The National tribune., 1889-02-21
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers

BILE variety for productiveness and here comes
in an important service of the Experiment Sta
tons. Pennsylvania has been doing some good
service in that line, and the results are given
in the Sixth Bulletin of the State College Sta
ton. Six new varieties have been subjected
to tests for two years, and the result has been
that the German Emperor" proves the best
in point of grain yield. 1t was imported from
Germany, and has been tested in northwestern
Ohio. It is a smooth wheat having large, COM
pact heads, resembling the Clawson; it is ex-
ceptionally hardy and adapted to culture on
low lands where the soil is black and of
mucky character. 1t tillers well, the straw is
long and strong, standing up well. 1t ripens
early, and produces from one-fourth to one
third more than other varieties in the same
locality. The yield the last season was 1892
bushels per acre, being considerably above the
next best competing variety. The same was
true of the test of 1887, although the relative
yield of every variety was considerably less. If
farmers desire change of seed, it is well to
bear in mind the results of these trials.-Ger-
mGntoUH Telegraph.
APPLES FOR MINNESOTA.
o. T. Brand, Superintendent of Experiment
Station at Faribault, Mimi, furnishes the Prai-
RTE Farmer valuable information relative to
hardy varieties of the apple which will endure
the severe Winters of that region. He would
not plant such tender apples as Northern Spy,
but those American varieties which for the
past 35 years have proved capable of enduring
the climate and of bearing fruit into old age.
The Talman Sweet and Seeknofurther, he
states, are two such varieties He adds that
in Minnesota and Wisconsin he has found more
trees of the Talman Sweet which have reached
a very old age than any other except the Old
enburg. The latter he finds to stand " far
ahead of any other and all other varieties both
as young, middle-aged and old tree" in pro-
ducing the most fruit on varied soils and locali-
ties iii the hands Of common planters. Mr..
Brand has planted an orchard of 500 Olden-
burgs and nothing else. He thinks it greatly
superior to the neWly-intrOduced Russian
varieties, and remarks that if anyone will 90
through the country where 10000 Russians
have been planted, and then look where 10000
Oldenburgs have been planted, he is confident
from his observations, that he will find 100 of
the latter alive to one of the Russians
MANsHURY BARLEY.
This new variety of barley is said to have
been found by a scientific traveller in the
mountainous parts of eastern Asia about 1859
from whence it was introduced into Germany.
Some of the seed came to this country, and, ac-
cording to an interesting account given in the
first report of the Wisconsin Agricultural FIX
pertinent Station, it was first disseminated in
this country from the farm of III. Grunow
Mifhin, Iowa Co., of the same State. 1t is
claimed for it that it excels all other varieties
IN the formation of roots, stems, leaves aud
ears The straw grows long and strong. 1t is
darker-cOlored than some varieties but is said
by MASTERS to be very superior for malt. When
tested with the Nepaul variety that is hulless,
the yield of grain was one-half as large again,
with the same proportion of straw, but the
grain was a trihe lighter. 4 considerable pro-
portion of all the barley grown is used for
brewing purposes. and in the growing of any
crop it is for the farmers interest to produce
that which viii give the greatest yield and
fud the most ready sale i'll the market. For
that reason the Maushury barley seems to rec
ommend itself TO farmers for general use.
SOIL MOISTURE.
While wet soil is Objectionable it is as nec-
essary that there be q supply of moisture as
that there should be supply of fertilizing ma
terial Prot. Roberts of the Cornell University
Experiment Station, in referring to expert
ments and the fact that no results could be
traced TO the use of fertilizers, says that it was
due to the fact that there was not enough water
at hand TO enable the plants to use the fer
tiity there was in the soil. In some expert
ments OF our own to determinethe most avaiIa-
Bile or cheaper form in which to use phoSphoric
acid, the want of sufficient water in Midsummer
evidently was hindrance to the best effects
that the various forms might have produced
Exchange.
NOTES.
-Cotton-seed or cotton. seed meal, as cheap
and valuable feed for sheep, is only beginning
TO receive the attention which it merits. Cot
ton-Seed cake without huSks contains IL per
cept. of flesh formers and 80 per cent of fat
formers, a total of "A per cent. Wheat bran
contains ii per cent. of flesh formers and 80
per cent Of fat formers, a total of 81 per cent.
This gives the cotton seed 10 per cent. the adj
vantage.
- Ii you wish to do early work and have
large strawberries, apply your fertilizer or ma
nure in january or February, which allows
time for the nests, thaws and rains to carry the
soluble material down to the roofs. Poultry
manure is excellent for Strawberries, and the
expansion and contraction of heat and cold
will pulyeriZe the hard Jumps and get them in
fue condition. About the first of March
apply a bag OF superphosphate and one of muri-
ate Of potash Per acre. and the crop should be
large and the berries good
- In breeding and feeding cattle the first
| legitimate purpose is to make the animal do
the best that it will. The saving of food in
the depriving the stock of ali that it will eat
has no place in the calculation at all. 1t is true
GndG III some cases the animal VIII eat It's heSu
off, though that will occur only with scrub stock.
| But in such cases the animal should be got rid
of. 1T does not destroy the rule that profitable
meat production and profitable dairying de-
mands abundant food and good food.
The mildness of the Winter all over the
! United States, and especially in this immediate
region, has been such as to call for comparatively
! light feeding of stock animals and to give
! excellent returns to those ripeniug fat cattle,
| chaap ny Ind Il off,
! feeding has been so light up to Midwnter as
! it has been this season. When the abundance
| of feed is considered in connection with light
! feeding, the careful feeder could make profit
/ this Winter at prices which in many season
would lose him money.-Ihe StOctmdR.
/ The Rural Canadian has good word to say
for the old-iashioned farm utensil, the stone
! boat ,: " This convenience is welnigh if not
! quite, as rare on the farm as the wheelbarrow
! 1t costs about the same, and its uses are very
similar, only it is drawn by the team instead of
| being driven by hand. For the removal of
stones stumps, and even manure short dis
tances, it is invaluable. 1t is also useful in
drawing water, when that is necessary which
| it ought not to be on any farm, for there is no
economy In hauling water, and an abundant,
unfalling water supply is one of the first neces-
sites to be provided in close proximity to the
house or barn. The stOne-boa is useful for NOV
ing many things too large for a wheelbarrow
and too heavy to be easily lifted on wagon.
by all means let every farm be provided with
| both WheelbarroW and stone-hoat"