The National tribune., 1890-03-13
OUR RUR1L TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Cur
Agricultural Readers

NEW BRAzIIIAS FLoun com.
Error NATG0SAL fEgBUNh: ! would like
to tell your roGdors my experience with this
corn. which is claimullhy some seedsman to
make -four equal to w5eat. s,w il M vct;;sed
by n well known serd-ilonse, aud being anxious
to try the corn Eiyseif, Tbon..ht Il quart, which
| planted. | pio4od my ground deep, aud
manfred it we'll with well.rottGd manure. |
narrowed it thoroughly until it was in good
order. aud marked it out 10th ways three and
a half by three and half feet. | planted May
IL, three grains in hill When M, narrowed
il the Same ms il there was no corn, which /
think is better than tho first blowing. In
few days it came M. 1t grew slowly for tho
first two weeks, after which timo IL made
very rapid aud vigorous growth. The STALKS
stoolcd from tho ground like sorghum and
grew seven to eight feet high, each grain pro-
ducing four to six stalks, and each stalk started
from three to SIX shoots, but ouly three or four
Of the shoots would develop into ears The ears
were from four to seven inches in cirCumlcr-
cnCc and from seven to nine inches long; grain
very white and soft | cut it Sept IS. About
four weeks aftcrwaTd, when the fodder or stalk
got dry huskcd it, selecting the best ears for
my experiment. i shelcd it aud dried it
thoroughly before taking to the mill Ono day
it rained, which delayed my work. | took it
TO the mill and had it ground and bolted,
same rs wheat -four. came home and told my
wife that ] wanted her to make me some
biscuits of this -four, which she did. We ate
them, aud / say that it does not even mako
good corn bread, much less wheat bread. Let
me tell you 1t Is all bosh about making bread
equal 10 wheat Tic only thing could recon-
mend it for, IS that it would make good fodder
1t is too late for this part of tho country
j. l.. $, Chicago ILL.,
FEEDING FOR MANURE.
Recently we gave nm account of fattcning
lambs AS tried by the Cornell University. This
week we will give the value in manure of tho
food fed To the different lots The basis of
calculation has been that so per cent. of the
manural value of the food is recovered in the
manure. With limbs so highly fed ~ these
were, it is altogether likely that more than 80
per cent. Of the mauurial value of the foods
was given
With nitrogen rcekoned at II cents per
pound, phosphoric acid at seven cents and pot
ash at four aud one-balf cents tho cost of the
ration for lot ! was $40, and the value of
manure given SLIP; for lot 2, $t.6G. and the
mauuria vaiuo - SO; for lot 3. $lTS and
and the mnurial value $l.07. From these
figures il Will be seen that lot cost moro
than any al the others, yet when the value of
tho manure IS subtraCted tho cost is less than
half OF any OF tho rest.
The value of tho manure made from the
animals fed is matter OF prime importance TO
ui farmers Often tho manure lott on tho
farm represents a large part. If not the whole.
OF tho profit made from feeding lot of anil
mails. Tie figures given are certainly worth
careful consideration by those who are accus-
toned 10 buy commercial fertilizers at tho
prices given above, since large portion of
arabic land IN this country is cultivated at
positive loss, or at a very small profit aud the
reason for this Is largely due to want Of plant
food in tho soil, and therefore the value of the
weddings Of the animals aud the character Of
the plants raised 90 the farm must necessarily
receive our most careful consideration.
OUNCE CULTURE.
There is perhaps no fruit easier raised or
more profitable than tao ounce. The demand
for 1t Is greater than several times the present
supply, aud NJ good pSicss. II may los that the
ssarcly OF good qaiRces Is owing to the fact
that 1t Is iVuit which cannot be treated with
neglect, aud yet 1t is very generally neglected
by the majority of those who grow it, II cannot
be successfully grown without cultivation aud
care, but there u no secret about 1t, and IL asks
only FOR tho same attention that is necessary to
obtain satisfactory crop Of grapes or other
fruit.
The best soil for ounces is n moist but porous
soil-not wet one. set tho trees six or eight
feet apart. Examine them before planting aud
see that they entirely free OF tho borer.
Apply bandgge of tarred musln around the
trees, reaching down the stem rs far as possible
aud extending about six inches above ground.
Examine trees for the horer twice a ycar-in
Spring aud Fail Cultivate well, keeping the
soil frequently stirred Apply topdressing
Of salt around the tree rs far as the roots ex-
tend, at the rate OF from two TO three-quarts
per tree. Prnne every Spring, keeping the
bush open TO the mir and light. The fruit is
borne on spurs produced wood of two years
or more, hence this shonld DO kept in mind
when pruning. The best varieties arc Meech's
Prolific aud the Orange. Champion is q late
variety that will not ripen very lar North, as
it requires longer season. 1t IL fully two
weeks later than Orange, and is an excellent
keeper.-OFchad aud Garden.
NARROWING WHEAT IN SPRING.
We have made repeated trials with harrow.
ing wheat in Spring with "A smoothing harrow,
tho work being done first as soon rs the ground
was sufficiently hard aud dry, and again when
about foot high. Breaking tho hardened
crust aud making fine mellow surface among
the plants, had obviously an excellent effect
the heads OF wheat were longer than usual, aud
tho increase was estimated at five bushels more
per acre than unharrowed wheat. The last
narrowing was accompanied with the sowing
Of clover seed, which succeeded we'll aud pro-
dneed IA good growth. At tho last narrowing
the harrow was passed over the wheat twice,
the first before sowing the clover seed aud tho
last after the operation. Any slant-tooth har-
row. with numerous fine teeth will answer.
The teeth need not be sharp, provided they are
sufficiently 80 TO mellow the crust; generally,
however, the sharper the better Country
Gentleman.
NOTES
Prepare the seed boxes. Let them be
about three inches deep. Bore holes in the
bottom. Let the soil be rich aud mellow, aud
do not fear liberal proportion of sand
- Raspberries are very partial TO manure
and no crop responds better To FREQ applica-
ton Of manure and fertilizers Size and quail
ity largely depend on the manure aud cultiva-
ton given the crop in the early part of the
season.
- Slow-germinating seeds, such as parsley,
carrots and parsnipB should be of tho best
quality, and should DO planted early, so as to
take advantage Of the Spring rains in order to
have the young plants well advanced in growth
before tho dry season comes OH. The seeds
should go in as soon as the ground is warm.
1t is yet long time before any seeds of
melons can be planted; but the melon hills,
made up Of plenty Of manure, will be- in ex-
ccllent condition for growing crop If the hills
are made ready in time to allow tho manure to