Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 January 1891 — FARM NOTES. [ARTICLE]

FARM NOTES.

It la definitely ascertained that the corn crop of the year u several hun*. dred million bushels short, and higher prices will rule toward spring. Farmers who can hold will doubtless be well paid for doing so. Sheep growers will find it a good rule to retain about 10 per cent, of the best ewe lambs and to sell 10 per cent, of the oldest sheep each year. This keeps up the infusion of “young blood” and steadily enhances the value of the flock. A good ration for cows in the winter dairy will be fifty pounds of ensilage, six pounds of shorts, these divided into two feeds, and five pounds of clover hay fed at noon. Water the cows separately and then you can know that each one drinks liberally. If it does not, then look after it and ascertain the reason, for if it does not drink well the supply of milk will soon begin to faiL - -' ' ' -

The next thing to plenty of good grass for sheep is that they should have free access to salt. If it is not where they can get at it at any time it should be given regularly every day. They are inveterable lickers of salt and it is conducive to their general health to have it freely, It is the best of remedies for scours and other sheep diseases. Do not stint them while salt is so cheap and plenty. A Western lady wrote the witness some time ago, stating that her fowls had indications of what is known as scaly-legs, and asked for a remedy. A poultry authority tells us that when the legs of a fowl are covered with an unsightly, rough cruat, which becomes thicker as the bird advances in age, the time will come when it will walk with difficulty, as the formation of the crust is due to the work of minute parasites which abound in countless numbers, each adding to the crust. Grease of any kind destroys them, and if a mixture of one part kerosence and ten parts cotton seed oil, linseed oil or melted lard be applied once a week, two or three times, the scales will begin soon to soften and finally disappear altogether.--A feat in propagation is chronicled as having recently been accomplished by the Huntsville, Ala., nurseries. In the fall of 1889 they purchased 100 Idaho pear trees which were only one year from the bud, four to five feet high, and more or less branched. The trees were cut down to near the bud, the wood preserved in a dormant state until spring, when they were set as spring buds in strong pear stocks. This wood produced 3,251 buds, of which 3,018 grew. The growing buds, to induce their branching freely, were pinched back to eight inches. From these young trees were cut and set over 65,000 buds, which will make trees from two to five feet high by the fall of 1891.

Apples may be had fresh and crisp the year round by keeping them dry and cool. In a cellar that is well aired, dry and free from mold of all sorts, all that is needed is to place the fruit upon shelves or in shallow boxes so that they do not touch each other. If there is not room enough for this they may be wrapped in soft paper so that there is no contact between them and placed in boxes. If the cellar is not perfectly dry sprinkle in the bottom of boxes or barrels about two inches of dry sand (fire dried is besft) and carefully place a lair of apples on this; then sprinkle in more safid and place another layer of fruit, and so on until the package is filled to within two inches of the top, then cover this with sand to exclude the air, and if the fruit is sound when packed and the sand dry you may eat good apples next July.

- AtTbld sheep raiser of long experience said that he had never lost money by winter feeding when grain was high in price. At such times but few were feeding and by the time his sheep were fattened they brough enough extra price to pay a good profit over the increased cost of grain. The present season will be a good one in which to test this, but in order to be successful the flocks must be very carefully cull-, ed and only the best animals retained and the greatest skill must be used in feeding both generously and at the same time economically. Qood farming wilt come into play here and receive its due reward. One thing is certain, the scarcity of the grain crop will make higher prices for all kinds of meats and for dairy products. The only question with the farmer is whether the increased price will justify the increased cost of production. Secretary Rusk of the department of agriculture thinks that the British government will soon be forced to with draw all restrictions against the importation of American cattle on the ground of alleged unhealthfulness. The secretary says that pleura pneumonia is absolutely stamped out now in this country, and that as soon as sufficient time, in his opinion, ha# elasped since the last case occurred he will make an official declaration to that effect and will strive to convince the British government that the disease does not exist. If that does not procure the withdrawal of restrictions England will at least have to abandon the charge of unhealthfulness of our cattle as jibe cause. The e:forts of the department are strongly directed toward opening foreign markets for our agricultural products, and it Is to be hoped that the secretary may be successful in this work, as a broad, r market means better prices. Among other matters he is trying to make or Indian corn better known abroad. If there was a good export demand for this our product could and would be rapidly increased. At present the amount of our immense corn crop that is not consumed at home is but a mars bagatelle.