Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 July 1896 — THE FARM AND HOME [ARTICLE]

THE FARM AND HOME

MATTERS OF INTEREST TO FARMER AND HOUSEWIFE. ‘ ■ The Beat Green Feed for the Dairyman’s Herd-Barn Basements Not Desirable for Horses—A Hard Prob1/ lem so Solve—Farm Notes. The Cow Pea. It is beginning to be understood that the legumes, such as clover, alfalfa and pea vines, are not only the best green feed for the dairyman's herd during the summer, but among the best for the winter hay, if properly cured. The difficulty of curing the hay of the pea vine has done much to prevent its use for a winter feed among dairymen who have fed it with profit during the summer. We select from one of our exchanges the following plan for the cutting and preserving of the hay from this useful leguminous plant. The practical man who gives us the information says: “After the vine commences to bear, and some of the pods half grown. I take a grass blade and cut the vines some five or s'x inches above the ground. “This work is done after Ihe dew lias dried off and the vineis clear of all the moisturq from dew or rain. While the process of cutting tlie vines is going on, I have prepared a lot-of fence rails—or poles will da I commence a pen. first by flooring it with ra-Ite or poles; I then build it, say two feet high. I then ■fill up the space With the fresh-cut vines as fast as I can. After the space is filled, then I floor again; go two feet high, and fill this space, and continue until I get the pen ten feet high. On the last space I manage .to have it sloped. After you fill the last space cover with boa rds to prevent them from getting wet, and the job is done. No need of handling them any move, not even for feeding.”—Farming News.

Basements Not Best for Horses. The basement barn ought never to be used to keep horses in in summer. It is a cool place, but it is made so by being kept too dark and by lack ventilation. The. odor from tlie urine is constantly rising from their evacuations, and as this contains iHiiefr ammonia it is doubly injurious, first to the health and secondly to the eyesight. Many horses have been blinded by being kept in dark stables, with perhaps a light shintng fro nr-a small window—over—the horse’s head. The fa£t tli;»t the underground stables are unfit for Tibrses somtimes induces farmers to turn their working teams out to pasture during the night. This will more surely weaken a working horse than anything else the farmer can do to him. - It Is a Hard Feo-bleni.- . The average wages paid to each opc—rative in our manufacturing industries was $485 per year, according to the census of 1890, an increase of twothirds over 1860. But the gross receipts from the average farm, witli its stock and Implements worth all told about $3,500, were only S4OB for each operative or mature person who Worked on the farm, a decrease of 15 per cent. The shrinkage in farm values has been more serious during the past five years than the decline in wages. The problem of the times is to even these things up, so that with equitable taxation and strict economy in public expenditure, the chances for a happy life and moderate competence may be as good in country as in city, on farm as in factory. On Pruning;. If trees have been pruned in the fall, winter or spring, the careful orchard--Ist will find considerable work to do during the summer mouths, and should always go armed witli a strong hookbladed pruning knife or a heavy jackknife with a strong blade, when taking a walk through the orchard. In most bearing orchards young trees are planted from time to time as others die and are removed; and it is during the growing months that small trees need the most looking after. Sprouts start out along the stems of small trees, and If allowed to grow will take up most of the nourishment from the roots. The top of the trees will make but little growth and will soon wear a s’ckly look. In windy locations young trees are very apt to get top-heavy on the opposite side from prevailiffg winds and should be kept cut back in Order to preserve the symmetry of the trees. The real time to prune in this country Is whenever anything is found out of position and needs cutting away. The careful orchardist carries, his pruner with him as religiously as a Texas cowboy packs bis gun.—Field am? Farm. Outside Rows of Corn. In almost all grain crops the rows next to the fence are poorer than those toward the center of the field. This is also true of the potato crop, the trampling of horses gt.the end of the rows while cultivating injuring the plants. There is the same kind of Injury with corn, but usually the outside rows have more and better ears than those that have shade on all sides of them. Occasionally, however, on the windward side the hills on the outside row wilt not be so well filled with grain, as the pollen is blown into the field instead of to th&outside rows.. It is not often that an ear is fertilized in large part with the pollen from its own stalk. Nature provides for crossing, and the corn plant mixes more freely than any otlief, when differing varieties are grown near each other. Kaffir Corn. Kaffir corn is receiving much attention in the West. The seed and fodder are valuable as food for stock, aud it is claimed for Kaffir corn that it can endure a dry season much better than corn. At the Kansas experiment station It has been tested for seven years, the average yield of seed from Kaffir being 55 bushels per acre, as compared with 39 bushels for corn, while the average weight of stover was 4.71 tons for Kaffir and 2.41 tons for corn per acre. These results show Kaffir to be a valuable plant, and no doubt it will thrive in tjiis section of the country. 1 Turnips Among Corn. It la a comomn remark among farmers that the turnips sown in summer make their best growth after frost comes. This' is not wholly because the worn is then cut and ceases to shade the'

