Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 June 1895 — THE FARM AND HOME. [ARTICLE]

THE FARM AND HOME.

MATTERS OF INTEREST TO FARMER AND HOUSEWIFE. Sorghum Needs More Attention than Corn—Valuable Information in Bee Culture—Secret of Making Good Butter—lmproving Bented Land—Notes. The Sorghum Crop. Sorghum Is usually planted in hills about three feet apart each way, or If the ground is not too weedy, in drills three feet apart, leaving the stalks at the last tblnning abont four tosix inches apart-te-the-row. If the crop Is to be used for sugar or syrup, the stalks should be about six Inches apart In the drill, or about five stalks in the hill. Six or seven stalks could be left in the hill where the crop is to be used for forage. About two quarts of seed of the ordinary varieties are required per acre, when planted in hills, and somewhat more than this amount When sown in drills. Early orange or early amber or some of the other early varieties, says the Country Gentleman, would probably be most sure to give a profitable crop. On land specially adapted to corn or sorghum some of the larger or later- varieties might be grown, as they yield much heavier crops; but if any of the crop is to be cut so early as August, the later varieties will not do. The crop needs considerably more attention at the start than corn, but perhaps less after it is a foot or more high. The growth is rather filow for the first few inches, but very rapid at the- close of the season. The outer glaze on the stalk is harder than on maize, and the stalks should pre-‘ ferably be fed whole rather than cut into short pieces, to avoid risk of cutting the animals about the mouth. The cane, when mature, will stand for a long time without much deterioration In quality, even after a severe frost, provided warm weather does not follow the frost, or alternating periods of warm and cold occur. Sorghum can be made into ensilage, but will not mntu as good ensilage as mature corn, being usually quite sour. Some growers have reported keeping sorghum for many weeks cut and set in large bunches in the field.

Items in Bee Culture. v - Following are questions asked and answered at the National Illinois convention of beekeepers and reported in the American Bee Journal: Is it best to put the colonies on the old stands when taking out of cellar? Most thought It best if possible, though some did not do it. Is the eight or ten frame Langstroth hive the best? About half use the eight and the balance the ten frame fylve. Is it advisable to supersede queens or let the bees do it? Most of the members thought It best to let the bees attend to it, and let the beekeeper watch them, and to supersede when the bees do not attend to it Which is better, thip or extra thin foundation for sections ? Thin. How many use full sheets of foundation In sections? Only one.—Dr. Miller uses full sheets. How many wire brood frames?' And is it best? H, W. Lee thought it was not necessary, while others thought that it was. What is the best section holder? Dr. Miller thought the T super, with a follower and wedge, the best Where a division board is used in the hive, will the bees work as well in the sections over an open space? Not so well. Care for the Cows. When you are not running your cows for all there is in them, are you not making a great mistake? Can yon honestly say that daring the past winter your cows have had the best of care that you were capable ol giving them? Can you say that you have made' the best butter that it was possible for you to make? It not, why not? Have you all the money that you want? Have you all the farming implements that you would like to have? Your cows would help you reach this desired end If yon gave them' the best ears that you eoukl.

There Is no secret in caring for cows or in making good butter, says the National Stockman. Any one can do it If he will only try. It is hard to get out of the way of doing, certain things ia certain ways, but when there is money in getting, then, “let’s git” lit eosts no more to make a pound of batter that will sell for 30’ cents than it does to make a ponnd of butter that we have trouble in disposing of for 10i It eosts less to get a quart of milk from a cow when she gives ten quarts, than when.she- gives five* Why, then, don’t we make her give ten, and make thirtyfive cent butter from, the ten quarts, where we formerly made ten-eent butter from live- quarto? It Is slow work at the bottom, of the ladder, It is rough always under the harrow; but oar cows, if we onty have two or three, wiU help us if wo only give them the proper care.

Thick or Thin Seeding. We remember two experiments in drilling oats which gave exactly contrary results and yet taught a valuable lesson. On the headlands, where the oats were in places twice seeded so os not to make a vacant space, the part where the seeding lapped gave the first year a much larger yield than the portion which had only one seeding. As we were then drilling at the rate of two and one-half bushels per acre, the yield was best where nearly or quite five bushels per acre was sown. But wc forgot that the season was very wet and the land was rich, so that on the light-ly-seeded part much of the grain fell down. Next year we drilled the oats both ways, sowing two bushels each way. The oats came np well, and looked finely until the time for heading out Then a dry spell came and the oat* were a very light crop, Thick or thin seeding depends on the condition

