Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-09-24
Farm Orchard and Garden.

Farm, Orchard and Garden.
Pigs fed off in few months, even at 100
pounds weight, will pay better than it fed
through long winter in order to make
300.
It is claimed that white Minorca fowls
possess uncommonly good qualities as
LAYERS; in fact, that they can not be sur
passed in this respect.
The young animal can always be fed for
meat at less cost than the old one. A
lamb, during the first six months, can be
fed at about half the cost, pound for pouno
of gain, that the old sheep can.
The poison ivy can only be got rid of by
grubbing out and burning. Some people
are not susceptible to its poison, and can
handle it with perfect impunity. If such
an one can be found, better give him the
job.
The quantity and quality of the butter
made next winter will depend good deal
upon the quality of the hay used, and the
date at which that was cnt will largely de-
termine its quality. Late cut grass, that
has ripened its seeds, is little better than
straw for butter making.
It is economy to keep things growing
young stocks, trees, vegetables, field crops.
This requires food and cultivation. Do not
have mora stock than you can feed, SO that
it will grow fast, nor more crops than you
can cultivate and feed (fertilzs), SO that
they may do likewise.
By burning or sire -fanging" manure
loses nitrogen, it's most valuable constit-
uent. By keeping it just moist enough to
keep down the heat, but not wet enough to
leach, this can be easily prevented; but
keeping it too wet, SO that it will leach out,
is as bad as letting it burn.
One great advantage of having q green
crop growing through the fall and winter,
to turn under in the spring, especially upon
billy land Or land that is Inclined TO wash,
is that it prevents the plant food from
being carried away bodily. Sow rye now
wherever there is a vacant place.
Burdocks are ahent tie most troublesome
weeds 80 eradicate with which the farm is
ever infested. Young ones may be de-
stroyed by pulling up when the ground is
wet. The older ones can only be killed by
cutting off below the surface of the ground
two or three times during the season.
In Kansas or Nebraska dozen eggs
frequently bring as much as bushel of
corn. Where such condition exists there
is either something wrong with the system
of farming that is pursued, or with the
facilities for distribution. Sin gle crop
farming is not as rule for the best inter-
est of any region.
1t is a good Plan to test the COWS and
know just which are paying a profit. A
dairyman of our acquaintance in Central
New York, having a heard of 100 Hol-
stems, keeps daily record of the product
of each. Whenever he finds one falling
below certain standard of production she
is at once sweeded OUT for the butcher.
A winter dairyman in Western New
York buys young COWS fresh in the fall
feeds them literally, and milks them all
winter, and sells them eff fat in the spring
at higher price than was paid in the fall.
He finds profit in his beeves, in the milk
and in the immense amount of good
manure which he procures with which to
enrich his farm.
To take up strawberry runners and have
as good plants as though you had potted
them, take circular tin Qike an ordinary
tin cup, without bottom Or handle), press
it down around the plant, tip little to one
side to loosen, and then lift the contents
plant and earth together. By this means
the roots will hardly be disturbed, or the
growth of the plant interrupted.
Time saved is money saved, on the farm
as elsewhere When au animal can be
made ready for market sooner by giving it
extra feed, Go so. It will not consume as
much in the ED as if longer time had been
occupied with the feeding, and you have
the money in hand 60 much the sooner to
employ elsewhere-maybe to stop the &C.
emulation of interest on that mortgage.
Lime is most beneficial upon a hard,
clay soil, making it more friable and loamy !;
but upon all soils it acts as a solvent,
breaking up the combinations in the soil
and unlocking the elements of fertility so
that the roots of plants can get at them
1t must be kept in mind that plants feed
only with their finest and tenderest root
lets or spongioles, and these can not do
much when imbedded in only hard Jumps
Of earth.
We have before referred to Prof. Blount's
experime nts in wheat-culture. They are
SO good that every farmer will do well to
heed his advice upon this subject He has
recently suggested that if farmers would
only hand-p.ok enough seed from tho tallest
heads OF wheat to SOW an acre, and put it
alone upon some good ground, they will
find so much improvement made the first
year that they will continue the same
method Of selection thereafter.
The principle with seeds is not as to
where they are grown, but that they are
pure, sound and well-ripened. An excep-
ton to this rule is that oats and potatoes
are usually better for seed when grown to
the north of the territory in which they are
to be used. The Canada potato crop, con-
trary to our own, has been very good this
season, and those who expect to plant to
any large extent next year might do we'll to
arrange early for Canadian seed.
1t amounts to almost nothing to scatter
dry sulphur about the hen coop. Mix it
with grease and burn it for an hour or two
at time in the empty house, having the
doors and windows tightly closed. This
kills the Yermin and the germs Of disease.
If proper care is taken it may be mixed
with the food, but harm may follow if the
fowls are allowed to run about in the wet.
Other things of at least equal value may
be used in its stead as internal remedies.
DR.. Acker's English Pills
Are active, effective and pure. For sick
headache disOrdeTeG stnnnach loss Of an