Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-25

stead Of the oats. There is no better food
than this, and rye bran is better than
wheat bran for any growing animal.
colt in its second year will need at least
four quarts of oats at each feed and two
feeds a day.
Manure is the most valuable product
of the farm. 1t is the food of the crops
as much as the hay and grain are the
food of the animals But see how 1t is
wasted, while the food for the llye stock
Is saved with more or less care, but Saw
ed ami not left out in the rain to rot and
become worthless. The manure, however,
may be- seen as ii lies under the drip OF
the roof Just thrown out Of convenient
opening in the wall, through which the
cold winds blow and the snow drifts IN
on the shverng cattle. Here are two
conspicuous wastes-two leaks that may
easily sink the farm ship and carry the
farmer down in the wreck. The useful
part of the manure is washed away by
the constant flood of water soaking
through and through 1t, and at the same
time the boards of the barn walls are
rotted away and the animals-exposed to
the cold-waste a large part of their food
that goes to sustain the vital warmth
which is only supported by the food. And
how common a thing this waste is.
For all early vegetables there is per-
haps no fertilizer more efficient and de-
sirable than unleached wood ashes 1t is
to be remembered. however, that the
ashes should be so incorporated with the
soil as not to come into direct contact
with the seeds, as that will be pretty sure
to kill the germ. What is meant here is
not to put the ashes in the drills and
then drop the seeds into the drills and
the ashes on top.
Seed time is at hand. The readers of
the State Herald are aware of the impor-
lance we place upon the use of good seed.
Scrub seed, like scrub stock. emphatical-
" does not pay. The first step toward
good crop of any kind is good seed with
which to start it, There are other ele-
ments, of course, of great importance,
such as soil preparation. culture, season.
able moisture suitable ripening weather
and tempera ture, etc, but good seed lies
at the beginning of the crop and should
receive the attention that It's Importance
warrants.
The wrinkly sweet garden peas for
table use should always be soaked in hot
water and also the sweet table corn, suhl-
cient to plump the seeds; and then at
planting there should be certainty of
having moist soil near the seeds, so as
to facilitate their termination Some
friends have found it desirable to scnk
cucumber seeds in milk before planting.
Twenty-four hours generally is suffic'e't
for the peas and corn. We have ks'
them even until the sprouts (germs) APP
peared: but according to the tempera-
ture) there is danger of souring, which
of course would stop termination.
hopeful sign of the times is seen in
the tendency manifested by large land
owners to cut up their broad areas into
small farms. Large plantatit rs have not
of late years proven satisfactory. as from
the nature of the case staple crops must
be grown and the low prices prevailing
for staples has made them improbable
compared with the well-cult waited small
farms with diversified products. The
mistake of paying taxes on hur dreds of
acres of idle and unproductive land is be-
ing remedied by the common sense
method of selling the surplus and concen-
trating the capital and labor upon an
area that can be handled, and every acre
utilized.