The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-09-29
AGRICULTURE.

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tensive agriculture. Market gardeners
have made use of one horse and mar
and half to two acres.
1t is penny wise and pound foolish tc
save the solids and waste the LIQUID
manures when the experiment stations
assure us that the latter are worth more
than 60 per cent. of the whole. 1t will
not require great outlay of care MOI
money to save them.
The average value of the potato cror
in this country during the past ten years
has been nearly $50 an acre. The value
of the grain crop is about one-fourth of
this amount. 1t would seem that the
farmer who desires to increase his
profits should begin by increasing his
potato area. The cost is not proportion
ately large.
A brief definition Of silo is: An air
tight receptacle for green cut fodder.
We build them to preserve fodder just
on the same principle that we seal up
fruits in air tight jars or cans. They
may be constructed of wood, stone or
concrete, and cheaply made in the barn
or in an deliberately built pit. One is as
good as the other, if air tight.
1t is said that 100 pounds of hay will
make ITO pounds of manure; oats, 2O4
pounds. This must be borne in mind
when figuring up the comparative cost
of foods. A good feeding ration enables
the stock to return a larger value to the
soil than does poor one.
All farming is not profitable, even CIV
ing credit to every item possible. but in
the majority of cases the management is
at fault, not the farm, and whether a
change can be made or not rests largely
with the owner; but in determining the
profits do not leave out the cost of living
which with the average farmer comes
largely from his soil in one shape or an
other, nor the improvements.
If sowing clover on very poor. light.
sandy soil, where it is hard to make a
good catch, SOW at the same time 100
pounds of land plaster to the acre. 1t
will help the seed to get a good start,
and will help it over pretty severe
drouth.
Sow clover seed in the spring as soon
as the surface of the ground is thawed,
but before it is all thawed out; the sub
sequent freezing and thawing will cover
it. To wait any longer is waste of time
neither is the sowing likely to be so sue
.cessful.
The cost of hauling out and properly
distributing bulky manures is consider
able, and in deciding whether or not to
use commercial fertilizers, the first cost
is not the only thing to consider. The
manufactured article, if used on grain,
can be distributed from the drill almost
without any additional labor, and is put
just where most needed.
The low vitality or terminating power
of>seeds is more often due to staleness
than to anything else, although adulter.
alton is responsible for due share.
Ground quartz in clover seed is one of
the more common ways of adulteration
Buy only of seedsmen who will give a
guarantee, and then the experiment
stations will make tests at any time.
Sometimes seed does not germinate
evenly, and some plants get a better
start than others. This advantage they
hold throughout the season, for the
weaker plant is overshadowed or crowd
ed out, SO that it does not mature. Re.
planting does not amount to much. One
remedy is to select the seed early and
dry it by artificial heat before it has been
exposed to the freezing weather.
The farmer never gets out of job;
there are no strikes. He who has a
family to support is saved great deal
of worry and anxiety because his income
even if small, is sure. There should be
self congratulation on the farm these
hard times, when SO many of our fellows
throughout the world are out of employ
ment.
The inevitable laws of trade are
teaching us that we must look for relic
in agriculture, as in all other branches
of industry. not in higher prices, but in
cheaper and better products, and the
only way to make cheaper our produc-
tions is by the application of more labor
and greater skill, making use of the sci
entific knowledge which has SO greatly
aided our calling.
Onions are very profitable crop. and
little space may be wisely devoted to
them in almost every garden. Sandy
soil is best, but they do almost equally
we'll on finely worked clay ground. if it is
thoroughly drained. Make the soil rich,
and put in the seed as early as possible.
Nitrate of soda is one of the best and
most convenient fertilizers.
HORTICULTURE
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