Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-12-01

IaGd-Ieed for Growing LOGS Odds an
Oats and Soil Improvement
The question OF the effect OF tn,
oat crop upon the soil is one that ha!
been considerably discussed, and ;
pretty general opinion has prevailed
that it was largely impOverishing. A
farmer in the State Of Maine has
conducted experiments for sever
years that show some interesting re-
suits The land employed was stu
atcd upon hillside and the soil a
gr.;ve!iy or slaty loan that becomes
dry carly. The experiment was COM
mcncod after crop OF fodder corn
ana with soil in what might be
termed IL. fair condition. The first
season the ground was piowed the
10th OF April and the oats sowcd, the
surface being narrowed thoroughly
This course ha. been prosecuted for
seven successive years without the
use Of any fertilizer. The crop has
leen good each season. the crop har-
vested This season being about forty
bushels per acre. The land has al
WAYS been sufficiently dry So that the
ground could DC piOwed and the
seed sOwn in the latter part of April,
a,d, as Il result. the crop would be
ripe and harvested in August The
gam was cut with a grass scythc by
hand, ieavir & the stubble from SIX to
eight inches high or as high as posi-
bic. AS soon as convenient after the
harvesting OF the grain the
ground is plowcd, turning the
stubble under carefully. In
the spring the same was plOweu
again, the oats sOwed and thoroughly
narrowed in--the amount of seed be-
ing three and onc-half bushels per
acre. by this practice it is believed
there is no impoyerishment of the
soil, and the eXperimcnter proposes
to follow this course until learning
from actual experience that there is
impoverishment OF the soil. The
amount of stubbIe left to be plowed
under would do much toward main
tanning the fertility OF the soil
Germantown Telegraph.
What to do With Surplus Milk.
In the fall season of the year milk
farmers are much exercised as to
what to do with the surplus. The
cows and the pastures are doing their
best and the market will not consume
any more fresh milk, or not more
than ut any other times The sur
Plus that is sent to the city must be
made into butter, and this business
must always be done at disadvan.
1age in the city, as compared with
the country, for the reasons; first,
rents are higher in the city than in
the country: second, the freight on
the milk is more than on the butter:
third, the skim-milk and buttermilk
have more value on the farm for
feeding to pigs aud poultry than they
have in the city, where they are
mostly wasted. The value of milk
for butter-making depends upon how
rich 1t is in butter: the value will
range with butter at 20 or 30 cents
per pound, from II cents per can for
some of the hest samples down to 20
cents or less for some of the poorer
samples The farmers in the milk
producing regions should organize to
provide creamery where the surplus
milk of the nelghborhOod can he
pens of sending it to the city, where
il is not wanted and where it oper.
ates to depress prices and discou rage
the producers Creameries should
test the milk OF patrons daily and
pay for it according to the butter it
will make, and not by the quart or
by the pound. This is only simple
Justice to the patrons aud will soon
show them which cows should be sold
and which kept for butter produc-
tion. When farmers in the large
milk producing towns learn to COM
bine and take care of the surplus
milk they will be less at the mercy
of the middlemen, who now obtain
the lions share of the profit in hand
ling milk. Mass. Ploughman.
Sweet Corn for Stock Feeding.
Animals as we'll as men and women
have sweet tooth. 1t pays some
times to gratify it. The starch of
all corn and grain is changed to