The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-06-06
SOME FARM TOPICS.
INTERESTING FACTS FOR TILLERs
OF THE SOIL,
Aeclatmtng Waste Plnces Where
Something Would Grow If 1t
Were Only Planted-Red Glover
Makes the Best Possible Hay.

In looking over the crops Of farm
never forget to notice the "waste
Places" those corners and vacant
strips where something might grow il
1t were only planted.
Take, for instance, the space occu-
pied by fence with it's adjacent
fringe of l~->-hes. Here is a strip Of
land at least rod wide and perhaps
80 rods long, that has been going to
waste for ten, fifteen or more years.
On one side is a meadow and on the
other a plOwed field. On the one hand
the plOWman does not get nearly SO
close to the fence as he might do,
and across the division the moving
machine leaves a strip that the scythe
does not get time to clip. The aggre-
gate less on many farms for a series
of years from this pure neglect
reaches into the hundreds of dollars,
perhaps representing the very sum for
which it may be mortgaged.
Why let the system go on running
up an account against the land into
the next century? There will never
be a. better time to wipe out the blot
than during 1895. In the first place.
there is no earthly need of a fence
anyway between cultivated field and
a meadow, for no up-to-date farmer
let's his stock onto the fall aftermath.
or allows them to run on plowed
ground any time during the year.
Remove the fence end cut the bushes
now. Plow the acre or more Of land
represented by the waste and next
month SOW it to buckwheat. You will
garner enough buckwheat for your
family use, besides placing the soil IN
suitable condition to be added to
the cultivated field next year.
I tell you the average farmer at
tempts to support too many fences.
The system is an expensive relic Of
bygone days, and it should go. Pas
ture fences for the retaining of graz
ing stock are the only ones really alb
those frog holes," that at present
raise nothing but miasma and tainted
water for the ruin of milk quality.
While they will dry up themselves
during periods of drcuth at least half
of the season they form shrinking
reservoirs that are a menace to dairy
interests. Where drainage was imprac-
ticable, and the holes Of limited ex-
tent, have known them to be filled
without much labor by blowing and
scraping the earth into the depres-
siOns.
In enc instance I reco1lect a slough
was cleaned out, a stream of pure
water was turned into it, and the littli
lake was converted into a successful
trout pond. Oh there are lots OF uses
that these eye-sores can be put to,
and always profitable ones at that.
Then there are the waste places
around the barns, pig-stys and corn
cribs. It is here that the burdock
f1ourisheth, and the yellow dock lift
eth up it's head on high. If they had
taken up their abode in the highway,
the law would at least compel their
being cut down, but under the lee Of
the farm buildings they are a nursery
for the seeding of the whole estate
with tares. Let either artichokes, sun
flowers or protecting hedges of ever
green shrubs occupy such high places,
adding practical worth to adornment
It is attention to such matters as the
above, the painting of buildings and
the general keeping Of the farm in
a trim, "swept and garnished" condi-
ton that we can add dollars to it's
salable worth. If you want to make
your place worth 500 more by $50
expenditure Of this kind of labor, try
ft-G. E. Newell in Ohio Farmer.