Democratic messenger., 1894-09-22
AROUND THE FARM.

Where can you get better picture
TO hang over your desk than an ac-
curate map of your farm-with the
fields numbered and correctly meas
ured?
The hog is said 10 be nearly as good
scavenger in the orchard as the
sheep, and if allowed 10 run there he
will destroy the worm infested fruit
that falls TO the ground and in so do
ing he will destroy the worms. He
will also enrich the ground.
1t Is now 50 well established that
the plum cuaculio. the cherry worm,
the coddling, moth, etc, HAY be des
troyed by spraying with arsenical So
lutions. that there is no longer an ex-
cuse for delaying planting the best
and finest varieties of every plant.
The feet of young horses are often
permanently injured by standing upon
imperfectly constructed floors, which
are too hard or not kept clean. "No
foot, no horse say the English. A
filthy floor will not make sound foot.
There is much carelessness in this re-
gard.
There should be grapes on every
farm and village plot. They need
well drained soil, good cultivation
and close pruning and will then pay
for the space they occupy. Soapsuds
is an excellent fertilizer for them. be-
cause Of the potash it contains.
In 80 eases ont of 100 the farmer
who contemplaies moving to a more
favorable location, will find it more
profitable 10 stay on the old farm, and
let his moving consist of getting
away from the old proiitless methods
and up to the newer and better ones
1t is not as much work to take
care. and good care, too. of ten acres
OF orchard as it is to take care Of ten
acres of corn, and the income will be
far greater. Ten acres of orchard
would contain about five hundred
trees. and barrel to the tree when
the trees come well into bearing is
only moderate yield.
Whatever the stringency there are
some 1.400.00o,0O0 people in the
world who must be fed, and larger
proportion of them have sense cultiva-
ton enough to eat good mutton when
they can get it, and their numbers
are increasing. Mutton sheep are lie.
gal tender in all the city markets in
this country. and nice spring lambs
are at a premium. Those who have
good Aocks Of sheep, or can buy good
ewes, should grade up to the best pure
bred bucks of the mutton breds-and
never lose your faith in sheep.
II is reported from Liverpool that
the crop of British apple-growing re-
gions of Belgium and other countries
is exceeding poor, and the United
States will have to supply the short
age. In 1891 we exported .450, 1856
barrels, and the condition of the apple
crop now is thought to be much the
same rs then.
1t doesn't take many years for a
herd of hogs to retrograde To the
original wild type and become really
vicious and dangerous animals. Old
sows, after four or five litters become
coarse. and their trunks grow longer
than is safe for anyone exposed to
them. The mail hog is still worse in
this respect. Yet coarsely-built old
sow bred TO pure bred boar of the
smaller boned breeds will give pigs
that will fatten faster and make larger
growth than will the pigs from finer
formed but less mature dam.
The experienced poultcrer always
watches the combs of his fowls. They
tell much of the vigor and productive
capacity of each bird. Fowls which
have large bright combs. il hens, are
sure to be good layers. IL cocks they
have vigorous sexual power, and will
produce strong, vigorous chicks. When
hens or cocks decline in vigor their
eggs should not be set. The chicks
from such eggs will be weekly, and the
hens will be apt to be poor layers.
Much of the improvement in breeding
in all animals must he the result Of
getting their progeney when they are
at their best.
T. Il. Terry thinks one bushel Of
wheat for feeding equal to two of oats.
He soaks the wheat before feeding.
He puts in a pail of water at night
what he wants to feed next day. lie
says he has been feeding soaked wheat
to driving horses for quite while,
and likes it. A little goes through
them undigested, but not enough when
well soaked, pay for the trouble and
expense of grinding.