Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1895-06-06
SOME FARM TOPICS
INTERESTING SUBJECTS FOR TIL
LERS OF THE SOIL.
How to increase the Yield of Crops
-For Pulling POnts-Bcxt Way TO
Set n Hen-Lcvcl Culture for Po-
tntocs-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 ana
without too much outlay, it Will be
wise to study the plans that are likely
to secure such an end, so far as ut ail
practicable, to adopt them. Inc eA'ia
hushel ar two per acre may bring
nrofit where without it there woulo pe
no profit, and where the yield can oe
run up several bushels per acre pesoi'i
tho cost of production. the profit then
becomes Il substantial one.
Various methods may be adopted 10
increase the average yields per acre
Some of these relate to rotation, othefs
of them relate to cleanliness. anu we.
others to live stock keeping III one vi
thc other of it's branches. In 1act. ui.'s
ore various, and we shall now ann W
show how they conduce to tue emu
sought. ,,,,o,
a varied rotation does not draw upon
one particular element, or upon wv v,
three Of these. as the case may pe. do
much as IL narrow rotation. rms ;Iises
from the fact that some plants oI'im
more largely on one kind OF plant 1ot'i
than others: hence. when plants wary
In. somewhat in their necessltles aie
grown. they draw more regularly oA
the varied elements in the soil. "A WI.
ricd rotation has the effect also Oh
kecpinr lands cleaner. and cleanliness
has Il favorable influence on prouuc'lSe
ness, since the fewer the weeds IN ,he
soil. rhe less do they consume Oh 'iis
plant food which is present In the sou
for the sllstenance of the crops.
Tho growing of hocd OF cultivated
crons has favorable influence on pro
ductivencss. This is owing. hrst' y"
the cleanliness which it brings to the
soil: second to the liberation OF plant
food i'm the same. induced by the CUT
,iy.iion given to it in conjunction With
wcathering influences; and. tllrd: !"
the greater moistneSs which 1T brings
to the land The added moiStness ma!
not always be beneficial. but IN the
case of light lands it is beneficial. III
should be remembered, however. that
hocd crops generally take Il good deal
of fertility out of the soil; hence. When
they are much grown. il must De 1el.
| When grasses. and more rSpecllil!
| clovers. are introduced frequently into
the rotation. the yield OF cereiiS Is
pretty certain to be increased. These
crops aid the land very much. lheN
aid all kinds OF land. They help tc
bind light lands and to hold them TO-
gethcr. They help TO loosen up sti'i
lands and bring them into Il better
state of cultivation and they Gr'lS
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 plowe.l under or not. as these crops
usually have sanitary influence on
the texture of the land: and as 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 warlning of the surface of the
soil as soon as winter has gone.
But more than anything else proba-
bly,, 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
leguminous crops are freely grown at
the same time. the improvement i'll fer
tility, and, therefore, in ability TO pro
duce, goes on quickly: and. if some
food stutfs 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 jul
diciously done: in other sections it will
not pay. These fertilizers require no
little knowledge to enable us to handle
them Alright. Sometime an application
Of some fertilizer. as. for instance, nj
t1slte of soda. applied ut the right time.
Will effect great good; whereas. if ig-
norantly applied, it would probably he
lost-Live Stock and Farm Journal.
First Two Years of CoIthood.
We will suppose that the time has
arrived when the mare and colt are