The National tribune., 1888-01-05
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
WINTER PASTURE.

JheTe Is nothing Will answer the purpose as
well as rye. No argument is necessary to prove |
the great value of green food for stock at |
season of the year when the main bulk of their |
diet is dry and without variety. How best, |
then, to supply it is the question. AS just said,
there is nothing will answer the purpose SO |
well as rye. To get the best results, however, |
it must be sowD early-the first of August be- |
ing none too sOon-using not less than bushel |
and half of seed to the acre, accompanied, !
if possible, with from 100 to 800 pounds of
commercial manure, according to the quality of
the land. Or it may be sown at the last work
ing of corn in July, when it may be pastured
from the time the corn is gathered in the Fall
whenever the ground is not too wet until the
10th or 18th of the following May, when the
ground may be put in corn or other Spring
crop.
With the exception Of weeds, rye is the most
tenacious of life of any crop that grows. In
deed, we have seen it pastured down so closely
in the Winter and early Spring that by the
middle of the May following not yestige of
it was to be seen, but by taking the stock of,
the roots would Immediately sprout out and
make fair crop by harvest time. The beauty
of sowing a crop of rye for Winter pasture is
that it can be done with so little expense-the
benefit done the animals far more than COM
pensating for the seed and labor of sowing 1t.
Not only So but 10 case there is deficiency of
Winter pFoYender, the pasturage afforded by
the rye will go far toward bridging over any
such deficiency Germantown Telegraph.
WINTER CARE OF PLANTS.
Those desiring plants in the Winter must not
suppose that they can have them without any
care, any more than q farmer can expect to
grow crops without attention. Oneof the chief
things is to keep the rooms at such a tempera-
tHre as viii prevent the plants from being
chilled, but not so high as to cause them to be
sickly. Frequent watering is also necessary;
this should be moderately done, because while
plants require water they will yield to being
flooded. The foliage should also be cleaned
occasionally by wiping with moist cloth. q
little manure water may sometimes be en-
ployed.
HANDICAPPED FARMERS.
Those farmers who are limited in means at
their command and are thereby prevented
| from the purchase and use of improved imple-
ments are to a certain extent handicapped, be-
| cause the same reason that prevents the pur-
chase of implements would also prevent the
/ hiring of additional labor, and therefore indi-
\ vidual efforts must be relied upon. But there
| is one advantage that is secured and that is a
! better cultivation of less surface. Use of
| labor-saVing implements and machines tends
to moro careless mode of culture which is
always to be deprecated.
CALIFORNIA BEANS.
The bean crop is of no small consequence In
| California, and has been introduced to some
extent at the East where it is growing in favor
because of the superior flavor it possesses. The
| East, therefore, affords an opening market for
this product, which is likely to prove advan-
tageous. 1t is announced that Is carloads of
| beans were shipped last week to Hannibal, Mo-,
| and there is also heavy tonnage on its way
| further east. Orders from Philadelphia, Chi
cago, New York and Boston, of baked bean re-
nown, are numerous, and will be supplied 80
/ far as possible.
- Potatoes are scarcer now and will be higher
priced than they have been for many years. Be
| saving with them, and secure your supply of
seed for next year in good season.
Fowls seldom tire OF milk. They may eat
too much grain or meat for their health, but
milk in any form is palatable and healthy.
Keep the pigsty clean Provide plenty
Of straw, and make il impossible for it TO be the
most disgusting place imaginable and breeder
of foul diseases.
- It is the opinion of the most experienced
pig-growers that small pens, in sufficient num-
bers to accommodate the herd, are preferable to
one large one. Even the yards they run in
pigs in each.
A poultry house II by Is feet win accom-
modate do hens in the Winter, and 20 pounds
of coal per day, at cost of less than five cents
will keep the temperature at about 40 degrees
With this sort of a house you may look for
eggs in the coolest months, and the combs will
never be frosted.
- Wheat is found to contain 10 parts of flesh
forming material, while it is stated to contain
70 per cent. of starchy material. Upon this
latter the ability to stand cold largely depends;
hence the value OF wheat offal, especially the
richer portion of it, should be estimated at q
high figure.
= There is point to be observed in fitting a
barn for the reception of horses, and that is the
size of the stalls. The narrow dimensions OF
! stalls are positive cruelty to the horse
! Many stalls are built too narrow TO enable the
horse to extend his limbs up under him; his
legs are thus kept in a cramped position, when
he ought to be completely at rest.
- One Of the principal causes of heaves in
horses is the feeding Of dusty or dirty hay
Ordinarily clean hay can always be fed with
safety If properly cut up, moistened and mixed
. with ground grain; but to feed the musty OF
dirty sorts is very injurious. Glover, owing K
its liability to crumble, often gets dirty, ever
after storage, and should never be fed without
being previously moistened.
1t is important to see that the houses
where fowls are confined from the frigidity o
Winter are well ventilated. No matter how
: limited may be the number of birds thus con
: lined, poisonous gas viii quickly FORM and i
there can be no chance for it to escape freely
. sickness or death soon ensues to the inmate
that are compelled to breathe the foul air. Ii
cold weather, during the middle of each day
= the fowl-house should be thoroughly ventilated
Now is q good time to dig up the old appl
; trees that here and there are left standing +
cucumber the ground. The few inferior apple
:, they produce have no value, while the tree
= in the way Of the plow, the corn planter an
: the moving machine. Dig them out and tn
= way to do it at small cost is to dig narro1
: trench around the Trunk Of the tree, cutting o.
the main roots as you find them. With tn
:, team attached to heavy cart, loaded, if nee
= be hitch well up in the tree, and it can b
= easily drawn over Apple trees should be mad
:. = to produce good fruit or be destroyed. Tn
= farm should not remain encountered with III
10 slightly and worthless trees.-Maiae Farmer.
! DR.. Pierce's Pellets 1.-THE original "Littl
+ Liver Pills" sugar coated )-cure sick and bi
- foue headache eour stomach hiIioua aftaoI,