The National tribune., 1890-02-20
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
EMPLOY YOUR TIME.

EMPLOY YOUR TIME.
Farmers should post themselves better than
they generally do in regard to the claws of the
land" OF course, farmers are not supposed to
be lawyers, but there is no reason why an in
teligent farmer need be ignorant of the laws Of
the State in which he resides. The Winter
evenings afford an excellent opportunity to
book up Perhaps the farmer does not want to
spend a whole evening to this one subject.
Let him look something else up. 1t Is profit
able to mako a study of horticulture, or any
other subject that is important to the farmer.
| Talk over horticultural subjects with the chill
dren, and try to learn tho why's and wherefors.
Take up the Concord for discussion one night;
the Worden the next; the Delaware the next,
and 80 on with the different varieties of fruits.
| When did they originator Under what con-
! ditions does each thrive best2 What are the
characteristics of each? These suggestions will
| lead TO the other kinds of fruit, and in this
manner the farmer is bound to become ac-
quaintcd with great many fruits.
While tho farmer is interested in these sub
| jects he should not forget the manure pile.
| This requires as much study, If not more, than
any other thing. The saving of tho various
substances that aresupposed to possess no value,
by adding them to the manure heap amounts
TO large item in the course of year. There
is nothing grown on the farm, either by seed
| ing for the crop or voluntary growth that will
not contribute something to the fertility of the
soil If the materials are appropriated to the
| purposes for which they are adapted.
| Even weeds can BIO made useful in enriching
| tho soil In the selection of fertilizers farmers
should consider the soil on which il is to be
used. If on g dry, light soil, Il fertilizer con-
tanning large per cent Of potash is generally
| best, rs the soils are very apt TO be deficient in
| potash; while on wet and heavy soils fine bono,
or fertilizer containing large amount of
| phosphoric acid, should DO selected.
| Tho trouble with n great majority Of tho
farmers of the present day is that they stiTl con-
! tinue TO run tho farm in tho way it was man
aged half century ago. In this age of inn
provemcnt such farming as that will not pay,
! and these ancient farmers wonder why they
cannot make their farm pay. Our advice to
such farmers is 10 get out of the old ruta and
| commence the better way of farming.
corToN-sEED MEAL.
This product is coming into quite general
| notice aud uso as a valuable fodder Some
| items from the experience Of those who have
| made use Of il arc worthy of consideration.
| A Pennsylvania farmer having desire to
! test the quality OF this feed for milk and
at first some of the cows refused to cat IL. but
soon acquired nm appetite for it, and were fed
| ono quart "a full ration) morning aud evening
| Before feeding tho ootton-seed meal, the milk
| was weighed for one week, and after feeding
| with meal two weeks tho milk was again
| weighed. and tho result was MS follows With
| no cotton seed meal pt5 pounds Of milk were
obtained, while with the meal ,0G7 pounds was
tho result, showing gain of 122 pounds, or
very nearly ID por cent. gain. Taking the
butter product, and IL was for the FIRST 80 pounds
and for tho second 81 pounds. q gain Of -
pounds, or over 81 per cent. gain, showing the
increase OF the buffer principle contained in tho
milk. This is moro clearly brought 10 view by
finding the quaniityo OF milk required in each
case 10 make 4 pound Of butter. With no
cotton seed meal about 26.3 pounds IL required,
while with IL only abult 20,9 pounds is neces-
sary, making very decided improvement in
the butter qualities or the milk. Ii was esti-
mated that the net gain from feeding ton OF
tho meal would be Sli3B, without taking into
account the improved condition of the cows and
the increased fertii1ing value Of the manure.
If. as was claimed. the quality Of tho butter Ia
improved we'll rs its quantity, IL becomes a
matter for tho consideration Of those interested
IN the butter product Germantown Telegraph,
THE FARM WORKSHOP.
Every farm should have its workshop; that
is some suitable place whore repairs can be-
!
not have a few good tools and place to keep
and use them. must necessarily loss much valu.
able time In busy season. Farm implements
Will give way and break with tho best oil
management, especially those that have become
worm nut will loosen, a bolt break. n piece
OF timber split, and in the course of a years
work innumerablo little things will go wrong
that cause delay and loss Of timc. Very often
the time 1t takes going TO and from the regular
repair shop amounts 10 great deal more than
the few cents the mechanic will charge Tor
making tho repair. IL Is certain, says the Ohio
Farmer, that all farmers cannot live close to
town, aud of course tho farther from tho shop
the greater the delay aud cost.
lsuppose 10 would be hard TO find farmer
that does not have scattered about somewhere
on tho premises hammer, SAW, a few augers
aud perhaps jack plane and u chisel or two
but on how many farms can these tools be found
in welapp0uted room. every one In place
made 10 keep ii, and whore it can always be
found when not ia user
How many farmers in addition 10 these few
; simple tools have variety of others, such as
brace and bits, ii few chisols OF different sizes
squares, files, punches, and stock aud dies with
taps2 Perhaps someone will say, IL every farm
or was so provided IL would deprive the local
mechanic Of his patronage aud means of "A living
as he has TO depend largely on the repair work
OF tho farmer for his support. Not necessarily
so Every blacksmith will tell you that there
is little for him in those small tinkoring jobs
that take but a few minutes to complete, taking
him from some other job where his time is more
valuable.
NOTES.
- Onions come early, and the onion bed
should hc prepared.
- Soapsuds should he added TO the manure
heap. Never waste SUCH Later in the season
suds may be applied TO asparagus and celery
: with advantage.
- Eggs for sitting should be from healthy
adult birds not related Never breed from late
turkeys if it is possible TO get better. Never
. breed from yearling turkeys II you can get
! two-year-Olds
Tho garden Is neglected on tho farm, and
Z many farmers do not cultivate a plot for 9
( garden. The luxuries of farming can only be
obtained by those farmers who grow vcgeta
! bles aud fruits as well staple crops of grain
aud grass One of ths best locations for
) garden is to turn under clover sod; now ap
ply 30 bushels of ar.slacked lime per acre (oi
proporlionatcly), aud then cross-plow tho land
in tho Spring. The ground must DO we'll har
, rowed and made fine before planting the seed
however
= - February is the beginning of the lambing
: season. The lambs dropped this month will b,
the ones that will bring tho high prices, and
every day gained, in growth makes the lambs
| m yalnuhln nf tba Iar, ttny