Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-11-26
Saint Maru's Beacon
Topics Of Timely Interest Briefly
Treated.

INV vtGA&1 VA SUM- ass $50
strate that the farmer should not
hesitate to use fertilizers literally,
as il is not possible to mat:are 0
large farm every year. The sys-
tenn usually pra.iced 10 to manure
one field at q time, the result being
that it may be four or Eve years
before the first MANFRED field 10
reached again. In the meantime
the field has perhaps borne four or
five crops. and is poorer than at
the time of receiving the first ap-
plication of manure. The use OF
fertilizers will enable the farmer to
apply plant food to his crops every
year (usisg manure as before). thus
increasing the yield of crops and
avoiding loss OF fertility.
The family strawberry crop is not
usually large. and can, therefore,
be given the best Of attention.
Rake the beds and clear oil all the
refuse. or burn the beds over.
Then sprinkle fine bone meal and
muriate of potash over the rows,
Or use we'll rotted manure that 10
free from litter. covering the beds
with straw or salt hay, and placing
cornstalks or brush on the hay.
Early in spring remove the mulch
and sprinkle nitrate of soda over
rows. before the plants begin to
grow.
Experiments at the Cornell Sta
iiou demonstrated that the cost Of
pound Of butter was 12a cents;
ct the Minnesota Station, IL cents,
and at the Missouri Station, IL
cents. The cheapest butter made
was by COW in June, at IT cents
per pound, but another COW, in No.
vember, consumed 55 cents worth
Of food while producing o pound Of
butter. The cost of butter, how
ever, is less in summer than in win
ter, aud some cows can produce
butter at less cost than others. For
that reason the farmer who does
not use pure breeds, and carefully
select every COW, will not be able
to produce butter at the lowest pos
sible cost.
Fat cannot be fed int the milk,
but depends upon the individuali-
ty Of the COW. Any increase Of
food over a certain limit will sim
ply increase the cost Of butter.
Grain and hay are regarded as the
best foods for the production of but
ter il the ration is also varied with
cooked roots and ensilage. No
amount Of food will enable a COW to
produce largely of butter unless she
possesses butter. producing charac-
teristics.
The fall is the time to ditch and
till the land for drainage, as the
work can be then done at less cost
than at any other period of the
year. Lands in the West that have
been titled have gained sufficiently
in one year, by the increased yield
per acre, to more than pay the cost
of drainage. Every year that wet
land is left undrained 10 a loss of
just so much time that could be
gained by drainage.
No one can inform a farmer in
regard to the requirements of his
farm as well as the teachings of ex-
perience. IL is the hundred details
which come only under the obser-
walton of the farmer which enable
him to make the proper changes in
his plans. The methods practiced
on one farm may be unsuitable for
the next. Cultivating fertile val
ley is different from working side
hill farm. Then there is stony
land, sticky clay, sand lots and 9TH
er variations of soil in q neighbor-
hood. Every enterprising farmer,
however. will endeavor to improve
and accept the results of the exper
iments of others, making them ap-
plicable to his farm whenever pos
sible if to his advantage to do so.
Lettuce can be grown during the
winter in hot beds or cold frames,
and as they are hardy they do not
require much warmth. a tempera.
ture OF from 40 to IS degrese at
night being correct.
The profit of celery in the Mich
igan districts depends largely on
circumstances, as with other crops.
Some of the growers succeed in ma
king $500 per acre profit, but there
are many who do not exceed $50
per acre. ANY grower who aver.
ages 800 an acre considers il sat-
isfactory. The crop is one that re-
oniras considerable l,ho, - ::