The National tribune., 1889-04-18
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers

EFFECT OF DRAINAGE ON SOIL TEMPERATURE
| Because in working the soil in sunny weather
! the surface becomes quickly dried, which is
not the case when there is no movement in the
SOIL leads to the impression that if the soil be-
comes more thoroughly aerated either by cul-
tivation or by underdrainage, and the forma-
ton of air-spaces By the withdrawal of any
water that may exist in the soil, it must as a
consequence become warmer and so more liable
to injure any growing crop. This is an errone-
Gus impression, as can be demonstrated by the
continual stirring of the soil on one plot and
| leaving the same without stirring on another,
in which case crops will endure dry weather
longer in the first case than in the other While
the surface in the first case may appear to be
dry and hot, little below the surface will
almost always indicate a fair degree of moist
ure and no greaty-unusual degree of heat.
LooseniBg of the soil seems to set into activity
a capillary action that draws moisture from
below, and so in reality renders the soil more
moist.
In recent years tests have been made with
the thermometer, aud it is found that the soil
temperature of underdraned land is but little
higher than where it is not drained This was
tried at the Canebrake Experiment Station,
Alabama, during the months of August to De-
ccmber inclusive, and the temperature in no
case was increased over two degrees, which
might easily be attributed to the passage Of
warm air. But no injury can result so long as
the soil moisture is in reality increased. -Ger-
mantoaH Telegraph.
PRUNING APPLE-TREEs.
1t has come to be pretty well understood that
with the present supply of apple-trees, with
even a fair yield, the supply OF fruit will
be such that there will be only a de-
mand for the best This is an inevitable con-
sequence; in any branch of industry an over
supply compels a demand for only the best,
and so, if there is over-supply of apples, only
those Of the best quality and appearance will
find place in the market. If fruit-growers
could only be brought to see the necessity, it
would be far better and result in greater profit
in the end if all would pick off half the fruit as
it gets fairly started to grow But knowing
the difficulties or Discrimination TO pursue such
a course, the next best thing to recommend is
such a pruning of trees as will diminish the
branches to an extent sufficient to throw con-
siderable proportion of the force of the tree
into the development of the fruit. As a gem
eral rule enough attention is not paid to this
point, and the result will very naturally be an
over-burden of fruit that cannot be forced TO
point of desirable development, and sofs un-
marketable. 1t is much better to attend care
fully and faithfully to pruning.
DEALING WITH KICKING COW.
Speaking of blows makes me think of those
miIk-stool blows which fall on the ribs of cows
if they yield to their impulse to kick careless
milkpr | hnxa seer opn n croi ad NV
pounding, but never saw kicker cured by it.
If any horned animal kicks you, try to make
it think you like to be kicked. Kind treat
ment and the entire ignoring of a kick from
COW will generally cure. Animals kick because
they are afraid of you, and can't get cut of your
way. Convince them that you won't hurt
them under any circumstances and the cause
of the kicking is removed. For an unsafe or
nervous COW, however, use rope; about
three-eighths rope is best. Tie good snap TO
one end aud a string to the other, and have it
about two and, one-half feet long over all. Pass
the rope around the left hind leg Just above
the gambrel joint, give it one twist between
the legs and then snap the ends together out
side of the right leg, and your COW is harmless.
The more she is inclined to kick the tighter
the rope may be twisted. Now keep this rope
hanging just behind the kicker aud you never
need whip her. | use the same rope to break
heiiers, and after putting it on a few times
there is no trouble III milking without it,
Farm, Stock and Home.
HOW A GOOD COW LOOKS.
A good COW is hat-sibbed just back of the
shoulders and has well-sprung ribs further
back. She has broad. fiat ribs and so far apart
that one can layitwo fingers between them.
Her skin should be loose and nabby over the
flank and her umrbilical development should
be firm and strong with the veins under the
belly very prominent She should be broad
between the eyes should have a short aud
slightly dished face, and bright and prominent
eyes. Besides the poll or forehead should be
long between the horns and the eye, the neck
should be clean aud thin the backbone strong,
the pelvic arch high, the hams thin to give am
pie room for a large udder, extending we'll back
and in front, one that will be soft and fiabby
when MIXED out and should have threefoId
wedge-shaped form, the general tendency of
weight being toward the udder, indicating
power to produce milll.-PrQf. Robertson in
american RHraI Home
GROWING RAsPBERRIEs.
In our estimation the raspberry is as delic.
ious fruit as is grown on the farm, and yet
there are many farms that have not raspberry
bush on them. They are not hard to grow aud
that makes their absence from the fruit garden
the more inexcusable. We say they are easy to
grow. OF course they must be intelligently
managed. If properly planted and well taken
care OF, they will last q very long time. They
need good care, q full supply of food and the
cutting out of the old wood each year. We
have recently had complaint of the failure in
raspberry culture which was evidently the re-
suit of too close planting That is an error
which is often committed. Give them plenty
OF room. If the rows are as much as eight feet
apart and the plants three feet apart in the
row they are near enough together.
NOTES.
One instance of the evil influence of habit
is the persstency with which some farmers keep
up the custom of killing their hogs at partic.
ular time in the year. Fresh pork is wanted in
large markets all the time, and il is often the
case that the farmer loses more than the price of
the food by keeping hog three months to wait
for killing time
The american Agriculttaist, in an exhaustive
article on the cultivation of oats, says the rea-
sons why the average yield of oats is so low are
weeds wet and undrained land. starvation, poor
tlith and late sowing, and adds: "a very large
proportion OF our land is so wet in the Spring
for want OF undertaking that it is not in a
lit condition to pillow until it is too late to
sow oats with any reasonable expectation of
getting q large yield.p
= The dog wallOws in mud and encases him.
self IN shining armor, which sufocates his
backblters. When it dries, the mud and the
cause OF his misery falls off, Horses seem to
understand that dust is death to their creeping
1oes SO they roll where they can find dry earth.
Hens free themselves from parasites by the dust
bath. And cows-who has not seen them throw
dirt over themselves2 They, too want the
earth, so we might take the hint and store away
road dust or dry earth for Winter use in keep