The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-09-13
Farm NEWS AND VIEWS.
Spreading Manure on Grass Land.
Values of Wood Ashes.

II may be better on some farms to
haul the stable manure directly to the
field than to leave il exposed in winter
and lose portion of It's soluble plant
food. IL manure is spread on land II
should be as free as possible from litter,
and the best place to spread il is on
grass land, as it will not then be so
liable to the effects OF the heavy rains
as " hen the land has been plOwed and
the manure afterwards spread. The
roots of grasses will prevent less of that
which is carried down into the soil and
the top soil is not easily washed, but if
manure is spread on land as fast as it
is made on the farm the land should be
level. During the winter and early
spring heavy rains will carry the ma
nure To the lower land if the surface Of
the grass plot is billy. If the land is
to be in corn next year it will matter
but little whether the manure is fine or
not, aud even the litter may be spread,
a. the whole will be plOwed under IN
the spring, the combination Of manure
and sod land making the best kind Of
location for corn. Ii manure is to be
kept until spring and then spread on
the land it should be under cover, as
the heaviest loss is from soaking rains
which leach the manure and entail loss
of soluble matter.
Wood ashes not only contain potash,
bat serve to loosen stiff soils and pei
form valuable service as a chemical
reagent. This is due TO the large pro-
portion of lime contained in ashes
about 35 per eent.-which is in the best
form in which it can be used. About
10 pounds of potash is the proportion
in ton of wood ashes, while 100
pounds of lime accompanies it. These
proportions may be more or less, ac-
eording to the kind of wood from which
the ashes are obtained. Ashes are
worth only s. per ton, according to the
above proportions, so far as the actual
potash is concerned, though the lime
and other substances contained possess
value, the phosphoric acid ranging
from to , per cent.
The beginner on a farm usually esti-
mates the cost of the farm as the larg-
est expenditure, but farm is an en-
cumbrance If the owner has not suiii-
cient capital to derive the most from
the land. There is a heavy outlay to
be considered for buildings, horses, cat
tie, wagons, machinery, implements
seeds and labor. The cost for the first
year may exceed the value Of the farm
itself. 1t is better to begin with a
small farm where the capital is limited
than to undertake too much and lose
all by going into debt.
Sheep cannot be crowded. In winter,
after they can no longer find anything
on the fields, it is better to keep the
flock in an inclosure, allowing an open
shed for shelter; but the floor OF the
shed should be kept clean. Fifty sheep
in one flock is better than to have too
many. Several small flOcks will thrive
where success can not be attained with
one large flock. MerinOs and South
downs can be kept in larger fiocks than
Oxfords, COtswOlds or other large
breeds.
1t is proper to grade up flock or
herd, but the shortest road to improve
ment is to use not only thoroughbred
sires, but also dams. Ii requires sew
eraI years to entirely change the char
acteristies of a flock or herd through
the male line only, yet every farmer
should use thoroughbred males if be is
unwilling to part with his mixed-breed
animals, as it will cost nothing to i'm
prove if the additional value OF each
animal sired by the pure-bred male Is
/ considered. At least one pure bred dam
should be procured TO compare results.
There is nothing so convincing in re-
gard to the use of pure breeds as to
keep an account with them and COM
pare with common stock.
1t is not good indication when load
ed fruit trees are propped TO prevent
/ loss of the limbs. When tree is thus
overloaded it is being compelled tOper-
/ form too much service. Ii will always
pay to thin off the surplus fruit early
1 in the season, so as not to tax the tree
too severely, as the fruit left on the tree
will be of better quality and larger
crop viii be the probability the succeed
ing year.