Rocky Ford enterprise., 1896-01-16

6 ~.l&N51 made several trips
.NNy1.S +, amounting to six
Cl&I><S9k, thousand miles. ex-
:,M93.y tending through the
XSskEyES9g states of Indiana,
F%/E RqE Illinois, Missouri.
@ ETyS Kansas. Colorado.
u Nebraska, Iowa,
and into and
through Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee,
Alabama and Georgia.
In these several trips have been o
close observer from the car window.
and though had been over most Of the
routes Travelled, 1t was no less inter-
esting to me this time. for the diversity
Of soil and climatic influences are per-
cnptibly noticeable as We pass through
the different sections Of country.
No where do the methods OF farm
Ing present better appearance of
thrift and home-like surroundings
ttan In sections where diversified
farming is systematically engaged IN
from year to year. by which the farmer
Erows as many or nearly all the staple
crops required to meet the demands
III his own wants. and by converting
the products thus grcwu to higher
rate Of values ready for use. such as
beef, pork, mutton. poultry, eggs. but
ter. etc. The all corn, wheat, cotton
or what not class Of farmers are U.S.
ually more dependent upon others and
the uncertainties Of market influences
that cause an unhappy condition In
their accounts.
The crops in localities appeared to be
exceptionally good. but In many. short
to very poor crop. and believe the com
crop has been very much overestiinat-
ed by the reports. Germ Is selling too
low 10 be Of any practical value to the
producer in districts where 10 cents
per bushel Is as much as it now conf
mands.
or a middle states farmer 1: has been
said. plenty Of corn. plenty OF every
thing" which would take to mean he
has plenty Of cheap food to allow lib
eral feeding for the various kinds Of
stock, converting It into many useful
articles necessary for getting ON
WE'LL"
+ In some sections Of the West corn does
| the producer has not the advantages Of
obtaining those results. and is COM
| PEELED to submit to the inevitable by
taking what ever he can get after
| freight and commission are paid
Miello. in Farmers Review.
Manures.
The dead plant is prepared for feed
Ing tae growing plant through the ac-
tion of microlemes or bacteria or, to
use 8 name that will become general
among farmers, ferments; low orders OF
plant life similar to what raises bread
or ripens creara. There Is much to learn
regarding the processes, but 1t has been
fairly well settled that each successive
step is taken by different living or
ganism. The practical value OF this
comes from the necessary conditions to
have the dead plant-manure changed
to soluble plant food-and this Is under
the control of the farmer. According
to Warrington ammonia Is made first,
nitrites next, then nitrates. The plant
may feed on all Of them, as all are
soluble, but the organisms may change
ammonia and nitrites to nitrates before
the plant feeds upon them, as condi-
tions favorable to plant growth favor
nitrlflcation, that Is. heat and moisture
suitable, together with the ingredients
necessary to form the nitrates, which
mar ure supplies. Light is not favor
able to nitrification. So We conclude
that manure spread on the surface in
dry weather must walt until rains
wash 1t into the soil. II it is put on
lightly, in the spring, grass may cover
and shade it so that the organisms can
work. II manure Is plowed under in
our soil from four to six Inches the
moisture and heat will be suitable for
forming nitrates or soluable plant food.
If manure is packed solidly in pit 1t
Will not nitrify II kept wet and cold,
and II put in a great heap In winter.
whiic the weather is cold 1t will not
! produce nitrates until turned over in
the spring, because the oxygen In the
air Is a necessity in the process. A
heap Of manure left in the barnyard
all summer will waste on the outside,
becelse it gets too much air, while at
some distance from the outside 1t will
hayo proper conditions for nitrification,
! and when rains come they will dissolve
tho nitrates and wash the solution
away. So manure heaps carried over
SlOuiu De CONeTeu " dNoiu ILLS, anu
kept moist and cool to prevent fire
fanglng or loss of ammonia in gaseous
shape. A loose heap Of manure will
thus waste away, and in the fall
load of it is of no more value, II as
much, than a load Of green manure.
We must then spread the green manure
at once on the surface or plow it un-
der, nr put it in condition to make nj
trates and then keep the rains of.
Il Ia not practical to put manure in
cod storage, nor to build houses for
1t. The best we can do is to put the
fresh manure on the land. There is
no loss from sun drying, and when
rains come they will wash it into the
SOL, where the ferments can reduce 1t
to plant food.-Prof. James Wilson.
Value of Farm Products.
The annual report of the secre-
tary Of agriculture, which has just been
Issued, states that the farm products
for the year ending June 30 last are
estimated to be worth $2,3O0,o00.-
900. The products of these farms
were not only sufficient to feed
all the town and city populations and
. large number Of people In the rural ]