The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1895-06-29
SOME FARM TOPICS
INTERESTING SUBJECTS FOR TIL
LERs OF THE SOIL.
HOW to Increase the Yield of Crops
-For Pulling Posts-Best Way to
Set a Hen-Level Culture for Po-
tatOes-POultry Notes.

The question Of large yields is al
ways one Of vital importance to the
farmer. Where the yield per acre can
be increased by improved methods and
without too much outlay, it will be
wise to study the plans that are likely
to secure such an end, so far as at all
practicable, to adopt them. The extra
bushel or two per acre may bring
profit where without it there would be
no profit, and where the yield can be
run up several bushels per acre beyond
the cost Of production, the profit then
| becomes a substantial one.
Various methods may be adopted to
| increase the average yields per acre.
Some of these relate to rotation, others
| Of them relate to cleanliness, and yet
others to live stock keeping in one or
| the other of it's branches. In fact, they
are various, and we shall now aim to
show how they cOnduce to the emu
sought.
A varied rotation does not draw upon
one particular element, or upon TWO or
three Of these, as the case may De, us
much as a narrow rotation. Thls arises
from the fact that some plants draw
more largely on one kind OF plant 1000
than others; hence, when plants vary
ing somewhat In their necessities are
grown, they draw more regularly on
the varied elements in the soil. A va
ried rotation has the effect also of
keeping lands cleaner, and cleanliness
has a favorable influence on productive
ness, since the fewer the weeds IN the
soil, the less do they consume OF the
plant food which is present in the soil
for the sllstenance Of the crops.
The growing Of hoed or cultivated
crops has a favorable influence on pro-
ductiveness. This is owing, first, to
the cleanliness which it brings to the
soil; second to the liberation OF plant
food in the same, induced by the Gull
tivation given to it in conjunction with
weathering. Influences; and, third, to
the greater moistness which it brings
to the land. The added moistness may
not always be beneficial, but in the
case of light lands it is beneficial 1t
should be remembered, however, that
hoed crops generally take good deal
of fertility out of the soil; hence. when
they are much grown, it must be fed.
When grasses, and more especially
clovers, are introduced frequently into
the rotation, the yield of cereals is
pretty certain to be increased These
crops aid the land very much. They
aid all kinds Of land. They help to
bind light lands and to hold them to-
gether. They help to loosen up stiff
lands and bring them into better
state Of cultivation, and they bring
vegetable matter to all kinds Of soil,
which has the effect of furnishing food
for the crops, and Of holding moisture.
LeguminOus crops grown on land
bring nitrogen to it, and therefore rem
der it more productive, whether these
are plowed under or not, as these crops
usually have a salutary influence on
the texture Of the land; and Us they
are nearly all tirst-class foods for live
stock, the aim should be to grow them
as frequently as possible The best
of these crops for PRACTICAL uses is
clover, either the common red or the
Mammoth according to the ends
sought in growing them, and according
to the adaptability of the land.
Flowing land in the fall tends to in
crease the yield of cereal crops. This
is true Of all, or nearly all, kinds of
land, and it is more especially true of
stiff soils. The reasons, or at least
some OF them, grow out of the LIBERIA
ton Of plant food that goes on in the
late fall, and in the spring, through
watering influences, and out of the
early warming of the surface of the
SOIL as soon as winter has gone.
But more than anything else, proba-
ply, the keeping Of live stock tends to
increase the average yields of farm
produce. When the produce which is
raised on farm is fed on it, and when
legumlnous crops are freely grown at
the same time, the Improvement in fer
Utility, and, therefore, in ability to pro-
duce, goes on quickly; and, if some
food stuffs are purchased and fed at
the same time, the fertility of the land
is still further increased
One more way of increasing fertility
requires to be mentioned. We refer to
the purchase Of artificial fertilizers,
IN some sections this will pay if ju-
d1clously done; in other sections it will
not pay These fertilizers require no
little knowledge to enable us to handle
Chem Alright. Sometime an application
Oh some fertilizer, as, for instance. nj
trate OF soda, applied at the right time,
Will erect great good; whereas, if ig- |
aorantly applied, it would probably be
lost.-Live Stock and Farm Journal.
First Two Years of Colthood.
We will suppose that the time has
arrived when the mare and colt are
turned out on grass, and that period |
IN the colts life has begun when he is
expected to do nothing but grow, and
as most of his future greatness de-
Ponds on the first two years of his ex-
isterce we will briefly consider his
management during that time. If the
Iiare is good mixer so much the bet
ter, and if she is not she can be ma
terially assisted by giving her lib