Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 March 1896 — FARM AND GARDEN NOTES. [ARTICLE]

FARM AND GARDEN NOTES.

ITEMS OF TIMELY INTEREST TO THE FARMER. Hens Must Scratch for a Living—Does Silage Injure Milk and Butter?—Canned , Meat for Summer. HENS MUJST SCRATCH FOR A LIVING. Of course it is possible to overdo the care of poultry, just as it is possible to overpet a child; but that is uot what is troubling the hen on the American farm. Still, site must earn her living —not only pay for it. but earn it while she gets it; in other words, even though you feed her. let her scratch for it. She needs exercise, the same as does a horse, or your hoy or yourself.—Home aud Farm. DOES SILAGE INJURE MILK AND BUTTER? It is quite certain that the milk condensers refuse to take milk from silaged cows, and some consumers of butter object to a peculiar flavor of butter made from this foo#. But the kiud of silage has much to <fo with this character of the milk. If the silage is sour or moldy, there cntr be no question of its tin tit u css for milking cows. For milk is sure to be contaminated by any unnatural flavor or odor in the food, as is so well known in regard to pi rite in pastures. Hut if one lms a special market for any product, it is wise to consult the requirements of it, and it Is very certain that good grass or clover pasture, or the feeding of fresh soiling crops in the summer and good liny aud •roots in winter, will always make unobjectionable milk and butter, so that it will be wise to avoid any cause of complaint by one’s customers, and supply just what they desire, and not try to opiiose them. That silage-made butter is not so well-flavored as other kinds is well known by experts, stud the difference of market value is some cents a pound; this difference will more than counterbalance toe advantage of feeding silage.—New York Times.

CANNED MEATS FOR SUMMER.

Farmers usually have a plentiful supply of fresh meat in winter when the weather is cold, and by freezing the meat can be kept sometimes for weeks without being injured. But in summer it Is different, and the ration of salt pork or corned beef is apt to become tiresome. It is a surprise that some of the fresh meat butchered in winter is not canned, as it may easily be. Cut it in small pieces without any bone, and cook so thoroughly as to expel all air. Then place it quickly in glass jars that have been slowly heated until they arc nearly as hoi as the cooked food. If this is done and the cans are immersed except their tops in hot water, the glass will not break. Pack the meat as closely as possible In the can, and when tilled cover the top with melted lard and seal the can. The lin'd will protect the meat beneath it from any air that may lie under the lid of Ihe can, and which may have ferment germs. A few cans of fresh meat for use in summer will be quite as convenient as the cans of fruit and vegetables which all good housewives now put up ever summer and fall in greatest abundance. Fresh fruit in the summer is more easy to get in the country than is fresh meat of any kind. -Boston Cultivator.

CARE OF WEAK FIGS. Every spring on the farm there are certain pigs- either not endowed with a fair share of physical vigor, or too numerous brothel's and sisters crowd them aside. They grow weaker and weaker and die, or they become miserable stunted creatures, giving neither pleasure nor profit to the owner. Whether it pays to try to save these weaks pigs depends on the comparative price of corn aud pork. If it will not pay, they should be put out of the way at once, yet many a pig Is killed or neglected that is well worth the little trouble needed to give it a fair start with its mates. The most frequent method of caring for runts is to turn them over to wife or daughter for pets; but a liand-i-alsed pig requires a great deal of care, to say nothing of the chances against its living, when put entirely on artificial food. Try the following plan onee and see if It Is not an Improvement on the “pet pig.” Wlint farmer’s wife isn’t enough interested in the stock to Inspect every new litter of pigs, even if they are of daily occurrence! And she can readily detect the one that is imposed upon by all the rest. Now. suppose she brings a cup of boiled milk aud a spoon, and slips it iuto the pig’s mouth a little at a time (of course the mother pigs are tame, or ought to be); a meal or two a day will help matters wonderfully, and there is not an entire change of food or lack of needed warmth. The weak pig will soon he able to hold Its owu. and it will be by chance if some other pig does not take Its place and need the food. Sometimes the entire litter needs feeding if it is large and the mother young. This is easily done by shutting the sow away from them until the pigs are hungry, then with n pan of milk—always boiled—and a spoon, -feed them. It is awkward work at first, but eaeli one will get a little. Rej>eaf twice a day, and in a week the little fellows will need no shutting up, but will tumble over each other iu their haste to get to the pan.—New England Homestead.

