The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-09-27
FARM NEWS AND VIEWS.
Wind-Breaks and Shelter in Winter.
Sheep and Pasture.

Wind Breaks and Shelter in Winter.
Sheep and Pasture.
Most farms lack wind breaks or open
shelter A shed facing the south gives
abundant fresh air, sunshine aud shell
ter from winds, and is preferable To
compelling animals 10 remain cOnfin d
in stalls. The use Of wire for fencing
exposes cattle to the fun force OF the
winds, while old-styIe fences were par
tial wind-breaks. The same objection
applies to wire As fencing for poultry.
To remove the difficulty the yard
should be surrounded with a thick
hedge, or a hedge may be grown on the
north aud west sides. American arbor
vitae is excellent fOr the purpose. and
two lines of hedge-One in the rear Of
the Other-win greatly assist in protect
ing against the cold winds. Sheltered
animals require less food for support OF
the body than those that may be ex-
posed, and it will be a saving in the
cost of food to provide shelter. An ex-
eellent mode is to place the c0rnstalks
on the outside Of the fence, sufficiently
far from it to prevent interference from
stock, as eOrnstalks will provide an ef-
fectual wind-break. II is also more ad-
vantageous to use the stalks for such
pGrDOse than to permit them TO go to
waste in the fields after being shocked.
Early and late frosts are dIsliked by
farmers, but such frosts do more harm
to insects than the severe cold OF win
ter, as they catch many insects out Of
the ground or just below the surface.
1t has been noticed that when the win
tiers are severely cold, and the ground
remains frozen until well into spring,
insects are more numerous the follow
ing summer than when the winters are
mild. Ii is the alternate freezing and
thawing that does the damage 10 in
seets, especially when there Is a warm
rain followed by q sudden freezing Of
the ground below the surface.
A farmer may be successful and grow
large crops, yet become poorer because
the land has lost its fertility. Every
thing sold from the farm is taken from
th land, and the supply must at some
time become exhausted. Rotation Of
crops, plowing under Of green food and
the saving of manure will assist in re-
taining fertility, but nevertheless much
leaves the farm that is never returned
unless the farmer buys something ia
its place. Fertilizers should therefore
be used on every farm in order to keep
the farm up to its highest degree Of fer
tiIity.
Considerable labor may be saved by
proper construction of grain bins. No
work is more disagreeable than that of
shOveling grain out of a bin, frequently
the work being done by getting into
the bin when the grain is low. This
labor can be saved by attaching spout
to the i5wer portion Of the bin, or the
front boards NAV be movable The
movable boards should be preferred if
the bins are used for the storage Of
roots. 1t is easier TO take roots from
bins than from pits in the open air, and
by proper packing the roots in the bins
can be kept in good condition until
spring.
Many devices have been suggested
to prevent cows from kicking when be-
ing MIXED, but the fact is that kick
ing COW usually has other vices, and
the surest way 10 cure her IS to send
her to the shambles. A COW that is
not gentle, reliable and free from vices
should be made to give way to one that
is Of better disposition.
There are several modes Of securing
a sod on a lawn. Sowing the seed is
not always reliable, as dry weather
may interfere, while laying sod over
large lawn Is labOFious and expensive.
One plan is to plow the ground and
manure with fine manure, narrowing
it several times. Get the sod, break il
into many small pieces, and plant each
piece six inches apart, using a trOweL.
Next, roll the plot and leave it to be-
come matted, as each piece Of grass
will meet the others. Kentucky blue
grass is the best for lawn.
The land that was devoted to pOta-
toes this year should be seeded to rye,
lined in the spring and corn grown on
the same land next year. Such plan
gives the land two weddings and cleans
it thoroughly. 1t also is an advantage
not To grow potatoes on the same land
oftener than one year in four as pre-
caution against disease. Rye should
cover all land that is plowed in the fall,
as it prevents loss Of fertility, and when
turned under in the spring it will add
fertilizing material to the soil, the lime
being used to neutralize any acidity
that may exist
Too much ground food is not benei-
cial to fowls. They have no teeth, the
work of preparing the food being done
by the gizzsrd, which must be made to
do duty or the birds will not thrive.
Ground or soft food will answer for an
occasional mess, but the proper foods
are hard grains, which the fowls prefer
to grind for themselves through the
agency of the gizzsrd.
Every pound Of grain or other food
purchased and brought on the farm
compensates for the loss Of the ele-
ments removed from the soil A ton
Of bran represents fifty pounds Of nj
trogen, fifty-three pounds Of phosphOric
acid and thirty-twO pounds of potash,
worth about Sll. A large proportion
Of these substances is left in the ma
nure after the bran has been used for
/ feeding.
Should sows farrow in the fall the
pigs will be at a great disadvantage
compared with those that are farrOwed
in spring unless extra care is given
them to protect them against cold in
L uinfar Fall nfvs will crroxr and mako