The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-02-26

water. Keep them supplied with
lime making material. They must
have it t. aid them in grinding their
food.
Select your hens for keeping over
carefully. Look at their qualities. The
dudine hen looks nice and st uts
grandly, but amounts to but little
else. Have thoroughbreds, it = Us.
1t is just as reasonable for o farmt + to
use care in selecting laying hens. as
it is to select good COW. There are
points about hen which should be
observed. One with large br Int
red comb and full wattles is alwal a
good layer. The ovary should be ell
developed.
Build your poultry house with c IRE,
chink it so as to avoid cold draug .ts,
a chicken loves warmth The siz, of
the poultry yard should be so arrg ug-
ed as to give four and half sqr are
feet to each hen, or five hundred l. ems
to an acre.
Be sure to have things handy. If
they are. necessary jobs will get d, ne.
If they are not. it will be the reve rse.
find a good remedy to disinfec q
hen house is a mixture of tar, turf en-
tine and sulphur. Burn it and let
the fowls inhale the smoke.
Concerning the cape worm. Ne rIy
everything depends upon the soil.
Heavy clay soil produces them, and
if your yard is of that mixture it is
advisable to change its locat on.
Light soil, graveily or sandy, will not
develop the pest.
Finally there is nothing as prof.
table on the farm as the proGuc-
ton of eggs, and it don't cost any
more to feed hen laying seventy
| five eggs a year than it does to feed
one laying. one hundred and fifty.
Eggs are wanted and bring the best
prices in October, November and
December. Produce them then. Any
one can do it the rest of the year.
SMALL FRUITS FOR FARM USE.
BY PRoF.s. B. HEIGEs, OF YORK co. PA.
If l wanted to impress one thing es-
pecially upon the farmer it would be
the necessity of having upon his place
spot exclusively devoted to the
growth of small fruits. What l have
to say is the result of practical ex-
perience and | am sure that my lady
auditors will agree with me. My talk
this afternoon is more particularly for
their benefit. There is hardly lady
and especially among those on the
| farm, who does not occasionally feel
called upon to apologize for the weari-
some sameness Of the dinners dur' q
greater portion OF the year. tbs pork,
cabbage and potatoes to-day, and
| potatoes, cabbage and pork tomorrow.
To such an extent has this gone, that
if you will notice you will find that the
daily papers are preparing menus for
each days meals. Now there is moth
ing which will tighten the labor OF the
ladies So effectually as small fruits,
when we consider that fruit is The
most wholesome of viands. Even
dyspeptics can partake of fruit, nd
you can get better results from lalf
an acre of small fruit than from my
other sourse.
In order to raise it to the best ad-
vantage the ground should be pre- ar
ed at least two years in advance 1
would plant the ground first in So ne
| thing that would heal the soil. To-
matoes are an excellent crop for hat
purpo: :. Potatoes are also good, The
constant cultivation, which is NJ 'es-
sary, accomplishing the desired res lit,
as they destroy the small an ual
weeds as soon as they appear al I'VE
ground. There are also many pc en-
NAL weeds such as mullen which will
also be destroyed. Frequent culslre
will eventually kill all ANNALS by pre-
venting them from going to seed.
Small fruits require hunus wi ich
make new wood every year, W rile
commercial fertilizers or pure potash
all assists in giving a desired qua ity
to fruit. Vegetable matter does aot
require all mineral manures.
Take out the potatoes, put Oh q
heavy application OF barn7yard ma
nures and pillow it under. Fall plow-
ing is the most advisable, because it
exposes the soil to the action of the
frost, which kills the larvae. Track
crops or any hoed crops are good but
the ground should be so laid out as to
be worked with a horse. Make the
patch twice as long as it is wide, and
run the rows from North to South, for
this gives the plants the action of the
sun all the morning ON one side and
| all of the afternoon On the other. The
rays of the sun are composed of three
classes, viz. thermal, luminous and
actinic, each of which exercises diff
ferent function.
Strawberries, which l have paid
much attention to, should be planted
either in hills or matted rows, with
this result. The first will give the larg-
| osG saAu USsG DSl1lCci "lIllO lhC SCSpht
will yield the greatest number. Giving
four square feet to each plant will
| give about 1000 plants to an acre.
In the hill system you can work both
ways Keep the runners cut off. |
prefer spring planting to fall plant ng,
although some may choose the latter
as partial crop may be gathered the
next season. The blossoms should be
pinched off, as that throws all the
vigor into the plant. By the row sys
TEN one may get mass of ma ted
foliage from fifteen to eighteen incnes
wide. There are many varieties to
choose from, which all appear to nit
this locality, but the difference in soil
will enable one man to make succ SIS,
and another failure.
Next comes the blackberry nd
raspberry, which both need about he
same attention and cultivation. he
rows should be about eight feet a! art
| and the plants from three to f ur.
| The best source of vegetable gre tn
| is vegetable matter. Mulch with or
est leaves or manure. One cane lly
| should be allowed to grow the rst
year. A lawn mower used every ew
| DAYS will kill the weeds. Il have i'll
ed plantain and even the CaI .da
thistle that way.) Allow the can to
grow its full height the first year. Its
growth can be checked by reno ng
| ~ ,nl Il IA Job will ,lif