The Princeton union., 1891-12-03
AGRICULTURAL MATTERS.
VALUABLE HINTS FOR RURAL
READERS.
Tiifage Producing Moisture-- Set
ting Hens--Dalry Facts and Sug-
gestions--Winterlng Pota-
toes, Cabbages, Tur-;:
nips, etc,
Tillage Producing Moisture.

More ana more are farmers coming
to see that fneness of surface soil
encourages moisture, and consequent
nitrifcation, by capillary attraction,
which largely increases the crops in
dry weather, writes Galen Wilson in
Country Gentlemen. And as there is
scarcely summer without dry spells,
it is advisable to prepare for these. SO
far as one can, especially as no harm
is done should there be sufficient
rainfall.
The season OF 1891 has been re-
markable for drouthy spells. During
it, interesting experiments were tried
with plat OF cabbage. A portion
was hoed often and the soil fined
deeply. Another portion was kept
fined an inch, and the remainder was
not disturbed except to pull out any
weeds. The crop on the deeply y-stirred
portion made an excellent growth, on
the shallow-stirred about half the
| former, and on that not stirred there
is almost total failure. This not
only proves the wisdom OF d ssdust
blanket, but also that the blanket
| should possess thickness. As thick
| bed blanket is warmer than a. thin
one, provided both are the same ma
terial, SO a thick "dust blanket" ex-
| ceeds a thin one in effectiveness.
| A few years ago a team was kept
narrowing on nine acres for fourteen
| days. This was to be sown to wheat.
The narrowing was prolonged because
the weather was 'arouthy, iii the hope
that sufficient moisture would be
coaxed to the surface to prevent the
added commercial fertilizer from burn
ing up the seed. With ordinary cult
vation, this land would have yielded
twenty-five to twenty eight bushels to
the acre, but the thorough narrowing
made the surface soil as fine as meal;
and q crop of forty-fve bushels to the
acre was the result.
This goes to show that to moisten
the soil, every part OF it, there must
be continuity of capillarity in a
right line, and that there is but very
slight lateral action. And this proves
that for best results, all hesoil to GER
tain depth should be made fine, and
that there should not be a stone or g.
clod to obstruct the free natural ac-
ion CT the ascending moisture. The
soil should be fined at first as deep as
plowed. After the crop is planted the
depth of fining should diminish as the
roots OF growing plants take posses
sion, it being advisable not to dis
turb roots by too deep cultiva-
tion.
There has not been too much said
about breaking the crust of soil in hoed
crops after every rain, to give the
earth a chance to breathe. Crust on
the soil may be likened to a crust OF
filth on human being; it clogs the
pores, and the ''insensible perspira-
tion' of neither can pass off to keep
up healthy action.
Setting Hens.
Hens that are set between the first
OF May and the first sof September are
liable to be'troubled so greatly with
lice that the young chicks will not
thrive very well. In my own expert
ence those set after the middle OF Sep
tenber generally do the best, for by
that time the weather can be depended
upon to be cool enough to give the
young chicks vigor and health. The
red lice will cause sore heads, swelled
eyes and the dangerous disease known
as roup; but while they may easily be
killed by applications Of kerosene oil
on old hens, it is almost impossible to
destroy them on young chicks. AS
every bird fancier knows, the hens
suffering with sore heads caused bv
red lice will die shortly if not treated
at once. The young chicks are some
times attacked by them even in Octo-
ber, and the only remedy that can be
given them is to grease their heads
with olive oil every day. The large
white lice make the chickens look
droopy, with colorless combs and
gllls, and they must be relieved OF
their presence to insure health and
vigor.
The lice generally come from filth
ness in the roosting house, but even
in the best regulated place young
chicks will get the lice, if Matched in
hot weather. One great remedy for
lice is to make the hens roost on the
trees IN the open air, but the young
chicks can not be forced to this In
selecting eggs for setting only those
from the best hens should be taken,
for those used from hens suffering with
roub will invariably transmit the
disease to the young chicks. Good
layers and healthy hens are the best
ones for producing good setting
should average thirteen, and OF these
eleven ought to hatch. The nest
should always be made on the
! ground, SO that the eggs can obtain
some moisture from the ground which
is so essential to their Matching. The
! foWl-hOuse is the worst place for
hens to be allowed to lay or set,
for it IL this way that they often con-
tract roup and other diseases. Once
! q day they must be taken from the
nest, and 6ed water and corn until the
Matching actually begins when they
must be Vet alone.
The young chicks brought out in
February and March are the hardest,
and generally the best, but October
and November Matched chickens if
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