The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1890-01-25

Every thing that has grown upon the
soil, and every thing that has once form
ed any part OF the animal body or has
been excreted from the body, is more or
less valuable as manure. All vege-
table and animal garbage, then, that
accumulates about the farm build
ing, stables, wood pile, smoke
house, fowl house, fence corners, the
leaves from the forest near by, not to
mention cotton seed, should be consid-
cred as containing the circulating me-
dunn by means of which the various
operations OF growing crops, growing
and fattening animals, the production
OF milk, ETC.. are carried on.
After saving all these materials, re-
sort should be made to commercial fer
tilizers. The latter contain nothing of
value to the soil that is not found in the
materials we have named. A good,
| complete commercial fertilizer may be
considered as stable manure boiled
down, containing, as it does, the very
same fertilizing elements, without the
excess of sand, clay and water that is
always present more or less, in ordinary
stable manure. Many persons are of the
opinion that the use of commercial fer
tlllzers is an Improbable and unwise in
novation. We do not propose to discuss
the general propositions: ssDo CONNER
cial fertilizers pay the farmer?" 1t is
no doubt true that some farmers fail to
find any substantial profit in the use of
them; and it is also true that the most
skillful are sometimes imposed upon,
and sometimes they themselves are at
FAULT But the most convincing proof
OF the utility of commercial fertilizers is
the continued and annually increasing
consumption of them. This continued
reliance upon them must be the result
OF profitable experience. We will add
that those farmers who succeed without
fertilizers owe their success not to that
fact, but to the exercise of skill, econo-
my and industry in all the departments
of farm operations. They would prob
ably be even more lsuccessful if they
would make judicious use of CONNER
cial or concentrated chemical fertilizers.
Southern Cultivator.
Raising Calves.
An English method of raising calves
after having let them have the cows |
milk for a few days-which should al |
ways be done, not only because the /
milk is fit for nothing else, but because
it is just suited to the needs of the calf !
during the first week is to feed milk
not colnstrum-in obedience to the die
tates of nature, and there is now less
need to feed it sparingly and often. As
matter of fact, it may be said that
calf will do very well, at all events when
1T is week or ten days old, If it is fed
twice day, but even then it should not
be allowed to drink all it will or can.
The pail should be removed while the
calf is still able and willing, and even
anxious to drink some more. The inn
preston of the English writer whose
article we have been reading is that a
careful attention to this feature of the
process, is better than allowing given
quantity of milk to all calves alike, of
The same or similar age. But it certain
y involves careful watching, and when
the work is left to help it is probably as
we'll to limit each calf to a given GUAM
'ity. 1t must be borne in mind, how
ever, that calves appetites and digestive
capacities vary good deal, and each
'alfs appetite and requirement may
Tary on different days, and that to feed
~ strict rule or measurement does not
properly meet the case. 1t is advisable
hat each calf should receive fresh milk
Turing the first three weeks, during
which time it will have become vigor-
'us enough to assimilate other kinds of
God less strictly in harmony with nat
Ire, and 1t will have learned to nibble a
title sweet hay or grass, if there is any,
ut of net or rack.-western Rural.
Forcing Fowls.
The supposition that fowls must be
ontinually receiving egg-foods, red
epper or stimulants, has led to many
rrors in poultry keeping. The most .
important requirements are warmth, dry
heller and variety Of food. If the
owls are not fed exclusively on corn, or
ny one kind of grain. they will need no
,edicine. The object will be to have
lem in such condition that they will [
ways be willing to hunt and scratch
,r their food, which indicates health.
orcing with stimulants may be bene-
cial for awhile. but there will some
me come reaction.
IEoE AMI rhEnr Z