The National tribune., 1889-09-19
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
HOW TO BUILD A s1Lo.


enough to prevent any surface water ever com
ing in contact with the enslage. Fill mp the
floor to the level of this wall, and finish off
with clay well pounded down, or a cement OF
water lime. Next lay your stills of two
eight-inch ioist fat on the wall, and bed them
well in lime mortar; have them so firm that
there will be no chance TO spread or get out of
place On tho joists place two eight-inch
studdng is feet long, as this is q proper hight
for tho silo and 16 inches from center to center.
Toc-nail firmly at the bottom of the sill. Now
PIT good tarred paper on the inside of the studs,
tapping as it will, so as to make tight work;
cover with good, sound, matched flooring, and
see to it that the corners are made secure, so
that there will be no spread, or give, TO let in
the air, for the silo must be alright on both
sides and bottom. Inclose the outside surface
with tarred paper same as inside, and good
drop-lap siding, any similar method, being
careful to make it tight and firm. The roof is
made as any ordinary barn roof. and the build
ing may be finished up on the outside to suit
the owners fancy pocket.
very good size for silo would be lex 50
feet or If more room is needed make it longer
aud put in cross partition of plank. This
| PARTITION should he made so it will slip down
into place and be held by clcats ut its ends.
| The sides must BIO secured with one or moro
| iron rods to keep the building from spreading.
! A convenient size for door would be four feet
! wide in one end, and made in sections two feet
! each, sliding down in grooves so as TO como out
| from the inside MS tho silo il emptied. These
! doors, as we'll ms NIL inside work must he made
! so rs to form no obstruction to the settling of
the fodder and boards and tarred paper which
! f,, F,r bn in hn MI "a iga oF
! the cheapest methods Of construction, and is rs
/ good one as can be built. II farmer has
! stones handy, ho can build ono of solid ma
/ sonry. but 1t would not keep out frost or air
better. than one of wood One end of bay in the
barn can be used by observing the same pre-
cautions to have il airtight.-Prairie Farmer.
RULES FOR SUCCESS IN CO. OPERATIVE BUTTER
MAKING.
The Maine Farmer gives these two: l. Keep
the expense down 10 the lowest practicable
figure 2. Make good butter. Cooperative
| enterprises are frequently open 10 the criticism
| Of not being particular in the matter OF ex-
peuses For some reason nopersou, hardly, will
pursue the same course in conducting public
] business or for "A corporation that they would
! If conducting the same business for themselves,
and especially Is this true in the expenditure
of money for expenses There is no good
reason why there should be any difference, but
| IL IS rare To find one who will use the money
of Others as carefully us they would if the same
came out of their own pockets and for that
| reason the advice comes with good degree OF
force. The managers OF n butter making estab-
| lishment should practice close economy, not
inconsistent with the interests OF the establish
ment. And the making OF good butter is one
OF the chief elements OF success for the reason
that good batter will And ready sale ne fair
prices, while poor article is a drug in the mar
kct at even u non paying price.
TREE FoeD:
Ono Of the straneest notions that ever gets
into tho heads of the people or seems to get
into their heads. Ia that tree eau thrive with
out food. We baye orchards that were
starving TO death for food. aud the owner
thought the orchard WAS failing because il
was old. In fruit Tree culture there Is an old
adage, too, that IS very applicable, VIZ, that
"a stitch in time saves nine" 1t Is not much
trouble 90 keep an orchard up, II we supply
what IS needed as sosu as IL Is required but
III an orchard ia neglected for several years,
it is pretty bard work 10 repair the damage that
has bocn done il indeed IL can be repaired At ALL
An experienced orcbartiist gives this advice on
restoring apple orchards: Moderate pruning.
careful aud shallow culture and dressing with
wel-Fotted stable manure. finely ground bone,
ashes and lime, st interyals. or apply full
ration OF special fruit fertilizer, after which
! SOW red clover and pillow under always being
roots.
THE POINTS or GOOD COW.
The points of good COW are 4 robust con-
siilution. good appetite. large milking capac-
ity, long milking tendency, rich milk aud an
easy mixer. with n good disposition. She
should bo IA regular breeder, and her calves
should possess her good qualities. After these
come the points OF shape. color and general
appearance along with the pedigree which latter
bred aud kept for breeding more than dairy pnr-
poses. If the former, IL Is tho most important oil
all her attributes. Every cow has more or less OF
these qualities coupled with some Objectionable
features, and il is Il capital exercise 20 write
out tho good and bad qualities of every cow in
the herd and compare them on paper. Ii will
aid you materially in Judging the animals in
your herd. IL you classify them you will
always know which should BIO parted with FIRST
and save you many subsequent regret.
NOTES.
--Rainwater Is better for house plants than
either we'll or ApTngwateE.
Coal ashes spread under fruit trees are
helpful both as n mulch and AS a preventive u
weeds.
Cleanliness is an all-important matter In
the'manaRement of your fowl-bouse, and ex
perience shows that poultry arc injuriously af
, fected by the emanations from filthy quarters
There will hardly be q better time thar
now TO repair aud clean plant houses. Rsplae,
lights where broken; scrub brick aud wood
work thoroughly, and otherwise get house il
shape for stocking up.
: Most hens will lay eggs, more or less, a
certain seasons OF the year But while they ar,
engaged IN this work, we must not forget thai
assist them materially by giving then
!. good, nourishing, varied grains and vegetabl,
feed that will 90 to aid in creating eggs NOR,
. abundantly than will the erroneous and care
less mode Of feeding that some persons adopt
. by stufiing them with dry, hard substance
that has no peculiar ingredients in its compo
sition such rs il necessary to help the fowls t.
, produce what we most desire.
4 The appe-bud worm makes It's entranc
j.. generally at the bud and follows the heart o
: tho twig downward 10 three or four joints
I the twig dies as far as IL Is bored. The worm /
> about the size of large pin and from one
y fourth to one-half an inch in length, with
!, black head and an Opaque body, ranging In col
! or from white to brown. Spraying with an
\ effective insecticides will exterminate them.
!. The depth TO which the pillow should be RI
Q in preparing the soil for seeding, depends upo
the character of the soil and the kind of crop /
a be grown, The etilfost aud poorest soils requir
I. more working than good land. Wheat an
i beans need u deeper range Of feeding than bal
ley.
' The best time TO pruDe ID when there ca
L be the least loss of sapi at q time when Tn
j. wound will cease bleeding most readily an
;, heal over the soonest If the cut Is covere
., with grating wax, shelac-varnish, or boile
= linseed oil as soon as made, there will be bu
>. little evaporation from the wound.