The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-04-04
AGRICULTURE.

All things considered, the silo to-day
offers man the best chance for getting
the most money out of the feeding value
in his cornfodder where large amount
of stock is kept. Still, men who can
get their fodder under cover early 10
the season. before much injured by ex.
posture, and who cut it fine, are getting
very satisfactory results.
More of our farmers could do better
than they are now doing, where corn
and fodder are grown to feed, by plant
ing little thicker, perhaps, so that
there would not be an undue proportion
of grain, and then save all husking and
grinding by putting the whole crop into
the silo.
That man is not ready for silo who
has not studied the subject, nor knows
sufficient about the value of ensilage
and when to feed it. 1t is not perfect
ration alone, but needs with it little
clover hay and bran or oil meal. When
first put upon it cattle seem to be made
tender, and do not stand exposure we'll.
Let us aim by drainage, fertilizers and
tillage to make the entire cornfeld yield
as much as the best parts of it. Much
seed on wet soil will not terminate, and
that which grows will produce only sick
Iy yellow plants and inferior ears. On
such soil fertilizers and tillage are of
but little avail.
After much contention and expert
mental data given, it seems after all that
the number of eyes in the piece of po-
tato we plant is not essential, but that
the weight of the piece is an important
factor. Cut the potato into pieces of
suitable size, without regard to the dis
tribution of eyes.
Very early potatoes are ever in danger
of being nipped by the frost. This can
be counteracted in some degree by plant
ing deep, SO that the stems will be long
er in coming above the ground, and still
the early start will have been made.
There will be longer stems for the at
tachment Of tubers, and they will resist
drouth better.
If you have not good clover field
which will be ready for the shoats in
June, try sowing patch in peas where
you can turn the pigs in to harvest
them. Do not let them in until the
peas begin to ripen. Select variety
which grows to a medium height, and
cultivate as long as possible.
Sow onion seed only on level land, else
heavy rain may wash them out and
spoil the crop before it is fairly started.
AS onions must be in early and up early
in order to do we'll. there is rarely
chance to replant. If the land be not
we'll drained, standing water at some
time during the season is likely to be
most injurious.
Three or four days before you are
ready to plant early peas mix the seed
with three or four times its bulk of rich,
moist earth, and place it in a moderate.
ly warm spot. Let it get we'll sprouted
and then SOW seed, soil and all .thickly
10 the drill. OThe green sprouts will be
through the surface before you expect
them.
A farmer sells his little pat of butter
and his bushel of corn for the same;
but in that bushel of corn, if fed to
good dairy COW, there was the material,
with the fodder on which it grew, to
make four or five times the amount of
butter, This is the story of raising too
much of one thing-unproductive labor.
1t is the manufacturing side of the case
which calls for the farmers considera-
ton.
The farmer has no good reason why
he should not do business upon a cash
basis, for he is the least dependent of
all men upon the butcher and baker.
If need be, he can live almost wholly
upon his own productions until such
time as he can pay and demand cash.
Let the boys and girls of this generation
be taught better ways of doing than of
the last.
Strange as it may seem, in no other
thing is stronger prompting needed than
as to the fact that if we expect good
crops we must pillow well. This is not
only the first, but the most important,
procedure in cultivation. Plow deep
and narrow burrows, SO as to mix the
top and bottom soils, and make the
ground fine down as possible.
Doubtless more dollars worth Of ma.
nure are wasted every year in any of our
States than are bought in the line of
commercial fertilizers. The time will
come when farmers will be induced to
provide for saving it, but its coming is
slow. All there is about it is. the liquids
must be saved, even at the expense of
water tight floors.
STOCK.
Sheep and growing colts bite closer
than cattle. Turn the cattle into the