turnips, nor l« it wtiolly because at this time there are frequent rains which stimulate growth. The chief we think is that so soon as frost stops the growth of corn it ceases to draw from the soil the available plant food which at this season is developed by cultivation very rapidly. Thete is probably no time when the soil contains more available fertility than just when the growth is checked by frost. Most <>f this plant food, if not used by the turnips, would be washed away and test during the following winter. Apple Tree Roots. There is a great difference in the way the roots of apple and other fruit trees run. It Is usually in the same line with their tops. Pear trees naturally spire upwards, and they have roots that strike for the subsoil. A Russet, or Greening apple tree or a Baldwin will have very different roots from a Northern Spy. An experienced nurseryman can distinguish most of the common varieties of apple trees by the peculiarities of their root growth. He can also tell by the way roots grow in seedling trees whether the variety will be likely to be a liberal bearer, or will run mainly to wood growth. The apple trees whose roots run horizontally near the surface are always the best bearers. Hay. B t ecause Alsike clover has finer stems and is therefore easily cured, it is commonly preferred for feeding young stock, as calves and lambs. But it is not any richer if it is as rich as the second growth of clover hay, which also has fine stems. This last is usually dark colored because it is cured late in the season, and its large amount of nitrogenous matter causes it to heat easily, and it is usually partly ferment! ed before it comes to the barn. But though it may look dark colored all kinds of stock will eat it greedily. It Is really more nutritious and therefore better than the bright clover of the first growth cured in midsummer.

To Remove Rnst front Linen. Stains of rust may be removed from finelinenand similar fabrics without injury to the material. The articles must be first well soaped aS If they, were to be washed in the ordinary way- An iron is heated, and on this is laid a wet cloth. When the heat makes the, cloth steam, the rust stain is laid on it, and a little oxalic acid is rubbed on with the finger. The heat and the moisture hasten the effect of the acid on the rust, and when this has disappeared the soaping and washing may be con-, tinned. Perfumed Butter. Perfumed butter is becoming fashionable at breakfast and tea tables in New York. The butter is made up into pats and stamped with a floral design, and is then wrapped in thin cheese cloth and placed on a bed of roses, violets and carnations, arranged in a flat-bot-tomed dish. Butter and Its Farm Value. Butter is the only product sold from the farm which does not share in depleting the soil. Its constituent—carbon —comes from the air into the leaves and blades on which cows feed. Keep the Wood Dry. Every farmer’s wife knows the waste of heat in burning wet or green wood full of sap. There is the same waste in burning coal that has been soaked by snow and rain, though the greater amount of heat that the burning coal sends out makes the loss less obvious. When coal is used for fuel it should always be kept dry until it is ready to be used. The saving of heat by this will well repay the cost of providing the necessary shelter. Tips on Cows’ Horns. The next best thing to dehorning is to fit a metal blunt tip over the horns of cattle so as to prevent the horns from piercing when in play or anger it Is pushed against other animals. These tips can be procured at most hardware stores, and sawing off enough of the horn to make them a good fit is a painless operation that does not require either skill or severe labor. ♦ Packing; Grapes. Grapes should be picked at least twen-ty-four hours before packing, as if packed at once after picking, they settle so that the basket is only about two-thirds full when it reaches the customer. Farm Notes. The Vermont station kills potato bugs with a mixture of one pound Paris green to 100 pounds land plaster, all costing 65 cents, while 100 pounds of patent bug remedies cost $5 and up. It is said that sulphur applied to the shoulders of horses that have collar bolls will cause boils to disappear. It is better, however, to prevent sore shoulders by having well-fitting collars. When the borer gets into a peach tree run a piece of wire into the bore and kill It. It may also be necessary to use a knife, but if so never cut across the tree, but follow the bark up and down. Kindness to stock, besides being right in itself, pays in dollars and cents. A successful breeder of driving horses says his success has been very largely due to the fact that he never allows a blow or a cross word in the stable yard or pasture. Celery should have rich ground, and it is useless to use any but well-rotted manure on the crop. A few rows of celery in,the garden will not be regretted later. One of the best liquids for celery is soapsuds, which seems to give excellent results on both celery and asparagus. - • ’* It is better to cut hay a little too eqrly than to allow the grass to ripen the seeds. When hay is cut at a late stage of its growth more indigestible matter will be contained In it, and what may be gained in its weight is lost by the proportion that is not digested. The quantity of salt that cattle may need must be left to them, for the amount varies with the different foods and in foods grown In different soils; but it must be artificially supplied, because it is an essential constituent of the blood, and because It la lacking In many of the common foods. There is often a difference of mdre than 50 per cent, in the selling price of improved stock over scrubs, yet the breeder of the latter will excuse himself by saying that the scrubs are hardy and less expensive to feed and care for. There is not much to be Mid to such a man. He will get bls own reI ward—in small return*.