The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-06-14
ABOUT THE FARM.


Milking machines continue to be
patented, but none of them appear TO
nave cone into general use.
The dairyman commits an injurious
act against his fellowmen when he
leaves the carcass CT a dead animal
unburied in the COW pasture, or daily
m!lks with manure-begrimed hand
Doolitte says in Gleanings that If
you give Il prolific queen eight frames
and then increase as she needs them
to thirty frames, she'll lay 5000 10 5000
eggs daily through most of the laying
season and die at eighteen TO twenty
months old.
To keep or get the weevil out of
garden seed, pour little coal oil (kero-
sene) in the seed box among the packs
ages. 1t won't injure the growing
qualities of the seed, but it "demor-
alizes" the bugs.
A colt should never be otherwise
than gentle and accustomed to halter,
bride and saddle, cart, sled, or har-
row from the time he is a month old.
Let the children train him, but don't
call it the boys colt and when grown
fathers horse"
A tree growing in a good, rich soil
is much more certain of yielding a
good crop of fruit under all conditions
than the same kind of tree growing
in thin or worn out soil; and If good
fruit is grown it will pay to use or
apply sufficient fertilizers to keep in
a good condition.
Late fruit is obtained by mulching
the strawberries heavily in the winter
and keeping it on late in the spring
and this could hardly be obtained in
any other way. DO not make the COW
ering so heavy that the plants will
rot, neither put it on until the ground
freezes.
Strawberries are the best of all ber-
ries. Every man that owns a piece of
land should have patch of strawber-
ries. If your children cry for them
will you give them salt pork? Straw
berries should be set in May and
ground bone and wood ashes make the
best fertilizers.-Prof. Munson.
Oats may be used as portion Of
the ration for poultry the year round,
and especially for the large Asiatic
varieties that are predisposed to put
on an excess of fat when fed in the
ordinary way. But we would recon-
mend that the oats be good and sound,
and first class in quality, otherwise
they will not do as a constant food.
Wood ashes is a fertilizer particu-
larly adapted to dry weather In dry
seasons no fertilizer produces better
results on strawberries or potatoes.
ha AZ
is a satisfaction to know that they
have no bad effect should the season
be wet. This is one of the things
which can be used on almost any
crop. on any land, at any time.
When plants are not mulched the
cool night air of the early spring, even
If it does not check growth, does not
advance it. A mulch admits air,
warmth and moisture, and shuts out
scorching sun and blighting wind 1t
also prevents the escape of fertilizing
gases. Ii collects the heat rays of the
sun and retains them for the warmth
and growth of the plant during the
night season.
1t has been ascertained by and ex-
tended series of experiments that rye
and winter wheat will germinate in
soil, the temperature of which is as
low as thirty-two degrees. Barley,
oats flax. clover and peas will sprout
at thirty-five degrees The turnip is
as cold-blooded as the rye and winter
wheat, but the carrot needs thirty
eight degrees, and the bean forty de-
grees before they will make the in
itial effort to send the life-shoot in
search of air and light,
Experiments show that sheep of
seven to ten months old can be made
to gain fourteen pounds for every 100
pounds of digestible material con-
sumed, while those of eighteen months
old will make a gain of but five pounds.
1t is difficult to get profit from feed
ing old sheep, and any sheep can be
made to gain as much in ten weeks as
is usually done in five months. There
is but one way to success.
Feed nothing but pure, sweet, clean,
wholesome food. Anything which
gives a taint or bad flavor to milk
should not be given TO cows. If
taint or flavor in the milk is caused
by food it will be at its worst when
drawn from the COW; If caused by
some fermentation it will grow worse
as the milk is kept The remedy for
the latter is cleanliness. Use scaldng
water in washing the utensils and
strainers.