Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 April 1893 — HOME AND THE FARM. [ARTICLE]

HOME AND THE FARM.

A DEPARTMENT MADE UP FOR OUR RURAL FRIENDS. Planting and Care of Peach Trees—Ashes Better than Plaster for Corn—How to Protect Young Fruit Trees-Advantages Farmer’s Life. The Peach Orchard. In planting peach-trees care should be taken to give the orchard every advantage to secure a crop and to make the fruit of the best quality and appearance, for the peach is a paying crop when it hits the market just right. The best situation is ah elevated one, as there is less danger of frost. The best soil is one of a warm, quick nature; it should be naturally rich or made so by manure. The peach-tree requires richer soil than the apple, I think; a soil with a large share of potash in it is one of the best. I notice orchards on hillsides do best even though the soil may not be so good. The land should slope to the north rather than south, the brow of the hill being a better location than a steep northern or southern slope. When on a southern exposure a few warm days may bring out the fruit buds, and they be killed by a cold snap. I have observed that orchards on high northern slopes seldom fail. Some may claim to have a richer fruit from southern aspects, nut the orchards on the north do not fail to have fruit of good quality also. The culture of ihe peach is quite simple, but it must be thorough and constant; neither grass nor grains should be allowed to grow among them. Garden crops, I find, may be grown in the orchard even with a benefit, as they are heavily manured and well worked. The finest peach orchard and the finest fruit I ever saw was planted on a rich, warm soil, cultivated and manured every year the same as the corn crop, and kept well pruned. In selecting trees, 1 much prefer a small tree to a large one. I have known some growers to select the largest, thinking thereby to get fruit earlier; hut I believe such persons make a serious mistake in so doing. A tree should be kept headed in, thinned, and well balanced over the trunk—Thos. D. Baird.

To Cure.Crib-Biters. A gentleman living in a village a few miles north has a valuable fi-year old trotting horse, which some time ago formed the very bad habit of cribbing; that is it would chew at the wood of the manger and parts of its stall. Ihe habit grew and grew till he was cribbing so constantly that he lost flesh and did not eat a sufficient»quantity of food. The owner sent a statement of the condition of things to Thomas P. Nightingale and asked him if he could suggest a remedy. Mr. Nightingale thought the matter over and replied “Yes.” He then went, to work at the arrangement described hereafter. He an jjiduHion coil wgund. Tore? ceils of batlely were used. “A flexible cord was Ted from it to the horse’s back under the surcjngle'. The stall was lined with tin where the horse had the habit of cribbing or chewing. The connection was made so that when the animal touched his lips to the tin at any point theelectriccurrent ran through his head and along his back to the spine under the surcingle. This was enough to make him turn away his nose and lips with all the disgust an equine can show. After vain efforts to touch any part of either the manger or stall without getting the dose he gave it up, and the result is the animal is again eating and digestihg his food naturally and has lost his taste for manger aud stall wood.— Utica Observer. Soil Wasted by Winds. Any one who wants to note the Josses of fine surface soil by winter winds can see itclearlv in the covering of snow banks with more or less deep covering of earth which makes them look like piles of mud. When ihe bank thaws away in the spring, this deposit of soil is washed into the grass, giving it a bright, green color insuring a rapid growth. With clover sometimes the deposit is so heavy that the plants are smothered and killed. It pays to erect artificial wind-breaks to prevent the most violent sweep of the winds, and, as a rule, keep the fields that are most exposed to sweeping gales seeded with grass or clover as much as possible, in order to save this loss. The waste is less on low lands, especially if sheltered by orchards or forests on the hillsides to the points whence winter winds usually coma

What It Cost. When one stops and counts up what it does cost to buy these things in the abundance in which they are used when plenty it is truly astonishing. A fiiend of mine told me that last summer the berries his family ofoflve ate on their table (not counting those canned) would, if sold, have brought 650; and it is safe to say that the vegetables were worth at least SSO more. What farmer can afford to pay SIOO in hard cash for these things? And who is there that will say that his fruit and vegetable garden at its best ever cost him more than a quarter of that sum?— National Stockman. Ashes vg. Plaster for Com. It is very seldom that gypsum or land plaster does any good on corn. It has to be used early to get moisture to dissolve it and make it effective. It has the power of-drawing moisture from the air, but in early spring the more moisture there is in the soil the less warmth there is likely to be. Corn needs warmth, and if it gets this early the roots will And the moisture needed to perfect a crop. But on land where plaster does no good for corn, wood ashes are almost always helpful. They, toG, draw moisture, but the first effect of caustic potash is to get up a ferment and thus evolve carbonic acid gas. This is necessarily accompanied with increase of warmth in the soil, just what corn in its early stage of growth most needs. Hen Manure tor the Drill. It is very difficult to get hen manure, however well rotted, fine enough to go readily through the drill. It is much lighter than the commercial fertilizers, ants does not feed so well

