The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-08-09
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Clover Farming.

artificial manure and rotation Ofcrops to keep
things going on the farm. There are thou
sands OF acres that formerly produced large
crops. but are now crying aloud for a good
baptism of clover. 1t would be we'll if the
land could be turned over to clover entirely
for year or two, and then this crop be kept
growing in a rotation right along.
But further than this, we have lands that
cannot be built up by clover alone They
have been covered for years past, and this
very clover farming has been killing them.
Not that the clover is bad for the soil, bat
the exclusive use Of clover is gradually sub
tracing from the soil all the potash and
phosphoric acid. The clover simply supplies
us with the nitrogen that the soil needs, and
viii not add one ounce Of either potash or
phosphoric acid. Consequently each sue
cessive crop takes from the soil these two
mineral elements until the land gets so poor
that no crops will grow on il, and yet it is
being literally supplied with clover.
The old lands in this condition need clover,
and they need applications of potash and
phosphoric acid. Even clover will decline
to grow on soil that is entirely robbed of
these two elements In the East especially
do wefind land all but robbed of all the potash
and phosphoric acid, and yet the owners con-
poor success. But there are still countless
farms in the West where clover can get all
the mineral elements that it needs, and
clover farming there in its primitive stages
is attended with good results. But where
the crop refuses 10 grow, look out for the
mineral elements. They are lacking gen.
orally in the soil.
Nine-tenths, and probably the other tenth,
have the gilt edge taken off them by success
sive cropping and through sheer waste. In
order to make farming pay on them now and
IN the future 1t Is necessary that clover should
come In and do its work. By a judiciOus
cultivation of clover the land can be brought
into as good state of fertility as it ever was.
Drain the land where needed, avoid all wastes
OF manure, and make a good system of rO-
tatiOn where clover comes in. Nearly all
crops take away some mineral elements from
the soil, and these must be supplied arti-
fcially. We are getting to the condition
where we must recognize the value of min
eraI fertilizers, and understand that green
manure and barn-yard manure do not supply
these sufficient for the crops. Mineral ele-
ments must be purchased and applied in the
cheapest form, and then be supplemented
by green and barn-yard manure, and chief
among these is cloyer.-GermGntOr TeIe-
graph.
Only Good Hay Wanted.
1t is generally believed that the export
trade in hay this year will be light Re-
ports from all European countries indicate
liberal hay harvests-so liberal, in fact, that
even Canada will not be called upon for
much of her crop. This fact will have a
bearing upon the hay trade in this country
for the coming year. The demand from
foreign countries for the best grades of hay
has been quite a factor some years in keep
ing up prices, and now that the era of low
values for almost everything is upon us, the
lack of foreign demand will be felt.
One feature Of the hay trade should not
be overlooked by the producer or shipper.
The demand for any kind of hay except the
best grades upon our principal markets is
growing less every year. Perhaps the best
explanation for this is given by the Chair
man of the New York Board of Hay Inspee-
ton. He says:
"The scientific application of inanimate
power to street cars have supplanted large
droves of horses, and this causes the disuse
of certain good under grades of hay. The
standard of quality needed has become de-
cidedly higher. / think it well to empha.
size the direction of dealers to farmers, fre-
quently repeated of late, to ship only prime
even grades of hay. This is advisable, too,
because much better grade of horses is now
IN general city use, compared with the mis-
cellaneous stock which once abounded, and
good horse is worth good feed. Keepers
of the large livery or boarding stables, who
are an important element among regular
buyers, as rule insist upon having the best
grades only"
This condition does not only prevail at
New York, but in all large cities. And to
this might be added the fact that shippers
of cattle are demanding q better grade of
hay than they used to accept without COM
plant. The advantage of getting better fills
on cattle when placed upon the market JUS
titles the shipper in paying little extra for
prime hay that his stock will relish. The
gap between the prices for good and bad
grades of hay is widening every year. In
fact, the price for inferior grades is now so
low that it does not pay to sell and market
them if they can be used to any advantage
ON the farm.-NatioRaI StoekmGR.
Rules for the Dairy.
I. Cow sheds should receive regular and
thorough cleaning every morning Refuse
carried out 10 the manure heaps, stalls well
cleaned with farm hoe, afterwards brushed;
channel brushed and washed out well, clean
cleaned out previous to feeding time, warmth
of shed attended to and no draughts of cold
air allowed.
2 Ventilation of cow shed should have
particular attention every morning; after
the shed is cleaned out open top and bottom
of window.
3. Cows we'll cleaned with the curryeQmb
and brushed every morning.
4. The cows teats cleaned before milking.
8. Milk should have particular attention
in straining it.
6. Rooms containing cream and milk,
also milk pans, require careful attention;
washing and keeping clean of room and
milk vessels we'll attended to; the room also
kept well ventilated Nc bad air allowed.
Z. Churns kept well cleaned; always
washed out clean previous to working them.
8. Temperature of cream, previous to
churning, carefully attened to; for the Pur-
pose have q thermometer 650 Fahrenheit in
Summer and few degrees higher in VIM
ter.
9. Ali dairy utensils kept perfectly clean
and also in a room to themselves.
10. No dairy utensil should be washed in
side dairy; have small wooden trough
outside the dairy for this purpose.
II. Keep the floor inside the working
compartment perfectly clean; no milk or
other liquid allowed to remain on it. nt
II. Attend to the washing of the milk
from the butter with great attention. SCI
Is. The hands not allowed to come in
contact with the butter while making.
1 l. Il Ia