The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-08-31
AGRICULTURAL TOPICS.
INSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS FOR OUR
Rural READERS.
Some Information OF Value 10 The Farmer,
Stock breeder, Bec-Keoper, Housewife,
and Kitchen Maid.
THE FARM.
Good Stock for Poor Farmers.

To breeders OF improved STOCK the
idea of keeping common or scrub stock
seems like foolishness. Bu. there are
thousands of cattle to- day being kept
after the conditions allowing such cattle
to be raised at a profit have passed away
never to return. There is no longer an
excuse for this state of affairs, and | am
glad to believe that most of our farmers
realize it. and as soon as they see bet
ter way will not be slow to adopt 1t.
The way is open to every man, though
he may not be the owner OF single an
final Now good male animals are kept
in nearly every neighborhood forservice,
and if not it is an easy matterto club to-
gethor and buy one. My own experience
in this business has been satisf factory.
Six of us united and bought n bull. Our
herds increased rapidly, and part of us
bought out the other shares and added
another animal. IN a similar manner
about twenty-five of us bought a
horse for 81, $780, and the investment has
proven highly satisfactory, and the
large CORES ondence | have had con-
corning our horse company convinces
me that others are moving in the same
way. AS imported horses are expensive,
a brief summary of our experience may
be desirable, as our plan has stood the
test of experience and no shares can be
bought at par. The company was
formed on the plan of having, as near
as might he, a share for each mare
owned, and that each owner should be
expected to subscribe for as many shares
as he had mares. The par value of the
share is S25. Proper officers were
elected and constitution and by laws
adopted. Service fees for insurance
were fixed, as | remember them, as fol-
lows: For each share owned, $3.50; for
member beyond shares, SIS; for out
siders' service fee, SlS. AS demand
for service was great, 1t WAS decreed
thai outside service should not be rem
dered when it deprived shareholders Of
service. Thus shareholders got low er
prices and service assured. Our COM
pany is so popular that we could readily
increase our capital stock if we desired
to do so. Our constitution and by laws
reach every case liable to arise, and are
so adjusted that whether the member
owns one or SIX mares, or any other
number,the burden falls just in proper
ton to what he owns. We now have
our horse paid for, and Will begin to
get dividends next spring, and hardly n
man feels poorer than If ne had not
made the investment, aside from the in
terest he has in the horse.-GeOrge Van
Hoten, in Neic England Homestead.
applying Commercial Fertilizers.
There are some crops with which it
will often be found profitable to use
commercial fertilizers. Some crops viii
derive larger amount of benefit from
them than others, and it is n good plan
to use them IN connection with such
crops.
There are two general plans for using,
or rather applying, One is before and
the other is after the seed is planted.
One plan, and under ordinary condi-
tions good one, is to have the soil in
good filth before marking out the rows,
then make the proper depth, depending
of course upon the variety of seeds to
be planted. If in hills, put small
quantity of fertilizer in the bottom of
the furrow and mix thoroughly with the
soil and then plant the seed on top of
this.
If in drills, it is usually done with
smaller plants, a good plan is to scatter
along In the bottom Of the burrows, and
stir well into the soil and then SOW the
seed and cover.
The other plan is to wait until after
the seed is planted and has terminated,
when the soil is stirred close around the
plants and a small quantity of the ferti-
iizer applied and worked into the soil.
OF the two plans, with what expert
ence l have had, l prefer the first, as it
places the fertilizer IN o situation where
IT Will be of considerable help in secur-
ing good start to grow. 1t is also
much less work to apply, and the work
can be done more thoroughly than to
work it into the soil after the plant is
up.
With all plants it is quite an item to
secure a strong, vigorous start. If this
is secured, the work of keeping it up
will be much less than if at tue start the
plants are stunted.-N. j. Shepherd.