The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-08-11

best hay can be cut. All kinds of
stock eat 1t readily and do well on it
even without grain, or it can be pas
tured of by hogs or cattle. Then by
plowing the stubble. or if you choose
the entire crop, the land will be in
fine order for any succeeding crop.
If sown on fairly good lard, they will
grow so thick and so completely |
shade the ground that they will |
choke out many troublesome weeds. |
If cow-peas are turned under about |
the first of September, and the land |
sown to crimson clover. you can have |
excellent winter or early. spring |
pasture, or you can have a crop of
good hay, If cut early enough, or am
other crop to plow under in time to
plant corn, thus growing two crops
of soil renovators in one year.
The soja-bean is another legume
similar in many respects to the COW
pea. II grows, however, upon an up
right stalk instead of vine and can
be more easily cured than the COW
pea. which in unfavorable weather is
a little difficult to cure properly. I
see no reason why either of these
might not be grown profitably in Lo-
gan county. Melons and sweet po-
tatoes are grown in great abundance.
Some farmers feed sweet potatoes to
hogs. A writer in the Southern
Planter claims that after several
years of experimenting. he has del
cided that a mixture of two-thirds
corn, and one third sweet potatoes,
by weight, was far superior as hog
feed to the same weight of corn
alone, and that he could raise three
bushels of potatoes as easily as he
could one bushel of corn. Peanuts
are not grown much right here, but
in the counties below US, where the
soil is more sandy, they are one Of
: the principal products.
From all that / have seen and
: heard, / believe this is a good fruit
. region, or rather that it would be, /
there were fruit trees. Apples es
J pecially seem to do well, when any
thing like the proper care and atten
tion Is given. Care is isnecessary how
ever, for we have. the same insec
! and fungus pests to contend witt
that you have in Ohio. Though thi
/, country has been settled SO long ant
S fruit generally does so well, yet ther
i are very few good orchards: major
: ity of the farms having none at all %
t SO near none that they are not wort
e considering. Even when trees ar
!, planted-and there is more of tha
S being done than formerly-they ar
y too often stuck down among weed:
t grass and briars, and left to do thei
best. Last year l saw several appi
: orchards, with trees apparently fror
= eight to twelve years old, that wer
d in all stages of decline, with man
f entirely dead, from the ravages c
e the "tent caterpillar" saw one farI
IS where a number of young trees ha
e been planted, while near by were
e number that had been set out abou
e ten years ago, every branch of whic
l. was full of webs of the caterpillar
O many of trees dead and the res
Is nearly so, and yet little effort a
It the proper time each year woul
l. save the trees from the ravages c
e these pests. These caterpillars al
= peared in great numbers in my ow
J, orchard, but we took time to destro
g them, and we had a fine crop of al
n ples-all we could use, land sold some
\. from the 18th of June to the 1st {
d May. We had fair crop this yea
It though not as many as last yea
4 Small fruits do well here. l had
e nice crop of strawberries. also a fin
y yield of raspberries, though til
a canes were planted only last yea
r. In short there is no reason why TIL
IS part ot Virginia should not become
t first-class fruit region If --
" But now lest the different parts {
It my description may seem to contr;
a dict each other, / will say that "
e have here two kinds or classes {
" farmers, whom l will designate {
,r "Wide-a-wakes" and "Moss-backs"-
is further description is unnecessar
r for these classes are world wide an
is all know them. Now when / spea
y of grand results that can be brougf
$. about in farming, and in other cal
N ings as well, of abundant and prof
Ie able crops that can be grown, of ii
n- high state of fertility to which thes
N lands can be brought, do SO hecaus
r these successes have been attaine'
Ie these excellent crops have bee
It grown, and these apparently worl
10 out fields have been renovated an
It made to produce abundantly, by me
a. who are wide awake. If on the oths
IS hand I speak of the dilapidation ar
v, sterility, please remember | have to-
.r you that there are moss-backs her
e. and l suspect they are somewhat
,r the majority. Further upon tn
Ie subject, this deponent saith not.
ii ITO BE CONTINUED
VI COUNTY NEWS.