ASPARAGUS IN WINTER. Forcing asparagus for winter use is a very simple trick, and it is surprising bow little of this favorite vegetable Is grown in winter, considering how easily and cheaply it may be grown, writes Gerald Howatt, jr. During Hie winter of 1894-95 we had a constant supply of asparagus from Christmas until spring, grown as follows: The roots (from a strong nine-year-old bud) were allowed to remain in the ground until thoroughly ripened by the frost, and then dug up, great care being taken to get all the large roots, and not break or mutilate them, and not expose them to the air any length of time, as this would injure them very much. Then they are packed In dry soil In an outbuilding, where the temperature would be uniformly cool and even, and from this supply we took our roots,

In number a* required, to the forcing pits, placing the root* or dumps under the heuclie* or tables, where the growing shoots would get but little light. As each dump was put in all the long, coarse roots were ripened out. and good garden soil carefully sifted iu with the hands until the spaces were compactly titled; then the next one was put In, and so on until the plautiug was finished; then about three inches of soil was put over 'all, aud a thorough soaking of liquid manure given. At the eud of ten days we got the first cutting, and gave the bed another soaking of liquid manure. Two weeks later another bed was made to succeed the first one, and after that we made the plautings one mouth apart, and we found that each bed would last about that time. Our I test results were obtained iu a temperature of 45 degrees'to 50 degrees; altove that the shoots were weak and spindling, and the plants soon exhausted. 1 should say that the same results may be attained by using the corners of a moderately warm cellar, or liy putting the roots iu boxes that could be placed any where a 1 tout the house or bursts. Any one having an old asparagus bed can well afford the time required and simre a few of the old roots to make the trial, aud enjoy a great treat in midwinter. Rhubarb may be grown iu precisely the same way, with no more trouble. — Country Gentleman.

RAISING ARTICHOKES TOR STOCK FOOD. A few years ago I planted for the lirst time a peck of improved White French artichokes, merely as an experiment. says ,1. H. Van Ness. Front tills peek of seed I raised about 100 bushels of fine tubers. Part of these I fed to hogs, which fattened readily upon them. Before butchering, however, the hogs were fed a few bushels of corn as a finishing feed. The hogs were thus got ready for market at a very small cost. The following year I raised 1100 bushels of tubers, which were fed as before, with results equally as satisfactory. In addition to feeding theut to hogs, 1 also gave some to colts. In a short time I found that the artichoke was au excellent feed for horses. Milch cows ate them readily, and the How of milk was largely increased. The results of the first two years were so favorable that I have grown them extensively each season since. Last year I raised nearly 1,800 bushels. About half of the crop was dug and is now buried. The remaining half 1 left in the ground for spring planting and feeding. As yet, no Insect, blight or rust has affected the plant, and dry weather seems to be hut slightly detrlI mental to its development. 1 believe [ the artichoke has come to stay. I)urI lag the past five years drouth has been frequent iu tills Slate, but my artichoke crop has yielded me as high as <IOO bushels per acre during that time. The best soli for artichokes is low ground, which is of little value ns a cornfield because of lute frosts. Lind, therefore, which has hitherto been worthless except for hay. may lie utilized for growing artichokes, as frost does not hurt them. Prepare I lie seed ,tlie same as potatoes, cutting to one eye, and plant iu rows three feet apart and 18 inches apart jn the rows. Cultivate us for corn. The met hods of harvesting are varied. They can he dug late in the fall, and placed In a cool, dark cellar or buried, or they may lie left in the ground all winter. A good pin n is to turn the lings Into the field and lot them do their own digging. They will live and be In the best possible condition, and not need a pound of grain fetal. If the ground Is not frozen they will root out all winter, until the tubers become soft in May or June. The tops look something like the common sunflower, aud grow about six feet high. If cut while green, a good fodder Is obtained, which horses cat. about as well as hay. This feed wiih thoroughly tested the present season because of the scarcity of hay. Thousands of acres of tops were harvested and fed. It Is stated that the fattening qualities of artichokes are about the same as those of potatoes. Many people are afraid to plant artichokes'because they think it lmposilile to get rid of them after once olitaiuing a foothold In the soli. 'l'lils Is a false Idea. I The artichoke, like the potato, grows from an eye. Of course it is impossible to dig every one. A tuber left In the ground will sprout aud grow the next spring. All I do to get rid of them Is • to follow the artichokes with any other cultivated crop, and see that none of the plants mature, or turn the whole field under when the artichokes ure a foot high. The old tubers have decoyed by this time, and the new ones are not sufficiently matured to grow,-Ameri-can Agriculturist.