Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-05-28
THE FARM AND HOME.
TO PREPARE CERTAIN GROUND
FOR a CERTAIN CROP.
A Serious Question for TN, Farmer
Color of Milk aRl Butter-Dlp tho
sheep Do.-shesp Notes
and Home Hints.


~ e%AAA ~ - =" q HANokA0h kAttN
forces itself for consideration more
seriously every year upon the mind
OF every tiller OF the soil Many Of
us are confronted with the fact that
the supply OF barn yard manure as
usually saved. with what little can be
bought is insufficient for fertilizing
more than part OF the farm each
year;while seyearl years trial OF COM
mercial fertilizers leaves room for
doubt concerning their prOttableness.
Sometimes We can more than double
n farm or garden crop by their use;
while on another crop perhaps the
same year they would not pay for the
trouble OF applying them Occasion.
ally they even seem to injure the
crop
You may ask now. how we can hope
10 increase the fertility OF our farm
lands, so they will again raise the old
time crops without buying iertilizers2
My own observation. experience and
study on the subject give me the fol-
lowing answer: Most farms have
abundant natural resources OF plant
food, but the greatest difficulty with
most farmers Is % develop save and
cOntrOl II In profitable manner A
certain amount Of the plant-iOOd
locked up IN the soil dissolyes hy
natural processes and becomes await
able every year We can here assist
nature by thorough tillage. Flowing
as deeply as the fertile top soil will
admit and working IL up very fine
and mellow. with harrow. cultivator
and roller leaving II loose aud open
10 the action OF sun mir and rain.
greatly aids In increasing this amount.
The soil is bravely struggling 10 be
more fruitful even with but half q
chance We should not refuse to give il
aid Clover has been highly praised rs a
soil renovutor for rundown farms and
! believe none too much when prop.
erly used In a rotation OF crops 10
sends roots deep down into the soil
70 gather up the scattered particles OF
plant .fOOd-that are lost 10 the other
crops--bringing them again 10 the
surface. where they are most needed
II also, by some means has the pow
er to obtain free nitrogen from the
air. work It over by assimilation and
use II In It's growth and development.
Why need we despair 81 restoring our
rundown soils when we can uso
clover to gather the most costly and
most easily lost element Of fertility.
from the inCNhRustiblg stores % the
atmosphere? The farms ruination Is
generally the result Of the farmers
own wUstefulness and careiessucss.
Stubble fields and gardens are loft
bare all fall and winter. with no green
covering 10 gather and store up fer.
tility. as It becomes valuable after the
removal OF crops when they might
have been sowu Ia rye or even oats
10 be turned under 10 the following
spring
Manure Is carelessly thrown out under
the caves in q scattered pile whore
the water from the root runs or
with IFS lest part. The liquid manure
runs down under the horse stalls and
pig pen floor in pools where II sonky
into the ground, and la OF no present
earthly use or seeps from under the
buildings and Is washed away by the
rains. Usually little effort Is made to
convert waste products Of the farm
into manure. Straw IS piled out in
open field or barn-yard shere the
stock are allowed TO tear down.
tranple under foot and waste Il even
with plenty OF room in the barn. Corn
fodder Is hauled TO the fence row and
fed over. In rain mud and snow.
the stocks scattered here. there aud
\ everywhere. and then rakod up in the
spring and burned These arc facts
OF common. everyday occurrence IL
Is no wonder with sach wasteiulress
that our farms are becoming more
destitute OF plant food every year.
There Is no need Of such waste
II will not cost you half 50
much 10 have water tight floors
In your stables os to con
tinue with the loose wasteiu
plank floors you arc now using
you doubt the truth OF this take tn,
floor from part OF your stalls and Civ,
them good coat Of fine broken ston,
or gravel and cement and see II IL Il
not so. Feed everything in the stabl,
so you will have the refuse for IN alb
sorbent Arrange so rs TO put you
straw back into the barn when thresh
ing. or haul Il In afterward so yor
will have II dry and easy TO get 70
feed and bedding. IL is not so diff
cult TO feed corn fodder In the stabl
without cutting as you might think
where stanchions and long mangor
IRE used. The stalks thrown bacl
under the stock and kept level, vii
be trampled and broken up moro tha
oneawould expect and will soak u
an immense amount Of liquid manure
See II you cannot arrange so as 10 us
, clover In your rotation Of crops, the
subscribe for three or four Of the leat
ing farm papers and study the pra'
tices OF the best farmers OF the day.
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Color OF Milk aud Butter.
An exchange publishes the test
fnnuy of an intelligent New Yor