The National tribune., 1892-06-23
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
REDUCING BONES.

There have been several ways of reducing
bones for fertilizing purposes published in the
different agricultural papers, which farmers do
not like to try for one reason or another. The
sulpburic acid method, for instance, is some
what dangerous. The acid, in addition to de-
stFoying whatever it comes in contact with, is
likely to destroy persons eyesight, II. E.
Alvord, a practical farmer, and President Of
the agricultural College of Maryland. gives
new way Of reducing the bones without the
aid of acids. As bones are more or less apt to
accumulate around the farm, and as ground
bones costs good sum of money. it would be
good policy for the farmer to economics.
Crush the bones as thoroughly as possible,
and provide barrel Of fresh burned lime and
three barrels of strong, hardwood ashes for
every barrel of crushed bone. Use as a base
or mixing hearth tight floor or a level layer
of loamy soil about six inches thick. Upon
this spread barrel Of ashes in q layer of
similar thickness.
Then, in thinner layer, half barrel of
bone; scatter through the bone to Eli the
space, and spread upon it half barrel OF lime,
pulverized but not sIaked. On this spread a
second barrel Of ashes. Wet this pile grad
ually with sprinkler, using about ten gallons
of water, or enough to moisten all, but have
none run out. Add in like manner half bar
rel of bone, q half barrel of lime, barrel of
ashes and 10 gallons more Of water. Over all
scatter about one bushel of land plaster, and
cover the entire pile with dry loan.
Examine the pile once week if needed, and
add water to keep all moist, but not wet. In
four or five weeks shovel over and thoroughly
mix, moisten and pile again, cover with soil
and little more plaster, and leave two or
three weeks longer. If pieces OF bone then re-
main uudecomposed sift them out, use in next
compost, or add more quicklims and ashes to
give further time.
ONIONS FROM SEED.
Onion sots at S. per bushel are rather dear.
1t is cheaper to grow the onions from seed.
This can be done very easily. The farmer is
very apt to have some land lying idle in the
latter part Of August upon which he can SOW
soma seed, and by the time cold weather
arrives the onions will have reached a good
size, and can be used as sets for the next
Spring. Some Of the onions which are now
growing in the garden can be left to grow to
seed. The cluster of seeds, however, are quito
heavy, and az the stalks arc from three to five
feet high, they are apt to be blown down by
the wind, and many seeds wasted. Ifstakes be
driven and the plant fastened to them this
difficulty will be overcome. When the pods
lose their green color and turn yellowish, the
seeds are mature and should be collected. It Is
best to leave six or eight inches of the stalk
attached to the head in cutting, as the partly
matursd seeds will ripen moro quickly and
much better than if the stems werc cut close
Spread the seed clusters upon tight floor to
allow the scattered seeds to be saved. When
the pods are quite dry they ought to be
thrashed and stored away in place free from
dampness.
In sowing the seed tho ground should be
thoroughly pulverizsd. Give the land lib
eral application of manure, and keep the
ground well worked and free from weeds.
When the plants have reached q good size thin
them out, giving them each six or eight inches
which to grow. If cold weather comes, pull
the plants up. They will have reached size
enough to be used for sets next season.
RAPE FOB FALL PASTURE.
Instead Of allowing the wheat and oat stub.
Bile to grow up in weeds it would be better to
SOW rape, and use it for Fall pasturing. The
production of this weed crop is tax upon the
fertility Of the land almost as great as that of
producing some crop useful for food for man or
beast, and it has this superadded disadvantages
that it fills the land with weed seed, which |
grows in the next crop and compeis the use of
costly labor and much time In its destruction. |
It is thus q two-fold evil. This can all be OBJ |
waited by putting the land to the growth Of |
some other crop. The crops most suited for this |
purpose are turnips and rapes.
Turnips have long been raised, but to much |
too limited extent. Their value a. food for /
stock has never been appreciated as highly as it |
ought to be. Sheep husbandry never prospered |
in England until after the time when turnips
-ruta bagas and white ones-began to be
largely grown. and now NO successful sheep
farmer in England would undertake to carry
his flock through Winter without turnips. It /
has been said, and we believe with much truth,
that the deterioration In imported sheep and /
flocks bred from them here, which is very no
ticeable, is largely to be accounted for by the
absence of root crops In the feeding ration of
the focks during Winter.
Rapes are now being largely grown In Can
ada and some of the Northern States, and their
value is being appreciated. In England very
large areas are sown with them in the Summer
and early Fall as pasture for sheep and stock
in the Winter and Spring The rape is like
wild cabbage or turnip without bulb. It grows
quickly, covers the ground and smothers the
weeds and makes excellent feed for sheep and
stock, of which they are very fond. The oat
and wheat stubbles should be run over with
the disc-harrow or heavy drag harrow, just to
break the surface loose, and the seed be them
.own broadcast, just as turnip seed is fire.
1uently sowp, and at about the same rate per
acre. Do not put too much seed on, they |
will be overcrowded and not make the best
growth. OF course, if heavy crop is desired,
The rapes are best grown in drills about two
feet apart and worked once or twice, but this
involves moro labor. What we advise and de-
lire to see is that the crop should be sown as
,m offering crop for the weeds and at the same
lime as valuable adjunct for the Winter graz
ng of the stock, especially sheep. We know
If no reason why the crop should not grow
veil here, and if it does, VIC are satisfied from
experience with it that its value as food will
% appreciated. Even if it should not make a
ieavy growth, it will be worth much as weed
destroyer, and In this light alone will save
much more than it will cost.
pruovrNa uAprs