The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-06-16
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
THE ORCHARD.

cities would have quite sum of extra money
| at tho end Of the year If they would devote an
acre or 50 to orchard and snall-fruit trees. Ten
acres of small. fruits will often make man
moro truly prosperous than 10 times as much
wheat or corn. He may not be worth as much
in actual capital invested but he will be getting
larger net income, and doing it with much
less severe toll.
The writer was surprised to find, when
recent visit was made through a section of
Maryland, that most Of the farmers who had
fruit trees paid no attention whatever to them.
If the trees bore fruit it was we'll and good.
The fruit was picked and shipped to market.
If the trees bore no fruit it was always the
caused by something. They gave too large
yield last year, or the trees were too old, or
probably the cause Of the non yield was due to
insects. They always had some excuse. Oh,
no! They did not believe in spreading fer
tilizing material around the tree; twas waste
of valuable material. Yes, they were quite
liberal in the use of fertilizers on the farm.
Couldn't grow crops If they didn't.
This is certainly aslipshod way of doing bus-
moss. If farmer has sense enough to use fer
tilizers to increase the yield of crops on the
farm, he should certainly have sense enough to
know that the use Of the same material in his
orchard would affect the yield of the fruit.
Without doubt it would be quite hard thing
for such farmers to raise fruit for market sue
oessfully. II Insects troubled his trees he
would probably not take the trouble 20 spray
the trees and get rid of them, but would let
them stay, believing that Divine Providence
had dccreed that they shonld remain. We
would advise all against falling in this rut, as
they may as well keep out of the business, and
to those who work in this rut We think the
quicker they change their methods the moro
profitable 1t will be to them.
SURPLUS HONEY.
Select the colonies from which it Is desired
to breed and build them up strong. The
brood chamber should be fitted with frames
which are well filed with Matching or sealed
brood from other colonies. Give food every
evening, so as to keep the queen at work.if the
weather is unfayorsblo As fast as the young
laying queens come build the bees up until the
time Of the honey harvest commences. This
can be done By either placing empty combs as
fast as needed. or by giving brood from other
colonies. If the honey harvest is on hand and
the brood chamber Is we'll filed put on the
supers. II the honey harvest is not on hand,
and the brood chamber ia well filed, take q
frame of the brood TO strengthen weaker colo
mics Those colonies from which the broods
are taken to build mp others can be made profit
able ones for Wintering. Il is better to wait
until the brood chamber is completely filed
with brood before putting on the supers.
Every young queen that begins TO lay in March,
by this plan produces an excellent colony for
storing surplus honey, and there is scarcely
any disposition to swarm. Many Of the queens
will require two supers if the colony is as it
should be. All the old queens that are saved
should be built up strong by spreading the
combs judciously and inserting an empty
comb in the center OF the brood nest for the
queen to ill with eggs. By this plan nearly
double the amoant of eggs can be secured than
If the queen is left alone to manage things. IL
is good plan to feed back to the bees ell honey
which is Of poor quality.
MARKETING HOGS.
The walls Of those who raise hogs for profit
and find very little money in 1t are drowned
by the success of the profitable raisers. The
fine point, and it does not pay to raise them by
the old-fogy system. The quicker q hog is
gotten ready for the market the more profit
there is for the owner. A hog will respond to
good feeding, and one OF these animals will
produce pound or more of flesh for every day
of his existence up to q certain period. When
his hogship reaches this period it Is time 10
ship him to market.
The feeding of swill, while It serves to keep
the hog alive, does not produce fat as quickly
as other foods which are more expensive. 1t
has been found by general use that it is profit
able to feed this expensive food, since by feed
ing it the hogs are mora quickly raised for
market. A hog fed on this expensive food will
be ready for market In one-balf less time 1t
takes to fatten q swill-fed one. The muddy
pens of good many hogs are frequently the
cause of keeping the hog from fattening up.
The animal takes too much dirt into his sys.
tenn, and this has great tendency to diminish
the weight of the hog.
FooTRor.
Footrot Is one Of the worst diseases Of
sheep, and disease which needs looking after
One of our correspondents has sheep which
are troubled with this disease and asks for
remedy. II footrot be in the flock, the hoofs
should be thoroughly pared and trimmed close,
and the proper remedy thoroughly applied for
this disease. Most farmers know of satisfac-
tory remedies for the disease. Nitric acid, sui