New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1891-10-07
THE FARM AND FIELD /.
MATTERS TO INTEREST RURAL
READERS.
ABOUT Plowing--Absorbe Power
OF acknowledging the Most OF
lt--Are Large Barns Best2
--Does Dairying
Paw, - +.
About Flowing.

About Flowing.
Whether it is best to pillow deep or
shallow is not one CT the things mo
fellow can find OUT" for experiment
will generally show which is preferable.
1t would seem, on general principles,
that deep blowing, with subsoiling,
would yield the best results in every
case, and scientists have usually so
taught. But many farmers who have
followed their advice has learned by
adexperlence that good rule some
times has important exceptions. For,
as matter Of fact, it depends a. good
deal on the character OF the soil and
OF the crop and OF the season whether
deep blowing is advantageous or not;
and this scientists are beginning to
lind out, as we'll as practical farmers.
An interesting experiment is on re-
cord which throws much light on this
subject. A farmer who had been &C
customed to pillow deeply, determined
to try for prize offered by the local
agricultural society for the best half
acre of corn; He manured his half
acre heavily, turned up a. nine-inch
1urrow, stirred the soil seven inches
deeper with a subsoil pillow, narrowed
thoroughly, and thoug ht he had an
ideally prepared cornfeld. The re-
mainder Of the field was MANFRED
heavily, plowed two inches deep and
we'll narrowed. The corn started sat
lsfactorily on both plots, and for the
first month no difference between them
Was apparent. But then a. severe
drought set in, and at the end of July
the shallowed-plowed field was far
ahead. August proved dry, and at
the close of the month the corn on the
deeply plowed field was suffering
severely, the leayes turning yellow
nearly up to the ears, while
the other plot suffered but
little. 1t grew rapidly and made the
best crop Of corn in the neighborhood,
notwithstanding the fact that it was
not hoed at all, while the well-pre-
pared half acre, which did not yield
over half as much, was hoed twice.
ure had dried out to the bottom of the
deeply plowed furrow, while in the
bottom Of the two-inch furrow moist
ure was plentiful. The surface soil
thus treated, it should be added, was
a light loan, quite rolling, with sub
soil OF yellow clay, thirty feet deep,
jolnted and we'll adapted for draining.
1t is hardly sal , to generalize from
single experience, but this experiment,
taken in connection with others,
seems to support the plan often ad-
vocated OF blowing deeply in the fall
for spring crops, and thoroughly pull
verlzing the surface in the spring with
the harrow. By trying the two sys-
TENS side by side, as in the case above
cited, farmers may easily learn which
will yield the best results for them.
Are Large Barns Best?
There are'some reasons why a large,
roomy barn is better than two or
more small ones. It is more conven-
lent, OF course, to have everything
hay, grain, cattle, horses, wagons and
farm tools-under one roof. But, on
the other hand, there are some
advantages in having smaller barns.
FL the first place, they need not be
as expensive in construction as the
large barn. Lighter timbers may be
used and the cost OF erection is much
less. Then, in case Of fire, which is
more dreaded by the farmer than by
owing to his isolated situation, the
loss may by good management be
confined to one building, leaving the
others intact. This is a very import
ant consideration. Most OF the losses OF
horses and other live stock at fires are
the result of suffocation by smoke mot
by the fire itself. It is not wise to put all
ones eggs in the same basket. If the
material and LIVESTOCK are in two OR
three or fivebuildings instead of one it
is not probable that the fire will sweep
all away before aid can be obtained.
1t is also worth thinking Of that the
cost OF insurance is usually greater on
a large barn, and on the stock, grains,
hay and implements stored in it than
on a number of small barns in which
these things are distributed.
For these and other reasons that
might be named it seems advisable for
all farmers of moderate means to
build small barns. Men who have
abundance of means can, OF course,
indulge themselves in such luxuries as
large and EXPENSIVE barns, with all
the risks pertaining thereto; but even
for them a series of smaller structures,
wisely planned and placed, would be
better. ss-..
Absorbent Power Of Straw.
Some interesting experiments have
been made to determine the absorb
ent power of wheat and other varie-
ties of straw.
In one of these experiments small,
compact bundles OF wheat, rye, oat
c+, - L