through the tubes as do the minerals. The addition of ashes or potash generally gets up a fermentation that draws dampness from the air and thus further obstructs the drill. We doubt whether for any crop a broadcast sowing of rotted hen manure distributing it evenly over the whole surface, is not better than putting it in with the seed. But for broadcasting it should he made as fine as possible, and all the droppings of the hen roosts should be scraped up each day, and all piled in a heap under cover. Protection for Young Trees. To keeD rabbits, mice, and sheep from girdling young fruit trees the best and surest way is to case or wrap them with wire door screening cut in strips wide enough to wrap once around them and thee tie in two places with tarred twine, such as ie used in tying fodder. Or if the trees are not too large take common plastering lath, saw once in two, making the pieces two feet long, nail the pieces together like a box trough, set up round the tree, whmh covers three sides, then put another piece of lath upon the other side and tie in two places with tarred twine. This is much better than daubing with cow manure, rubbing with beef liver or blood, or soap, to be washed off by the rain, making repeated rubbings necessary. This is not expensive and when done is done to stay till taken down. Growing Potatoes Under Straw. About growing potatoes under straw, Judge Miller says in the Rural World: “What I have seen of it, is simply to have the ground rich and mellow. Line out the ground the usual distance, then put in the tubers or pieces as they may be used, just covered with earth. One inch is sufficient Then cover the whole ground with clean straw a foot deep when slightly pressed down, so thick that no weeds can possibly come through.. Then there is nothing to be done until the vines die, then clear off the straw and the praties will be lying hare. It is well to have the ground to slope a little, for in case of a very wet season they will not do so well. ”

Advantages of Farm Life. One of the advantages of a farmer’s life, and,by no means a small one, is the healthfulne'ss of his employment. Statistics show that a farmer’s life is the most healthy of all occupations. The freedom from cares, the outdoor exercise, the moderate Jiving and the absence from those cares which disturb the peace and comfort of other persons, all go to lengthen the farmer’s life. Forty per cent, of farmers reach the age of 70 years, against thirty-five per cent, among merchants,ihirty-three among soldiers, twenty-nine among lawyers, and twenty-nine among physicians. Out of 100 farmers, 10. G per cent, die every year. Originating Now Varieties of Wheat. Wheat is usually self-fertilized, and as Ijees do not come to its blossoms, it is rarely that new varieties are origmatgd. Crossing by depositing pollen from offe variety on another blossom is not difficult jf the time for doing this is known. This can only he learned by practice. It is not best to cross-fertilize varieties that widely differ. The result will probably be a mongrel breed, having none of the best characteristics of either. Bearded varieties should be crossed on those that have most points In common, and the bald whe.its on the same principle. Some of the best kinds of wheat seem to be accidental sports. Suckers on Corn. It used to bo a mistaken practice of farmers to pull off the suckers from corn, but it is not followed at present The suckers were usually thrown upon the ground and wasted, though even if gathered and fed to cows they possessed little nutriment. Left on the corn until harvest some of them will have nubbins or ears and stalks much sweeter and richer than they have early in their growth. Often the sucker furnishes pollen that is needed to fertilize ears on the main stalk that have been belated. Cutting out the suckers In such cases instead of increasing the amount on the original stalk decreases it Evergreens Dying; from Cold. Where evergreens are exposed to sweeping blasts, which denude the ground around them of snow, they often turn brown at the end of the limbs, and sometimes branches entirely die. This is usually caused by deep freezing of the ground. While the snow protection is best; an ice protection is better than none. In cold weather throw a dozen pailfuls of water around the tree and let it freeze on the surface.

All Around the Farm. A small milker Is often a good butter maker. Keep all boards and sticks out of the feed lots. Cooking the food makes it easier to masticate. One must utilize and save all that gets to the barn. Much of the losses on the farm comes from small leaks. With most stock, breeds affect profit more than quality. With all animals cleanliness is a preventive of disease Good stock crops, fertility, and industry are the essential factors in good farming. An abundance of clover, corn, and hogs are good things to have on the majority of farms. When the ground is frozen hard a small lot is the best place for the horses to exercise. Excessive fat, especially on young or breeding stock is too often a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The condition of horses can readily be weakened by making them carry too much surplus flesh. Tastes differ, but if you are making butter to sell you must consult the tastes of your customers. The shortest road to good prices is in having the best articles to sell; this is true of all farm products. One inducement towards keeping stock on the farm is that an opportunity is afforded to keep up the land. The farmer that saves all of the manure possible, will find it less necessary to purchase commercial fertilizers.