The record-union., 1891-03-25
FARM And ORCHARD.
Dairy Advantages---The Charm of
Agricultural Life.
Culture of Barley and wheat-Timely
Talk on the Matter of Corn Plant
ing-what Breed of PouItry:-Inter-
esting Farm Notes.

A farmer with a dairy does not have to
wait from seed-time to harvest, as grain
raiser does, before he can realize any cash
from his labor. A dairy rightly managed
is a source of profit all the year around.
The income is steady one because the
production is steady and evenly distrib-
uted over the whole season. / remember
one fall when potatoes brought 70 cents
per bushel, and the next summer I threw
my whole energy into potato production.
The result was that / sold my whole crop
of tubers for 12l cents per bushel, less
than they cost me for raising. In all my
later experience in dairying, 1 have never
seen its products go to such extremes in
prices. Yes, sir; if you want an even in
come, you can depend on a rightly man.
aged dairy every time.
There is really less labor to be per-
formed on a seni-dairy farm than if grain
production alone were the rule. The
charm of agricultural life lies in di-
versified farming, and the diversitication
must, or should, include dairying.
Dairying in measure returns to the
soil some of the fertility it has extracted,
while exclusive grain raising impover-
ishes without giving a recompense.
Dairying gives you chance to manu-
facture your own product before you
market it, which you cannot do with
wheat, corn, etc. By becoming your own
manufacturer you save to yourself the
manufacturers profits, which is a round
in the ladder toward bettering your finan-
cial condition.
which gives large proportion of gain for
the capital invested. Even the poorest
dairy cows yield far more than their beef
worth in milk every season, while those
that are of better blood and are more
wisely fed yield double and treble that
amount.
A family-supply dairy of but one cow
possesses tenfold advantages over the
milkman's cup. 1t is said that in France
when one is vaccinated against smallpox,
the heifer from whose body the vaccine is
to be extracted is led into the presence of
the patient and the virus transplanted
from the body of the animal to the arm of
the latter. / suppose that this is to assure
the patient of the genuineness and health
fulnesS Of the virus used, as gross fraud is
perpetrated in such matters as well as in
others. In the matter of using the milk
and butter produced from your own COW,
stabbed on your own premises. and graz
ing in your own pasture lot, you have the
assurance of healthfulness, cleanliness,
and general good quality. The writer
does not laud the advantages of dairying
simply to hear himself talk, but from an
honest conviction that milch husbandry
is one of the most valuable requisites of
farming. We have no desire to present
its claims in a false light, but rather to
spread its legitimate points before the
eyes of all men. Don't ever be driven
into dairying against your better convlc-
tions, but if you conclude to embark in
the business at all, give its management
mental energy, and we know you will
succeed.-George Il. Net0eU IA Prairie
VdTmer.
CULTURE OF BARLEY.
The best soil to grow wheat is also the
best for barley. This is a rich clay loam
both plants requiring compactness and
fineness of mold. Light soil, whether of
peaty or sandy character, will not do;
neither will sod, nor any ground charged
highly with vegetable material. On the
homestead, barley was largely grown and
tried on all kinds of soil. Sometimes it
would succeed on sod, producing very
heavy growth, but usually the berry was
lighter and the straw weaker and more
disposed to lodge than on the same soil if
Stubble or fallow, especially in moist
season. Besides, my experience is that
it natures unevenly on sod-ripe grain
and grain in the milk occurring at the
same time.
Like wheat, barley is hardy plant,
doing best in "a cool climate. 1t is there
fore adapted to early sowing, and this it
requires so as to mature before the heat
of advanced summer sets in, which, in
connection with drouth, is always seri-
GUS hurt to this grain. | have known in
severe cases a total loss of the crop. All
this is avoided by sowing early in the
spring. 1t can hardly be put out too
early in this latitude, if the ground is
mellow and dry enough. This will tit it
to be cut by about the beginning of July
the straw bright and strong and the
berry plump.
Barley, although hardy plant like
wheat. is also eNacting, requiring not
only a fine, compact mold, clean and well
enriched, but thorough drainage. A hoed
crop, if kept clean, is a good preparation,
in general needing only cultivating and
narrowing in the spring mo plowing) be-
fore sowing. Sow a bushel and a peck
broadcast per acre and cover with a
smoothing harrow-or bushel if drilled
IN, If the ground is rich, as it should be.
Few if any grains require such careful
treatment of the soil as barley, but the
benefit in the crop will be proportionate
and the land will be left in good condi-
ton for a succeeding crop, which with us
has usually been oats. 1t is also in ex-
cellent condition to seed down when the
barley is sown, this being a favorable
crop for that purpose.
AS to harvesting, there are various
ways. The point to have in view is to
secure as bright and plump a berry as
possible, avoiding, therefore, overripe-
ness and lmmaturity, and cutting when
the berry is ripe and somewhat hard. As
soon as wilted and dry outside, put in
small cocks, covering with the hay-cap
and keep SO till cured, when both straw
and berry will show clean, light-yellow
coior.-Country Gentleman.
CORN PLANTING.
Spring operations crowd much work
times with the farmer is the planting of
the corn crop, which is necessarily de-
layed until danger of frost is over but to
save time the plowing and preparation
cannot be done too early. AS soon as the
frost leaves the ground there will be
quite number of crops to go in all at
once-corn, potatoes, field beets and veg
etables of different kinds, as well as the
care OF the fruits. The preparation of the
land for corn and potatoes early in the
season will permit of better work being
done, as there is too much hurry if the
preparation is delayed. The seed should
&c selected early, and also the variety.
One mistake made by farmers who are
just beginning is that of procuring sonic
well-advertised prolific variety without
first testing it on the farm. Although
corn seems to thrive well in nearly all
portions of this country, yet it is doubt
tul If there is any variety known that
will prove valuable in all sections. The
selection of seed outside of the region in
which the crop is to be grown is one of
the uncertainties.
Always use variety that has been tried
In your section. If some new variety is
desired test 1t in small way. When