The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-12-19
OUR RUR4L TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
RAISE YOUR OWN COWS.

RAISE YOUR OWN COWS.
half dozen good cows are worth dozen
poor ones. 1t takes as much food and care to
| keepa poor cow MS it does good one, and while
tho former barely returns enough at most to
pay her way" the latter returns a comfort
able profit to her owner. Those farmers who
arc looking around for really good cows know
how difficult it is to buy one when found, ut q
price they can afford to pay. Yet they fire.
quently keep looking around" for several
| years, whom they might, in the same time, have
raised several choice cows themselves. OF
course it takes time to rear good sized herd Of
profitable cows, but this expenditure of time IL
only in lieu of the money expenditure abso-
lutely necessary to purchase desirable animal.
As farmer usually can spare the time better
than he can spare the cash, Ii is easy to see
what is the best course to pursue There are
but few farmers who do not have at least ono,
two, or three cows fairly good, which can BIO
used rs n start in Improvement. Do not use a
scrub bull merely because your neghbor hap
pens TO have him and charges nothing, but
rather pay fair price for a good, uro-bred
one. Save all the hefer calves aud carefully
raise them When they arc about three years
old, and less than four years from the time tho
improvement Is started, you will have fine
young cows. Other calves will also be coming
on, from them as we'll rs from the original
cows, and in five or six years there will be quite
herd; the common, Improbable COWS having
been worked off 70 the butcher. Many
farmer wishes he had commenced five or six
years ago. He does not think that he will
| say the same thing Eve or six years hence yet
Hnaa nt Lnn rod
bulls have now become so we'll distribut ted that
the use of one can usually DO secured without
| much difficulty, while good bull calf can be
had from such stock eligible TO entry, for
comparatively low price. Enough can, an
rule, DO counted on from neighboring farmers
herds 10 pay for his keep.-AmericGn A0ricaL-
turist
Last JOBS ON THE FARM.
Young apple trees should DO protected from
rabbits whore these arc abundant. A good
plan is to stand four or FIVE cornstalks around
the stem of the tree and tic them in place by
two strings, ono wrapped around near the
ground, the other foot or two higher up
This not only keeps off rabbits, bat protects
the stem from the sun and prevents alternate
freezing aud thawing, which Is believed to be-
so destructive 10 fruit trees IL there are any
missing trees holes may be dug any time
before the ground freezes solid, the subsoil
ioosened and the hole again filed with clean,
mellow soil, ready to receive new tree in
the Spring Grapevines should DO pruned and
laid down. Concord and other hardy varie-
ties require only 10 DO held close TO the ground
by stakes or weights such as poles, brush, stones
or tiles. More tender varieties had better be
covered with soil by first cutting q shallow
trench. then carefully bending the canes closely
together, and laying them along tho bottom
holding them there with tho feet while earth
Is thrown on them 10 the depth of two or
three inches. Asparagus and rhubarb need
good covering OF manure Fruit trees in grass
should DO mnlched with coarse manure and
this may be done any limo during tho Winter.
Tools should be looked after, TO SEQ that snow
cannot blow In upon them. Flows and cult
vators especially should be we'll sheltered. "A
well ~ creased or painted to prevent rust
ing. Much annoyance Ia often occasioned Ia
Spring by rusty plowE. when IL was thought
sufficient precantion had been taken TO pro-
vent rusting. Moisture in damp weather and
melting SHOWS blown through small crevices
wesr oil light coating Of OIL and before
Spring enough rust has gathered 10 cause
much annoyance in black prairie soils Axle
grease, or mixture OF tallow and white lead,
makes an efficient covering for polished steel
surfaces. and when wanted In the Spring an
application Of coal oil applied few hours be-
fore will cause the covering 10 rub off easily
Country Gentleman.
WINTER FEEDING or STOCK.
IL IL GOO much the case that the Winter feed
Ing OF stock Ia done Mt loss, and that in many
instances the farmer would make money by
giving away animals in the Fall and selling the
feed that would be saved. This mismanage-
ment impovorishes Thousands OF farmers, who
feel the losses severely. Cows which have made
yield OF 30 through the Summer will now
shrink In their milk for want OF good feeding,
and soon become dry and Improbable being
Kept alive only at cost Of large portion Of
tho ineomc-not Proht-made In tho Summer
20 with sheep and swine, aud even with poultry.
The increased value of milk and butter aud Of
fresh eggs and poultry In tho Winter should be
an inducoment 10 farmers 10 change the pre-
vailing system Of snspendins profitable work
aud living on tho proceeds of the SummeE-liks
the bees and the ani8-in the Winter Tho
Income from tho farm should BIO an all the-year-
round matter, and the business should be
arranged TO this end. It is better to keep 10
cows IN profit all the time than 10 have 20 In
profit in tho Summer only and eating their
heads of in tho Winter. This Is not ditflcult
to be managed. by saving pasture and making
hay aud storing up fodder for Winter use, and
having half the cows como In from this time
up to the new year. and the other half coming |
in through the Summer, there may be- a con.
slant income and no cessation of profit The |
experience of Winter darymen has abundantly |
shown that COW may bo kept through the |
Winter quite az cheApiy as through the Sum-
mer, while the income ia at least % per cent |
more, and the cost Of making butter Is some
what less, because no ice is required.-N Y |
Times
NOTES.
- 1t Is mistake TO buy large trees for early |
frniting or immediate effect. bearing sizs - |
they are termed In nnrserymen's parlance but |
small trees, we'll rooted, will quickly oyertake
them, and in nine cases out of ten como into |
before Mt tVa Unuld
advise the purchase Of poor, Insignificant stock,
by any meansi but good two years or first class |
trees well-rooted are better than extra sized |
trees which cannot be dug without the loss of |
tho best OF their roots. Keep the roots of all |
young trees moist until planted Trim the |
tops, cutting back severely. and cnt away |
smoothly the bruised and Jagged roots
The manure heap is the savings bank OF |
the farm. II any articles arc unstable, or can.
not BIO put to some on the farm, they should |
be added to the manure heap. in order that they |
may DO returned TO the land, and thereby made |
to contribute to tho production Of something |
better tho next season. Nothing Is lost that |
goes into the manure heap, especially IL tho |
manure Ia managed with Wow 10 having it az
valuable as possible before applying it to the |
soil.
- II the frost has killed the grass and weeds
and the field is dry, 1t will do no injury to tho |
grass by allowing fire to run over the field,
which, however, will clean it completely and |
give the young grass better appearance In
Spring. lt should be done when the ground 10
frozen. Strawberry beds will be benefited by