The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-07-12
OUR RUR4L TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
LATE POTATOES.

LATE POTATOES.
If there ever was any force in the old maxim
that it was a good time to plant potatoes in
Z" the old of the moon in june" it is in recent
times hardly safe to follow. Results of the
past two years point directly to the advsn-
tages of early planting. Although the potato
is a crop that requires dry ground, it is not
one that can resist the effects of drought. 1t
is, in fact, one that requires a good degree of
moisture for its best development. And since
the experience of the past few years has shown
that the tendency is to have dry weather from
July on for time, and that potatoes planted
late have been unable to resist the effects, and
have proved almost failure, it is not good
policy to defer the planting until too late, but
rather plant as soon as the soil is in suitable
condition to work, and then plant deep
enough, so that there will be sufficient moist
ure in the soil to furnish the amount required
by the crop. If planting is deferred till late
in June, and the crop is planted at an average
depth, the natural evaporation going on will
deprive the same of its required moisture
Germantown Telegraph.
WATER STORAGE.
At that season of the year when the heated
term commences and water fails in streams,
and crops are parched and withered, and the
thought comes of the amount of water that
has fallen upon and run to waste from the sur
face of the dry field, there comes to mind an
excellent reason for the adoption of the " New
Agriculture" as introduced by Mr.. Cole, of
New York State, and which has for its basis
the saving, and using at the time when needed,
of the surplus water. Even surface irrigation
is productive of wonderful results, and we have
no reason to doubt the effects that might be
felt by the introduction of such system as
would provide a supply of moisture at all times
to the roots of plants as they spread themselves
throughout the soil. The aforementioned course
is the main principle of the New Agriculture y;
but the question arises whether the expense
required TO form these subterranean reservoirs
is warranted, or whether as satisfactory results
may not be obtained by much less expendi-
ture in the forming of surface reservoirs that
will serve nearly as good purpose. a regu-
lated amount Of water is inestimable in all ag-
riCultural operations. Exchange.
CORN sTEyER.
Bulletin No 3 of the State Agricultural Ex-
| pertinent Station, comprising 16 pages, is de-
/ NDbtu 10 q report anu hihCuSaIOil VI It5uIbS Vi
| experiments for the purpose of determining the
composition and digestibiIity of corn stever.
| By the experiments it is found that the pro-
| tein material of the stever is about as digesti-
! BILE as that of clover and timothy hay and more
| so than that of straw, and that the nitrogen
! free extract and crude fiber is more digestible,
! as appears from a summary of such experiments
/ as have been made touching digestion of fod-
| der in this country and Germany. The calcu-
! lated total yield Of crop is found to be COOS
pounds and the digestibe matter if found to be
| 424S pounds, more than two-thirds. As 8
| rough average of different investigations it il
believed that about one fifth of the protein and
| one-third the remaining crude nutrients of the
stalk will be found in the lower proteins OIL
such as are usually rejected by animals wher
fed whole. This suggests the propriety of pre-
pairing stalks by cutting or otherwise feeding.
RESULTS OF FEEDING.
Scientific inquiry frequently leads to results
that are not in perfect accord with common
ideas. DR.. Armsby, in his bulletin No. 3 0
the Agricultural Experiment Station, makes
the statement that I" the live weight of animals
| is not a certain indication Of the true nutri
| tive results of feeding" for the reason that i
is found that an animal fed upon a supply o
insufficient food may lose flesh and fat and it
place be supplied by water, so that the weigh
of the animal may remain the same; after sucl
q course of feeding return to richer ration
may eliminate the water so stored up, and /
sometimes results that there is an actual los
in weight from the better feeding. These sci
enti6c facts have a value in their bearing OF
scientific investigation, but farmer accustOm
ed to handling his animals, and who does no
appeal to weighing scales to indicate effects 0
feeding, will hardly be deceived regarding
actual effects of feeding.
OLD soDs.
&c y,iFu COW he I,,s6Uo 90 4
break up an Old sod firmly set with good grasses
but weeds will creep in, and once establishe
they encroach more and more, until at last tn
plow must be employed" About the weed
creeping in, if the sod is firmly set " and re
ceives proper topdressing occasionally, as
should, there is little room for weeds to cree
in" 1t is the running out of a sod for want c
proper and sufficient nOurishment that afford
the opportunity for a growth of weeds
which, when they once get hold, are likely
spread.
"A cheap and effective insect killer is CON
posed of one part murate of potash in loo
parts Of water.
- Prof E. w. Steward advocates faxsee
as medicine for pigs. 1t is soothing to til
stomach and intestines and it is also rich i
food for muscle and bone.
"A poutry-keeper recommends spreadin
sawdust over the floor Of the poultry house, [
absorb all the moisture of the manure, an
protect the feet of the brood.
- New shoots of blackberries and rasI
berries which come from the ground in Sun
mer, should be pinched off when they are !
to 1s inches high, and they will grow stronj
throw out lateral branches, and fill up th
buds.
- The Scientific american says "The twin
, used on the self-binder is generally made
sisal or MANILA hemp and American farmer
, consume $4,000 tons annually upon selfbndin
harvesters-a string long enough to reach 81
/ times around the earth.
A writer objects TO the common practice
: applying mulch heavily all at once to fru
r trees. On the contrary, he begins earlier
the season, and gives successive moderate al
plications. If left late in the Summer, an
! applied heavily at one operation, he finds it
! little use. 1t should be commenced at the tim
> the fruit is beginning to swell. Those most benz
) flied are peaches, plums, apricOts and cherrie
J They suffer less from blight than unmulche
ones. In this country il viii be found best an
2 cheapest to mulch with finely pulverized so
near the surface most easily applied with hor
cultivation, the trees and orchards being
], arranged that the workVmay be readily pc
. formed frequently Exchange.
/ The Illinois State entomoogist makes I'll
f following timely suggestions in reference
= fighting apple-borers: Preventing the layiu
, Of eggs is best accomplished by washing I'll
i trunk and larger branches OF the trees three
= four times in Summer with a strong solution
i soft Goan IN which baa haen al 3ad Iittle crn,