The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-01-07
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Agricultural Items.

the Department of Agriculture that tn
sorghum seed distributed this yea
tailed to grow, samples of it were testet
IN the gardens of the department, ant
1t was found that only about 10 pc
cent. OF it would sprout.
A. Ell. Rose, Oakland, California
farmer, has assigned. Liabilities $500,
700, assets nominal AS he lives il
Oakland, a city, he is no doubt &
gentleman farmer" The Richest mar
In Portland, or all Oregon, is one Ladd
banker, &C., who plays at farming
has finefarm, and splendid mansion
OF barn, in view of the city. Hewent
INTO Jerseys, and after fixing up, BIZ
estimates that his first pound of but
ter cost him $1,000. But the par
alytic said grimly: at was id
good butter, though. "-Burreli.
Fifty representatives from an many
barb wire manufactures, being three.
fourths of all snch institutions in the
United States, held a secret meeting in
Chicago, at which they virtually de-
clded to form. a pool and advance
prices Is per cent. The different mem
bers commended that the present sell
ing price, 1886 per 100 pounds, was
10 cents below the actual cost of pro-
duction. They asserted also that the
combination between the Vanderbilt
and Pennsylvania Central systems of
railroads would result in raising
freight rates.
With moderate care and good ushaee
a horses life may be prolonged to 25,
35 or 40 years. An English gentle
man had three horses, which severally
died in his possession at the age of 35,
81 and SO years. The Oldest was IN
a carriage the very day he died,
strong and vigorous, but was carried
off by a spasmodic collie to which
he was subject. A horse in use at a
riding school in Woolwich lived to be
40 years old, and barge horse of the
Mersey and Irwell Navigation Com
pany is declared to have been in his
sixty-second year when he died.
Although salt is not generally fer
tilizer, it produces similar effects by
rendering soluble latent fertility in the
soil. It's use to promote the growth
of crops is increasing, and for a time
on tolerably rich soil may take the
place OF real manures when the price
of crops is too low to allow large pur-
chases of the latter. 1t is a mistake
to suppose that refuse salt, consisting
of coarse, hard Jumps mixed with dirt
and gypsum, is cheaper than fine salt.
The opening of new salt wells has made
salt very cheap, and fine salt at dol
lar or little more per barrel is enough
better for the land to give it the prefer
ence.
Fifty years ago it took the price OF
the best fatted steer to buy eighty
yards ofcalico; now the farmer with the
price of sucha steer canget ], sOOyards
of calico. Then it took three steers
to buy two plows; now with one steer
he can buy five plows. Then with one
steer he could get two and one-half
kegs of nails; now he can sell the same
kind of steer and with its price he
can buy thirty Or forty kegs Of nails.
Farmers should be shown the advan-
tages that a diversified industry gives
them in affording them a ready and
good market. Itisnot heres question
as to how this affects daily wages, but
how it affects the price of hogs and
beef cattle. Fifty years ago nearly all
the people of this country were farm
ers, all trying to sell the same thing,
with no purchasers. Now a diversity
of employment gives a good market
for the product of the labor OF all.-G.
III. Orion.
All farm operations areto be judged
and practiced according to circum-
stances. In regard to the culture of
corn fat cultivation or killing may do
well on one kind of land and not upon
another. Flat cultivation is suitable
for light and dry soils, where ridging
or killing would be injurious asraising
the roots above the surface where the
soil would be too dry. On the other
hand, on heavy wet land fiat culture
would not do so well, becausei it would
keep the roots too wet and cold, and
ridging and killing is required for the
purpose of drainage, and keeping the
roots out of the water in a wet season.
Again, heavy land requires deep work
ing between the rows to open the soil
and prevent it from drying out, as well
as to enable the roots to penetrate,
while light soil is always porous enough
for this. In all farm work it is neces-
sary to understand the principles at
the bottom of it, and to apply these
principles according to the circum-
stances.