The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-02-24

Many farmers make the mistake OF
thinkir: lime true fertilizer. VIII l
it acts as an aid in the soil to-, allow
other fertilizers to. work. In this r.
spect 1t might be called an indirect
fertilizer. However, it has small
amount OF real fertilizing value. in
asmuca as many of the crops, clover
and the legumes especially, require it
In their growth. Most soils, though.
contain enough lime for all Plant
needs, when other soil conditions are
right.
A famous French poultry expert
gives a simple and easy way of max
Ing hens lay In winter It is simply
giving the fowls grain that has been
lined. Without showing especial
fohdness for such grain, fowls eat it
all right. This diet is harmless, pro-
vided it is not continued too long.
Wheat Is generally used for this pur-
pose, but barley, oats and corn can
be treated in the same way.
The main Ingredient of wood ashes
is potash. an alkali, which, as all al.
kali. has the power of neutralizing
| acids. Hence the application Of wood
| ashes on our soils corrects the acidity
the same as caustic lime. The ashes
also contain considerable proportion
Of lime, which has the same action.
Nothing Ibespeaks the character OF q
man more than an attractive home, a
| well kept lawn and happy wife and
family and those all represent giving
| attention to the often neglected odds
and ends of our time.
A great many horses are going west
| ward from the corn belt to help de-
velop the industries of the Pacific
coast. Eastern buyers find strong
western competition in Iowa and Mis-.
souri,.
Keep and breed and try some of your
hens that you like, then If they demon
strate superior qualities hold on to
them till they die, even If they run
down to only fifty or sixty eggs year.
| II the SIX million farms in this coun-
try were laid out in one square tract
| they would comprise tract of land al
most half as large as the United States.
or twelve hundred miles each way.
It is an excellent practise to look
ahead and arrange some means where
by the ewes as soon as the lambs are
separated can have a new growth Of
palatable forage to Craze upon.
A tree or plant that has had all
summer to grow in, and has become
we'll established by considerable root
growth, stands a better chance to go
through the winter safely.
The man who cannot milk without
abusing cows has no business In the
cow stable. A kick or blow will retard
the secretion of milk and may injure
the cow for time to come.
The care Of the lambs so that they
do not lose their lamb flesh is in &C.
cord with the feeding of all kinds Of
stock that we wish to prepare In
good form for the market.
Land that has been seeded to Grim.
son clover. and the crop turned, under
has been found to contain twice as
much humus, moisture and nitrogen as
that which has no clover
Flowers in the window speak in an
unmistakable language of interest in
the things that add real charm and
dignity to the daily grind and help to.
make life worth living.
Corn silage may be fed as soon -
the silo Is filed, provided you have cat.
tie enough to eat all that has started
to ferment or heat on top Of the slid
each time you feed.
There are two reasons why sheep
are not more plentiful on the average
farm; fences are not good enough to
hold sheep and the mud is frequently
fatal at lambing time.
| With q nutritious supply of palatable
pasture old ewes can be recruited up
in flesh very rapidly and gotten into
marketable condition before winter
closes in.
An over crowded poultry house does
not mean thrift for any, and especial
ly for smaller and weaker ones, which
are usually the young and smaller
pullets.
The higher price is partly won by
increased weight and partly to SUI
perior quality Of well-covered soft;
feshed chickens.
Progress in farming is an individual
problem from the solution of which
the state, the nation and the world
must benefit.
| Hens that are good layers and that
are fed right will lay up to 40 per
cent right through the first half Of
the 1noult.
Iowa Is in q class by itself as hog
state. Apparently most of the corn
grown in Iowa is fed to its 6,485,000
swine.