Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1909-06-22

Considering the kind Of a spring we
had this year., there was possibly some
justification for the admonition con
tanned in the April 1 issue of a western
agricultural paper to "beware frosty
bttsv'
A small area of mangel wurzels
might well be grown on every farm, as
they are a highly relished and a bene-
fetal ration for hogs, cattle, sheep and
chickens In the fall and winter months,
when other succulent feeds are scarce.
Dispatches Of a short time ago told
Of a farmer who lost several head Of
horses supposedly from eating silage
that was moldy. While it was not
stated just how this came about, It
would seem to suggest caution in the
use Of silage as a horse ration.
Ohio agricultural papers mention the
significant fact that carloads of silos
are being shipped into the southern
part Of that state. There is many an
other state whose farm papers ought
to contain just such an item, only It
should read northern and southern"
From the very nature Of the cas-
horses do not require as much salt nor
so frequently as do cattle, but they
both need and relish it, and If it is
where they may get it whenever they
want it quite a bit will be done toward
keeping them In good condition.
However good any pasture may be,
it is not what it should be unless it
contains some ORR in which the
dairy cows may seek shade in the heat
Of the day. A clump Of shade trees
fills the bill. If these are lacking a
shed open on two or three sides or all
around will answer the purpose.
Pumpkins do not possess a large food
value, but, like turnips and some other
root crops, are a good system regula-
tor which tends to create a hearty ap.
petite for the regular rations. They are
good for the milk cow, the steer in the
feed lot and the porker. They are
easily raised in the cornfield and are
preferable to a like volume Of weeds.
A whole lot of dairy herds look like
30 cents when they have had a
round with the Babcock tester and
wind up with an examination for tu-
berculosis. The more herds there are
made to look like 30 cents on the
two above accounts the better it will
be for the pocketbook Of the wner
and the health Of the consuming pub
ffc.
In some sections Of Germany COWS
are used with horses in the blowing
operations, the practice being to bal
nee the work Of four COWS against
that Of n horse, giving each cow an
hours work in the forenoon and in the
afternoon. The pillow used cuts a fur
row nine inches deep and eight wide,
and about two and a half days are re-
quired to plow an acre.
There hasn't been a period In the
past fifteen years when grain prices
have ruled al high as they have dur
ing the past two years and when It
was so urgent a matter to weed out
the Improbable cows in the dairy
herd. When corn is rs cents and 9TH
er feeds in proportion the COW which
Is just barely paying her keep is use
less, but when it is so cents a bushel
or better she becomes a good deal Of a
luxury.
Ohio Is in advance Of many other
states In that she has lately passed
stringent laws touching the sale Of
milk. It requires, among other things,
that the cows themselves must be
healthy, that they must be fed whole
some food, that the conditions under
which they are kept must be sanitary
and that the milk must reach a given
standard as to butter fat and must be
free from water or other foreign or in
furious ingredients.
Not every farm hand-and this In
cludes a lot Of pretty good ones-can
successfully adjust and operate the
surface %cultivator, but where they do
get on to the "hang" Of it very excel
lent results are obtained, for not only
do the knives kill many weeds which
the shovel c%ultivators do not, but the
surface soil is left so fine and level
that moisture is more easily conserved,
resulting in an increase in yield of all
the way from eight to twelve bushels
per acre.
There would be considerable benefit
to the horse raisers in any community
If they could agree on the raising Of
some particular type Of draft horse.
Not only could they thus by co-operat-
ing secure higher priced and more per-
feet sires, but the raising Of n breed
would tend to give the community a