The record-union., 1893-03-31

1Ao ouCceSSIuI far1ner w OOu
Ashes In Swine-Raising-
for Home Use-AccIdents on the
Farm-warm Drink for Stock-Mis-
cellaneous Items.
Many farmers who carry corn culture
to the highest success advocate the one
ear stalk method, and in my own expert
ence l have found that this invariably
gave the best corn, and about the same in
quantity to the acre, writes J. d. Morrow
for the Agricultural Epitomist. By plant
ing in hills several stalks we find that
one will generally shoot ahead of the
others. and more or less dwarf them.
The strong stalk monopolizes the most OF
the heat, sun, air and manure, while the
others have to struggle the best way they
can. The same principle seems to hold
with the one-ear TO the stalk theory. One
stalk seldom, if ever, produces two
equally well developed perfect ears. One
is quite large and the other quite small,
or both medium size ears.
By raising only one ear to the stalk we
center everything into this. 1t is greatly
improved over those ears from the two OF
three to the stalk ones. 1t is fatter. better
grained and superior in quality. By
planting seed from this one ear we get an
improvement each season, and in the
course OF time we find our corn far better
than when we first started in to improve
its quality. Quality in corn counts for
much in these days when the crop is sc
large and prices are apt to be low. 1t is
the best grades that generally sell and for
the top gu tations. 1t really pays to
raise only crop of superior corn in
which none of Inferior quality is mixed
with it.
We naturally compute the value of our
corn crop by the number of ears to the
acre. If we raise one TO the stalk, the
crop will be so large, and two to the stalk,
just double this amount, and so on. But,
unfortunately, this is bad mathematics,
and 1t leads into an error. No farmer,
who raises two and three ears to the stalk,
claims that he will get two or three times
as much shelled grain to the acre as the
one who raises only one-ear stalks; nor
does the farmer who raises two or three
stalks to the hill delude himself into the
belief that he is going to gather two or
three times as much from his field as his
neighbor, who adopts the one-stalk to the
hill method.
We often gain in one point and lose in
another. Nature equalizes the whole
thing. 1t is simply, however, a question
of quantity and quality, or quantity and
no quality. A two-eared stalk requires
the richest land, superior cultivation and
more room and light than the one-eared.
We again equalize the matter by planting
the one-eared stalks closer together IN the
rows, for they can stand it without suffer-
ing. We can by this method get almost
as many ears to the acre as when we grow
. IL
much better and yield more shelled grain
to the ear.
We prune our fruit trees and keep ma
ture from producing too many fruits on
one tree. 1t is just as much needed in the
corn-tield. We need to pinch off and
kill the extra ears. Plant the corn closer
together, but let each stalk produce only
and well filled out. When we come to
measure our shelled corn we shall have
on an average as much as if we let two
ears grow to the stalk.
MANURE FOR THE GARDEN.
The truck gardener uses home and
commercial fertilizers more freely than
any other class of farmers. One main es-
sential for good crop of early and tender
vegetables is a highly fertile soil, and
this fertility must be sustained through
out the year. We learn more from these
truck gardeners what a square yard OF
soil will yield than from the large general
farms. Generally the garden is situated
near good market, and land is so valu
able that every foot must be utilized.
Land is more valuable than manure in
their case, while on many large farms the
reverse Is the case. y good truck gardener
will make half dozen acres support
himself and family in comfort, while
many a farmer falls behind every wear on
fifty or I00-acre farm. The difference.
oft -n11 &c 1,rs in fha
sued by the two men.
The truck farmer teaches us the value
and necessity of intensive farming. Re
duce the size of the farm so that every
square yard can be thoroughly cult
waited. 1t improves the soil as we'll as
increasing the yield. This is the reason
why many small kitchen gardens o.
farmers are richer and more productive
than the general fields. They devote
more time to its cultivation, and Incl
dentally increase its fertility. Manurine
garden is not simply applying manure
but it is also stirring up the elements O
the soil so that they can be used as plant
food. The average field is allowed tc
grow over with weeds at some time, and
after the crop is well under way the sol
cannot be fertilized nor cultivated. Ow.
ing to the absence of air and light, great
deal of fertilizing elements generally is
lost to the crops.
=
ual cropping and an almos. uninter-
rupted use of the land. One crop is
gathered and another one is Immediately
planted. More manure is used anC
plowed and narrowed in. The soil gets
soft, mellow and warm. Weeds are kept
down by the continual cultivation, and
the market gardener can continue to use
this same soil year after year without Its
running out. In other words, this con.
tinual cultivation, use and manuring o.
the soil Is the sureSt way to keep it strong
and fertile. Some farmers claim that the
land needs rest occasionally, for it has
been drained too much by crops. This
should not be, if it has been properly
manured and cultivated.
We need plenty OF available plant food
in our soil, and it must be put there lib
orally and in the best form. But one of
the most common things is to let grea
deal of this go to waste. The land is not
cultivated sufficiently to make the food
available for the plants. 1t consequently
leaks down into the subsoil in the COURSE
OF time or it is washed away. Very otter
our apparentlNuntertile soils do not seen
to improve with the heavy applications
of manure. but when they are cultivated
continually, and crops are taken off anC
others put in, the land gradually i'm.
proves. This is due simply to the fac
that continual cultivation often fertiliZe:
as much as the manure does.-W. Z
Farmer in Albany Evening Journal.
GOOSE LORE.
In answer to the query, how often il
one season ought geese to be picked oul
fourteen years experience would say, i
depends entirely on the feed and run
They feather out quicker where they arr
permitted to run on green pasture, anC
have abundance of good water 10 drink
Every ten weeks should find them, under
such treatment, with good coat O.
feathers.