The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-01-02
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
MUCK.

| y
cheap and valuable fertilizer, being made up
of decomposed vegetable matter, of which
WORKOUT soils are almost entirely deficient.
The top layers, everything the muck, are taken
off and discarded, the dark brown or black
unctuous mass below being the most concen-
trated and valuable. During the late Fall aRd
early Winter the muck is dug out, thrown into
wheelbarrows and taken to some nearby high
piece Of ground, above the high tides, where
1t is put into broad loose heap, not more
than three or four feet deep, whore it is left
until Spring to drain of, and to be acted on by
the frosts of Winter, which sweoten as we'll as
disintegrate it. BY the time it has dried well
in the Spring it will become almost as fine as
an ash heap, and can be hauled readily. 1t is,
then, either composted with stable manure or
used alone. BY its use alone we have grown
| fine crops of oil kinds, and especially so of
| Irish aud sweet potatoes and garden vegetables.
On most lands there is but little danger Of
| using it too freely, and it has the additional
advantage of having no noxious weed or grass
seeds in its composition to worry the farmer
and cause him additional labor When COM
! posting it with stable manure, we generally
use it in the proportion of oue-b half of each.
Some use the muck right from the pits, spread
ing it on the land In the Fall, but this entails
much unnecessary labor, rs the muck is then
so heavily freighted with water as to make it
very heavy hauling. We fail to SEQ the policy
of carting so much water in that form when
there is nothing to bo gained by it.
The deeper the muck is taken the better it
is, until 1t gives out, or until the water comes
into tho pits and thus prevents work, when
others have to be opened. When good de.
| post is struck, it is policy to take measures
| for keeping out tho water. One man at the
| pit aud two at the wheebarrows will throw
out and haul large lot of muck in a weeks
| work. We generally run two lots like this
aud from two TO four weeks at time, and 1t
| pays us as well as n small gold mine. Good
muck will cut out with spade like chunks Of
| cheese, and four strokes Of the spade, in the
| hands Of an experienced man, will cut out
| fine cube nearly foot every way, and six or
| eight of these will make barrowfull.- AaSsa-
chasetts RloaghmaH.
KEEPING FARM ACCOUNTS.
| Every man who runs a farm should Keep
| record of bis transactions and operations This
| will not only show how be stands ut the end Of
the year-whether he has made or lost money
! n
| erence. There arc many cogent reasons why
| the farmer should be AS careful in this matter
| IA Is the merchant, manufacturer or any other
| man OF business. The farmer who keeps an
| account Of his dealings aud practical dongs,
| not only knows the exact state OF his financial
| affairs but is fully advised as to the condition
aud value Of bis crops livestock and farm inn
| PIGMENTS aud machinery. BY carefully record
ing the cost of each crop aud tho receipts there
| from, the cultivator Is enabled TO readily do
eide as 10 the profit or loss and also to arrive
at some definite conclusion as 10 where he has
| erred IN Judgment or mauagemeut-a matter
which may prove OF special benefit 10 those
who arc guided By the lamp Of experience.
While we have not space 10 fully discuss this
vital question now. 80 urge its Importance
upon every would.bo prosperous busbandman.
1T Is great ceoHouizer and factor OF SUCCESS
this Keeping farm accounts. and its necessity
Is too apparent To require argument. For cx-
ample, the farmer who keeps record of his
transactions can, al the close of the year. easily
take an inventory af his farm stock and inn
PIGMENTS, produces GA hand. etc. and estimate
their value-and thus knowing his outgoes aud
incomes, aud what he has on hand be posted
a. To his position and prospects. December is
tho time TO begin taking an inventory and
also 10 practice IA keeping accounts (if you do
not already keep them. so as To know how you
stand with the world aud be prepared to turn
keeping oil the ifst of January.
POINTS or BROOD sows.
II is better for sows that are two years old
and over 10 raise two filters "a year saws a cor
respondent of The smine breeders Journal, for
they are abundantly able 20 do so without un-
duly taxing their vitality If generously fed
while sucking, aud In my experience there are
fewer barren sOws when two filters q year are
raised than when only one. There is rot near
the danger OF sows getting crippled aud injured
| when running together on pasture In pig than
there Is II not bred. Sows in pig thrive better
than those not in such condition aud time and
again have demonstrated beyond all question
that sows bred and carrying their young dur
ing the Summer months will ia tho Fall be in
better flesh and health on the same feed than
those not bred. Sows that raise "A Fall litter
almost universally get in pig at the first serv-
Ice after Fail pigs arc weaned, while those that
have run the Summer without breeding arc
often shy breeders.
TANNING COW HIDES.
1t often occurs that farmers desire to tan cow
hides for ropes, chair bottoms or homemade
foot wear. For the convenience of these farm.
ers formula is appended for tanning skins in
a small way:
TO remove the hair, take one quart of 0nick
lime to every pailfu Of water necessary To mako
clear liquid enough To cover the hide. Soak
the skin: IN IL until the hair can be scraped off
and no longer. When the hair has been re-
moved scTape of clean all the flesh from tho
ilesh side OF the skin. Then sprinkle the flesh
side thoroughly with fine salt and powdered
alum, aud fold II together. or soak the hide in
solution OF salt aud alum for "a hours, or until
10 significantly cured. The salt and alum Jaws
OF cures the hide, bat does not tan IT, Next
hang on smooth beam, work, pull aud scrape
II until dry. The moro il is worked. the more
pliabIe 10 will bo III the hide is a dry one il
should DO soaked soft before it is put in the
limc-water.
NOTES.
The housewife who makes a practice of
giving fowls "A mixed mess of warm mash and
vegetables with scraps Of meat and crumbs of
bread viii quickly discover that iC is superior
to an exclusive diet of grain for them.
Lime IL said 20 make heavy soils lighter
and light soils heavier, As it can do no damage
when Jndioiously applied, and Is cheap com
pared with the bgpelitS IL confers, ID should DO
used on every farm. Land that is frequently
supplied with limo produces the beat grass.
Ihe implements pertaining TO the orchard,
huch as ladders, stands baskets, etc, now that
The harvesting Is over, should be collected and
PUT away III their respective places. The weak
places IN The ladders can be strengthened whilst
they are Ia mind and coat OF paint applied
where wanted. twill pay.
Though the cDwssmay fall off in milk at
this season, due 10 loss OF suecnlent food vet
the quality OF the milk may be improved by
liberal feeding and larger proportion of cream
secured The ohleet should be to promote the |
appetite and To eudaa unr hU aIlou,in 80 49,, ~,