The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-07-18
Farm Notes.

Farm Notes.
The more docile the calf the better
mixer is the COW or the better feeder is
the steer. There is little dOnger Of hand
ling the calf too early or too much.
When you strip a cows teats to the
last drop in milking do II not so much
for the immediate gain as to keep the
udder Of prolific habit In the future.
Canadian apiarist is Of the opinion
that bees wear out and die more quickly
in windy weather or in rainy localities
than where the air is still. Hence the
Importance Of selecting a sheltered local
ity.
As the work with the various imple-
ments Is finished up for the season see
that they are thoroughly cleaned up
and that they are properly stored away
and sheltered This will be found good
economy in every way.
How slow some are to find out the
merits of poisoning sprayings for fungus
disease. Quite near me are trees of pear
cherry and ounce in gardens entirely
bereft of leaves in early September,
which might have been kept in healthy
state with but one or perhaps two spray
ings during the summer.
To protect fruit trees from caterpillars
take axle grease, tar or any other WaXy
substance, and apply on the limbs above
the forks of the trees, and the worms
cannot cross. and, therefore, will starVe
to death or drop off and not harm the
tree. This Is a cheap remedy for small
trees just beginning to bear.
English farmers have a reputation Of
growing better mutton and keeping sheep
more profitable, considering the high
rental Of land and high price of all pur-
chased feeds than any other people. They
make it point TO give frequent change
of pasture TO their sheep. even though
the grazing is not exhausted where they
are.
The general trend Of agriculture is
decidedly in the direction Of intensive
rather than extensive farming. Farmers
who are today making any profits in
their mixed grain and live stock farm
ing are doing so by running fewer acres
to grain. using the fertilizers essential
to largely increased production to the
acre.
II is reported that on the English mar
ket buyers pay about five dollars more a
head for dehOrned cattle. owing 10 the
belief that they put on flesh more rapidly
with less feed. This prime condition is
more easily obtained because the animal
is now inclined TO keep more quiet. This
changes in disposition enables il to be
handled with greater ease, economy and
safety.
1t is a mistake to suppose that ground
fresh bones fed to hens serve only as
grit to aid in digesting other food. They
are soluble in the gizzard and, as they
contain material for both egg and shell,
they are especially valuable. The meat
attached TO green bone adds to its nutri-
ton. After the bones have dried they
may be ground much finer but are harder
to digest
A whole sheep will furnish palatable
variety of food for three or four farmers
families while 1t keeps fresh. and IL there
are several in the neighbOrhood who keep
sheep the interchange OF fresh mutton
when one or the other kills a sheep gives
the farmer the advantage of a city
butcher shop. and his supplies Of fresh
mutton much cheaper than the butcher
can afford TO supply it to him.
A singular instance of connection be
tween superstition and agricultural posts
is reported from CeylOn. The high class
Buddhist Cingalese refuse to destroy the
predatory insects which infest the tea
plantations, as they regard IL a sir to
take life Consequently the tea planta-
tons owned by them become the breed
ing grounds for moths and other insects
and a sourceof infection to neighbOring
plantations
The determination OF our native flora
by forest fires is often more complete
than that caused by plant collectors who
miss small seedlings and do not remove
all the roots Of plants, many of which will
start from dormant eyes. But a fire.
especially when il attacks the habitat of
plants such as cypripediums, imbedded
leaves, completely destroys them roots
and branch-Garden and Forest.
In an experiment at Brisbane. Queens
land, 5000 horses were fed on cut hay and
ground oats with a saving of per cent.
more than those fed on the uncut rations
or a saving of $500 a day; yet while most
farmers know that Il pays to cut up the
hay, how many do IT even when they
have a feed cutter In the barn? If you
can not cut the hay better put up some
ensilage that is already cut up ready to
eat, but feed it carefully to horses.
Regularity is the first requisite in the
dairy. Any deviation from the accus-
toned time of feeding or milking will
soon show its result in the milk bucket;
but few men act upon the best infOrma-
ton at hand, even though it be laid be-
fore them time after time. The most
Of preaching, of whatever kind, goes into
shut ears and minds. Only the minority
know more about the dairy or cattle or
any other branch of farming, than did
their fathers.
Prof. II. Z. Stockbridge of the North
Dakota experiment station, gave the
Grape Belt some interesting facts about
grape growing in Japan. 1t was at first
thought that grapes would not ripen we'll
I'm that climate, as they matured during
the months of August and September
which are usually very cloudy and rainy
in that latitude. This fact increased the
acid in the fruit. or rather 1t greatly les
sened the sugar. and thus made the
grapes unfit for wine-making. BY the
liberal use Of potash the sweetness of the
grapes was greatly increased and a val
liable industry was saved.
Flour, instead of land plaster. is rec
onimeded for mixing with Paris green,
by Alva Algee. in the Rural New
Yorker, for the reason that the flour is
more palatable TO the bug, and il also
makes a paste which sticks to the vine
SO that IL IS not easily washed of by
rains. We long ago gave UP the notion
Of mixing Paris green with Plaster
as IL was far too much work to get the
two thoroughly Incorporated. But put
ting the Paris green In water is better
than either. If applied as IL should be-
in sunny weather, IL will stay on the
leaves long enough TO destroy all the
bugs that are Matched There is no adj
vantage in keeping the vines covered
with the poison any longer.
Hints for HouscIxecpers.
Fish netting makes pretty and service
able draperies in country house.
Good furniture polish is made Of one
third turpentine and two-thirds sweet
oil.
Stale crackers are improved by placing