farmer as well as by means of an object lesson
Let any farmer or farmers boy have pointed
out to him, and the peeuliarities explained, o
almost any variety of grass growing and ma
tuTed upon natural sod and he will remem
Der il and be able to recognize it when he see
1t again; but put in his hands book contain
ing perfect description, and accompanied b.
an illustration true to nature, and let him stud
it carefully, and the chances are ten to on
that he will fail TO recognize it when growing
Farmers depend very much upon object les
sons, and in this matter of grass there is al
70 important field open. The Agricultural Elk
- pertinent Station of Connecticut has establishe
Il garden of the kind proposed and an increase
b. interest is being felt in the matter. We fee
el confident that il similar could be so estab
j. lished as to be accessible to only the few farm
ers who have the word progress for their motto
the influence would become widespread au
result in attention beRg paid to the cultivation
of the better kind of grasses TO the exclusion G
many of the poorer varieties of forage.-GeI
DlantoDcn Telegraph.
NOTES.
The borers in apple trees should be Gu
out. When all the grubsl have been taken GU
smear the stem with agthick puddle of clay
lime and COW dung, th3enough carbolc aci
in it TO give it sensible 6dor. This will driv
the beetles whichf are the parents of tn
borers away and save the trees. Grass an
d. weeds should also be removed from about th
trees fG 81
The Cincinnati Gaztste says: "To cur
gapes in young chickens do not wait until til
victims begin to gape, bus when they begin t
sneeze put the whole brood into close box.
mean ordinary soap box. Put in a he
- fl