The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-12-01
AGRICULTURE.


When the good times" come again every
mile of new railway will open up thous-
ands of acres for the tiller, and when the
strain is great enough the purse strings
of the rich will be opened until irrigat-
ing canals bring the very sands of the
West under the plowshare
The average man will never do his
duty wholly ard voluntarily. The weed
pests of the country will never feel the
real force of the attacks of their human
foe until the law takes hold, and, when
the farmer will not slaughter them, it
will be done by the State and charged
up on the tax duplicate.
When burying potatoes do not smoth-
er them in pile, but dig a pit in dry,
we'll drained soil, say four feet deep; fill
not quite full of the tubers, and put
roof over them upon supports, which
should be covered with straw and soil,
with chimneys inserted for ventilation.
Remember they can be bruised in hand
ling as we'll as other fruit.
Each black walnut tree planted upon
rough, untillable ground will soon be
worth more than the whole are upon
which it is planted. A small area of
trees will begin to add at once to the
value of the farm. and the value will in.
crease with each years growth.
The best time 10 pillow green crop
under is just as it comes into full bloom,
or soon thereafter. The nitrogen in
creases still later, but the plant does not
decay SO readily after that, and is not
so ready to yield up the plant food &C.
cumulated.
Intelligent farmers no longer discuss
the question whether it is better to burn
or to bury their straw, cane stalks or
corn stalks. Put under the ground
every atom of vegetable matter that you
can: any other course. no matter how
good your lands may be now, is wasteful
and excessively ridiculous.
Barnyard manure is not a complete
fertilizer, especially when not saved and
handled under the best possible condi
tons. 1t should be kept under cover
and turned now and then, or, if not pre-
pared for this, should be scattered over
the fields as soon as made. The stirring
up will be done pretty thoroughly by the
hogs if little corn is hid in it.
When held for rise, the increase in
the price Of grain is counteracted by
shrinkage, by loss from mice, insurance
and interest. Count the interest twice,
for with the ready cash the winter sup
plies can all be laid in at great saving
There is no increase in profit from stock
when held after ready for market.
A ton of good stable manure, we'll kept,
should contain about 8 pounds of nitro
gen, 10 of potash and a of phosphoric
acid, of which the commercial value is
about 50; but only second to this is the
mechanical value of stable manure in
loosening up the soil. Whatever other
fertilizer is used, it should be supple
mented with the barnyard refuse.
There has been but slight augmenta-
ton in the Southern agricultural popu-
lation, and little in production, though
the lands are cheap and development of
manufactures has created new markets.
The soil responds readily to cultivation.
and gives great choice in husbandry.
Lime is important among the mineral
manures, and almost Indispensable. The
best form in which to apply it is in
sacked lime. More is needed on heavy
clay lands, especially if undrained 1t
is chiefly mechanical in its action. and
also acts chemically upon the constitu-
ents of the soil. 1t sets free food which
would otherwise remain locked up.
There can be but little danger of over
production so long as we are adding two
millions of people to our numbers every
year-a whole State. We can not help
but think that there must come higher
prices for farm products, greater value
for farm lands. and better time for the
farmer generally.