The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1896-01-18
SOME FARM TOPICS.
INTERESTING INFORMATION FOR
TILLERS OF THE SOIL.

Sub-Soil Flowing Agnin-Large or
Small Potatoes Don't Give Up
Sheep-Keeping of Eggs-Fnrmers
Should BE More Business-Like.
In reply to inquiries regarding the
benefits of sub-soiling, and why it is
to sub-soil at all, the Prairie
Farmer has this to say: "Where sub
soiling has been practiced with sue
cess it has often been on farms where
faulty plowing has rendered the
ground cold and unresponsive. Each
farmer has a rule for the general
depth of plowing, varying with differ
ent farmers from four to eight inches,
but year after year the ground has
been broken at practically the same
depth This naturally impacts the bot
tom Of the furrow, and in a few years
a stratum of 'plow-pan' is the result.
This hard layer resists the roots Of
plants and the crop is cut off from the
usual food supply. In dry seasons
this 'plow-pan' hinders capillary action
and the surface soil rapidly becomes
dry The remedy is self-suggesting.
Change the depth Of plowing frequent
N, and then use the sub-soi1 plow, or
a sub-soil tine to break this hard layer.
The process of Sub-sOil blowing mixes
the sub-soil with the lower part of
the surface soil, thus admitting rain
and air. Particular care should be
taken not to bring the sub-soil to the
surface, as it is not in a condition to
furnish plant food; but the sub-soil
should be gradually worked from the
bottom Of the furrow to the surface.
In this manner it becomes thoroughly
aerated and eventually perfect soil.
Then, again, sub-soiling may be prac-
ticed with good results in wet seasons.
BY breaking through the 'plow-pan'
when there is an excess Of water, or
on a wet piece Of land, we open up
the natural drainage and consequently
rid the surface of an over supply of
water When cultivating wet pieces
of land planted to corn the writer has
often noticed that the points of the
shovels would occasionally strike a
nlard piece Of ground and with all the
force that could be brought to bear
upon them they could net be made to
penetrate this sort of hard-pan. This
condition of the ground has been
caused as stated above, by plowing
the land at practically the same depth
year after year; and it was also no
ticed that whenever the plowing was
deep enough to break til \ ugh this
+plow-pan' that the surface soil dried
out and soon became Of better texture.
We will be glad to give. space in these
columns for thorough discussion Of
this question, both theory and prac-
tice.
Large or Small Potatoes.
Should judges at fairs award pre-
miums to the largest potatoes OF to
those Of medium size? Are the largest
specimens of as good quality as the
smaller ones? These questions We're
recently discussed through the col
umns Of the Rural New Yorker. One
writer, who believes that big speci-
mems attract attention, says:
"Having exhibited vegetables and
farm products for upward of ten years
j: have learned that anything very
large is the most pleasing to the
crowd, who do not stop to test the
quality or even look at such specimens
as may be seen on the general mar
ket."
A New York correspondent writes:
ga potato that will weigh one quarter
of a pound is about two inches in d.
ameter and is Of the smallest size al
lowable in sorting for market. When
potatoes of this size are used for
cooking, there is far more waste than
with larger on:s, and the quality is no
better than that of two pound potatoes
of the same variety. The model pota-
to is kidney.shaped, has few eyes and
those nearly even with the surround
ing surface, and it weighs three-q,lar-
ters Of a pound. Such a potato is
salable. but fer use in farmers fam
lily there is not the least objection to
those that weigh two pounds if of
variety not liable to be hollow
A third correspondent says: "How
shall potatoes be judged at the fairs?
This is hard question to answer, not
knowing who will be the judge If he
be a man who knows what a potato
is for, he will give first place to me-
dium size always. A good, fair sized
potato will sell best in market, and
any cook will say that she doesn't
want these big potatoes. When I
judge at fairs, give the preference
to those Of fair size and most perfect
shape. I was taken to task by an ex-
hibitor because he didn't get arst
money when he had the largest. We
both took our tation near the potatoes
and some ladies came along. We ask
ed them whether they were house
keepers. They said they were. We
handed them one Of each lot, with this
question, For family use which of
these potatoes would you buy for your
own use, if the whole bushel We're of
the same size? All six said, The
small one.'"
Farmers Should Be More Business
like.
One great trouble with farmers is
that they are not careful enough
about the business part of the work.
They do the work and let the profit OF
loss come out as it may, without Civ
ing the matter a thought, or, if they
do occasionally make a spasmodic ef
fort at keeping accounts, it is soon dis
continued as making too much work.
How are we going to know where
we are at'' in any other Way than bV