The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-09-12
AGRICULTURE.

There is as much variation in farm
manures as in the commercial article.
The quality depends upon the feeding
stuffs from which they are produced,
upon the material used for bedding and
absorbing. upon the amount of liquids
procured, and, finally, upon the care ex-
ercised to avoid waste.
Fine manure is more valuable than
coarse, because more readily incorpor
ated with the soil. By cutting up the
fodderits value is EXCHANGED for manure.
and much labor is saved in the long run,
When used for bedding, cut straw is a
better absorbent than long straw, will
rot sooner, and be more quickly avail
able.
Crimson clover is purely an annual,
and, therefore, should not be used where
red clover will succeed. 1t is adapted to
but moderately warm climates. That
which is most in it's favor is that 1t will
catch and make fair growth on land
too poor and sandy to start red clover
upon. 1t makes good winter pasture in
favorable ATTITUDES.
Hedges form a superior fence on the
score of utility, beauty and economy;
they are the best protection which can
be devised against marauding stock and
the marauding small boy. A hedge is
made or marred during its early growth
Let there be no impatience for tall
growth, but persistent pruning and
shortening.
Growing and selling hay is an easy
and pleasant system of farming, but it
will deplete the soil about as fast as
grain growing. The more valuable the
crop produced, the greater is the drain
upon the soil. In growing special crops
make plans to spend portion of the
profit in restoring the denuded fertility.
There is, indeed, such thing as be-
coming land poor. If you feel that you
must have more land, will it not repay
you to increase in depth rather than in
breadth? - Such a method will not add
either to ones taxes or his interest. Let
there be better farming rather than
more farming.
1t requires steady, intelligent, we'll
directed labor and increasing care to
wrest any profit from the cultivation of
the soil; but when these are given it is
pleasant to note that there is about as
slight a chance for failure as.in any &C.
cupation to which one can turn. Never
trust to luck. Compel success, and it is
pretty sure to come.
The hurry of harvest should never be
an excuse for leaving implements 10 the
field. 1t will cost certainly more to re.
pair the damage than one has earned by
having little more time for a specific
labor. 1t is as necessary to look after
the tools-as after the crops. The sum-
mer's heat is more destructive to wood
than is the winters frost.
Go through the fields now and choose
the ears of corn for seed which ripen
first, taking into consideration the size
of the ear, the size of the stalk, the posi-.
ton of the ear, and, in fact, all the
things which combined would make
both stalk and ear representative OF
what you desire to have in your whole
field. 1t is folly to talk about selecting
seed from the crib.
Children reared upon the farm should
receive such Impressions of farm life as
will make it seems desirable as an occu.
patton. They can not take real interest
in things about which they have no in
telligence. Neither in the house nor
out of it should life be mere round of
labor There is charm in the study of
both nlant life and amin FL life