The record-union., 1893-07-05
FARM AND ORCHARD.
The Island of Jersey the Native
Home of the Jersey Cattle.

Something About Weeds Hints for
Poultry Keepers Pruning Peach
Trees-Experiments with Wheat
Fresh Water for the Fowls-Farm
Notes.
The Island of Jersey, the native home
of Jersey cattle, is the largest of a group
OF Islands lying north Of France, in the
English Channel. This island lies west
OF Normandy about sixteen miles, and
about the same distance from the Island
of Guernsey, and is about twelve miles
in length, east and west, and about six or
seven miles wide The surface is a
moderately elevated table land and is
fairly productive. The climate is equa-
BILE, neither extremely cold nor excess
lively hot, with an abundant rainfall. The
mean temperature is about 5l' -Fahren-
heit, not varying much from that of ohio,
but much more evenly distributed. The
island contains about 10000 acres, more
than half of which is under excellent
cultivation. The island is divided into
twelve parishes, and the farms vary in
size from five to twenty-five acres each.
Great crops are here raised, consisting of
potatoes, parsnips, marigolds, carrots,
turnips, also plenty of choice fruits in
quite variety.
These are some of the environments
that surround the Jersey COW in her ma
tive home. Here she has been and is still
carefully guarded, allowing no bovine to
be landed except for immediate slaughter.
W hen a Jersey leaves the island il is for
ever. They cannot return except as all
other cattle, for slaughter. Heavy fines
and imprisonment are the penalties for
any violation OF these regulations. 1t is
by this stringency of oversight that the
purity of the race has ever been main
tained. Any animal imported from the
island of Jersey is eligible to record in
our herd registers, provided the owner
has complied with the requirements in
guarding against errors.
The neighboring island of Guernsey has
for a long time kept register of her best
cattle similar to the one of the island of
Jersey. Her cattle probably were origin
ally the same as the Jersey. Also the
island of Alderney has similar species
OF dairy cattle, but never has maintained
a register, hence her cattle afford no
guaranty Of purity OF race. The name of
Alderney was for many years applied
enormously to Jersey cattle. There were
many OF these cattle taken to England
and bred with Jerseys, and when they
had been bred a certain number of times
they became eligible to registry. We
have never taken kindly to this method
practiced by our English cousins, allow
ing no animal TO be recorded unless it's
ancestors trace back to lmpOrtations from
the island.-Indiana Farmer.
SOMETHING ABOUT WEEDS.
Nothing on the farm appears to ignore
all the untavorabIe conditions of both
Ftnsa,
like weeds. Weeds have their use. They
perform valuable mission on all lands.
Soils that are kept free from weeds and
all other growing vegetation quickly lose
fertility. Weeds, while they take a GER
tain amount OF nourishment from the
soil, are more beneficial than injurious
This is shown il neglected places, where
weeds each year grow more and more
rank. The weeds form mulch after the
growing season, and also furnish a GER
tain amount of tertilizing ingredient as
well as vegetable humus to the soil.
II is this method that nature uses to
improve soils. Weeds, therefore, are
merely noNious or disagreeable things on
account Of their stubborn persistency to
grow when and where they are not de-
sirahle. Weeds of many kinds may be
finally gotten rid OF by repeatedly mow-
ing them, allowing no seed to form. This
Will, OF course, necessltate constant vigil
ance. but the labor caused will be well
invested, as IN getting rid of the weeds
each cutting is adding some material that
will increase the fertility of the soil. A
writer in the StOckmon and Fuyane1 tells
as follows how to Kill some weeds:
"Annuals, such as rag weedland white
top, can be easily killed by clipping them
when the bloom first appears. Hog and
smart weed must have the tap root cut
OF below the surface. When clipped
they send out laterals. Biennials-wild
carrot, mullen, thistle, narrow or curly
leated dock, can only be killed by cutting
OFF tap roots two inches below surface,
or by -pulling-which can be done
the first year or when the blossom ap-
pears the second. Broad-leafed dock has
branching roots-it won't pull. Three
years ago l moved a patch of wild car
rots five times, and vet the laterals
ripened seed. Two years ago l hand
pulled when in bloom, if ground was
wet, otherwise cut tap root, but had to go
over the ground nine times. This year
no carrots. Last March cut crown of
nine bunches of dock. From July to
October cut OIL seed stalks twelve times,
Crown cutting is a failure. Sorrel is
perennial-alWays with you. Cultivation
does not kill II. Its semi-creeping roots
are stayers.' Brine or heavy mulching
with straw for two years will kill it.
Iron weed-grub it out."-Baltimore
Sun.
The Southern CultiCat01' devotes much
consideration to the poultry interests and
has had wide experience in that direction
in the Southern States. The following
advice will apply as we'll in California as
in Georgia:
Poultry cannot be successfully or
profitably kept in large tiocks, no matter
how much range they have. This fact is
proved yearly on untold thousands of
farms all over the country. The smaller
the single flock, the greater the per cent.
of profit. The average size of the farmers
flock is twenty to fifty fowls, and they do
the best when the flock is the smallest.
The fault IS not in the fowls nor the farm.
but tits in the way they are managed. They
must be divided up IN order to thrive
This division can be made effective by
fencing only. The size of the yard de-
pends, to great extent, on circumstances
and the skill Of the keeper. A yard p by
100 feet Will afford grass and range for
twenty fowls, under natural conditions.
That is, there will be grass and pugs in
season, and all that the chickens would
get in unlimited range. n skillful mama
ger could divide the 25Nl00 feet strip into
four yards, and maintain in good health
and laying condition eighty fowls, instead
of twenty, but he would have vegetables
and other substitutes for the grass that
would die ont under so many fowls Ii
he should turn his eighty fowls all to-
gether i'll the 25xl00-foot strips he would
get no eggs, lose part of his flock from
sickness, and make a dismal failure of it
be lie ever so experienced.
There are certain natural conditions
that must be observed; and, we may say,
that the most desirable SURROUNDINGS for
Eera Al