The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-02-21
OUR RURAL TOPICS
Sans PTaeiieal Ssz-sst8s EF Oar
AvriGuli11l ReaiT&


q = oa the day it Is male To draw Il on
sheds on the snow will not cost over n fourth
~ much a in the Spring on the soft, wet
soil The manure will sink down TO the
bare ground by the heat Of the SUP, absorbed
by the dry matter, and reaching the bottom
viii be taken into the soil by the meltiu1
snow safely, without possibility of waste,
even on slOping land, because it is done
under the snow, and slowly, and without
flowing water. The result will be that the
cost of the work is greatly reduced work is
found for the help at times when he needs
it, thus spreading employment over the
whole year, a thing greatly to be desired,
and the effect On the crop is bettered by is
to the extent, "a has been found. of so per
cent; the work is forwarded in the Spring,
and the farmer is much happier in his mind
to see his work pushed ahead instead of its
pushing him.
Sowing Mixed Grains.
Few kinds Of grain can be proftabiy sown
together, for if both grow each crowds the
other so as to diminish the yield of that
which is most valuable. Oats and peas are
perhaps the only exception to this rule, and
VIC dAC uOb SURF tudb bity sNOu1u DC eXcspLeu.
There will be very few peas as grain grown
from vines s0wn with oats. If the soil be at
all rich, both oats and peas will get down
and make valuable feed, for whatever falls
to the ground does not get sunlight enough
TO develop much nutrition. We have known
farmers TO grow wheat and rye sOwn together,
the object being to have some crop on land
where wheat alone might entirely fail.
More often, however, wheat and rye are
grown together by neglect to secure clean
wheat seed. On almost all land where q
sprinkling of rye gets into seed-wheat its
tendency is to increase, showing that rye
Outyields the wheat. Yet when sown sepa-
rately, the wheat usually ON good land will
Outyield the rye. This shows that the best
soil Is selected to SOW wheat on, while the
rye is sown on land not so good. Oats and
barley are often sown together, but 10 is
bad practice as the crops do not ripen at the
same time. The oats or barley sold to malt
sters have to be separated and sold for feed
ing. Some of the light barley goes for the
same purpose.
Milk and Farm Fertility.
A ton of cottonseed meal, when fed to cat
tie, just about replaces the fertility which 10
sold in 5000 quarts of milk; that is to say,
the farmer who, for every 5000 quarts OF
milk which he ships, buys aud feeds ton
of eOttOnSeed or it's equivalent, keeps his
farm from growing poorer. OF course there
must be no waste in handling the manure.
Practically the farm would seem to grow
richer, because fertility is constantly being
removed from the pastures and lowIands in
the form of grass and hay and applied in the
form of manure to the tillage land, which
naturally improves under the process. Most
New England farms, however. ought to act
ually increase in total productive power be-
cause, where high feeding is practiced,
enough grain is bought and fed out to sup
ply from two to four times the value of the
fertility sold in the form of milk. In such
cases, when clover and soiling crops are
made to assist, some fertility may also be
sold in the shape of truck and fruit without
rObbing the farm.
Ground Grain for Stock.
The following conclusions have been
reached by the Illinois Experiment Station,
the advsability of grinding grain
for stock food; they are based upon feeding
experiments made through number OF
years. Grinding grain frequently gives q
profit, and this is especially true where
small grains are fed. Feeding unground
wheat either to cattle or hogs is watesful,
rs considerable percentage passes through
the animals undigested. If practicable to
grind it, soaking is advisable. The same ia
true of rye and oats Grinding corn, how
ever, to be fed to either fattening cattle or
to hogs, is not generally profitable for IIli-
nois farmers. The animals can grind it
more cheaply than the farmer Crushing
corn, especially where the ears are large,
seems more generally profitable in cattle
feeding. After corn has become thoroughly
dry, il is advisable to soak it before feeding.
Unless hogs follow the cattle when they
are fed ungrOund corn, there is much Wasts
Of undigested kernals.
A Pretty House Plant.
The dwarf or miniature oranges are very
house plants and are Of very
easy growth. Citrus sinensis, the Otaheite
orange, is little gem, and small plants
foot high are often seen bearing dozen or
more fruits which render it highly orna-
mental G. nObilis (Mandarin Orange) is .
very beautiful plant and fruits very freely.
Even when very small it makes a capital
window plant. G. vulgaris myTtifolia
(myrtle-leaved orange). As its name i'm
plies this species has small, laneeolate
leaves, resembling those of q myrtle. The
fruit is small and round, reddish yellow in
color, almost resembling a large berry in
stead of a fruit. This is q very compact
growing dwarf species and makes a good
house plant.
Soil for Cherries.
Cherry tree roots naturally go very
deeply, and the trees need q soil that is
underdrained to at least three
feet in depth. If planted where the roots
will come in contact with stagnant water
The fruit will mildew or rot. Many cherry
orchards planted on low ground suffer from
too much wet. The high and dry ground
where the trees thrive best is apt to be def
cient in mineral fertility. There is no kind
Of frnit that is more benefited by plentt
ful supply of potash than is the cherry. 1t
should be given every Winter, and will
then be ready for the eherry-tree roots to
take up the following season.
To Make Strong Vinegar.
To make vinegar quickly, an experienced
maker recommends to fill old vinegar barrels
full of cider, and set them in a warm place,
BY the stOve-pipe upstairs, or in a warm fur
lace room, and let the cider ferment clear.
Then draw of, and refill, leaving barrels only
,ne-half or two-thirds full. You will have
good vinegar in less than years time. The
yashings of honeycombs, honey water, and
,ther sweetened liquids may be allowed to
erment and turn into vinegar, or an occa
ional pailful of fresh sugar-maple sap may