Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 July 1889 — FARM AND HOME. [ARTICLE]

FARM AND HOME.

Rotation of-Crop*. No system of farming 1 Is said. U> bo complete that does nbt include grass as one of the crops iu rotation. Green grass makes more beef, more milk. n»nr» wnnl iinrl, young stock than any other food that is allowed, in proportion to cost, as i t is most plentiful at a season of the year when the demand of the animals for supplying warmth and repair of waste is its lowest degree, and also because the animals harvest it themselves by grazing. It is the grazing.. of the grass by the animals that reduces its cost, compared with grain and hay, that aldds to it s value, and . for this reason the farmer can afford to grow grass for his stock alone. But grass performs another function. It adds to the fertility of the soil. A crop of clover sends its rootS’deen —down into the subsoil and appropriates food that is far beyond the reach of surface-feeding plants. This stored fertility, which is just as much beyond, the reach of the farmer as though on a neighboring farm, is transmitted to every portion of the plants, and the substances in time find their way back to the field in the shape of manure. | The farmer, therefore, enriches hi.-, field through the agency of clover by bringing, from below the fertility of the subsoil a:id transferring it to the soil. But there are other sources of fertility to which clover plants apply, ■which is the nitrogen of the soil brought down hv the rains as ammonia or nitric acid, and a large proportion of the nitrogen is stored in the roots, which, when the land is plowed, leaves a large amount of available plant-food grain ~er6p-timtrm:iy follow. Clover, however, draws very little nitrogen from the soil itself, as it prefers potash, but it leaves for the next crop a certain food not necessary for itself, but highly important for grain If a piece of land is kept continually in clover the land becomes ‘clover sick.” , thus ..indicating that- though plantfood exists that is more suitable for grainy- there Is no longer anrnhtnidStice" of that preferred by clover. Hence we find large yields of grain on land formerly occupied by clover, the land, in the course of a few years, by judicious rotation of crops, adapting itself to clover again. By properly rotating crops, making clover, wheat, corn, oats and potatoes follow each other, or by any other preferred system of rotation, the land is given better cultivation, fewer weeds spring up and the soil is not* exhausted ot certain elements at the expense of diminishing its fertility, though plentifully provided with other elements. By rotation of crops the loss of the ingredients of plant food is more evenly balanced, and each crop will yield more than when the land is devoted exclusively to one crop for several successive seasons,--Philadelphia Record.

Depth to Cultivate. There - is a wide difference of opinion as to how deep it is necessary or best to stir the soil in cultivating' the growing crops. There are three items to be secured nt least—the destruction of the weeds, avoiJipg the unnecessary robbing of the soil of available plant food that will be taken up and used by the weeds; mellowing and loosening up the soil so that the roots can penetrate readily: and rendering available plant food that is - already in the soil, but needs the action of the light and air to make it available. If the cultivation is commenced in good season, the weeds are very easily destroyed without the necessity for disturbing the soil more than 2 or 3 inches. If the soil has been properlybrought into a good tilth, as should be done before the crop is planted, it should be sufficiently loose and mellow for the roots to penetrate, without the tuesssa&jf, alter vbe plants hare commenced to grow, of loosening up so that the roots can permeate. To a greater or less extent the natural course of all manure is downward, and, ■ if applied on the surface and thorough cultivationis given? it will incorporate , well with the soil, and the rains will j usually carry the soluble portions suf- ! ficiently deep, so that the roots will jbe able to secure the necessary supply to keep up a vigorous growth. There is another point that should also be considered and that is if the soil is stirred deep there must of necessity be more or less disturbance of the roots. The roots furnish a good ,‘j4er pent, of the food that enables the plant to grow, and if these are disturbed or broken there must of necessity be a lessening of the supply. | It is true that plants, like animals, as a rule, heal all cuts or wounds naturally, and if in cultivating, the root.are cut or bruised the damage will be repaired. There is in addition, an outlay of strength that is unnecessary and could be avoided. Fully as good a growth and yield can be secured by stirring the suildeooand thoroughly in plowing, then working into agood tilth and planting the seed, and then as far as possible, commencing the cultivation In good season, so that only the surface is stirred. This will be sufficient to keep down the weeds, and this is one principal point in cultivation. The work, too, can be done easier and more economically than to stir the soil deep at every cultivation. There may, indeed, be’ times when It Is necessary to stir the soil deep, but

it ;*B the. exteption rather than the rule—Prairie Parmer.

