Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-06-19

CAo!nS tuelr luuCtlOu, SO IIlAC we horse 3
action, as we'll as it's speed and strength,
are impaired from mechanical disad-
vantage.
10. 1t causes pain and distress in
breathing.
II. 1t tends to distort the upper part
| OF the wlndpipe and causes roaring"
Planting and Cultivation of Corn.
The general introduction of improved
| implements has completely revolution
lied the methods OF corn culture. In
| the early years of our older readers the
hoe was almost constantly In hand from
the beginning OF planting until the crop
| was "laid by" The corn farmer of
those days was quite ready to echo Dud-
| ley Warmers wish for ga cast-iron back
with hinge in it." Now the farmer
| may 'lay down the shovel and the
hoe, and raise much larger and better
corn crop without them. After the land
| is plowed which on large prairie farms
| may be done with double-wheel pillow
the pulverizing disk. or cutaway har-
row, reduces the soil to fine filth, leav-
ing it ready for the seed. Theoretical
ly drills are far more productive than
check-rows. Drills three-and-a-haIf
| feet apart, with the stalks six inches
apart IN the drill, have ratio as seven
W lOuT Will Hills lu0 same distance
apart each way. That is, an acre in
drills contains three-fourths more
| plants than an acre in check rows,
with equal space between. Further
| more, with plants standing six inches
apart, each one has a better chance for
full development than when crowded
into hills. The only practical difficulty
in drilling corn arises from the want of
an implement which will drop two drills
at once, with uniform distance between
the kernels in the drills. With good
smoothing harrow it is quite as easy to
give clean cultivation in drills as in
rows. This should begin before the
young corn shows itself above ground.
In case of sudden showers followed by
sunshine, soon after see ling, a hard
crust results, which the Smoothing
harrow breaks up. This implement
may be run lengthwise of the drills or
rows at intervals of week or less,
without injury to the corn, until the
stalk begins to shoot up through the
center. AS to manure, it is too late to
consider 1t in a general way after the
corn is planted. Stable manure should
have been applied to the surface and
plowed under, and commercial tertiliz-
ers are best narrowed into the soil be-
fore planting. But a top-dressing of
| ashes applied to the hills or drills eth
er before or Immediately after the corn
Is up, will benefit the crop under all
conditions.
The subsequent cultivation of the
crop, from the time when it is too large
for the smoothing harrow, is best per-
formed by means of two-horse cult
vator. There are many excellent pat
terms in the market, and it is waste of
time and labor to scratch back and
forth between the rows with little
one-horse cultivator when a two-horse
implement will do the work bet
ter In one-fourth the time. The
ground should never be stirred so deep
ly as to cut the roots, Careful expert
ments have proved the theory of root
pruning" corn to be a gross fallacy.
The plant is rank feeder, and needs all
its root growth unimpalred. But the
surface must be kept stirred and free
from weeds until the crop is ready to be
'laid by" In hot, droughty days a
layer of loose porous soil on the surface
acts as mulch. On the other hand, a
neglected growth of weeds will draw
the water out of the soil, besides rob-
bling the corn Of its plant food.-Ameri-
can Agriculturist.
Setting Hens.
AS the spring advances, the matter of
setting hens must be considered. Sew
eral must be set at one time, if possible,
and the nests be roomy, warm and COM
Portable. The best nest is large bar
rel filled to within one foot of the top
with leaves and hay. If pure breed
eggs are to be Matched, common ones
should be substituted for day or two;
then they can be removed and the
choice eggs put in the nest. The hen
should not be disturbed for three days,
when she may be removed tor food and
drink. She must not be allowed OFT
more than ten minutes. Be sure she
returns to the nest before you leave
her.
The best results in Matching can be
had by sprinkling the eggs after the
seventeenth day with water comfort
ably warm, just before returning the
hen to the nest. This is especially ben
eficial to dark-shelled eggs, which are
day do not disturb the hen at all, es-
pecially if the eggs have commenced to
pip or there is much music in the shell.
If the chicks are to be taken from the
hen and placed in a brooder, a small
piece oflard (the size of a pea) should
be rubbed thoroughly on the head and
under the wing to kill vermin, which
they are sure to get from the mother
hen.-Fdrna, Field and Stockman.
Mixed Manure.
The experiments at stations and by in
dividuals continue to conrfm the old
opinion that barn manure is more uni
versallv useful and efficient under all
circumstances than any Of the special
fertilizers. In rating its value by
analysis, the carbonaceous matter
which it contains is not commonly
taken into account, but its abundant
presence is one reason why it is so gen.
orally beneficial to all soils. 1t oper-
ates in several ways, among them in the
mechanical condition given to land,
and in promoting the absorption of
moisture and essential ingredients of
fertilizers. 1t greatly assists in improv-
ing the texture of many soils. With
these qualities it is we'll to mix with
yard manure and various other sub
stances. Inquiry is often made for the
best way to apply bone dust, plaster,
mari, air-slacked lime, superphosphate,
etc. In most cases, the easiest way is
RI roiy them thrOI1Oh hoaOs of manure