The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-02-11

the market is the way to feed hogs. They
should gain every day. The sooner you get
Them to the market the more money there is
In the hog
| Answering question Mr.. Terry thought
silage food was the best for dairy farming,
although roots were food. K. j. Cook was
In favor of silage for economical purposes.
Mr.. Reynolds was In harmony with the
opinion of Messrs. Terry and Cook.
Mr.. Ball thought that the real value of
the silo was the grain 1t contained. This
statement brought out some discussion, and
the claim was made that the ensilage was
made better by the mixture of corn and
stalks. Jas. N. Mcbride believed in the
silo results, and would put in grain and
stalks. The result in favor of silo product
over roots was ~ to 1.
j. w. Hibbard, while not actually op'
posed to the sllo, did not believe II
necessary to good farming. -
o. II. Owen, of Venice, claimed that the
sile was not good in dairy farming. -,
Mr.. Whalen said he believed In the Biio
aud had never known any one who owned
one to consider it an elephant on his hands.
Other discussions followed and Mr.. Terry
was kept on the carpet good deal to an
swer pertinent questions, and his answer
elected much interest on the part of the
audience.
POTATO CULTURE.
E. E. Bunting upon the subject of po-
tato culture gave practical and at the
same time an interesting talk upon the
subject.
Preparing the soil for the culture oi
the potato is very important. Then the
seed should be new and carefully chosen
not smaller than hens egg, clear nice
seed, not scabby, as there are sure to be
a parasite in these potatoes, and they are
not fit for seed.
With we'll prepared ground and care
fully chosen seed you are insured of 6
good product, and then a ready sale o.
the product. In comparison with croE
raised by the speakers son, who did moi
so we'll prepare and select his seed, the
speaker had raised over one hundred
bushel to the acre, while his son got only
about so bushels and the lots adjoined
Two eyes in piece and two pieces in {
hill is the way potatoes should be plant
ed. prepared my seed sometimes {
week before planting, just after the full o
the moon in May l plant early potatoes
and late potatoes in June. The speake
here suggested that he was not moor
man, however.
In the discussion of the subject MI
Byam believed in hand planting, in wei
preprred sandy soil, with well selected
seed. Drag the ground over after plant
ing twice, and as small potatoes shov
above ground cultivate thoroughly ant
keep weeds out. Dry weather neve
kills crop of potatoes. Keep cultivating
After rain stir up the ground and no
let it harden. Mr.. Byem now has his pc
trtoes in pits on high ground. A goo
crop, 200 bu. to the. acre, have raised 80
to the acre.
Plant inches deep, don't get them to
deep. Two pieces in hill is best TO
seed, no difference in using a whole -od
tato or piece. Healthy vines make tn
best seed. The Rural New Yorker bes
suits the soil hereabouts.
INCREASING FERTILITY BY TILLAGE.
Mr.. Terry here took up the discussion
Of the subject Increasing fertility of tn
soil" This will be accomplished partl
by plowing, rolling and narrowing, cor
stantly keeping the ground stirred up.
Again when preparing for seeding Q
planting trough stirring" should be done
We have used tools which were of lighte
draft, because of the least worry to u
and teams, but this is not best for tn
, productiveness of the former. The groun
: should be thrown mp and stirred effectr
, ally. Cultivating with spiked tooth hal
row and cultivator and rough tilling an
5 deep plowing have produced wonderfl
results. The doctrine he's been that yo
t must put back in the farm as much 6
you take off. This is no longer consit
: cred fact. The soil holds stored val
3 amount of plant food and we must g
8 it out by tillage. "Keep the cultivate
3 teeth hot" is the way the speaker advise
q as the thing for making the soil produc
In two or three years the soil will sho
: the good effects of increased tillage.
The old fashioned Summer follow
Q was good thing in its time. Tillae
: made the crop good. But this is now n
longer practiced by good farmers. pr
? fer plowing in spring time and growing
. crop of potatoes in the place of the id
condition of the summer follow" W
, must keep the land busy if we get tt
best results. Keep the producing mgr
!, dients of the soil near the surface,
good tillage and clover growing
Gradually plow deeper and thus dee
!. en- the soil producing quality. But in
: light sandy and gravelly soil with sand
subsoil perhaps this deep blowing WI