.. —**= — Haymaking and-Care of Meadows. In making *hay. farmers are apt to become too much hurried with drawing in, so that they do not give the htfy time enough to cure, and sweat; honop it beeome» -m , e>wbwfwfer--mmgty~ and discolored. It has been my observation that the best way to harvest hay is to cut ‘barly, so as to secure a good green color. 1 Let the hay lie and have plenty of time to dry; use the tedder, and then rake and cock it. Loading from the windrow is a bad practice. The hay may appear dry after the hot rays of the sun have poured on it five or six hours, but it is so only on the outside, ft should be' cocked up and have time to sweat before it in larger masses. The market,demand hay of good color, and it pays well to use extra efforts to secure such. Hay that is cut early wil 1 bring $2 per ton more-than that cut later and allowed to become yellowish. Though haymaking is important, the care of the meadow is equally if not .more so. It is best to seed with fall crops, at the time of sowing or in ihe s pring. Do not pasture much, and if the meadow is seeded to timothy don't pasture at all, or the meadow will soon- “run out,- Pasturing will cause June grass to start, and there will soon be no timothy. I know of meadows tea to twelve years old that yielded from one and a half to two tons per acre last year. They were never pastured, lasi spring were harrowed, and, where thin, new seed was sown. Every two or three years a quantity of phosphate was sown, at the rate of a lew dollars’ worth,per acre. This enriches the land and gi vesmesroed- gTOWth ofrerr;Tss. - If thefall is wet there will be quite a growth.., after cutting. In spring, where this autumn growth dried, it is burnt overt This warms the ground and gets rid of the old dead grass, which would otherwise bo raked up and spoil the sale of the hay.—American Agriculturist.

Farm Notes. Cow peas may be grown bet ween the hills of corn, as tire same cultivation--for one crop is suitable for the other. Sell the young geese in preference to the old ones. Old geese make the best breeders, are more careful with their young and give a large supply of feathers when plucked. The blackberry is a persistent weed ancFa nuisance if all owedto secure a stand on a piece of ground whore it is not wanted. Every pieo*i of root that is cut off makes a new plant. Keep the burdocks down. —They delight in plenty of food, and a plant of burdock will rob the soil for yat'ds around its base. As fast a* they show their shoots above the ground they should be chopped off. Dig a trench and fill it nearly full, cover with earth, and leave it for your next setting down of asparagus roots. It will have time to decompose, especially if occasionally moistened with soap suds. A dead limb on a tree should never be allowed to remain. The -sooner all limbs and branches that show signs of decay are cut off .the better. The tree will thrive better and the new wood on the oth*F- i> w lions of the tree make more growth. When tha second crop of clover is cut place it aside for. the use of the pigs and poultry next winter. It is chopped fine, scalded, sprinkled with ground grain inrl fnfi HI-.,,,. Hlj— It will save food, and both pigs and poultry will thrive on it. Beets, cirrots and parsnips must be well cultivated at this time, as the warm days will hasten the growth of grass and weeds to such an extent as to crowd out the young plants if the ground is not clean. They should be cultivated after each rain. Give the early sweet corn a thorough hoeing as soon as it is high enough. The first working is the most important as it loosens the soil, keeps the weeds back and gives the plants an opportunity to push ahead before the next crop of weeds can interfere with them. Melons \vilt'^gwnwmapidly-now, and ashes are excellent for them. Scatter the ashes on the surface of the ground, not too close to the hills, and thin out the plants so as to leave only two on the hill. Do not grow melons or pumpkins near each other, as they will hybridize. The Household. Cold tea is the best thing with which to clean grained wood. Never use ammonia for this work. When making frosting in warm weather set the whites of the eggs on ice for a short time before using. To have poached eggs look very nice cook each egg in a muffin-ring placed . in the bottom of boiling water. Carpets should be thoroughly beaten on the wrong side first, and then on the right side, sous to leave it fresh. It is said that the repeated applies tion of oil of cinnamon will cause those ugly excrescences—warts—to disappear. A strawberry omelet for breakfast is a delicious June novelty. The berries are sprinkled with sugar before being laid in the omelet, which is folded , over on" thorn proolaoly as over jelly used in the omelet aui. conjilures. ! Wheat BkEad.—Sift two quarts of flour and four teaspoons of baking powder and a teaspoon of salt; stir up to a soft dough, with cold sweet milk or water; knead but little, mold and

bake Immediately. This bread is said' to be easily digested. Baked Squash.-—Cut the . squash info halves or quarters, according a to size. Remove the seeds, place in a baking pan, the skin side down, and bake until thoroughly done, then re--dmovoTrom the 11 ptmr j T§PnnSle~mEE'"sa'rr and pepper, and spread sweet butter over it. Okra. —A very nice way tq cook it while young and tender is to put the pods into boiling water in which you have put enough salt to give it a' decidedly salty taste. Let it boil for twenty minutes, drain from the water, season with cream, butter, pepper and salt. After taking it from the fire cut the pods into several slices.