The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-02-11
General Farm Hints.

Give the colt good mess Of ground
oats twice day IL you wish him TO grow
fast and develop.
An animal raised on a farm is always
more valuable than one purchased, and
it does not Introduce disease.
Poultry droppings should be mixed
with the manure from animals. and it
will then keep better and give better re-
suits.
Begin now and scatter air-slaked lime
around the grape vines, first cleaning I'D
all the debris of last year, and you will
thus assist In preventing the rot next sea-
son.
In this section young pigs will get
good start for spring if kept warm. and
will grow rapidly as soon as the weather
opens, but they will need care during
the cold days.
Your fine spring OF pure, delicious water
NAV drain a graveyard a long distance
away. Always endeavor 10 know some
thing about the drinking water, and
whence 1t comes.
As a safeguard against the borer some
fruit growers use fine wire mosquito
netting, wrapping a small piece around
the body of the tree a few inches above
and below the soil.
Large crops are grown at less cost than
small crops, as the same labor Of cultiva-
ton is required in both cases, while the
extra manure that may be applied will
either increase the crop or remain IN the
soil for another season.
Corn land should be plowed early, in
order to expose the cutworms, and the
seed should be planted as soon as the sea-
son permits. A weeks early start with
corn gives il an advantage in securing
root growth and resisting the effects of
drought
Old strawberry beds are mulched when
the ground is frozen, and then burned
over clean. II does not harm the plants,
but clears off the ground and causes the
plants to come up in better condition in
the spring. 1t is a method now highly
recommended by some fruit growers.
A New York farmer raised an acre of
sunfiowers for seed and found that the
seed was an excellent addition 10 grain
for the use of hogs aud poultry, a small
mill being used to grind It for hogs. The
stalks made excellent kindllng-wood and
the heads and seeds were ground together.
A herd of eighteen cows in Vermont
produced 1872 pounds of butter per year
for each cow The amount is not a large
one, compared with the records of noted
COWS, but it is excellent for a herd, and
shows what dairymen can do by using
well-bred COWS and giving them proper
care.
If you cannot grind or pulverize the old
bones you can reduce them by laying
them in wood ashes and keeping the mass
damp mot wet. A small quantity of
urine poured over the bones and ashes oc-
casionally will hasten the decomposition
of the bones II you cannot do this bury
the bones around the fruit trees and grape
vines.
Small potatoes, though not so attractive
in market, are just as valuable on the
farm as those that are large. They can be
cooked and fed to cows, hogs or poultry,
and will provide an agreeable change of
food for them. Ii turnips are added to
the potatoes and small quantity Of bran
sprinkled over the mess the whole will be
improved. as well as more highly relished.
As the spring opens the orchards will
require cultivation and fertilizers. The
best fertilizers for all kinds of fruit crops
are those Astounding largely in potash,
such as ashes and muriate or sulphate Of
potash. Bone meal is also excellent and
nitrate of soda gives good results. espe-
cially on small fruits, but the most i'm
portant ingredient of the fertilizer is pot
ash in some form.
The farmer who does not breed up his
stock and retain his calves for the dairy
makes a mistake. One OF the greatest
sources of loss is the practice of buying
fresh COWS and selling off the dry ones
When a COW is bought nothing is known
OF her until she is tested for her results.
She may have many faults, and may bring
disease into the herd. Abortion in some
herds is due 10 this cause, as it is known
to be contagious. A well-bred COW, raised
on the farm from healthy. productive
stock, is more valuable than two animals
purchased at random, and can be raised
at less expense than to buy an inferior
animal