Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 July 1895 — TOPICS FOR FARMERS [ARTICLE]

TOPICS FOR FARMERS

A DEPARTMENT PREPARED FOR OUR RURAL FRIENDS. — . ■ . - ;•> ~~~-m • - Steers Fed inSnmmer Gain Rapidly— V | —Clov«r Should Be Cnt Closely—Heavy Soil Slronld Be Plowed on Edge—General Farm Notes, Feed for Steers la Summer. Steers fed in summer on grain and coarse fodder gained in weight two and a-half times faster than steers at pasture. Charging forty cents per week for pasturage per head made the cost of feed, to produce a pound of live weight about 7£f cents, compared to 8% cents for the soiled steers, including their fodder at full market prices, the Agriculturist. But the manure in the case was worth three and three-quar-ters cents, making the net cost five cents per pound gain. If the manure equals the cost of attending to the fed steers, summer soiling appears to be as cheap as pasture. This is the final result of five years’ work with the steers at the Massachusetts Experiment Station. It suggests the advisability of combining the two methods, by feeding a little cottonseed meal, wheat, bran,, gluten meal or corn meal (whichevr .gives the most actual nutriment for its cost) to the steers at pasture. Increase the ration t.oward fall, so the steers can be quickly finished off whendesired. _ Mow Clovcr Close) y. ’ The less stubble is left at the first cuttiug of the clover the more quickly it will sprout and the larger will be the second growth. In this clover differs from the grasses, which are better for cutting high When clover is lodged It is very difficult to cut it low if the piece is cut around. One side or the other the knives will run With the lay of the clover and only cut off the tops, sometimes cutting through a stalk lengthwise as it lies on the surface. It makes more labor, but it is better for the land to cut and carry a swath, throwing aside the clover so as to make a path without running over it. A still better way is to grow some timothy with the clover. This will make the clover grow less rankly, and the timothy and clover together can be cut better and be cured more quickly than can clover alone.

Plowinsr Flat or on Kdgc, Heavy soil is best plowed in narrow furrows, so that they will not be completely turned, but set on edge. This turns some of the lower part of the furtoyv to the surface, so that when it Is harrowed the upper and lower strata of the soil Yvill be thoroughly mixed. This also insures a greater circulation of air and warmth through the ploYved soil. Running a spring-tooth harrow crosswise through a sod set on edge will not bring the sod to the surface, but will cut the roots and mix them Yvitli the soil so as to make a mellow seed bed. This is nfuch better than thej seed bed which will be made by harrowing the upturned subsoil, brought to the surface by a flat furrow. No matter bow fine this seed bed ffiay be, it cannot.be as rich-aa. that made, oyer furrows turned on their edge.

Southern Corn Not Profitable. Prof. Jordan, of the Maine Agricultural Experiment station, has been making some tests which show the folly of growing the large Southern corn in the northern parts of the country to be cut for fodder or for ensilage. This tail-growing Dent corn makes a great bulk, but the season is not long enough to allow it to ripen. When it is cut in an Immature state analysis shows that the Maine flint corn, which matures perfectly, is worth more than the Southern csrn, pound for pound, judging simply by the per cen. of dry maU ter. It is also shown that the quantity of dry matter in an acre of corn at maturity was two and a naif times greater than it was at the silk period thirty-seven days before, and that the starch and sugars, which are the most valuable compounds, increase more rapidly thau the less important constituents, so that the mature plant is *of better quality than at any previousstage of growth.—Garden and Forest. Knife-Grinders for Farmers, There has been some disappointment attending the use of mowing machine knife-grinders, and in some cases misrepresentation in selling them, says the New England Farmer. No grinder will do good work on an old knife which lias the sections ground to many different bevels, some nearly worn out and others new, without adjusting to each section, which involves too* much time and trouble.

If a farmer will get a good grinder, and, starting with new or nearly new knives, adjust them at the right bevel, and mark the grinder plate so It can be set at the same place any time, he can keep his knives in perfect order with straight bevel and keen-cutting edges. The grinder should be used carefully, and the sections brought lightly against the wheel, which should be of free-cut-ting emery. The temper will not be drawn, and the grinder will pay for Itself many times over.

