Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-08-20
FROM NORTHEASTERN OHIO.
A PROSPECT OF ABUNDANT CROPS.

auotHer naiI l0cn OF rain Ieii Oh I'll
9th, and now, If 1t were not for tn
bare brown pastures, one could scarcel
realize from the appearance Of vegeta
tion that we had suffered so severel,
from lack of rain. Oats are lodging II
the valleys and all garden stuff Is look
ing vigorous aud healthy. Potatoe
planted as late as May q or two month
ago of varieties as late as Munroe Seed
ling have tubers AS large as hens eggs
with small ones Just setting besides
There seems but little doubt that lat
potatoes will be fine crop unless bligh
sets in. Those being dug now are o
good size but few In hill. The droutl
In the southern part of the state ant
Kentucky, makes receipts light ant
prices at present are 65 cents, the sup
ply being about equal TO the demand
There have been scarcely any potatt
bugs on my farm, and no squash or Gu
thousand hills of vines TO the bloomini
stage without using any preventives.
have not vet seen any poison applied fol
potato bugs in this vicinity, so judg'
others are escaping as well as myself.
have nice crop of apples, but | dc
not think them very plenty, as l readily
get - cents per bushel for Astrachan'
and Shenango Strawberries, the lattel
not vet being nearly as fine as they
should be, being the wormy, prematurel,
ripe ones. Large quantities Of stone
ware are made in this county, and busi
ness has been crippled for the last two
wears because no apples left no demand
for apple butter crooks. A manufacturer
tells me that the agents are making larg,
sales In western Ohio and Indiana Al
present, there being n fine crop OF ap
Piles in prospect. Grapes are said TO bt
totally killed in May, but see that
growers along the lake are combining u
maintain prices, so there must be quite 8
crop after all. Berries have been the
scarcest have seen in twenty-five years
that is, in proportion 10 the amount
generally consumed. Red raspberrie:
generally give a nice crop, but very few
are grown. have made nice thing IL
a small way from half acre grown In
check rows, which il the only proper
way 20 grow the suckering kinds. With
the bushes exposed on all sides TO light
and air, one gets more blossoms, and
the fruit grows larger. Cultivation
being easier and more thorough, all the
berries ripen up 10 the very last, with
out diminishing 1T all in size.
The great problem for the last few
weeks has been how 10 supplement the
dried up pasturage and provide winter
forage. A very large acreage Of fodder
corn has been planted, some as late a:
July 10, and quite an area OF millet
The latter does not take kindly to dry
westher seeding, and requiring more
careful preparation has not responded SC
10 hurried planting "a corn, and looks
spotted aud less promising than corn
which is fairly jumping in its growth
Should we have warm weather and
absence OF frost until October 10, which
often happens, there will be the largest
crop of corn fodder ever harvested 10
Ohio.
Oat harvest is in progress, and great
care is being taken TO save the straw
nicely, some cutting by hand in order 70
have il greeuer, so altogether il does not
look as IL there would be fodder fam
inc.
one result Is inevitable, and that Is
that sheep and the poorer grades of cat
tie and horses will be disposed of In
some way, and next summer will see
very little unproductive live stock either
on farms or in towns. One class OF
horses will not again be in demand and
that is small driving horses. The bi-
cycle and the trolley lines have dis
placed most of these, as one can see by
the large number of secondhand road
carts and wagons offered for sale. The
breeding Of scrub mares to thorough
bred stations will DC thing of the past,
and the demand will, for the next few
wears. be for draft and coach horses,
ranging from medium 10 heavy In
weight. To the average farmer. with
ignorance of the commonest laws oil
breeding and crossing, the loss OF the
horse market will not be a very great
one. He will simply be deprived OF the
privilege of feeding in three-year
period 500 worth OF grain and stover
into an $50 colt.
Just what will be done with large
surplus Of hay and feed stuff in year or
two from now, when favorable season
turns up. is problem that many will
have 10 solve when the time comes.
One thing is certain, and that is that II
will be number OF years before the
more thoughtful farmers will waste OF
fail 10 save their hay and straw In years
of plenty. Every few years sees a fluct-
uation OF from $40 10 sl3 in the value OF
hay, aud when well put up, il costs only
the interest Of the cost OF making 10
carry il from the year Of plenty 10 that
OF scarcity. Two Of my neighbors have
baled hay in their barns that has risen
SlO per ton in value in eight months
This dry and frosty summer will teach
another lesson, and that is how much
more cheaply an equal value OF corn
stover can be produced than like guam
tity of timothy hsy-feeding value,
mean.
Some are feeding corn in the present
emergency, and although il is immature
and sloppy, il is, in the language OF q
neighbor, "a darned sight better thar
grass roots and gravel" | always feed
nv cows the fodder of early sweet corr
AS soon after the ears are plucked AS
can use il, but this year the pasture
shortage has come before the Early
Maine is ready, and | am thinning my
drilled field corn. taking out stalks here
and there where the growth Is heaviest
and most crowded. This gives the re
msinder better chance, and possibly
NAV get just as much value In the END
from what is left as IL 1t was not thinned
Mine was seeded quite regularly anc
iudiciously, but still get quite an arm
ful from row 20 rods long, and th'
trimmings Of four acres will keep thre'
cows on the top shelf for two or three
weeks. when shall have great surplus
OF early sweet corn stover. am als'
feeding the unstable refuse Of earl.
apples at the rate of u peck per COW
daily. IL was q decided help 70 the mill
Weld before commenced feeding corn
in spite Of the often published theor!
that apples would dry up. cows.
Much was hoped from the secont
growth crop of clover, and many Gu
the first time about June 18th with thi
in view. but all this early moved grount
promises little; in many cases II VII
NOT be worth moving. have fou
acres of sapling or peavine clover NOV
ed since the 4th that will in week hav'
a heavier growth than most fields o
medium clover moved three week
sooner. The latter are in blossom, bu
only five or six inches high, and yer.
thin.
In this connection l might give
process the farmers near Cleveland hav
Of securing second growth clover II
Sentember. They rake it when less thai
half cured, and sandwich It In the NOV
with dry, carefully saved oat straw
The straw not only sbsorbs the moisture