St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-12-01
FACTS FOR FARMERS.

Tomato vines disposed to grow too
thick should be cut and trimmed &C
cordingly. -
The gray wolf is still q very live
issue IN Butte County. Oak, where he
occasionally plays sad havoc among
horses and other farm stock.
-6oap-suds are valuable. For celery
there ID no liquid manure superior. to
It, and as an invigorat0r for melons.
squash and cucumhers it is excellent.
There was q general Eyes" at a
farmers institute in reply to the ques-
ton: "Will milking tubes injure cows
upon which they are constantly used?"
1T has been demonstrated that while
the pinching back Of the shoots of
melons will induce the vines TO throw
out laterals, and also produce larger
number Of melons. the process does
not increase the size of the fruit
For the amateur there is. perhaps.
no fruit more desirable 20 plant than
the grape. 1t is inexpensive TO get IA
start with. it bears early. it is produc-
tive and easily managed. and ~ food ii
Is delicious and wholesome over a long
season.
There is o consensus OF opinion
among good farmers that meadow land
should not be grazed. A little feeding
on it in the fall may. not do serious
harm. but it is more likely to keep free
from injurious weeds and yield better
crops il not grazed at all.
Concentrated fertilizers, when
used on young and tender plants.
should be scattered between the rows,
and not around the plants. as damage
often results from an overdose of the
fertilizer. Young strawberry plants
are easily killed If strong fertilizers be
applied directly on them after they are
set out. \.
The root. crops \ are sometimes
enormous on rich land, and can be
grown Mt a low cost compared with
their value. Asmany as one thousand
bushels of beets have been grown on
one acre. and ut = cost Of only four
cents per bnsheL For milch COWS
they are invaluable, and should be
made special crop on all dairy farms.
The practice Of allowing the weeds
TO grow up. until nearly ready 10 seed
and then cut them down Is a waste.
The proper mode il to plow them un-
der. rs they provide the best kind OF
green manure. Many weeds are rich
in nitrogen and become valuable if
turned under when in the green and
growing condition.
"A breeder can not do better than
make an exhibit at the local fairs near
him. for the very purpose of meeting
the farmers Of his section. and by con-
viucing them Of the advantage to be
gained by improving their stock
secure customers for his surplus. That
this plan has been followed with sue
cess is attested by the greatly improved
character of the stock to be found in
many sections Of the Western States,
where formerly only animals Of an in
feriOr kind were to be seen.-NatiOnal
Litv- Stock Journal.
Nothing more surely marks the
slovenly, shiftless farmer than lack of
ample help when threshing. Failure
to calculate rightly here is the cause
OF more bad feeling than any other
farm operation. Steam engines re-
quire more help to run them ecOnom-
ically than the old horsepower ma
chinery. II grain is not furnished in
q continuous stream more or less of ii
is cut and injured by the empty con-
caves whirIing rapidly about. They
are built To thoroughly separate a
much grain from the straw rs can be
put through their throttle. and the
farmer misses his own interest il he
does not furnish the help needed to do
this.