Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-07-15

| Inc Wohder1ul productivenesS and
ease with which the improved arti-
choke can be produced is always a
surprise to those who cultivate them
for the first time.
They are excellent food for cattle,
sheep, hogs and horses, and one of
the cheapest and healthiest foods
raised for hogs.
For milk cows they exceed any root
grown for increasing the flow of milk.
Last winter they were tested at the
! Fremont Creamery on a small scale
and the report was good.
The nutrition of an artichoke is in
The form Of sugar in solution, there
fore always ready for use with very lit
tie internal preparation on the part OF
the user They are highly important
because no insect, blight or rust has
yet struck them, and the tops make Il
fodder superior to corn when prop
erly handled.
An acre will keep from twenty to
thirty hogs during the fall and winter
months
The improved variety is very easy
to be eradicated after once being
| planted My plan is to keep the hogs
in the patch little late in the spring
they will take the last one in the
| ground.
The variety [ grow is the Improved
White French; they grow to be about
six feet high, and in the fall are COW
cred with yellow blossom. They
grow very compact in the ground,
making it very easy digging them.
They often yield as high as 500
bushels per acre
Low black soil which is too frosty
for corn and many other crops is fine
land for the artichoke, for freezing
will not hurt them.
must give my method of keeping
them through winter, for this is very
important. Last winter 1 kept 700
bushels in pits without losing
bushel, / picked out dry spot and
shoveled out pit not over ten inches
| deep and about five feet wide, and as
long us convenient. L piled the
tubers up to peak and put on shall
low layer of straw on top to keep the
dirt from rattling through, and then /
shoveled on dirt not to exceed five
inches deep. If more dirt is put on
they will surely heat and spoil, and if
they freeze it will not iniure them in
the least, j H. Van Ness, in Farm,
Field and Fireside.
| The Awakening In Horse Breeding. y
Tt is somewhat refreshing to notice
IL u H.,
over the spirit of the farmers dream
in regard to horse breeding, says Alex
ander Galbraith in Breeders Gazette
They seem to be awakening at last
from their Rip Van Wrinkle slumber
of the last few years only to discover
that their position is similar to the
foolish virgins who had no replacing
oil for their lamps when the present
supply gave out.
The farmer realizes that neither he
nor his neighbors have any colts
| growing up to take the place of the
old horses, nor to supply that con-
stantly-increasing demand from the
cities for more and better horses. He
hears of splendid prices being paid
for heavy harness horses IA neighbor
of mine sold high stopper for $400
last week., but of course regrets he
has no horses to sell and may even
require to buy one or two for spring
work He has for the past two years
admitted theoretically that good horses
were bound to become scarce and
dear, but somehow had not the cour
age to resume breeding when every
body else had abandoned it
Now the situation is becoming
serious and appeals with good deal
of force to his better judgment, so
without waiting for his neighbors to
act the thoughtful, intelligent farmer
has determined to breed every good
mare on the farm this spring and per-
haps to purchase one or two additional
mares for the same purpose. Not
only so, but he is equally determined
to patronize nothing but the very best
stations that can be obtained. He
reasons as follows:
"a offers me the services of his
stallion for 50. The stallion being of
no particular breeding or merit the
colt would probably bring me 800 at
maturity, The service of BIS horse is
SIS, but in this case the stallion is
good individual and well bred, and,
barring accidents, the colt will sell
for $100 to $3.50. Consequently
cannot afford to use the cheap sire, as
there is but $40 difference in the value
of the colts, That $40 judic;ously in
vested in the services of good sire
will yield far better return than any
thing else know of.
1t has been the writer's privilege
during the last three winters to discuss
the subject of horse breeding and our
horse supply at the farmers institutes
throughout the State of Wisconsin,
and it is really remarkable to observe
the increased interest shown by the
farmers in this subject during the past
season. Two years ago few would