Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 July 1896 — TOPICS FOR FARMEES [ARTICLE]

TOPICS FOR FARMEES

■—’ <, • A DEPARTMENT PREPARED FOR OUR RURAL FRIENDS. Unfavorable Condition of Affairs in the Farmins Industry Is Reported— Dirty Kgifs Will Not Keep—Value of the Harrow as a Cultivator. Condition of the Farmers. Tile statistical report of the departement' of agriculture indicates 'ai rather unfavorable condition of affairs in the farming industry. The exhibit shows the number of head of live stock In Jan. 1, 1895, and again on the Corresponding date of the present year. Every kind of live stock shows a very marked decrease during the year. As between the two exhibits there is a decrease of 4.S per cent, in (lie number of horses, 2.3 per cent. Fn mules, 2.2 per cent, in milch cows, CM per cent, in o\en And other cattle, 9.4 -per cent, in sheep aud 3 per cent, in swine. nr T a decrease of over- 28 per cenMinthe number of live stock in the country in a single year. With' the exception of horses and mates the stock nanieil is all in farmers’ hands, and constitutes not only a very considerable part of their wealth, but is one of their chief means of accumulating property, while they are important in maintaining the fertility of the soil and the production of the farm. Not only does the report show a decrease in*the nutajmr of animals, but a shrinkage in the value-of all except cattle and sjieep, which Average a little, but not mheb, higher. As a rule, surplus of grain, such as there has been in the north western States the last year, makes the price of stock firm, because it is more profitable to feed grain to stock than to sell it at the low prices that abundant harvests generally create. But the indications are that owing to hard times and low prices of grain farmers have had to dispose of such commodities as eould bb most readily exchanged for money to enable'them to pay their debts aud ta'xes. ; 'The showing of the department does not give :r very flattering indication of_agricultural -prosperity,, and without prosperity among farmers and producers there can be no very stable condition of business generally. Dirty EgKB Will Not Keep. lu layiyg down eggs for winter use care should be taken to see that they are perfectly dean. The shell is porous and the odors of any tilth attached—to it quickly peiu-trate to the interior and begin the process of decomposition. It is impossible to keep eggs many months and have them exactly like fresh eggs. The evaporation from the egg robs its of moisture, though this is largely prevented by immersing the egg in lime vvate.r. But all water except that which, has beeh just boiled contains some air. Packing eggs 'in salt will keep them for a short time, and is the easiest and cheapest way for keeping for home use.

Don't Spare the HarroW. The progressive farmer now does most of his cultivating of what used to be hoed crops with the harrow. He harrows before planting and after planting, before and after the crop is up, and keeps harrowing until the cultivator is called in because the harrow can't reach the ground on lyeount of the big growth of the crop. Such use of the harrow would have seared a conservative farmer out of his wits a fe\V years ago, but it means dean Helds and good crops at the minimum cost of labor. Black vs. White Oats. There is a popular prejudice against black oats in this country, owing to a belief that they are more chaffy, and their chaff is harsher than that of the white oat. This is not true, however, of all kinds. We have seen white oats that would weigh within u few pounds as much per bushel as barley, and whose husk was almost as hard as a barley beard. It is the kind of_husk, rather than its color, that the purchaser of oats should look to. It is not a good plan to feed oats unground, especially If they are of the rough, bearded kind. The ground oat will be digested better, and in any eveirf its husk will lie so broken up lu grinding that it will aid perfect digestion, instead of preventing it, as white oats often do. CroesinK Brahmas and Leghorns. The first cross of Brahmas and Leghorns makes a very desirable fowl for farmers' use. They are good layers and are more hardy than the pure Leghorns and also better for the table. But the cross must not be interbred or it will, inherit the poor points of botli strains. The roosters should always be pure-bred fowls, either of the Brahma or Leghorn, according as which style of fowl is best adapted to the breeder's aims. Where there is poor range and I’estricted quarters the Brahma fowls will do Leghorns are an active breed, aud wi|l not dto well when closely confined. Cleaning Land with Buckwheat. Tile quick growth of buck wheat, and Its broad leaf completely shading the ground, tits it to suppress most of the annual weeds. It leas even been said to kill the Canada thistle, but this Is more probably due>fo plowing the thistle* under in .Hine as preparation for the buckwheat than the crop wliich-foMow-ed. But there is a better reason for tlie~ belief that gi-owing buck\ylieat' clears the land of wire Worms and insects that destroy vegetation. There is no insect, that wil eat either the root or stalk of buckwheat, ami sowing it on any piece of laud for two years will kill the wire worms by nothing for them to eat. The Time to Plow Orchards. “Plow before the leaves are out” is the advice generally given by our agricultural exchanges. That is all well enough for trees that are Jn full bearlug and past their prime. Hueli trees need all the vitality they can eomand to pt'rfect their crops. Plowing while the tree is dormant does riot seriously injure it if the plow is, not run deeply ueiir the tree. Tlte cutting off of small roots is easily replaced when the growing season begins. But if the foots ate cut badly after the leaves are out the tree cannot supply sap as fast as the leavcm exhale it, aud'there 11 a consequent check lu growth. This is for young trees that are making too much

