The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-06-14
Farm NEWS AxD views.
Cows and CaIvss-To Reduce Bones
With Wood Ashes.

oe raised the rule at the Kansas Exptr-
iment Station Is to leave each calf With
the fresh COW four OF dive days. Feed
the calf five quarts OF whole milk dali
", IN three feeds, gradually increasing
to six or seven quarts, changing to
skim milk when the calf is two weeks
old, Increasing gradually, but not ex-
ceeding ten quarts. Flaxseed Cruel
should replace the butter fat removed
from the milk. The Cruel is made BY
mixing ground fiaxseed with cold wa
ter, adding boiling water, and allowing
it to steam for few hours in a covered
vessel. 4 teaspoonfni Of the Cruel mix
ed with the milk is sufficient at first,
aud the quantity may be Increased At
each meal until as much as half a pound
is allowed. Use clean milk, at tenn
perature Of 100 degrees, never using
sour milk. Calves viii begin to eat
meal when ten days Old.
Those who planted early this year
should be convinced that nothing is
gained by planting seed when the
ground is cold. Peas that were put in
for a second crop, after the ground was
warm, gave the first crops on some
plots, while the early paintings have
not yet produced pickings Lima beans
will not germinate at all until the
ground is warm, while melons planted
after danger Of frost have been retard-
ed by cool nights. 1t is always better
To wait until the ground is fairly warm,
as the plants win then get better start.
Some plant Lima beans with theeyes
down, which is an advantage, such
seeds coming up sooner and more uni
formly than those dropped and cover
ed, but il is laborious 20 arrange every
seed when large crop is to be grown.
To save labor, work the ground well
and make it fine, using manure liber-
ally. As sOOu as the plants show in the
rows work them carefully in the rows
with hoe.
The way to change from the COM
mon black bees to the Italian il to pro-
cure queen of the new variety desired,
aud in few months the entire colony
will be Italian.
Those who purchase fruit trees and
vines should read their contracts with
the statesmen very carefully. Its well
known that some contracts are so word
ed as to permit of the substitution Of
other varieties 'Just as good if the
kinds wanted can not be supplied, the
consequence being that it is rare to get
the preferred varieties, especially of
peaches, the trees seldom producing
fruit according to the name Of the vari-
eties tagged on them when received.
OF course, some seedsmen are very care
ful, but the buyer should never agree in
writing, to substitution.
AT present, in some sections, the ap-
pie trees are heavily loaded with young
fruit, aud now is the time to thin out.
aud thus relieve the trees Of extra duty.
Better fruit will then be obtained, as
well as higher prices.
An excellent way 10 reduce t,ones i
to pound them and mix them with un-
leached hardwood ashes, using barrel,
placing six inches of ashes, then six
inches of bones filling the spaces be-
tween the bones with ashes, aud thus
alternating until the barrel is nearly
full, when 3 mixture Of one part urine
and four parts water should be poured
over the mass, so as TO keep it constant
" moist but not wet. The bones will
soon oecome .lecomposed, and when
wanted for crops the barrel should be
emptied on the barn floor and the mix
ture Of bones and ashes well worked
with hoe. This gives a fertilizer con-
tanning not only potash and phOsphorie
acid, but also about three per cent. Of
nitrogen.
One Of the expenses borne by those
who keep large fiocks Of fowls is for the
extra number Of young cockerels in
summer. As rule, all male birds sent
to market after the combs have devel-
oped are designated as cold ROSTERS
although they may not be over six
months cid, aud they seldom bring
over six cents per pound in market.
The time TO sell the cockereIs at this
season is when they weigh about two
pounds each. If retained from now on
they will not be more valuable, as the
prices decline faster than the birds in-
crease in weight. 1t is more eeonOmi-
cal to sell now aud thus lessen the sup
ply of food, as well as also gain more
room in the poultry yard.
Roses should be worked lightly and
be properly pruned. Roses produce
their flowers on the new wood, and it
is necessary that they be cut back. The
fall-bloOming roses may be pruned this
month, but the summer kinds are
pruned in the spring. If the season is
dry mulch around the bushes with
straw or hay.
The value Of ton of "street sweep
ings'' is about 81 80 for nitrogen. The
value Of the potash and phosphoric
acid is somewhat less, but the whole
may be estimated at about 81 per ton,
or the same as ordinary barnyard ma
nure. OF course, some sweepings are
more valuable than others. the aver
age only being taken for the estimated
price.
II is better to dilute liquid manure
with water for the reason that the wa
ter partially prevents loss Of ammonia,
and also because urine is too strong for
ordinary plants. An excellent mode Of
treating urine or liquid manure Of any
kind is to add twice its bulk Of water
then adding a pound Of KANT to four
gallons of the mixture.
During this warm weather the ma
nure that is in large heaps and which
has been kept dry, is liable to Sire
fang" during which process it will lose
value. To prevent this make holes in
fha haon xuffb q aro.ss bo- ar..I ,,o.,. i.