Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-03-16
FAnM AND HOUSEHOLD.

CAPACITY OF FARMs.-Every farmer
should study the capacity of his farm,
so as TO be able to turn its resources
to the best account.
Some farms are naturally adapted
to grass production, and can be made
to produce heavy crops Of hay yearly
for long time. Other farms soon
run out when seeded to grass, but are
good for cropping On such farms a
large area should be ploughed yearly,
cropped and fortified, and seeded
down. For few years good crops of
grass can be obtained, and then the
land needs reseeding. The aim on
such farms should be to have from
one-third to one half of the tillage I'M
der the pillow all the time, so that the
grass land will all be newly seeded,
and the farmer will be able to re-plow
as soon as the grass begins TO run out.
Then there are farms that are rocky
and rough. The soil is stony and fer
tile, but is not adapted to cultivation.
Apple-trees, perhaps, will thrive with
remarkable vigor on such land, and
the farmer should accept the indica-
ton, and plant it TO apple-trees until
he has all he can take care of. a
man in East Winthrop, Me-, had
farm of that character. 1t was of lit
tie value for tillage, but he found that
the ROxbury russell throve remarkably
well, and produced excellent fruit.
He took the hint, and set his farm
largely TO RoXbury russell trees until
nearly thirty acres were covered.
Now, in some years, he sells $4,000
worth of fruit He has made a rocky
and almost worthless farm one of the
most valuable in town, simply because
he used it for the purpose to which it
was best adapted.
That is what the farmer should try
to do; study the capabilities of his
farm, and then try so to manage it
that he will draw out of it the best
that it is capable of affording. 1t will
not do to manage farms all in one
way, on account of the great diversity
in soils and physical conditions.
CHEMICAL AND YARD MANURES. -
The results of five years of experiments
with commercial and barn-yard ma
nures on the Agricultural College
Farm at Columbia Mo-, as set forth
in a recent report on the same by
Prof J. w. Sanborn, are briefly as
follows:
I'm good years, with a plentiful sup
ply of moisture, chemical manures
gave larger wheat yield than yard
manure, while in dry years the result
was the reverse. The gain of land
treated with chemicals over that on
which no fertilizer of any kind was
used was mostly or possibly wholly
due to the nitrogen in the chemicals.
Chemicals may be uselesSly used, and
it is such misuse or unintelligent use,
that gives rise to the cry that they
are valuelesS.
Prof. Sanborn advises farmers TO at
tempt to use chemicals mot including
lime, plaster or salt only after intel
ligent buying, a careful study of soil
by comparative tests, and then on
horticultural crops mainly, including
potatoes. This advice will not apply,
however, when wheat approXimates
81 bushel, or when soils are largely
deficient in potash or phosphoric acid.
DRYING COwS-An English dairy
man, Mr.. George Simpson, has found
to his cost, that the usual practice of
drying continuous mixers, giving
from twelve to sixteen quarts daily
does not answer at all. Instead of try
ing TO dry cows giving large quaint
ties of milk, he now finds it better TO
turn them loose in a box and feed
them on oat straw. BY this means
the flow of milk is reduced, and grad
ually they dry themselves, no evil
effects following The practice of
suddenly checking the flow of milk of
good mixers, by the communicated,
resulted, in his case, in three of his
cows slipping their calves within
forty-eight hours after the drying
process began Whenever it was at
tempted to dry large mixers at once,
the organs became inflamed. Dairy
men will find it highly important to
pay particular attention to their cows,
especially those of the Jersey and
Guernsey breeds, which are great
mixers.
HINTS AND POINTS FOR MARCH
Presumably, the rural parishioners of
The Weekly Star are as intelligently
alert as most people, yet we venture
to jog their memories touching sundry
seasonable duties and labors. That
our hints and reminders may not
prove tedious, we put them in the
form of brief points and queries, in
this wise:
Prepare for an early garden.
Get the best seeds, plants, etc.
Poor seeds are dear at any price.
Use paint and white wash freely.
Grow more small fruits this year.
Now fix up the gates and fences.
Substitute gates for crooked bars.
Have you years supply of fuel?
Secure good potatoes for planting.
Don't turn out your stock too soon.
Care well for the lambs and calves.
Repair old and buy new implements