wood growth is just whaf is needed, it ( used to be said by,farmers that die buckwheat crop was the best for young orchards. The plowing for that is done in midsummer, and one or two years ot such treatment will always Induce the formation Of fruit buds, and bring the free into bearing. This habit of fruit bearing once formed is continued, unless insects or blight cause the fruit to fail after it is set, and the blight is very largely prevented by liberal use of mineral fiianures. Turnips Arc Exliansttv«».i Turnips are often sown on label "that has borne a ci’op o* corn or potatoes with the Idea that they will grow after frost has killed the main crop, and that thus some profit may be got without cost. But this overlooks the fact that tnniips are a very exhaustive crop, especially of phosphate. In England phosphate, isjjiainly used in growing .turnips which are fed off by sheep, and their plant food is thus returned to the soil almost immediately. In (this way the land is put in good condition ,fer a wheat crop. Here where the turnip crops is always removed, itsi effect is to make the soif poorer for the crop that followS.it. Feed for Moulting Hens. The h£ji that begins to moult is usually fat/ She has stored up flesh for the puiqiose of maintaining her vigor while producing a new coat of feathers. No fat-forming food should be given the moulting hen, as she uses up part of the fat on her body. Instead she should have plenty of nutritious food. There is none better than whole wheat for this purpose, with occasional variations of ground or sliced bdiiij. By hastening the moulting the be gqt lb laying before weather. If they don’t the moulting will probably continue all winter,’ and the egg production will only when eggs are low in price. Shrunken Wheat for Poultry. 'Die very best use of shrunken wheat, some of which will be found in every crop, is-as food for poultry. The grain being shrunken, is deficient in starch, but it has all the greater proportion of gluten, which is the chief element of the egg, while the. outside husks or bran is rich in phosphate, which helps to make the egg shell. The poultry dealer can usually buy shrunken, wheat at a lower price than the perfect grain, while for feeding fowl it is really better for being shrunken. Ke-p Only Good Cows. Good judges of cows are careful of the expenditure. They are economical, and pay a fair price for a choice animal rather than to incur the extravagance of . feeding one That does noTpay. The rule now among experienced dairymen is to keep no cow that will not produce at least three hundred pounds of butter a year. Such a cow may cost more than the average sum usually paid, but she will give more profit in one year than some cows will iu twice that’ period of time.

Honey from Aleikc Clover. Farmers should keep more bees than they <jo. jf they did Alsike clover would be more sown. It the advantage of the common red clover, ihat its honey is within reach of the common bee. It makes a light honey quite as good as from the white clover, and there is never any frtilure-to blossom, asTHdre often Is witlr white clover in time of drought. By cutting some of the alsike before it comes into blossom the time when it blooms may be protracted and thus make the hyneyproducing season longer. An Irrigation Hint. If windmill, irrigation or pond irrigation or any other kind of Irrigation can ever be made to answer the” purpose of giving a small tract of ground on every.farm a good soaking just iu the nick of time between tardy showers in July or August, there can be no question but that even so small a piece of individual enterprise as this would prove of vast public good. Cut Out the Knots. At a recent New York horticultural meeting Prof. Lodeman explained that the black knots of plum and cherry trees produce two crops of spores, one in January and February, and another early in the summer. After that the old knots are harmless. Spraying with Bordeaux mixture is a safe remedy, but the knots should be cut out in the fall and also jn the spring. Farm Notes. Professor Crozier, of Michigan station, after a careful study of the subject, especially recommends broom corn millet for poor soils. It Is inferior to many other crops on good soils, but seems especially. suited to poor soils. It stands drought well. It is the labor that Is the most expensive item on a farm. It l s much cheaper to have a good man at high wages, who can handle the maximum number of iows. than to have a cheap man who can do only half as mueU work. A good farm hand who understands his business saves time aud labor, ‘ If you desire a full matted row of strawberries next spring, work the plants In the row with a hoe, so as to kill the weeds and grass, and then go deep on each side with a cultivato*-. applying fertilizer liberally, so as to have tlie plant food ready for the runners that may be scut out, by' tb,e parent vines. The temperature of the soil regulates, tlie growth of the crops. 'Die farmer ennuot regulate ther-temperature of the atmosphere, but lie can influence that of tlie soil by cultivation. The entrance of air carries warmth and reduces the water in the soil, thus preparing the plant food for use by the roots of the plants. Gooseberries and currants are tlie most neglected of all fruits, receiving but little cultivation, yet they pay well when made specialties. The bushes need careful protection from weeds aud grass, aud should r<>cetve au abundance of manure or fertilizer. which will induce them to produce more and better fruit. If a burdock, at any stage of growth, Is cut below thq surface of the ground and a handful of salt on the cut surface it completely destroys ir. 'Die moisture from the cut dissolves tlie s:Ot, and this,-in turn, helps to rot the root, so that no sprout from It is possible. The earlier this is done’lhe less trouble It will be to cut the root below the surface