Corn on Outside Rows. Many farmers plant two or three rows of potatoes on the outer edges of the corn field, so that in cultivating the horse can turn on these without treading down the corn. But the potatoes are worse injured by tills tramping than the corn is, and scattered as they are on these outside rows, It requires extra labor to harvest them. We have noticed also that when corn was planted out to the end of the rows, the outride hills, despite the Injury by trampling, bad more grain in proportion to their stalks. This Is undoubtedly because the outside rows get most sunlight It Is a mistake to plant corn thickly. Three grains in a hill, if all grow as all should, are better than more, for IX four stalks each have au ear the size of the car will

be smaller, and ft will make greater work in husking and handling the crop with little or no increase of grain. Milk Cooled in the Welt. If you are using all ordinary precautions to cool milk, so that yon have none returned sour, thla article will not affect yo'.t, says A. P. Sampson, in the New England Farmer. But if you have not perfected an arrangement toil®* that, this of mine will: I had the blacksmith to make for me an iron cage to fit the size of my well, of old tire Iron—slats of iron on the. Bottom, four circles of Iron on the sides. The top comes to a loop, to hook a tackle to, the double block of tackle is suspended right over the well. When the milk at night has stood one-half an hour in a tub of water (my milkman furnishes cork stopples to Insert in the cans), the cans are put In the cage, which holds ten, and it is lowered below the water. In seven years it has prevented sour nilk being returned. The Iron doesn’t hurt the water any. Making Scrubs of Thoroughbreds. In some feding experiments made by the Kansas Experiment Statiou, the native scrub stock throve better under neglect Ilian did the choicest thoroughbred animals. This was to be expected. If a farmer does not intend to give stock good care and feed he ought not to secure the best. A few years of neglect will undo the work of years that has brought the Improved stock to its present position. There is a natural tendency towards the deterioration of the best, and the conditions that have developed any excellence must be maintained in order to retain It. There Is no use giving a scrub farmer the choicest stock, for he will soon make It scrub in character with himself.

Young Turkeys. The great mortality among young turkeys comes from regarding them as hardy as young chicks. Until the turkey has feathered out, it is easily killed by exposure to dampness. The turkey chicks should have food that will make feathers, which Is just what is needed for making muscle and bone. One of the best feeds for turkeys is cottage cheese made lntfc balls and then dried by mixing It with oatmeal. After the dew Is off in the morning they should have free range, as the insects they catch are exactly what they require to make vlg o-rous, thrifty growth. Poultry for Home Use. There Is not a great deal of difference in the price of meats, and poultry, which Is easily digested, ought to be more on farmers’ tables than it is. The staple meat product used on the farm is pork. That Is always hard to digest, aid if more of the vital energy expanded in digesting pork were used in pushing farm work and planning better methods farming would pay bettei than It does. The ppultry yard should not be regarded as only a means to make more money. If it helps to mak« farm life more attractive it will be no less profitable than If it added directly to the bank account.

Profit in Sheep. Don’t neglect the sheep because they are cheap and wool is low. If th« profit on them Is small, me more need of avoiding losses. A man of geniui may find a profit in sheep, no rnattei what the competition may be. Th« way to compete is to compete so thal the other fellow Is not In your way. Sell what he can’t raise, at least does not, and sell when he has nothing to selb This is business, not theory.— Grange Bulletin. Notes. Green bones, pounded fine, are more suitable for laying liens at this season than grain, and will enable the fowls to produce more eggs than when the grain Is used. I would not keep a cow on my farm that would not earn me SSO a year with butter at 20 cents a pound. Some ol my cows the past year have earned over S6O at the creamery.—Gov. Hoard. A one-acre garden planted to proper crops and properly atteqdcd will produce a large amount of crops at a good profit—much more than any one family would need or could consume. From a dairy averaging fifteen cows S. M. Hood, of Topsham, Vt, shows the following record for one year: Milk, 71,717; butter, 3,358.90. This brought $732.36. Average test of milk, 4.69J4He has also sold $l4O worth of hogs and SSO worth of calves raised ou the skim milk.

A horseman gives the following advice : Avoid the lunkhead horse; breed the best; breed none but the best; breed from nothing but your best, and look out sharp to Improve on the next cross, and whenever your dam is lacking be sure the sire you use is not lacking iu the same point, and if possible, not lacking in any essential qualification. Prof. Crozier, of the Michigan station, from a careful sudy of the subject, especially commends broom corn millet for poor soils and a dry climate, or dry seasons. On good soil and seasons it yields less than several other sorts, but it stands drouth remarkably well, and is better adapted than any other kind to poor soils. Oil is the cheapest substance to use on the farm Just now, as it saves wear of implements. Have several oil cans at convenient points, so as not to be compelled to hunt for one. Neglect to use a cent’s worth of oil may cause a loss of several dollars. Oil also saves labor by rendering the working of the implements much easier. When a young tree does not grow and the leaves are yellowish instead of green, dig down to the roots and endeavor to discover If some insect or parasite is not working under ground. Then dig away plenty of dirt and drench the roots with strong soapsuds, to which should be added a few pounds of unleached wood ashes, or put the ashes in after drenching the roots. It will not injure the tree and may prove of great benefit