The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-02-15
OUR RURAL TOPICS
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers

high culture makes all the difference in the
world with the quality and size Of the fruit.
One who enters into the culture Of these fruits
for the market cannot expect to succeed with
out giving high culture. By high culture il
meant thorough preparation of the soil before
hand, enTiehing it with frequent STRINGS and
application of manure and fertilizers. and con-
tinual cultivation between the rows after the
plants have become established. In addition to
this is required good selection of varieties, dis
budding, pruning. and general care Of indi-
vidual plants. High culture of this kind al
ways enhances the value Of every crop of small
fruits
But when we come to our larger fruits,
pears. apples, nut trees, and peaches, we GER
tainly seem to leave behind us the careful
methods pursued in handling strawberries In
the case of peach trees. however, more deter
mined efforts are being made to give them
high cultivation, but largely because peach
trees are resenting the neglect. They are dying
ont in many localities, and refusing to produce
profitable crops in others. Thousands of peach
trees have been cut down and apple trees
planted in their place within the last five years.
The apples are harder and will stand neglect
much longer and better The new peach cuI-
ture. however, pays great attention to fertiliz-
ing the trees. guarding them from diseases. and
keeping other plants and bushes from robbing
the surrounding soil.
May We not hope the time will soon coma
when our apples and pears will be improved in
quality by high cultivation Because they are
hardy and do comparatively we'll on almost any
40 Al ID - 4
not follow that it would not pay to give them
better cultivation. Most of our apple and pear
trees are simply neglected and allowed to take
care of themselves after they are once estab-
lished. This is why so many find no money in
the business
By ali means we should give these trees hiRi
culture. They need fertilizing az much as sn<
other fruits. True, We cannot plow deeply
around them as We can around small fruits, On
account of their roots But we can fsrtilizs
them and keep the surface soil from becoming
as hard and baked as piece OF csmeDt. The
rich vegetable material in the soil can only Be
converted into available plant material by
coming in contact with the outside air. While
we may spread manure under the trees to en-
rich the soil, we should not neglect stirring thu
surface soil with hoe to give the air and rain
chance to hasten the changes below. We
need to give as high culture to our large
tree fruits as we do to our strawberries and
small fruits. The results will be eminentlS
satisfactory to any one.-Amerieaa Caltirator
The artificial rearing of chicks in Winter
and early Spring is almost impossible without
good brooder To produce eggs in cold
weather is also Improbable without hot foods
and drink. A constant supply of hot water
for the laying flock, and comfortable brood.
iDg-room where the early chicks find refu4
and warmth, can be quickly made at slight
cost. In fact, the only outside expense neess.
sary is for the tank and for tight packing.
box to set over it. The tank is six inches dess
and IS inches square It is made Of galvanized
iron or zinc, and is covered over except two
inches on one side. Mounted On blocks, or sss
over little pit in the ground loosely enough
to permit ventilation for lamp placed below
1t, the water will be kept abundsntly hot By
small fame in cold weather. The brooder-
box has two-thirds Of one end removed-ths
end toward the little yard, covered with inch
wire net-snd hole eight inches square cut
water and pushed back far enough to leave
exposed the open space in the tank for hens
to drink. This is so narrow that the birdG
cannot bsfoul the water and it seldom re-
quires cleaning Fine, dry sand is placed in
the brooder, filing the place cut in the floor
and an inch or two deep elsewhere. The
portion of this sand coming in contact With
the warm metal of the tank conducts heat to
the entire department., which is always an
inviting retreat for the motherless little chicks
Half an hour after the lamp is lighted the
hand must be placed on the sand, aud If il 10
more than warm the fame must be lowered.
Too much heat is injurious The chicks
themselves generate nearly enough in mild
large lamp is not desirable, for two reasons:
First, it consumes too much oil; second,
and Of greater Importance, it keeps the
brooder too hot unless turned low, when il
smokes which is deleterious to the thrift Of
both hens and chicks. A small lamp will burn
without smoke, and give all the heat required.
Three thcknesses Of WOODEN cloth, cut in mar
row strips, are hung before the open doorway
of the brooder, excluding light and keeping in
heat. broad board nailed to the top of the
brooder over the drinking fountain will pre-
vent hens roosting over it if it stands in the
To have it project through an aper-
ture cut in the siding for the purpose is more
keeping the chicks and their foster
parent in a separate room. The covering Of
the tank in the manner indicated is essential
to prevent contact of the chicks with steam
and decentralization AgricHItHrist.
An experiment was recently made st the
Brisbane (Australis) Experiment Station to
determine the relative value of cut and uncut
hay as a ration. Three thousand horses were
fed daily with seven and one-half pounds Of
cut straw and Is pounds Of ground oats.
Another lot of 5000 horses were fed with
daily ration of Is pounds of uncut hay and 10
pounds of unground oats. Other lots were fed
with different rations Of oats and cut hay.
The experiments were conducted such
arge scale that the conclusions drawn are Of
practical value. In the large stables of the
who owned the horses everything
was conducted scientifically, aud the utmost
economy was practiced. 1t was calculated that
he horses fed cut hay and ground oats gained
j We per cent. over those fed uncut ratiOns or .
aving of $500 per day for the whole stable Of
1000 horses. The cost of cutting the hay on
,nly dozen or two horses were fed, and con-
the individual gain would be les
ened.