The national leader., 1889-04-13

read by the average farmer with care.
| We observe that an eastern writer says
that salt is no remedy. He says that
he has kept the worm in salt. and that
it has lived and maintained a good
clined to doubt that if an appai emily
truthful man had not asserted it. Come
to think of it, we doubt it anyhow.
This writer thinks that the frost is the
best remedy for the cut worm. He
can endure the cold beneath the sur
face, but when he is turned up out OF
the ground where the frost can get
right down on him it soon ends his ex-
istence. To clear field of cut worms
plOw the ground in the fall as late as
possible, and leave the ground in the
| rough furrOW without narrowing. No
matter how much sod there be or how
heavy the soil, but few cut worms will
escape. However, to make assurance
doubly sure, cross-plow the field in the
spring as early as possible, 80 as to give
the frost another chance, and you can
put in your corn or early vegetables in
perfect security. The frost will not
only kill ont the cut worms, but will
pulveriZe the clOds and render the soil
easier of cultivation during the grow
Ing season. Fall plowing saves work
| In the spring at time when the
| farmer is anxious 10 hurry his crops.
No farm upon which late plowlng is
practiced is troubled with the cut
worm. 1t left alone, the cut worm
gets out of the way of the frost long
before it appears, but seldom goes
deeper than the plow, and If thrown
out late in the fall is unable to get
back to safe depth. Sod land is not
the only place for the cut worm Let
all classes of soil be plOwed. 1t will
be benefit even If no worms are pres
ent.
The writer will find people who will
not agree with him. He will find those
who will not believe that salt is useless,
and he will find those who will not
agree that fall plOwing is sovereign
remedy. But fall plowing will do
| good.
WHEREVER forest leaves can be
gathered for the purpose of littering
stock the opportunity should not be
neglected. A statement has been made
to the effect that pile of leaves ten
feet high and seventy-five feet square
at the base, after two years, left a resi-
due of not more than two barrOwlOads;
hence it is concluded that ''such put
tering work will not pay" Had these
leaves been put under horse for litter
the animal would have enjoyed the
soft, warm bedding. and they would
have gone out with the manure and
served a most valuable purpose in the
soil. not only contributing to 1t useful
plant food, but mixing with it alb
sOrbent, pulverulent matter which
greatly improves the texture of both
light and heavy soils alike. This pile
or leaves would not have weighed over
one thousand pounds, and it left two
barrOWlOads OF debris, after two years,
which contained twice as much valu-
able mineral matter and one and
half times as much nitrogen as one
thousand pounds OF timothy hay. But
who would call the gathering Of
timothy hay free Of cost for its use as
manure ''puttering wOrk2" The fact
is, the value OF forest leaves is scarcely
known by farmers, either for their
use as summer feeding or for winter
litter.
To TELL A SLEEPS AGE.-lt is
often useful to be able to tell the age Of
sheep. at one year there are TWO
large teeth In the centre OF the jaw,
and two are added each year up to five
years, when the sheep is said to have