The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-04-18
AGRICULTURE.

thoughtless work in all lines. We need
to fully understand the objects of cult
walton. and to know that the soil is fully
occupied by roots soon after corn begins
to grow. These roots love light and
warmth, and must not be disturbed,
save to keep down weeds, let in light
and check evaporation.
Avoid the necessity of blowing deep
in the corn to cover up weeds by not
having the weeds. Prevent their start
ing, and then their seeding. The best
time to kill weed is before the seed
leaf has reached daylight. The slight
est stirring of the soil will then destroy
it.
If too wet to cultivate and the weeds
get ahead of you, is it not because they
have been allowed to seed the ground
heavily in the past, or because you have
undertaken too much, or have been me-
glecting to underdrain land that needed
it bad? Usually the farmer must blame
himself with his misfortunes. Too Of
ten he needs not the lessons of his own
experiences.
Many kinds of garden seeds must
needs be planted in the spring while the
soil is cold, and these at the very best
germinate slowly. 1t is good plan to
soak these whole day, keeping the
water warm. Enough water will be alb
sorbed by the seed to hasten their ger
mination several days.
Southern watermelons have glutted
the Northern markets, but of some early
prolific variety, like the Early Phinney,
the farmer can grow home supply
cheaper than he can buy them; but it is
yet profitable to grow muskmelons. A
little stimulating manure in the hills
will advance the crop 10 days. and also
increase it.
Potatoes cut and dried few days be-
fore planting will be up before those
which we're cut just before planting.
They should be placed deep enough that
the whole surface may be cultivated
once or twice before the plants are up,
for this will increase the vigor of the
early shoots, directly increasing the
amount of available plant food in the
soil.
A good machine should last life
time. He snaps his fingers at combina-
tions who shelters, oils and repairs his
machinery each year as soon as done
using it. The farmers lot is hard one
to that man who buys his machinery on
credit, and let's it rust out before his
notes become due.
There is often as much as 100 per cent
between the price of beef received by
the producer and that actually paid by
the consumer. This can be remedied.
individuals or combinations should
reach the consumer directly, and do
more real figuring on the price of beef
Too much goes to the manufacturer, the
middleman and the retailer.
That man has no right to succeed in
farming, or stock raising, or in any other
business, who has no business foresight
or business knowledge. Such things are
necessary in mercantile traffic; then why
should the farmer expect to be exempt?
We must know the wherefore as we'll as
the how to place us beyond the I'M
scientific man.
To find the bushels of shelled corn in
a crib, multiply the length, breadth and
height together, and divide by two.
With apples or potatoes, after multiply
ing as before, multiply again by eight
and divide by ten. To know the mum
Der of tons of hay in the NOW, multiply
the same dimensions, in feet, and divide
by 512.
Muskmelon seed should be planted go
early that they will need some protec.
ton from the late frosts. Provide square
boxes to set over the hills; piece of
paper over these will keep the ground
warmer, even if there are no frosts.
The boxes will keep the cold winds from
striking the plants during the day. and
should not be removed until the plants
begin to run.
A top dressing of phosphate will add
to the nutrition and palatableness of
grasses on long cultivated soil. Such
portions of pasture will be eaten close
to the ground, while the other is left.
So will hay be eaten better which is rich
in mineral fertility, and do more good
than the coarse hay from wet land, con-
tanning no such food.
Clover varies less than the grasses
in its composition; rather, the variation
depends more upon the time the hay is
cut than upon the nature of the soil;
but is is greatly helped by dressing of
phosphate. AS for nitrogen, its roots
will decompose air in the soil and get
what it wants more cheaply than it can
be given in any kind of manure.
Since the coming of the onion maggot
the onion crop is no longer best grown
on the same land year after year; this
was done because there was greater
freedom from weeds, and to make use of
the remaining fertility. Let the ground
be fall plowed, or follow crop of pota-
toes; a pulverizing of the frost fined
surface will put it in good shape. Avoid
coarse manure.
STOCK.