The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-06-04
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers


NOTES.
John Gould, Of New York, says that putting
vicious bulls 10 bard work il better than do
horning them.
The consensus Of opinion in the New York
Farmers Institute is in favor Of dohorning,
and that il should be done at as early an age as
possible
Beginners at Bookkeeping should invariably
wear walls and gloves when working around
their hives. This may not be necessary after
n while, when the bees begin TO get acquainted
with them
If you are going into the egg business alone,
have nothing in the barnyard but Leghorns,
Minorcas, AndaiIsiaus and Spanish. IL YOU
want to raise for the table (roastJ raise Brah-
mas Cochns, and GaMss; for brolling, crosses
OF lighter breeds on the above; for general
purposes raise Plymouth Rocks, WyandOts,
Houdans, aud LSrE5h@uE.
Adding one ounce o. coal tar to every pound
Of lime will make a great Improvement upon
the whitewash used in tho chicken.houses
The roosts should be va bed with this mix
turc, which is "A fine insocticide Another good
method is to throw pint q coal tar into a pile
of iine, dry sand, and after it is absorbed roll
up the mass, which viii TALL to pieces after n
little These should be scattered through the
yard, and some put ia each nest when the hens
begin 10 SIT.
Lard, into a spoonful of which have been put
four or five drops OF crcosote, is a sovereign
remedy for lice on young chickens. IL should
be mixed well, and then carefully rubbed on
the tips Of The wing joints the brcas:-bone,
and small quantities On tho vcrtsbra. under
the feathers. and around tho head aud neck.
This will free the little birds from the yermin.
J. A. L.. la Com.iry GeaacEau, recommends
soaking the seed corn IN strong brine for "A
hours before planting. a remedy Tor prevent
i've Of cut and wire-woTms.
Progressive farmers are wakoning to the
wisdom of reducing the male or barren plants
as much as possible in all kinds OF crops where
this is practicable In patches OF hemp planted
for seed nearly every male plant is cut ont, aud
yet the female plants are fully fertilizel. The
Ohio Experiment station has demonstrated that
il every other row OF corn IN field u deprived
Of its tassoIs before the maturity Of the pollen
the yield per acre 81 grain is increased from 20
to 30 per cent. On something tho same prin-
ciple, il is believed that by topping rel clover
when the flowers appear two or three good
crops may lie obtained in one season. and it
may be made as valuable forage plant Is the
alfalfa.
PasiurinG is a wa,ieful practice. and farmers
cannot afford to carry IT ON where land Is worth
more than 80 All acre. The average number
OF acres required 10 carry one COW through the
Summer is six, and where the ground IS worth,
say. so an acre, and interest is per cent, this
means an expenditure Of sls Tor pasturage. On
the other hand, by careful cultivation. SIX acres
can be made to furnish sufficient food for three
or four cows for the entire year. +. Z. smith,
in the american Cu'tirat0r recommends that
the most economical way Of dong this is by
raising green crops, which can be fed from
racks. 50 that not particle shall bo waited.
He begins with FalTsown rye, followed IN the
Spring by orchard gIass or clover. then 10y early
sweet corn, oats aud peas, succeeded BIZ late
corn. Rye II sown in August and November
may be fed to the cows from early in the Spring
10 the irst Of June, then the clover and orchard
grass are ready, and after them the sweet corn
and peas. The silo comes in to supply green
food through the Winter aud keep ~ the milk.
flow. The ieed-racks should lie placed in the
center Of the field. to economizs labor, and tht
field be divided up into sections for the differ
ent crops.
A clean, warm, weIl-ventilated, perfectly
clean stable is a necessity for making good but
ter and milk.
OF the six grade cows tested at the Amhers
| (Alass.J Experimental Station, in each ease IN,
/ giving OF st pounds Of wheat bran aud 3
pounds OF inseed meal Ieither old process u
new process, with from II 10 IL pounds o
| fodder corn or corn slower, and about 20 pound
Of carrots OF sugar beets per day, produce,
milk at a less cost per quart than any Othe
ration. The highest cost Of the milk was wher
/ 81 pounds of corn meal was added to the grail
ration, aud from II To IS pounds Of hay giver
instead Of the corn fodder; in one case over 2
pounds Of rowan hay produced the highest COS
Of the milk. When the value of the ferlilizin
elements left ia the manure was deducted, IN
results were the same Ia five eases out Of the 81,
in the cheapest feeding, and ia the three out O
| the six where the corn meal was fed. In no cas-
did the corn meal pay for its extra cost by in
creasiRg the value Of the manure In tn
three cases where from IS 10 so pounds of cor
ensilage aud five pounds Of hay was given. in
stead of all dry hay, the grain being the same
the cost per quart Of milk was reduced abou
one third Of a cent per quart, but not as niue
as by taking away the 81 pounds of corn mes
According 10 the Census Bulletin on true
farming the season at which given vegetabl
reaches marketable size advances northwar
along the Atlantic Coast at the rate Of abou
Is miles day.
The american Cultiult0r figures out tina
allowing 40 trees per acre, the bearing Of a bal
rel of fruit 10 each tree will give. even in year
Of lOwprices, moro money than can be got frOI
most grain crops. But with modern faciIitit
for spraying to destroy insect enemies an
fungus growths, apple trees fully grown ougf
10 bear five barrels per tree. 1t believes ths
for eastern localities the Greening, Baldwin
Northern Spy, and Russell are the most prt
ductive and profitable varieties. The Baldwi
and Northern Spy are not 50 productive as Oh
Greenng, but their red color makes them moi
snowy and salable.
A silo can be built for $3.50 which will hol
l25 tons. and be sufficient for 10 COWS. Cor
fodder need not be cut, but should be CAREFUL
packed down at the corners and the side
when it will keep well.
The AmericCH Agriciittfrid pays high con
pliment to the enterprise and intelligence
American 1ockmasters and breedmasters,
Al