The National tribune., 1889-04-25
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
GREEN MANuREs.

some crop to be turned under. As such crop
derives it nutriment from the soil itself, it is
difficult for some to account for the benefit CON
ferred, as there is apparently nothing added to
the soil. Experiments, however, show that
green manuring greatly improves the soil, and
is capable of converting barren wastes into fer
tile fields That the growing plants take from
the soil the greater portion of their food is true,
but there is also a large amount of fertilizng
material brought dOwny brains in the shape of
ammonia and nitric acid, which is taken up by
the roots and stored in the plants. The roots also
exert mechanical aud chemical action on the
soil itself by reducing its inert clements to
plant food, while the decomposition of the
green food assists in the formation of humus.
The shading of the soil by the plants is also
beneficial and it may be possible that certain
proportions of free atmospheric nitrogen is also
absorbed in some manner.
The first crop to be plowed under should be
rye which has been sowed in the Fall. AS
green manurial crops can be plowed under at
any stage of growth, the work of turning under
the plants can be done conveniently. AS soon
as the rye is plowed under run heavy roller
over the field, and when danger of frost is over
SOW the field to millet, turning the millet under
as soon as it begins to shoot out the seed heads
The millet will kill every weed or intruder
that attempts to grow and provides large
amount of green food. Later in the season SOW
to rye again, and the next Spring turn under
the rye and plant TO corn. The above refers to
lands upon which clover will not thrive. OF
the many kinds of plants that may be grown for
green manurial purposes may be mentioned not
only rye and miilet, but also oats, peas sor-
ghum, Hungarian grass, cow-peas, buckwheat,
corn, and even turnips. The object should be
to use quick growing crops and to turn under
as much green material as possible.
The decay of the green food can be aided and
fastened by the free use of lime in a fine condi-
ton which should be broad casted over the soil
after the green material is turned in. Wood ashes
may also be used with advantage. The mini
eral matters serve to assist in the chemical
action of the decompOsing material on the soil,
and themselves supply some of the elements
that may be lacking, Any amount of lime
may be used on land that is being improved
with green manurial crops and though the loss
of year. cost Of seed and labor are important
items, yet the benefits derived are immediate
and permanent the effects being apparent for
several seasons
DON'T STINT THE CALVES.
A calf is worth nearly as much as COW. Not
that it will bring as much money, but at very
small outlay it will be brought to COW, and if
we'll fed and cared for it will make good COW.
The best of all grain foods for calf is bran,
and although the standard feeding tables give
rye bran higher value than wheat bran, the
latter considerably the better food. Wheat
bran contains more than three per cent. of
sugar, and rye bran less than one per cent
Sugar being wholly digestible and easily
changed into vital heat, wheat bran is a good
food for young animals in the Winter At the
same price per pound rs corn it is worth twice
as much not only for its nitrogen, but for the
phosphates it contains and which go to make
up bone. This is the reason of its high value
for feeding your stock colts and pigs as well as
calves. 1t is safe food. No one ever hurt his
animals by giving them too much bran. 1t
has every element of hay and corn combined,
but while it is good food it should be used ju-
diciously. A calf six or eight months old will
do well on two pounds daily of it. which, cost
ing two cents, is very cheap feeding. The
very best of hay should be reserved for the
calves, and with bran it viii cause the young
things TO grow steadily .-AHerjcgR AgTtcHltaFiSt.
COOP TOOLS.
Good tools are essential TO good farming, a
saving in time and cost of labor. With the
many different and improved implements of
culture there is no excuse for any farmer to con-
tinue the use of poor and imperfect tools, the
use Of which is a severe tax upon bodily energy.
ENEu InOu2u dtLSnuCu WIFI SOilS COSl, II Is DSL-
ter that new tools should be purchased, because
by the better work that can be performed there
viii be an increased crop with no increase of
labor. Farming offers no exception to the
benefits and advantages resulting from the use
of improved machines.
NOTES
DO not allow the water to stand around the
small fruit plants; see that good surface drain
age is provided
-Fathomless mud in country roads, with
stones Astounding in adjacent fields, suggests to
the mind an evil and its cure-permanent cure
if the effort be made in good earnest.
Over 600, 600 forest trees were planted
on the prairies of the Northwest last year.
Nebraska planted the largest number, Kansas
second, Dakota third and Minnesota fourth.
With this rate of tree planting, the blizzard
viii soon be a thing of the past, extremes of
heat and cold will be modified and extensive
droughts less frequent.
1t is said that J. N. Muncey, Unknown
Iowa Hostein breeder, has been experimenting
with a view to finding out the approximate
cost of pound of milk and pound of butter.
The result with two cows (Hosteins) were an
average food cost of IS 10 cents per 100 pounds
of milk, and a triAe over s $40 per pound Of
butter.
"A Guinea hen in with flock Of fowls
makes good safeguard against hawks.
matches 1t gives the eggs more moisture.
"A piece of gum camphOr about the size of q
pea is good cure for gapes. Force it down
the throat.
Wheat gives bone and muscle to fowls.
Feed the chicks plenty of cracked wheat. If
you cannot buy it cracked grind it in a coffee
mill.
Keep down the lice and you will not be
troubled with the gapes. We know that two
thirds of the cases of gapes have breen brought
on by lice.
The period of incubation runs as follows:
chickens, p days; ducks, excepting Muscovy
rs days; Muscovy ducks, 80 days; geese, about
80 days; guineas, % days; peafowls, 80 days.
old pasture fields are usually full of weeds
which have crowded the grass out. To utilize
such pastures turn sheep on them. The sheep
Will eat the young weeds as we'll as the grass
and greatly assist in destroying the pests. In
the Fall the sod can be turned under and re-
seeded with less danger of the weeds again APP
pearing
Some horticultHrists are now claiming that
insects are beneficial because they lessen pro-
duction, which is a theory that is sure to end
in the practice of methods more injurious than
can be foreseen at the present time. The war
on insects should not cease 1t is not easy to
keep them within bounds even with the most
persistent work.
Very green material should not be stored
IN the silo. Let the seed heads form, and cut
the plants when the seeds are about to turn.
Corn fodder for enslage is usually cut just
when the ears are glazed. If cut earlier it is
rot as nutritious, and is not so well adapted for
keeping.
Every young weed that comes up and is
cut down is one weed less to go to seed. The