The herald., 1897-04-23

many a farmers boy to the city and
destruction.
Make notes Of all farm transactions
giving dates. They will be useiui III
after years
scald all drinking vessels for poultry
once a week. Clean out horsetroughs
occasionally.
The middleman's profit is what con-
legitimate income.
The most successful fruit growers
agree that there is nothing gained by
planting fruit trees too close together.
There are very few farm products that
can be bought as cheaply as they may
be grown, if they can be grown at all.
Be sure to secure the bulletins from
the AGRICULTURAL stations. They are do
ing important work. Keep in touch
with them.
Spirits of turpentine will keep flies
out Of running sores on stock. MIX II
with OIL as 1t is too strong to apply In
pure state.
If you don't think the best stock paye,
look around through your neighberhood
and see IL the best farmers don't Keep
the best stock.
Cows confined continuously in dark
stables where the sunshine never reaches
them cannot be expected to retain
health or give healthful milk.
1t is almost Impossible to fatten horses
or cows that are very old. Even the
richest food will not usually do more
than keep them in moderate condition.
Ine tead of using medicine as cathar-
tics for animals give them linseed meal,
which is not harmful, but, on the con-
trary, is a nutritious food, which is ben
eficial
Name the farm, and call It something
pretty. There is something In name,
after all. and "Griggsby's Hog Ranch"
doesn't sound nearly as euphonious as
1.-The Laurelwood Farm"
1t Is not always wise to try to farm
too much land. There are thousands Of
farmers who use up most of the profits
gained by farming part of tract. in
paying taxes on the unproductive re-
mainder.
Free space for tree roots to work in
and plenty of fertilizing material for
them to work on will greatly assist in
the formation of perfect fruit. Plenty,
of fertilization does not mean too much.
The matter can be overdone.
Good roads are Of great benefit to
farmers, as they greatly decrease the
horse power necessary to move loaded
wagons. They tend to save time, also,
by making greater speed possible. Time
is money on the farm as elsewhere.
Every farmer ought to know exactly
what 1t costs him to raise horse, a COW,
a chicken or an acre of wheat. A time
comee in the life OF all live stock when
they cannot longer be kept profitably.
They should be disposed OF before they
reach that age.
Horses often travel with difficulty be-
cause shoes have been left upon their
feet so long that the feet are pinched.
A period of rest in the pasture with the
shoes removed recuperates a horse, not
only by regulating his system, but by
resting his limbs.
Rats sometimes gain an entrance to
warehouses and cellars and entrench
themselves in such a way that 1t is al
most impossible to dislodge them. Where
the cellar or room can be made air
tight the rats may be killed by burning
large quantities Of sulphur in iron pots.
Nothing remains at a standstill on
farm. There is gain or loss occurring
at all times. Every pound of flesh lost
| that has once been made Is equivalent
| to a loss of two pounds If 1t must be re-
gained. Keep stock always increasing,
and never allow loss If 1t can be rea-
sonably avoided.
The farmer who sticks to his trade Is
the one who Is most likely to prosper in
| the end. AS rule. II a man cannot
nike money in business he does under
stand he is not likely to make it in one
that he does not understand. A farmer
seldom gets rich at horse-racing, real
estate dealing or running for office.
Nearly every variety Of soil may be
irrigated il properly handled and near
ly every soil is bettered by it. Perhaps
| it would be more defipite to say that
plant food is by the addition of water
| made more easily assimilated. AS rule
the finer the soil grain the better.
Such soils hold water much better than
coarser sandy soils. Yet even sandy
waste may be redeemed by irrigation.
Prof Hilgard of the state university
says that the Australian salt bush can
! be grown successfully on arid and alka!i
lands; that it removes from the soil
large quantities of sodium carbonate
and sodium chloride, the two most inju-
rious alkaline salts. In soils, therefore,
where the percentage Of alkali is near
the danger point they may be sensibly
relieved by planting saltbush for sew
eral seasons. The yield is nearly equal
to that of alfalfa.
No explanation of the methods en-
ployed by the Japanese to dwarf trees
is entirely satisfactory. 1t Is said that
the branches are bent and the flow of
sap obstructed; that but little water is
given; the roots are not allowed to
spread. but are kept in a small pot, and
the smallest seeds are selected when
planting. All these factors would, of
course. tend to dwarf tree 1t may be
also that when the most suitable soil
for growth is known its use is studiously
avoided. An orange tree may be eff
fectualy stunted ii It is planted in adobe
soil, partly in the shade, where 1t will
be exposed to cold winds
Not much corn is raised in California,
yet in view of some tracts peculiarly
suited for its growth that might not 9th
erwise be utilized, the following figures
from a report issued by the Kansas
board of agriculture in regard to corn
raising in that state are interesting: Ths
average cost of corn in the forty-five
corn counties of the state is $3.31 per
acre, or. with interest and land rent,
$5.71 per acre. The cost per bushel of