Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-10-24
FARM NOTES.


1.-THE heritage comes back TO all!
The myriad monarcbs take their own!'
FARM NOTES.
Remember that cream always loses in
qeantity by souring; oversourness results
in greater loss. There is gain in both
quantity and quality of butter by churning
as soon as cream Is ripe.
In trimming trees this fall bear in mind
that all wounds made by cutting limbs
that are an inch or more in diameter
should be covered with paint, grating
wax, or shellac varnish.
The Maine experiment station has been
conducting an experiment in buttermak-
ing with cows of different breeds. AL
derneys. Holsteins, and Ayrshires were
tested. and it was found that the cream
from the cows giving the poorest milk,
Holsteins yielded less butter by aboui 25
per cent than the Attorney cream.
Perennial weeds are the worst of all
weeds on the farm as a rule, for when they
are once in the land they hold their own
and yearly produce new crop of seeds.
To get rid of them they must first be kept
from yielding seed then the plant itself
must be eradicated. If large, they may
be pulled up; if small, keeping the leaves
cut off will eventually xii! them; but the
best practice of all is to get rid of them by
thorough ahd repeated tillage. with some
hoed crop, of the land infested.
1t is certain now THAI it is year of short
crops and high prices: Apples are more
scarce IN both the United States and
Canada than for many years. The only
region In which the crop is even fair is in
Al. ( l., 4
ley, Nova Scotia, in Maine, and a limited
area of Missouri, Kansas, and Tennessee.
High prices will range for all fruits, and
winter apples will be scarce at 81 and S. d
barrel Corn, wheat, oats, and potatoes
are all short, and prices will range higher
than for many seasons heretofore.
We are commonly told that barnyard
manure is complete fertilizer. This
is only true when it is saved and handled
under the very best OF conditions. When
it is left lying through the winter in small
heaps in the open yard. or right under the
caves of the barn or piled up under cover
so rs to heat, it is by spring very far from
being complete. Unless it can be stacked
under cover and turned frequently, it is
better practice to haul it upon the fields
and spread it as fast as made. If kept in
IL SHeu WutIc mugs BdNt Iull UiltJ TN
keep it well stirred up, especially if lit
tie corn is covered under it once in while,
but the swine must not be allowed to sleep
in it, as it will scald their skius and get
them heated and out of condition.
In green manuring the best time to plow
q crop under is Just as it comes into full
moon, or soon after, 1t is true that the
nitrogen increases up to the time of ma
l,,+ h,y rnoaI,aJ tho+
it does not decay so readily, and, in con-
sequence, is aot ready So soon to yield up
the accumulated store Of plant food BY
blowing under earlier the fertilizlng value
will be better Distributed throughout the
soil, and there will be no annoyance from
plants springing up, which will often be
the case where the seed has been allowed
to ripen Quality in green manuring,
is hardly less valuable than quantity, be-
cause of the mechanical effect upon the
soil.
The average potato field this year will
turn out a good many small potatoes, and
it will be a question how to use them to
the best profit. If good flock of poultry
is kept it will pay we'll to utilize them for
poultry food They should be boiled, and
while hot mash with cornmeal and bran;
feed warm. Give only as much as will be
eaten up clean, and not Ottener than every
other day The trouble which often re-
suits from feeding potatoes to chickens is
caused oy overlooking when the fowls are
hungry, and by giving the potatoes un-
mixed with anything else. With none of
the domestic animals Is a variety of food
more necessary than in the poultry yard,
and those who would gain the best results
must be continually on the alert to supply
this need One trouble from feeding too
large quantity of potatoes is that it will
have tendency to make hens lay eggs
that have light-colored yelks, which is
very Objectionable. The cornmeal will
help to remedy this, as will feeding
whole yellow corn and chopped clover hay.
Food that will produce yellow butter will
make yeIIow ycIks, and vic" versa.
Aside from the question of increased
productiyeness, the quality of fruit from
trees that are we'll fortified is enough bet
ter to repay the cost. There is wide diff
ference of opinion as to the best method of
fertiizing the orchard In some regions
it is the practice to leave the orchard in
grass and give regular top dressing of
stable manure. 1t is doubtful, however, if
the trees receive an adequate benefit from
this method. In a short time the sward
becomes so thick and heavy that the fer
tilizer penetrates to any depth very slow
ly, and is mainly absorbed by the grass
before reaching the roots of the trees. If
the grass is cut for hay the benefit to
the trees is still further lessenel. A
better plan. where the orchard is III grass,
is to pasture sheep there. These will
keep the grass down close and the Sward
cropped that droppings and manure
will more readily penetrate to some depth.
They also eat up the wormy apples and
hep keep the codling moth in check. If
the surface is cultivated the fertilizers will
soon reach the tree roots, and the fruit
will have full benefit. as there will be no
growing vegetation to take up any part OF
Of thames K. Reeve.