Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 April 1892 — REAL RURAL READING [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

REAL RURAL READING

WILL BE FOUND IN THIS DEPARTMENT. Grass and Clover Send Should be Tested— Leaks on the > arm—Cash Profit on Hos. —About Breeding Cattle —Orchard and Garden Hints. Test the Seed.

IT is well to test grass and clover seed, not only to determine if the vitality of the k seed is impaired, \ but also to as- \ certain if it is ft] adulte r a ted I with seeds of / weeds or noxious grasses. Testingshould never -> be neglected, for £» it is the seed not g suspected that C does the harm. K Select a number -A of seeds large

enough to test at least 100. Count carefully. Place the seeds between woolen cloths moistened with tepid water. The cloths should be boiled before they are used, and the plate or pan in which they are laid should be scalded to avoid the growth of fungi or mold. For the same reason, only recently boiled water should be used for moisteniingthe cloths. At least two cloths should be laid upon the plate. Then the seed is distributed over them, and covered with another cloth. If the reader can cover the plate with glass he should do so, as this will retard evaporation and protect the cloths from floating germs. Under these eonditions and a temperature of 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, good -seed will germinate within ten days. Seeds of little vitality W germinate after ten cays, tnit they should mot be counted in the test, as they would probably fail to germinate Hinder field conditions. Seed should not be iused when more than 10 per cent, fails to germinate, if better seed can be produced in time for testing and sowing.—Cincinnati Gazette. A Gate ScHftolrt Br»oket. Make two brackets like one in illustration, and, when you have use for them, insert 2x4 scantling or stout pole, letting the other end rest upon

the ground. This will push your scaffold firmly against the building ■and obviate all nailing. It may be taken down or put up at a moment’s notice. —E. W. Jenkins, in Practical Farmer. Leaks on the Farm. 'There are many leaks upon some farms, and some upon nearly every farm. A few of them are. a lack of .knowledge of the principles of feeding, so that foods are not rightly ■proportioned for the results desired. An attempt to do more than can be •properly done, and a consequent neglect to do work in the proper season. This leads to extra cost for labor to destroy large weeds which could have been easily killed while small, and in future seasons to killing those that spring up from their seeds. It also results in crops not harvested when they are at their most favorable conditions, as the late-cut hay, the frozen vegetables or fruit and other damaged products will testify. The keeping of land which does ®ot, either as pasture, mowing land ■or-woodland, or in hoed crops, pay a fair profit aver the cost of manure, labor and seed, .with fair wages to the farmer, ,is .another bad leak of ■common occurrence. Again, cows that do not pay their keeping for snore than nine months in the year, and horses whose days work during the year does mot amount to as much as their feed costs, are leaks that let the profits run .away very rapidly. When these are all stopped others can be easily named, but these are enough for once.—-American Culti- ' vator. •