The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-02-27
OUR RURbL TOPICS,
Some PRACTICABLE Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
FATTFNTNa IAMRs.

IcI bnS laUnDS INC nlSHCr Will DO bnS pIiCo ioi
them. Bulletin 8, of the Cornell University,
tells of experiments fiado in regard to this
subject. There were eight lambs, divided in
lots of two Lot l was given what might be
called carbonaceous ration, consisting of all
tho timothy hay and whole corn they could
eat readily, together with about half pound
of roots each. Turnips and mangels composed
the root ration. Lot was given heterogeneous
ration, consisting of two parts wheat bran and
ono part cottonseed meal, together with clover
hay and roots Lot 3 was given an intermedi-
ate ration, consisting of grain part composed
of three parts corn and one part each of wheat
and cottonseed meal, together with timothy
hay and roots, rs in Lot l. Lot d received the
same food as Lot 3, except that they received
no roots Mt all
The nutrtive ratio of the ratons fed, with
rs standard, were rs follows: Lot l, 100;
Lot 2 AZ; Lot g. 6.5, and Lot 4, 6.3 The lambs
had free access to water all the timo, and Lot l
drank 30S lbs or 1903 lbs per lamb per day;
Lot 2, 11S5 lbs, or 3.95 lbs. per lamb per day;
Lot 3, 735 lbs, or 2.i5 lbs. per lamb per day,
and Lot drank SAT lbs, or 2s2 lbs. per lamb
per day. The average gain in weight for each
hoo Nhos laOb II olo lD5'I OJO lD5sI LOU
73 lbs, and Lot A, 52.7 lbs.
BY the above figures it shows that Lot made
the largest gain, and tho cost of producing the
gain was less than in any Of the other lots
The summary of this and other experiments
made shows that corn, as an exclusive grain
ration, docs not give the best results, either in
amount, quality or economy of production,
when fed to young or lattening animals; that
the amount of water drank is pretty certain
indication of the rate of gain. and that the pro-
duCtion of wool is very greatly dependent upon
the nitrogen in the food.
PREPARE FOR THE GARDEN.
Every farmer should have garden, no mat
ter If no is near a city or not If he is in the
vicinity of Il city he might BIO able to support
himself off the garden alone; but If he is dis
tant from one, let him raise the vegetables for
his own use. II you intend to have n garden,
now is the time TO prepare for one. The hot
bed, If not yet made, should be without delay
and gotten into working order. We gave a
good way to make bOtbod In this column JAM
%. 1t is pulling TO "a beginner in gardening
to determine the quantity of holbed plants
which he should prepare, tho sizes OF beds re-
CURED TO produce them, the amount Of seed to
be- purchased and s0wn, and the correct proper
tionmcut of the different sorts, but after some
experience this difficulty disappears.
The seed should DO selected and bought as
soon as possible, aud BIO sure 10 secure seeds
that are fresh. IL you have n hotbcd the seeds
should have been bought before you made the
bed. Many soodsmGn give different name to
the same plant. and il is therefore advisable
10 purchase tho seeds from reliable dealers
The plot intended for tho garden should be
plowed now, in addition to the Fall blowing,
and the soil pulyerized. 1t should then have
a top dressing Of manure, or. rs tho soil cannot
be too rich, put dressing on before blowing
nd fbut, yla an I
placed on the asparagus and rhubarb beds last
Fall IL should be applied Immediately. Old
beds which have become root bound will be
benefited by putting plow through them some
four five inches deep, and following in each
furrow with a subsoiI plow, just to break up
tho roots
The essentials in having good garden are:
Manure the ground very heavily, plow thor.
oughly and deeply, keeping the hoe and cult
yator going until plants arc well under way.
No matter what tho length Of the stem is the
plant should DO set down 70 tho first leaf in the
soil. For insecta the best remedy is To grow
quickly, though sulphur siftcd on plentifully
before and during maturity is often of avail.
One should hesitate TO use poisons, and avoid
them If possible.
REEPIyG sEEs.
As soon rs warm weather arrives the bees boz
gin breeding and quite frequently when cher
bce-keepors imagine that they are making
money in proportion as thoy multiply swarms.
This Is error as bees are not ready sale in
large quantities, and sometimes We learn OF
whole apiaries being sold for tho bare cost of
the hives and implements in use. The natural
crop from bees is honey, and we must look to
the production and sale OF honey. aud not of
bees. for the realization of our profit. In order
To procure the most honey possible per colony,
IL Is necessary that we should know tho flowers
which yield the surplus in our locality. IL may
be white clover, Eastwood. linden black heart
buckwheat, golden-rod Spanish needles, or
asters, all of which arc honey ycldors in
large quantities in some localities. Next
We must know when tho surplus honey
plant commences TO bloom ard must have
arrangements made TO start our bees TO breed
ing nicely at least two months before this
honey flow commences, so as to insure large
numbers Of workers TO gather the crop. For
without full supply of bees, comprising field
| workers, comb builders and nurse bees We must
| not expect tho best results. AT times we find
our strongest colonies determined 10 swarm
| out just soon as enough honey is coming in
| from the fields to insure living at tho new
| location. As rule | have found IL best to
| hive them and not try 10 put them back into
| tho original hive; 80 / place them in new
| hive, with empty frames therein, putting the
| surplus boxes with starters in them above tho
| Does. III Lho swarm Do large one, ana hrst
swarms usually are, they will build just enough
| worker comb below TO keep the queen laying
nicely, and the bulk OF the honey stored will
! be in tho boxes above. But these boxes should
not be placed over swarm in the decline OF
latter part of the honey flow, rs they would
not finish and seal up the combs therein. Some
times | have found IL pay TO put tho boxes over
| the bees in "A colony two weeks before the
| bloom opened, thus giving room for the young
bees To play without endangering the brood
below aud making IL unnecessary for them 20
| hang outside exposed TO sudden showers, etc
| With large numbers of young worker bees and
n good laying queen at tho commencement of q
nice honey ilow, large crops Of honey are
secured but with few workers the amount
gathered viii be small, and most of that will
be consumed in raising hive full of bees that
may all starve TO death before the next honey
flow furnishes them an opportunity of gather
ing 80 much honey as was used in raising them
| Orange Judi Farmer.
| NOTES.
If the season continues warm tho manure
heap may ovorheat aud become " fire langed, y
which damages IT, In such cases the heap
should be turned oyer. If this Is not convent
cnt make holes III tho heap with crOwbar and
pour cold water into the holes, 80 rs to diminish
the heat. Manure should heat moderately, but
TO allow it to becqnle too warm is TO cause q
| loss of ammonia.
49, One OF the drawbacks to the termination
r H. IL a