The National tribune., 1889-09-05
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
BEDDING FOR STOCK.

| and | always find, manure two or three years
old. 1t is invariably true of the man who is
too improvident TO furnish bedding for his
stock, in this country where straw is SO plenty,
that he places very little value on manure, or,
as is usually the case, he lives on large farm,
and believing that the manure no makes would
cover but small portion of his land, he neg
lects TO draw and spread it. / have seen a
farmer--who is Granger, who attends regu-
larly all Grange meetings and picnics--lcave his
manure until it filled his doorways and rotted
out his floors. Just before Winter set in he
would draw out few loads, so that they could
| get out and in without too much trouble.
| have seen his horses standing pitched forward
with their headquarters on foot or two Of ma
nure, and no straw in sight l have seen seven
head of cows and young cattle dragged out for
] burial in ono Spring. | have seen the poor
brutes search for water in frozen mud hole,
fall into it and die. / have seen the blasts of
! Winter tearing through his rckety barns, COW
ering his hay and grain with snow, and his
poor, skinny cattle bumped up in corners of
| the fence, no doubt wishing death TO end their
| sufferings / have seen 20 or % bushels of
wheat under his barn, with pigs. chickens and
ducks running to it, and hundreds of bushels
of grain piled on his barn floor with two feet
| of mold, rottCnnoss and sprnuted grain in the
center, and his t0ols-ah! | have told enough.
! Ten years ago resolved TO make speciality of
saving aud making manure. | have never re-
| GREETED it. My crops are growing heavier every
year, and also standing dTOnth much better.
! There is no better way TO make lots of manure
than to put abundance Of straw under tho
stock. The assurance that horses and cattle
are in dry, warm quarters. standing in straw
up to their knees, causes the thrifty farmer TO
doubly enjoy his own warm Preside and cosy
| bed.-N. J. Thompson IA Ohio Farmer.
LITTLE NEGLECT.
One cannot be too watchful. Just when not
| on the alert, some enemy is bound to come. A
young man called upon us this morning with
! the sad news that last night some rats got in
| his brooding- house aud killed about 80 promis.
ing chicks for him. Yet this young man nsod
every prceautton to prevent the intrusion of
rats. On the floor OF the house he had wire
netting. and every hole through which rat
could crawl was kept shut. Bat last night no
forgot to close little gate in front Of the house,
| which let the chicks out into yard ard Dir.
| Rat, on watch for opportunities, took ocea-
sion to step in. One cannot be too careful.
| See that everything is secure before you close
| up the house for the ight.--ErehdRgc
TIMELY SUGGESTIONS
| If crop Is removed and another garden crop
are kept. the waste Off moderate garden will
/ so Ear toward keeping COW. aud the rye
! will form acceptable food in both Fall aud
! Spring Peas may be used for the same pnr-
| pose, but they end with tho season. II pre-
! fefred, the land may be sowed 10 buckwheat
/ to be turned under as a green manure.
II planting celery this month, have in mind
| the fact that it Is plant which needs great
| deal Of moisture Consequently choose piece
! OF low land which 10 naturally somewhat damp.
| IL there arc no appliances for watering such as
tanks, hose. etc. good location may be found
! beside an open ditch or small run. from which
water may easily hu taken by means of a small
! pump. Very good ONES. such are sold for
| spraying trees may bn bad fof a few dollars,
1 which. with hundred feet of inch hose, Will
/ do duty over a considerable extent Of ground.
-American AgricaitlgIG.
YoTEa
~ when was tho last time you cleaned your
| poultry housc7
- DO not sell your honey now that IL Is cheap.
| Keep IL I'LL there Is d demand for IL.
| 49, Cleanliness and humanity are OF great i'm
| portancr, aud should be exercised in the dairy
| ~ Save your poultry droppiugA II mixed
with road dust aud plaster 1t makes the best OF
| fertilizers.
~ When manurng your fruit trees do not sow
the manure broadcast, but thoroughly incorpo-
rate it with The soil
- In handling bees fearlcssuess Is wonder
! fni protection. pcrsou who fights or tries TO
| drive them away Is sure to be- stuug.
49, Any crop suitable for feeding in its green
state Will make good silage, but the corn plant
| Is superior 10 any other.
- Marty tents may he removed by applying
| the following ointment; One part picnic acid
aud five parla cotton seed oil ltshould DO APP
piled IN the evening after milking
49, Tagging grapes, says wril'known fruit
grower does not pay II the grapes are intended
| for market The bags will preserve the grapes
| bat they render the skin 30 tender tsat they
will hardly bear handling.
-- Butter to bring good price must be made
| Of cream not over SO hours old, aud slightly
| acid. Many who have few cows keep the
cream ill they have a large quantity. which
generally takes so long that the cream Is desti-
tutc Of butter flavor.
| ~ If any OF your trees have tho pear blight
the best method OF treatment is 10 cut every
| blghted limb of 4 considerable distance below
| the diseased part. The removed portions should
| be burned Immediately, since experiments
show that the germs may remain alive long
time aud cause disease in another season
Some people recommend boring "A hole in the
trunk Of the tree, filing IL with flowers of sui
phur aud then corking the hole tight.
80 Every ounce OF food procured for the use
Of stock Is converted into beef mutton, pork
milk or manure. Ia the shape OF meat and
price, but the expenses are to be deducted. All
that remains on the farm unsoid, after the cost
| al the whole has been secured ia tho sales, IS
| Jnst as much a matter of profit rs that which.
| has been marketed, aud this surplus is the man.
| uFe, which can be converted into food tho next
| year. The farm Is therefore increased in fer
| tility and at the same time increased in value
| the profits being expended on the farm AS man
ure,
- Farm horses kept i'm well-ventilated stables
| when not ut work will fare better, usually, than
at pasture fighting flies.
| - Keep the little turkeys out of the water
| or prepare 10 count the number less and less MS
rainy days multiply III the calendar.
| In driving horses the road let them
| have drink at every opportunity dozen
| times Is day in Summer is not too often.
| 1T may seem like Hibernicsm that n
good rake is the best hoe If the rake have long,
sharp teeth aud is used before the weeds get too
large among cabBages cnulifowers and other
plants that need FREQUENT working. Try the
rake early and often.
An exchange says Canada thstles arc
easily exterminated by Bprinkling them with
dry salt when wet with dew or rain the finer
the salt the less it viii take. Tho operation
may have to be repeated two or three times as
some always missed, aud y0nng plants will
start from the robts. Large plants are more
easily killed than small Ones
TO keep bugs AWAY from melons, frost from
tender plants, the snp from eaulih0wer, etc.
cut barrel hoops into pieces 10 inches long,
crossing them in the center aud fastening with
a email wire nail bbrhAn envar this H.. ,,o ,,,it