The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-03-31
THE AGRICULTURAL WORLD
SOME INTERESTING SUBJECTS
FOR RURAL READERS.
How to Clear Timbered Land
Have you an Ice House?--When
Bees Need Breed
ing and Rearing Horses
Instructive Pointers.
How to Clear Timber Land.

instructive Pointers.
How to Clear Timber Land
The first thing to be done after all
the valuable timber has been taken off
is the embarrassing, (which may be
done as well in winter when the ground
Is frozen, as the bushes will then cut
easily. The usual way is to cut all
saplings up to five or six inches in di.
ameter, but only cut the brush and
smallest saplings, because the ak is
liable to become dull from coming in
contact with the ground, and it does
not pay to chop large timber with a
dull ak
Chop the piece in summer when the
leaves are on and full grown July is
about the best time. The advantage Of
chorping at that time is that the brush
Will burn much more readily with the
leaves on. and the sprouts will not
sprout so badly as if chopped in winter.
In order to insure good burn it is best
to pile the brush we'll One that is in
experienced is sure to pile the brush
too carelessly, because the leaves make
1t look as though it was much thicker
than it is. Leave it until it is dry
enough to burn well, which will prob
ably be some hot day in the latter part
OF August. Log and burn it off as soon
as possible, taking little pains to
make the log heaps on the grassiest
places when it can be done without
much trouble. Plow thoroughly with
'jump-shoyel'' or a new ground plow
and sow in winter wheat
In the spring seed down and leave in
grass three or four years, when the
stumps will be sufficiently rotten so
that the most Of them may be pulled
and the ground plowed in good shape
for corn OF other crops. / think this
will be found the best way when it is
necessary to have the use Of the ground
right away.
Grabbing all bushes and small trees
and clearing ground at once Of all
stumps and roots is impracticable for
all except those of almost unlimited
capital
IT Il man is in no particular hurry to
have the use of the land, a still cheaper
way is to chop in winter when not busy
with other work. Pile brush fairly well,
but covering as much ground with it as
is consistent with having it burn we'll
Leave four Or five years, unring which
time pasture a flock of sheep on the
piece to keep down sprouts, weeds, etc.
Burn some very dry time, and you will
be surprised to see how much will
burn, not only all brush but many of
the logs and stumps Log and burn
and pull all the stumps left.
A piece of land treated in this way
will plow UP like an old meadow, and
be in excellent condition for corn or
any other cultivated crOp.-Farn. Field
and Firesde
Have You an Ice House.!
We hope none Of our agricultural
readers are SO unwise as to have neg
lected to provide for laying in store
of ice for the coming summer, provided
they live where ice is procurable. But
if any have been SO improvident, let
them be so no longer. There Is time
enough yet to build house and fill
it with ice.
It does not require much of build
ing to keep ice in. A rough structure
Of common boards, say sixteen feet
square, with good drainage at the bot
tom to prevent an accumula ton OF wa
ter, will give an ample supply for FAM
lily and dairy use where the family is
not unusually large and the herd does
not exceed twenty or twenty-fv cows.
Board UP on the inside Of the studs
with single boards, leaving a window
four feet square in each gable end for
ventilation. When packing the ice
cover the floor with a foot Of sawdust
or hay. Leave a space between the
ice and the sides of the building six
teen to eighteen inches wide and pack
with Sawdust, tanbark or hay as the
ice is put in. On top Of the ice put a
layer Of sawdust or bark not more than
six or seven inches thick Ice packed
in this way will not melt much. A
weather boarding on the outside of the
studs will, Of course, give the building
a more finished look, but it isn't essen
tial, and so much may be saved in the
cost Of the house.
The three essentials are drainage,
ventilation and exclusion of heat If
the house is built on hillside the first
condition may be easily secured, even
il the house is partly underground.
Ventilation is mere mater of having
two openings through which the air
can circulate freely, and the packing Of
sawdust between the ice and the board
ing secures protecting, though invisi-
BILE, wall Of cold air to repel heat Only
a shiftless laxy bones will be without
ice in the summer when it can be SO
easily and cheaply provided.
Management of Sheep.
One day Of the Wisconsin institute
was given to sheep. In speaking Of
the management Of breeding sheep
Robert Miller Of Brougham, Can, said
sheep raiser should know his sheep
and carefully watch them daily. The
flCcN should not be too large, and
should be sorted according to age, size
and condition. The change from win
ter quarters to spring fields should be
carefully made, with gradual change
| Of feed at the same time. There was
a great deal to be learned about the
care of sheep in very hot weather. At
all times they should be fed so as to
| drink as small quantity of water as
| possible.
| Mr. Miller uses as a winter ration
Swedish turnips, clover hay, oats and
bran. He keeps twenty sheep in a
flock and let's them have all the turnips
they will eat, making them do their
own ''pulping." That is, he feeds the
| turnips whole.
George McKerrow, Sussex, Wis,
said: Success depends upon feeding.
| Balanced rations are necessary to get
| good return in silver for the food ex-
| pended. In summer mixed pastures
should be used, renewing them as often
as necessary. A sheep pasture must
| not be cropped too short or allowed to