The National tribune., 1888-06-21
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
suMMER roRAaE roR COWS.

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SUMMER FORAGE FOR cows.
Farmers who are apprehensive of a scarcity
of pasturage for their mich cows the coming
Summer could not do better than to drill in an
acre or two of fodder corn, more or less, accord
ing to the number of cows and deficiency in
pasturage, an acre being generally considered
sufficient for half dozen. or so. 1t is not only
the easiest forage crop to raise, but will furnish
larger amount of food than any other. Where
there is little or no pasturage the corn should
be drilled in at intervals of a week or so till
the last of July. Any good ground will do for
the purpose provided it has been properly pre-
pared By which we mean that the most of
the tillage should be done before the corn is
planted. And it will be BETTER too to allow
sufficient time TO eapse, after the ground is
broken up and narrowed, for the weeds to put
up, so that they may be the more effectually
destroyed by replowing Immediately before
planting the corn, after which one or two good
civilizations will be all that is necessary. I" Hoe
your corn before planting" is very good motto
IN this case, as the previous preparation of the
ground is the most important part of the bust
ness. Nor should fodder-corn ever be sown
broadcast, as it viii always be more or less
washy" and not half so strengthening as that
soWn IN drills. While much controversy exists
in regard to the better mode no man of sense
would prefer to feed such fodder before the
saccharne matter therein has become fully de-
Veloped. No fears need be entertained of hay-
ing too much of this excellent forage plant as
any superabundance. il cut and properly cured
will prove to be the best Winter pr0vender for
mich COWS and sheep. 1t should be cut as
soon as the ears have begun forming, and
allowed to lie for couple of hours, then tied up
in small bundles and set up in shocks as large
as can be securely bound around at top, when
they can be either left in the field till wanted
for use or hauled up and stacked near the barn.
Two bushels of seed are ample for an acre, and
may be either drilled in with a common wheat
drill after stopping up every other drill spout,
or strewn along the furrow by hand and Gov
cred either with a corn coverer or a harrow.
As soon as the young plants make their appear
ance the cultivator should be run up and down
each row, and again, if necessary, after a week
or so, to give setback to the weeds, after
which the corn will take care of itself-Bqlti-
more Sun.
TO PREVENT FORGING.
There is no driver of a horse but that has felt
the annoyance that results from forging or the
striking of the forward shoes by the hind ones
in travelling, and yet this can be prevented The
occasion of the forging is, the hind feet are
thrown forward and strike the forward or front
feet before they can get out of the way, a re-
suit of the action Of the horse, which must be
corrected which is explained in artistic
Horse Shooting" and which is accomplished by
using heavy tOe-weight shoe on the front feet
to make the horse reach further. After the
front shoe has been nailed on, take a rule and
measure the distance from the coronet to the
bottom part Of the toe, observing the slant of
the foot. Measuring the hind foot in the same
way, in most cases 1T viii be found to be from
one-quarter to one inch the shortest, and the
shorter the foot the quicker it can be raised.
Now, by placing the shoe upon the hind foot so
that the toe viii project enough to make the
dfufan cas ~ f,ott A..
toe the same as in the forward foot, and then
let the shoe project well behind, making it a
little heavy, the foot will not be raised as high
it will not be thrown as far forward, and so
forging viii be prevented. This is very SIM
pie procedure, and one that can be ordered by
any farmer who is troubled with forging in his
horses. and, if found successful, viii save an
unnecessary annoyance. - Germantown Tele-
graph.
CUTTING BAY EARLY.
We cannot refrain from urging upon farmers
the necessity of attending TO the process Of cut
ting and curing their hay in season. We have
seen so much hay seriously injured, il not
spoiled, by late cutting; that we are disposed to
call attention to the Importance of timely at
teGtion to this important branch of farm indus
try. Ifany farmer who has been in the prac-
tice Of cutting hay late will only make trial
Of limited portion of hay that is cut early in
comparison with that which is late cut, and
mark the difference in its effect upon animals
and their desire for it, he will never practice late
cutting again. Grass should not be allowed to
change to woody fiber for the purpose of food
for animals, and for that reason its cutting
should be accomplished before arriving at that
period, or when it is just coming into blossom.
1t had better be cut before that time than to
wait until it is late. Analysis and actual feed
ing show that young grass is much more nutri-
tious and desirable than that which is hardened
by age
TO REPEL INSECTS IN ORCHARDS.
One who has tried 1t states that burning
scraps of old rubber rubber boots or shoes, upon
pan of Goals that is circulated among the
trees Of an orchard will cause all insects to de-
part. This is a very simple means, but we
should fear that they would return after lit
tie time. The claim was that there was sort
OF consistence to the smoke that adhered to
leaves, blossoms and even the trunks Of trees
which being repulsive TO insects, drives them
away and also holds its virture for some time
II this is reliable remedy it will be conven-
lent to repel rosebugs during their period of
greatest injury.
"A COW should be MIXED out in five to
eight minutes. It is hard work on the wrists
and muscles, but it must be done or the cow
will get habit of dribbling the milk, which
is very tiTesome. To cure this habit which
has been brought on by slow milking, the
milking should be done more quickly and in
time the trouble will disappear.
For mildew on grape-vines: Prepare by
boiling three pounds each of flowers of sulphur
and lime in six gallons of water until reduced
to two gallons; when settled pour off the clear
liquid and bottle it, When used mix one part
OF the clear liquid in 100 parts of water.
"A contemporary gives three excellent
hints: IAN avenue of well-grown trees by the
roadside makes farm vastly more attractive,
and costs little except the labor of setting On
high ground the sugar maple thus set will
make sugar grove after a few years. On low
lands the elm is handsome tree, but its roots
extend far into the fields and are very likely
to get into underdrans when the roadside is
drained, as it should always be-"
- Have You set of hay caps2 If not get
them ready at once; they viii often more than
save their cost in the first season. Get stout
yard-wide or fve-quarter sheeting and cut it
into squares, hem the raw edges, and sew into
each corner loop of stout cord or small rope
to lasten the cap on by; or, better still, use the
waterproof fiber hay-caps. Have lot Of stakes
ready, and where they win be at hand 1t is a
bad time to hunt up stakes when a shower is
coming up.