The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-12-25

Every thing that has grown upon the
soil, and every thing that has once form
ed any part of the animal body or has
been excreted from the body, is more or
less valuable as manure. All yege-
table and animal garbage, then, that
accumulates about the farm build
ing, stables, wood pile, smoke
house, fowl house, fence corners, the
leaves from the forest near by, not to
mention cotton seed, should be consid-
cred as containing the circulating me-
dunn by means of which the various
operations of growing crops, growing
and fattening animals, the production
of milk, etc., are carried on.
After saving all these materials, re-
sort should be made to commercial fer
tilizers. The latter contain nothing OF
value to the soil that is not found in the
materials we have named. A good,
complete commercial fertilizer may be
considered as stable manure boiled
down, containing, as it does, the very
same fertilizing elements, without the
excess of sand, clay and water that is
always present, more or less. in ordinary
stable manure. Many persons are OF the
opinion that the use OF commercial fer
tilizers is an Improbable and unwise In
novation. We do not propose to discuss
the general proposition: "Do CONNER
cial fertilizers pay the farmer?" 1t is
no doubt true that some farmers fail to
find any substantial profit in the use of
them; and it is also true that the most
skillful are sometimes imposed upon,
and sometimes they themselves are at
fault. But the most convincing proof
of the utility Of commercial fertilizers is
the continued and annually increasing
consumption of them. This continued
reliance upon them must be the result
of profitable experience. We will add
that those farmers who succeed without
fertilizers owe their success not to that
fact, but to the exercise of skill, econo-
my and industry in all the departments
Of farm operations. They would prob
ably be even more ksuccessful il they
would make a judicious use Of CONNER
cial or concentrated chemical fertilizers.
Southern Cultivator.
Raising Calves.
An English method of raising calves
after having let them have the cows
milk for few days-which should al
ways be done, not only because the
milk is fit for nothing else, but because
it is just suited to the needs of the calf
during the first week is to feed milk
not colustrum-in obedience to the die
tates of nature, and there is now less
need to feed it sparingly and often. AS
matter of fact, it may be said that a
calf will do very Dwell, at all events when
it is week or ten days old, il it is fed
twice day, but even then it should not
be allowed to drink all it will or can.
The pail should be removed while the
calf is still able and willing, and even
. anxious to drink some more. The inn
preston of the English writer whose
article we have been reading is that a
careful attention to this feature of the
process, is better than allowing given
quantity OF milk to all calves alike, OF
the same or similar age. But it certain
i ly involves careful watching, and when
the work is left to help 1t is probably as
well to limit each calf to given guam
tity. 1t must be borne in mind, how
, ever, that calves appetites and digestive
capacities vary good deal, and each
} Calls appetite and requirement may
vary on different days, and that to feed
( by strict rule or measurement does not
properly meet the case. 1t is advisable
that each calf should receive fresh milk
during the first three weeks, during
/ which time it will have become vigor-
, Gus enough to assimilate other kinds Of
; food less strictly in harmony with nat
: ure, and it will have learned to nibble a
: little sweet hay or grass, il there is any,
; out of net or rack.-Western Rural.
Forcing Fowls.
n The supposition that fowls must be
: continually receiving egg-foods, red
pepper or stimulants, has led to many
q errors in poultry keeping. The most
, important requirements are warmth, drJ
. shelter and variety of food. II the
fowls are not fed exclusively On corn, OF
t any one kind Of grain, they will need M
l medicine. The object will be to have
r them in such condition that they viii
n always be willing to hunt and scratch
v for their food, which indicates health
Forcing with stimulants may be bene
fetal for awhile. but there will som'
Il! IL D