Middletown transcript., 1908-06-13
FARM NEWS AND VIEWS

| The Intelligent farmer doesn't get his
enlightenment while munching crackers
and cheese at the village store. No, in
deed, be makes a study-during bis quiet
'moments-of each problem as it comes
up, and he never lets up until the thing
is solved to his own satisfaction. 1t is
such men as these, with an abundant
amount OF grit and determination, that
make a success of their calling.
Where last seasons seeding of clover
has made only partial stand, some work
must be done pretty soon now in strength
ening the stand. A partial stand of clover
is about as difficult to handle as partial
stand of corn, for one dislikes to lose
whatever percentage of stand has been
secured. In the first place, don't turn
under even one-fourth OF stand. If
your soil is rather heavy, SOW your fresh
seed early SO that the seed will work
down into the crevices when early rains
and late SHOWS will cover it. On light
soils the seed should be covered by har-
rowing, and it should be done later in
the season. With very thin stand SOW
from four to six pecks of early oats and
cut it off for hay.
One of the best corn growers in Central
Illinois says he buys each season several
bushels of the best bred seed corn be can
get and mixes it with his own seed. This
practice has been kept up for several
years, and whether or not the good re-
suits are due to the infusion of the fresh
blood there is surely question here well
worth studying. This grower has always
selected the big, mature ears for seed,
and which would not stand much of a
| show in a score card contest. Then, by
introducing the finely fhished ears from
another reliable corn breeder lie has
succeeded in keeping his corn much
above the average size ears, and with a
fine finish over top and butt, which in
itself is high bred characteristic. Corn
growers usually get their entire seed
supply when they start out to improve
the corn. The method OF this one grower
in using home grown seed as his founda-
ton and introducing fresh seed of the
same variety from another grower is in.
teresting and well worth following up.
If there is anything which will give a
farmer a genuine attack of blues it is to
be compelled to work throughout the
entire season with only partial stand oi
grain. This question of getting full
stand is often passed over carelessly al
sowing or planting time, and the real
meaning of half-stand is not fully real
lied until it is too late to do anything.
The way to get a stand is to use live,
vigorous seed get it in the ground under
right conditions and then be prepared
to keep the stand as nearly perfect as
possible over the whole field. What
blind faith many have in a kernel oi
corn. If every corn grower would test
his seed corn accurately before be starts
to planting and then deposit the seed
grain just deep enough to attract moisture
to start growth he would have no trouble
about the stand. When it comes to oats,
barley or wheat good seed is just as i'm
portant as good seed corn. Heavy, bright
seed is always best. Then you can't dc
too much work on the seed bed. Put in
good and you will have much better
show for an even stand.
Green manuring is much talked about
but little practiced, except incidentally.
Clover crops are too valuable to be
plowed into the soil it pays better to
feed the clover to the stock and use the
manure for enriching the land.
The incidental method of green man.
uring is to pillow under sod after crop
has been taken off.
Green crops are plowed under in the
fall or in the spring; but spring plowing
gives little the best results. When the
plowing under of a crop takes place in
the fall there is considerable percentage
of nitrogen lost before the roots of the
plants get at it in the spring.
Any sod that is turned under in the
spring should be plowed but shallow, SO
that the soft vegetable matter will decay
quickly and furnish plant food to the
newly started plants, whose roots are
near the surface of the soil.
Green manuring helps sandy land by
making it more retentive of moisture and
by adding humus and plant food.
Green manuring helps clayey land by
making it more open and letting in the
air. The decaying vegetable matter also
produces acids that operate on the chem
ical plant foods to render them available.
Green manuring helps to make chemi-
cal fertilizers more quickly available, es-
pecially the ground rock phosphates.
The effects of green manuring are some
times destroyed by putting on at the
same time too much caustic lime, which
combines with the carbon of the decaying
vegetable matter.
Hogs need clean, pure water as much
as the rest of the stock. See that they
get it.
Perhaps you do not realize it, but the
5ooroet on;rool an your form 10 tho chaan