The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-03-04

who have tried it and is decidedly against
the use Of alfalfa in the orchard. Two
things about alfalfa should be remem-
bered. First. it roots deeply and hence
its roots would be likely to rob the soil
OF fertility needed by the trees. Second.
as the roots would not afford any food
for The tree until plowed under. the deep
blowing would of necessity injure the tree
roots. Try alfalfa by all means. but try
it in the open field. preparing the seed
bed early and thoroughly and sowing
eight quarts of seed per acre. Sometimes
a nurse crop is grown with it. usually
timothy. and when this Is done the seed
Ing OF timothy should be light, not more
than one and one-helf or two quarts to
the acre. The growth may be light the
first year, but it will improve.
Feeding Swine for Flavor.
Swine growers admit that there is " de-
mand on the part of consumers for hogs
of the best flavor and one of these farm
ers writes to this department asking II
there is anything in It," There Is some
thing in 1t In more ways than one. 1t IS
presumed that our correspondent wishes
to know If consumers have made such "a
demand and, il they have, he doubtless
wonders why. Simply because the con-
sumner Is becoming educated to tastes. He
has found that certain growers have
learned how to feed for quality just as
they have learned how to set the best
varieties of apple trees that will produce
quality. More and more each year ts
quality becoming the demand on the part
of the consumer. Give him the choice OF
quality or quantity and he will take quail
ity nine times out of ten. The rations
which consist of milk. sweet skim milk,
good corn and cornmeal bran, oil meal
and enough root crops to keep the digest
I've organs In good shape Will impart a
flavor to the meat which will cause It TO
be in constant demand by those who
have tasted 1t once. 1t Is worth trying
even though one confines the experiment
TO q single pig for use on his own table ins
order to test the theory.
Growing Potatoes With Profit.
1t would be folly for one to attempt I,
set down a hard and fast method for po-
tuto culture, SO much depends upon local
conditions. However. the following re-
suits have come from an experience OF
many yeats on q soil inclined to be sandy
"a sandy loan would be the proper de-
scription perhaps. A rotation OF crops
was carried on, said rotation being a
three-year one and the crops being po~
tatoes. oats and clover. In some locals
ties, where the potatoes were OF the mid
season sorts or where the season was
longer, wheat could be substituted in the,
rotation for oats. Commercial fertilizers
were largely used for the potato growing
ana ulllleu Ill Tie TOW 80 as " De thoi-
oughly Incorporated with the soil. A fer
tiliZer containing 10 per cent. of potash.
4 per cent. Of nitrogen and s per cent. of
phosphoric acid was used with the best
results. For the oats or wheat stable
manure was used exclusively, the com
mercial fertilizer being used only for the
potato crop. 1t Is believed that this plan
would do to start with In any location
modifying 1t as experiments proved other
combinations of fertilizers were best.
Cough Not Always Dangerous.
Naturally the ~dairyman Is ever OH the
look out for trouble with his cows and
one Of them with a cough excites hin,
very much because his first thought Is of
tuberculosis. 1t is quite natural for cows
to cough more or less during cold wealth
er, but 1t does not follow that their lungs
are affected. If the COWS are properly fed
and stabbed, kept out OF draughts of cold
air yet furnished with good ventilated
quarters any cough they may have does
not, as 4 rule, proceed from the lungs.
If the animal eats we'll and is In good
general health she Is probably all right.
If, on the other hand, the cough con-
tinues and she gets off In her feed then
lose no time In consulting a veterinarian.
for the chances are something serious is
troubling her.
Cleaning Horses in Winter.
While 1t Is not advised that horses be
given the cleanlnBS Win water tnat tney
should have during the summer, more
good work with the brush and cu1Tycomb
should be done during the winter than is
usually done. Horses that occupy the
barn most Of the time, as farm horses do
during the winter, need more than ordf-
nary care. Such horses are likely to be
on rather short rations hence their vi
tality is more or less low and will be low
er If proper care Is not given their coats
as well as the proper amount of exercise
furnished. Try this plan Of caring for
the horse in winter. If it occupies the
barn most of the day, see that 1t has an
hour or more out of doors even though you
walk him up and down the road. Clean
him every morning with brush and curry:
see that his bed is clean and abundant
and his stable we'll ventilated. Handled
In this way even the rather short ration
will keep him in good form.
Two Handy Tools.
The illustration shows two tools which
will be found useful on any farm whore
, fruit and vegetables are grown. The rake
: like tool Is an onion row marker and will
7 save an immense amount of time in set
~