The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-12-16


putting in whole cornStalks. These
cannot be packed closely, and the result
Is that many of the stalks will be al
most rotten when taken from the Silo.
Cultivate Fewer Acres.
l am surprised at the small crops of
grain, grass, potatoes, etc., that are
grown on many farms. The lack Of
sufficient good stable manure is largely
responsible for this. A few years ago
q company was formed and a large
strawboard factory built at the county
seat Of my county. Since then every
farmer within a radius of ten miles Of
this esta blishment, fortunate enough to
have any straw has sold it at the very
low figures of from 81 to 81 per ton.
With the money received for the straw
some cheap grade commercial fertilizer
is purchased. AS a consequence the
soils of the farms are becoming thinner
each year from lack of sufficient hui
mus to make it lively and friable. 1t is
very poor practice to sell straw from
the farm. Keep enough stock to oswork
over all the straw and rough feed into
manure and then judiciously apply it to
the fields. The labor will be more than
doubly paid for by increased crops.
Another trouble with a great many
farmers is their greed for too many
acres. How common it Is to hear a man
boasting of the number of acres of corn
or wheat he is putting out, but when the
harvest comes he usually has about
one third Less acres than at seeding,
time. 1t is an old 9dage that "tillage
is manure" We have this proven by
seeing a field that has had an extra
amount of work put upon it before SOW
ing 1t to wheat. The crop will be much
larger than on a field only half prepar-
ed. If we expect to keep our farms in
a state of fertility that will enable us to
grow paying crops we must concentrate
our work upon fewer acres and have
them well fertilized. 1t pays much bet
ter to raise given number of bushels
of wheat from ten acres than to raise
the same number from twenty. By
doubling the producing capacity of an
acre half of the land can be in grass,
thus giving it chance to recuperate.-
M. G. Thomas, in Orange Judd Farmer
Favors Sailing Hay.
The farmer who guides himself by
what he reads about sailing clover hay
will probably become confused, says a
writer in the Stockman. One authority
says never salt tit is dangerous to do
SO. Another no less confidently assures
US that it should be salted; he has al
ways done so, likewise has his father.
Plainly when doctors differ the indi-
vidual may use his reason about the
matter, and If possible decide for him.
self. The objections against salt is that
it is deliquescent and therefore an in
crease of moisture is to be expected
from it's use. After many years of OBJ
servation and experience we have con-
cluded that for US salting clover hay is /
very desirable. We have endeavored
to arrive at this conclusion intelligently
by repeating tests both in the NOW and
stack. The clover which is sufficiently
cured to keep without salting will not
suffer from heat If salt Is applied. While
1t is true that salt is deliquescent, yet
1t is altogether probabl that this draw
back Is balanced by the preserving
lOI why SdIt cease TO
preserve hay when it is applied to 9TH
er commodities for this purpose? Yet
we can admit, if necessary-which our
observation does not warrant-that salt
ing does not materially preserve the
hay, and still claim our case. The pref
erence of the stock for the salted hay is
apparently a sufficient guide.
Suppose the individual had to partake
of his food unsalted, would he not make
an objection? Neither would he be rec
onciled to this if his salt came in daily
or weekly installments.
Winter Protection for Strawberries.
There is no question but some good
protection is almost essential to the
strawberry plants, but authorities dis
agree about the best to be adopted.
While some advocate manure, others
object to it, and recommend straw,
leaves, litter or anything of this nature
The chief objection to manure seems
to be that seed weeds are apt to be
sOwn with 1t on the strawberry bed.
But IL ones manure Is as good as it
ought to be weed seeds ought not to be
spread in this way. Moreover, only
well-rotted manure is fit FOR this work,
and the weed seeds will generally have
died out before manure reaches this
stage. The value of the manure in en-
riching the plants is often, overlooked
by those who prefer other things for
protection. All through the winter the
strength of the manure is soaking into
the soil, and by spring when the pro-
lection is removed the plants are fertil-
lied richly and ready to spring into i'm
mediate and rapid growth.
But If one has no suitable manur
hand, the next best thing is probals,y
forest leaves, collected In the woods,
and mixed with just enough straw to
keep them In place. A few tWigs of the
trees gathered with the leaves will be ..
of value. These spread over them will
help to keep them from being blown
about by the wind.
Straw is good as a protection, bui
sawdust is not SO easily handled. The