of the soil and the amount of moisture that may probably be expected, in very rich soil thick seeding of grain except in very wet seasons prevents it from growing too rank and the straw breaking down with its own weight— American Cultivator. Improving Bented Lands. " - A really good farmer wiU not leave the farm poorer than he found it, even ■if he only rents instead of owns the land. But in this country every improvement made on rented land goes to the owner of the property, and this fact operates to prevent those from renting who know that their methods of farming make the land more productive. In European countries most of the farming is on rented land, and recently the laws have been ehanged so os to give the occupant who makes improvements a considerable part of their value. This Is reaUy better for both parties. It is not to the advantage of any owner of land to lease it so as to make temporary* profit, but have its value constantly decrease until it becomes too poor fdr anybody to waht to rent it Scientific Tomato Growlnsc. Prof. W. W. Munson, of the Maine Experiment Station, says of tomato growing: “The seedlings started in flats are, as soon os they begin to crowd, removed to three-inch lots, later to four-inch, then to the field. Frequent handling has with us been beneficial. Midsummer trimming has hastened the ripening of the fruit then set. Totash in the soil tends to increase the acidity of the fruit, while phosphoric acid produces a larger percentage of sugar, and nitrate of soda, in small amounts, increases the yield without delaying the ripening. Nitrogen is the ruling element in the growth of the tomato, although its best effect depends upon the presence of a full supply of other elements. The best fertilizers for the tomato are those that hasten growth early In the season. Failure to fruit well is due to insufficient pollen on the stigma. The remedy for this is, on bright days, when the atmosphere is dry, to give each plant two or three sharp taps withal flat or padded stick.

Dairy Farming in Virginia. Mr. R. B. Chaffin, who has a dairy farm of 575 acres three miles from Richmond, Va., detailed his methods and showed how he kept 500 cows on 400 acres of land, says the Cultivator. He has made butter, but is now sell Ing milk at wholesale, getting sixteen cents per gallon for six months, and fourteen cents for six months. He depends largely on soiling, and gets three crops In the season, mainly of rye, German clover and turnips. He has had some difficulty with labor; finds negroes unreliable, Inclined to quit on receiving a month’s pay, and finds a partial remedy in making the month’s payment on the 15th of the next, and enforcing his rule of forbidding more than two to leave at one time. He only employs them for field work, and pays $lO per month. In the bams, he onljr employs whites, paying $1 per month for each cow milked and limiting the number milked by one man to forty. Pruning Trees in Leaf. A great many farmers defer pruning until the trees are in leaf, In order to prevent “bleeding” or running of the sap, which occurs when the pruning is done earlier. It is probable that not much barm is done by this practice, though it is well to know that pruning in leaf is always a great check to vitality and vigor. It should therefore bopracticed only on trees that are making too strong growth and whose wood, is growing at the expense of fruit, There are some very vigorous varieties of apples, which, while young, are better for being pruned while In fuU loaf. The Northern Spy is one of these. It is slow in coming into bearing when the young trees are set on very rich ground and have nothing to hinder woodgrowth. Calculate the Cost of Your Butteiv Do you know how much your butter eosts per pound? A little calculationmay point out better and more economical methods.

Notes. Bitter milk comes from bad feed. The rag weed, which follows a crop of ryo or oats, dog fennel and the like, although but little may be eaten, will: often, impart a bitter flavor to the milk of cows pastured in such a field. Bran is an excellent ration for horses,, especially if fed with cut bay, as it is not as beating as com and contains more mineral matter than the whole grain. Bran and ground oats, mixed, make an excellent combination for summer. When a horse refuses his food it Is a sure indication that something is wrong. It Is better, however, to delay giving any kind of medicine until a few hours have been passed, unless it is a case of emergency, as the cause may be due to some slight ailment that wilL soon correct Itself. The attendant who enters a stable to milk a cow with a pipe in bis mouth is not the proper man to perform that duty. Milking should be regarded as the cleanest and most important work on a dairy farm, as milk mot only absorbs odors, but is also quickly affected by any foreign substance. Plant more peas for a later supply, and use the varieties that are not of the dwarf kinds. The Champion of England la excellent, but not so prolific as some others. If space is not limited more of them may be planted to compensate for sky bearing. The ground for peas should be rich and in fine condition.

Plaster Is excellent in the hills for corn as a starter, and costs but little. It is claimed for It that it attracts both moisture and ammonia, and as it glyes the young plants a green appearance, there is no doubt that It is beneficial in some manner. Its cheapness puts It within the reach of all, and 100 pounds is sufficient for one acre.