The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-11-07

t6gTdt6S more r6aully unuer dctioH VI
ammonia when mixed with earth if
there is this alkaline addition.
No part of the country is 30 badly
handicapped by bad roads as is the
South. A large part OF the yield of cot
ton seed never reaches market because
of the awful state of the highways and
excessive railway charges.
To say that weeds are in no degree
conquerable is sheer nonsense, as is
evidenced by the contrast between the
fields of the diligent farmer and the
sluggard. Most weeds come from seeds,
and are ANIMALS. The work lies in pre-
venting the seeds from maturing.
As rule we find the best stock, the
best barns and the best farmers where
the windmill towers loom up among
the buildings. There are no long drives
OF the cattle to the rivers when the
drouth comes, neither any thirst among
the stock in busy times.
Make the farm work as light and
pleasant as possible to the young folks,
remembering that they can not see it
from the same point as do their elders.
Routine work is tiresome to young or
Old in any calling. In many ways can
the monotony be avoided.
If we acquire an interest in the agri.
cultural journal, such journal will be-
come invaluable to US. Let US not
neglect it because we are busy. There
are hints therein, which, reading today,
we will find use for tomorrow.
Go little out of the way, this fall, to
overhaul your machinery in general; see
that it is we'll cleaned and we'll oiled
where needed. If not put away in
proper shape it can not be expected to
do service year after year. In this re-
gard Zine upon line, precept upon pre-
cept" seems necessary.
There is no business pursued by man
for livelihood which requires. in order
to be successful, more thought, study.
and a more scientific education than
that of farming in its various depart
ments, yet it receives less in the great
majority of cases. Our ten millions of
farmers do not make five per cent upon
their investment, and can it not be thus
accounted for?
There is wonderful work of investi-
cation and progress developed by our
experiment stations, and it is strange
that their free bulletins are not more
highly appreciated by the mass of farm
ers. 1t is in their interest that the ex.
pense Of investigation is incurred but
many do not ask for even their own State
bulletins.
So important has the potato become
in all parts of the world that its great
commercial value has developed the
highest skill Of the experimenter ano
grower in the improvement of the vari-
cites and in the culture. together with
labor saving potato machinery. Variety,
soil, planting, manuring, cultivation, dis
ease, digging, are each astudy.
There are some pastures. or portions
of them, that should never have been
cleared of timber. and where practicable
it would be better to allow such places
to grow up again to woods as means of
renovation or of future income. What
robbers we have been of our virgin for
ests.
Clean land is as essential to pleasant
farming az rich land is to profitable
farming. Growing of renovating crops
helps us to keep the land clean; if we
have perfect stand of some fertilizing
crop it will smother out the weeds. If,
like clover, it is improved by cutting,
we can soon kill out all the weeds, and
in few years have absolutely clean
fielde.
1t has been the fashion to spread ones
self out over a large area of farming
land with view of reducing the cost of
production of crops. This day has
passed; things have changed II the
farmer of tomorrow expects to continue
to hold his possessions he must give
more attention to each individual acre
and see that 1t does it's share.
No danger of over crowding The
farms must be reduced in size, for more
than one reason. New methods in farm
ing will necessitate it. The extension
of irrigating systems and the growth
and expansion of the subsoiling idea are
destined to lead in the direction of more
intensive farming in the great West.
Corn shocks do not need to be small
to procure ventilation, and then we
should remember that in the fall months
there are apt to be heavy rains which
beat through and through the shock,
and the corn is damaged and the fodder
ruined. Large shocks, compactly built,
mat their leaves together on the outside
and form waterproof thatch.
1t is wasteful practice to feed whole
seed or to use it for fertilizer. Haul
away the corn, if it can not be ground
at home, and bring back the meal and
the bran; dispose OF the whole cotton
seed and buy back the cotton seed
meal. There will be a saving in the
use and gain in results.
SWINE
Packers and lard refners have learned