The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-04-15
FARM NEWS AND VIEWS.

Grass lands deserve as much attention
In spring as any other portion of the
farm. Grass is really the handspring of
farming, for wherever there is a good
stand of grass there will be an excellent
prospect for hay, pasturage and soil i'm
provement Fertilizer should be applied
before grass starts, and the spring rains
will carry IL down 20 the roots and give
the crop an early start, which will great
ly assist In enduring droughts In sum
mer. No pasturage or grass plot should
be expected 10 give crops without manure
or fertilizer. Wood ashes make an ex-
cellent fertilizer for'grass. and light ap-
plication of nitrate OF soda will give good
results. If cattle are given the run OF
grass plot when the grass is young they
will do more harm to the grass by tramp
ling than can result from any other
cause. Grass exhauets the soil the same
as any other crop, and the land must be
supplied with the plant foods removed.
If there are bare spots in the pasture
use the harrow over them and SOW mixed
varieties OF grass seeds.
When you use fertilizer you may apply
some kind of plant foods that are not
desired. Plants have the power OF selcc-
ton of foods, and will invariably select
that which is best suited for their pur-
poses. A plant that requires more potash
than phosphoric acid will not use a larg
er quantity of phosphoric acid because
OF its being plentiful in the soil but will
make an effort TO secure the potash:
hence, IL is not economical to use fertil-
izers without attempting to select the
kinds which Will be favored by the par
ticular crops TO which they are applied.
1t is estimated that when an ordinary
crop of clover is moved there is left in
the soil about SIS worth OF plant food per
cts nr he
clover
AS soon as the early cabbages begin TO
make headway they will be attacked by
the white butterfly Some growers use
paris green as a remedy, but II Is dan
gerous article in the hands of inexperi-
enced persons for such a purpose. The
safest remedy is 10 mix n pound of the
ground leaves of pyrethrum dnsect pow
der) with 100 gallons of water and
sprinkle from "A watering pot. IL kills
every worm with which IL comes in con-
tact.
The farmer who send inferior butter 10
market assists I'm creating a demand for
oleomargarine. There are but two kinds
of buttcr-good and bad-and unless the
farmer ships that which is OF the best
quality only he will lose the profit. The
consumers OF oleomargarne will not use
inferior butter as long as they can 1ro-
cure substitute therefor that Is more
satisfactory.
When bran, linseed meal. orewers'
grains, etc, are largely purchased and
used on farms from which butter Is sold
such foods will greatly increase the fer.
uility Of the soil, for the reason that
butter takes little or nothing from the
soil. and the fertilzating elements of the
foods are therefore retained on the
farm.
IL is suggested that every farmer should
\, 20, Tt L.
more difficult sometimes 20 find farm
In the country than a house I'm the city,
as the latter Is numbered If every farm
could be designated by the name of its
owner, or even by number, II would nc an
Improvement over the present system Of
using nothing at ALL
Some farmers multiply the irEects AMI
assist them BY growing one kind of crop
on the same land every year. Each crop
has its special enemies. and many in
sccts remain in the ground over winter,
feeding on the crops best adapted for
their propagation. BY changing the crops
the liability of damage from insects will
bc greatly lessened.
VA proportion TO the capital invested II
Is claimed that there is more rront 10 be
derived from poultry than from any
ether live stock on farms. and the excep-
coedingly high prices for eggs this win
tee should encourage farmers Co make
poultry n speciality. At presen. on the
majority OF farms the fowls arc given
over 10 some member OF the family TO
look after. and In many casss the hens
are expected 20 pick up enough for their
support The poultry on farms will pay
farmers we'll ~ they will consider the
fowls as 50 much live stock demanding
special care There should he a separate
place for the fowls. with comfortable
quarters, regular feeding being practiced.
instead OF giving them the frendpm OF the