The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-08-12
Agriculture.

A bare spot is abhOrrent to Dame
Nature. She makes persistent eff
fort to cover every portion of the
earth with some sort of vegetation,
and is wholly Indifferent as to
whether it is corn or weeds. Man
must regulate that.
Millet hay should be cut before
the seed forms, otherwise the feed
ing value is concentrated in the
grain, and the straw becomes hard,
woody and unpalatable.
Keep the land covered in winter
and prevent the evaporation of nj
trOgen. Especially should this be
done If manure has been applied.
Let some grass or grain always be
growing; rye will answer well, and
will be service both as fodder crop
and for further enrichment of the
land.
There is no better way to treat
weeds than to put a cover on the
land to prevent them from getting
foothold, and nothing is better for
this than good sod. Few weeds
can grow in good grass sod; and
land thus sodded and rightly treat
ed during the rest of its rotation will
not be much troubled with weeds.
There is certainly no cheaper way
to eradicate them.
Clods just beneath the surface Of
ten do more harm than those above,
as they prevent moisture rising to
the seed. Many farmers never find
the full worth of the harrow. and it
is common mistake, when prepar-
ing the ground, not to harrow deep
enough.
The mechanical effect from decay
ed vegetable matter is quite as great
as the direct fertilizing value, and
this is wholly lost when refuse is
burned. One advantage IN fall
blowing is that it puts much green
matter under the soil. where it de-
compOses during the winter.
A large patch of the best timber is
money slowed away. There is no
better life insurance for the farmer,
as the investment is kept in his own
hands, and he is sure of a final re-
turn, to himself or his children, if
he is only attentive to his trees.
1t is safe precaution to white.
wash the bins which have been used
with lime and carbolic acid solu.
ton before putting grain in them
again. Then germs and vermin will
be less likely to modest.
For all kinds of stock rye is de.
sirable food. 1t increases the guam.
tity Of milk produced, and is a saw.
ing of from one to two tons of gooC
! hnx IL ,,l
especial worth in that 1t affords 8
green crop to be plowed under in the
spring to enrich and renew the land
Fathers, make thorough farmer,
of your boys if they are to follow
your calling. Do not imagine thil
can be done by permitting them tC
grow up in ignorance of the grea
lessons of science and the ways o
the larger world about them.
The turnip fly will not disturb yol
if the seeds are soaked in turpentin,
before sowing. The first leaves will
smell of the turpentlne, and afte
four leaves are formed the fly neve
destroys turnips.
With large farm and much hiret
|, labor one has to figure with the eX
pense account and the tax gathere
before the result is known, and thi
5 is usually slim enough. On a littl
Q farm, well titled, the gross result
0 and the net profits are almos
. Synonymous.
J. We shall not be much intereste,
in the study of the comparativ
Z merits Of commercial fertilizers
{ we follow diversified farming. Kee
! all the stock the farm will carry
Y. feed it well, and save and apply tn
manure. "H'