The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-02-28
STOCK, FARM AND GARDEN.

STOCK, FARM AND GARDEN.
Short crops of staples are not al
Vays an unmixed bl, ssing it the I
producers. The corn crop OF 1890 was
worth in round numbers $3.50, OO0,OOO
more than that of 1899, although 1t
was about 200, 600, 600 bushels less in
volume.
1t may not be generally known that
Of more than 140 -pecies OF cactus
native in the United States, more
,han two-thirds have edible fruits.
The cultivation and development OF
5hese will afford an inviting field Tor
The future scientific horticulturist
If situated near good markets, more
profit can often be found in raising
young ducks for market than in rails
ing spring chickens. The Rouen
duck is one of the best for this pur-
pose, as it strong aud rapid grower,
often attaining a weight of ~ or II
pounds at the age of 10 weeks.
Tt is a serious mistake to stand
horse constantly on a slOping stable
floor. A horse with tender ankles or
feet will suffer from it, while one
with a sprained stitle or hook, or
bruised knee, may be permanently
injured. Have the floor level, and
cover it with sufficient absorbent
bedding to make it oIesn and dry.
In planting grapes, select, if posi-
BILE, graveily soil upon gentle
slope, with southeasteny. exposure. |
II the land is at all inclined to be Wet,
it should be well underdrained, ana
subsOiling would be OF great Denent. |
Plant in rows not less than eight feet
apart, and from six to ten feet IN the |
rows, according to the vignr OF the
variety. Cancards should not be less
than 10 feet, while Delawares may be
AS close AS six feet.
That the raising of winter lambs,
comparatively new branch or our
sheep industry, is rapidly growing in
Importance, may be seen from the
estimate made by q noted authority
that 10000 ianIhs were marketed
last sea- on between the ages of four
aud eight weeks. We are rapidly be-
coming a lamb and mutton eating
people, and flockmasters may profit
ably give more attention to catering
to this demand than they have here
tofore been doing.
A somewhat novel, but very practi
cal and useful, line of experiments
ton has been taken up by the Utah
| Station, This Is, the exact tests OF
farm machinery to determine the
value, adaptability, &C., of various
sorts. From recent pillow trials we
gather the following: Coulters add
to the draft, while trucks under the
beam lessen it--at the same time de-
creasing the plOwman's work.
Lengthening the hitch decreases the
draft. Walking plOws gave less draft
than sulky plows with rider,
The most common cause for the
failure of the fruit crop may undoubt-
eddy be ascribed to the Overbearlng OF
the trees the previous year. In our
"fruit years" the product is 80 enor-
nous that the tree is often overtaXed
to sustain il, and time is required In
which TO recuperate. Such trees will
not bloom properly the following
spring, and their failue may be easily
enough Understood. This year, IL our
trees fruit heavily, let us act the part
of wisdom and thin the fruit One-half.
The remaining product will be OF
more value than the whole would
, have been, and we shall stand bet
ter chance as we'll for crop neXt
year.
A recent work, The first principles
of 4 qricuiture, gives some points o.
merit in blowing" that are worth re
, peating. They are: A straight fur
row of uniform depth and width;
clean cut as to the furrOw, on boil
; the side next the unplOwed land, anC
: upon the floor or bottom, and hence
= correspondiugly clean cuts on the eX
posed edge and top of the inverted
, slice; the complete burial of the gras
j and stubble turned over; ridge ever
!, and uniform, with clean, marrow
= bottom. The last furrow slice shoul(
be about equal in width and heigh
with the others.
! Among the minor ways in Whicl
n the garden can often be made profit
able, is that of growing a supply o
| vegetable plants to sell to ones neIgh
. Dor. While arranging to grow TIN
= plants needed for one's own use it
no. much more labor nor expense t.
:, ! grow twice as many of each sort, ant
: the sale of the surplus will more thai
i pay for the whole. Celery plants il
c particular are an item that the aver
age village gardner rarely succeed
in growing for himself, and is con
:; sequently compelled to buy from hi
- more painstaking neighbor, Will
q cabbage, tomato, sweet potato ant
numerous other plants are in demand
at garden n aking time by almos
: every one.
e While wood ashes vary greatly il
}, quality, their average value as q Ter
{ tiIizer may be placed at about 50 pc
}, ton. Where one is near wild wood
4 land, where large amounts of refus
t wood can be gathered with no othe
It cost than the labor, it would pay vel
n to gather and burn such on larg
e scale especially for such use. One q
l. the most successful small gardner
: that the writer has ever seen used n
If other means but this for enrichin
= his light, pine land. An ash hea
s was almost always EmoHldertn
d somewhere near his garden, and t
r this he hauled the trash wheneye
opportunity Offered. III you onl.
e have enough ashes to use upon on
4 thing, apply them to the strawberr
e bed without fail.
+ Among tho many valuable docu
). ments issued from the Mlchlga
t, Experiment Station, few have beel
of more value than bulletin No. 6s
II which deals with the ever importan
!, question OF how to feed beef cattle t
= gain the best profit. This adds to tn
4 evidence that ge largely determine
Il the rate of gain, and that the ratiol
l. required to sustain the gain increase
J. with age in proportion to the weigh
o of the animal. Heavy weights ar
e often attained at such cost as to des
= troy all profit that might have bee
2. made Oh the animal had it been sol
$ sooner. The only safe way In whic!
II TO feed cattle is by method that vii
: let you know periodically if the gal
e made is in proportion to the food con
IS sumed. "Science with practice" an
Y ''exact methods" should be the moi
IF toes upon every farm, and taught t
every farmers boy in the land.
I The idea of using grain or grass TO
e manure instead of feeding or sellin
|. it may strike some as a novel PROPOSE
Il ton, but Sir L. b. Lawes is on
1t authority for giving the followin
W figures as the value of certain pro
II ducts for this purpose: Barley, S6.3
per ton; meadow hay, So 43 per ton
h clover hay, $9.64 per ton wheat straw
= $2.6S per ton; cotton seed cake, $21.o
r per ton. One Of these in particular