The Dickinson press., 1891-12-19

nature OF the soil. and lack of atten-
tion to this fact has been the means
OF bringing considerable discredit up.
on the mineral as a fertilizer. A lib.
eral supply ofsalt will kill any vegeta-
tion, but like many other destructive
minerals, a small quantity rightly ap-
piled stimulates and improves vegeta-
BILE growth. On soils that are lacking
in salt 300 pounds to the acre is a
most liberal supply, and $50 pounds
to the acre has been proved quite de-
structive to all plant growth. Some
soils naturally contain more or less of
salt, and 300 pounds to the acre of
such soil mir be the means OF caus-
ing untold 4 ry to the plants.
Salt has not yet taken any per-
manent place among manural agents,
for it's application on some soils pro-
duces great results, while on others it
seems to have no good action at all.
The true value OF salt must be under
stood before it can be intelligently
used. Salt does not enter into the
plant life or growth, and plants may
be grown successfullyupon soils where
this mineral is entirely absent. But
the true benefit of the salt comes from
the fact that it acts directly upon the
vegetable matter in the soil, and
makes it available for the growing
plants to absorb. Many soils can
thus be greatly benefited by salt ap-
plications, especially where heavy
barn-yard manure has been applied
annually, or thick quantities of vege-
tation plowed under for fertilizers.
Onsuc soilscontinual applications of
manure, superphosphate and nitrate
ofsoda stimulate the plants, but they
do not prepare the plant food in the
soil for ready use. The salt. however,
acts IN q different way, and on soils
OF this nature its results have been so
marked that it has been unhesitating-
ly praised as the best fertilizer that
could be used. The mistake was not
realized until successive uses of the
salt developed all of the plant food in
the soil, and It's effect then steadily
decreased.
The application Of the salt may be
made in the winter or spring, but If
made in the springit is probably more
beneficial. When spread over the land
in winter, the plant food may be made
available before needed by the crops,
and winter rains would wash it away.
When applied early in the spring the
seeds take advantage of the chemical
change and thrive rapidly.
Winter Dairying.
Every farmer realizes the advantage
winter dairying has over summer
dairying in point OF increased value of
product. But most farmers find that
one pound OF butter made in winter
costs as much as three pounds made
in summer, and there islittle choice be-
tween the two in point OF net value of
the product, profit being an uncertain
element in either case. It is because
most farmers look on the business
from this point OF view that some
farmers have an open winter market
and make a nice profit by selling but
ter at high price. The success of a.
few men in winter dairying is due
entirely to their understanding the
conditions which make success posi-
BILE and basing their plans on that UNI
derstanding. They know that the
product OF one acre of land will fur
nish as much nourishment at one time
as another, other conditions being the
same, and that it will produce as
many pounds OF butter at one time
as at under another equally favorable
conditions. The problem of winter
dairying resolves itself into aquestion
OF ability to cure and store forage and
to furnish summer comforts for COWS
in winter.
There is nothing difficult about this.
In fact, it is easier to furnish animals
proper food and warmth in winter
than it is to protect against heat, flies
and drouth in summer. An ilLstra-
tion OF this appears in report of the
Ohio Experiment station for 1890
where a lot of twelve COWS making
milk experiments on different kinds Of
food were weighed every week during
February, March and April. Six OF
these these. COWS 5s,! showed .p an actual gain in
the yield of milk was almost parallel
in gain or loss with the gain or loss in
flesh. We cite this instance because it
is the only one before us where accur-
ate figures are given to show that the
adverse conditions of winter dairying
can be readily overcome, and to en-
courage NOR" farmers To givo winter
dairying earnest attention.