Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 May 1879 — Good Tillage. [ARTICLE]

Good Tillage.

Good tillage means fertility, inasmuch that as between good and bad cultivation a well-tilled soil, though of inferior quality, will produce better crops from year to year than a naturally good soil that is cultivated in a slovenly manner. The reason is that air, moisture and the various gases always contained in the air are the great source of the continued fertilization of the earth. The well-tilled soil easily admits these fertilizing properties that are stored up to be absorbed by the roots of plants. One chief means of locking up and also of carrying away the natural fertilizing elements in many parts of the prairie regions of the West is the want of drainage for the land. Soils that indeed dry off later in the season, generally in time to plant corn, remain wet and sodden with water often during April and into May. A little artificial help would render such soils sufficiently dry early in the season. It should be given, either by surface drains, or better with tUe as soon as possible. It will pay. In fact it will pay on such land if only half the area were cultivated. When needed, drainage may be called the true preparation for good tillage. The want pf it keeps the average yield in all such sections fully one-half below what it should be. The present indications would seem to point to a dry season this year in the West. In the trans-Mississippi country and especially in a large section of Kansas and Missouri, it has been so dry that crops have suffered severely. Fortunately the last week has brought them the much needed rain. In all regions subject to drought, deep tillage is the principal means of relief. In regions where too much water falls in the sprihg and autumn, is where drainage is indispensable. Hence we see that the subject of tillage is not only an important one, but pretty broad in its bearing; yet, however rich the soil, cultivation as applied to tillage is the important integer in the production of a maximum yield. In all broadcast crops the tillage must precede sowing. In all so-called hoed crops, the essential point is to force the crop along as fast as possible and as soon as possible after it s appears above ground.— Prairie Farmer.

A ministkk who, after a hard day’s labor, was enjoying a “tea dinner,” kept incessantly praising the ham and saying that “Mrs. Dunlop at hamewas as fond o’ ham as he was,” when the mistress kindly offered to send her the present of one. “ It’s unoo kin’ o’ ye, unco kin;’ but I’ll na put ye to the trouble o’ sending it, I’ll just tak’ it hame on the horse afore me.” Whon, on leaving, he mounted, and the ham was put into a sack, some difficulty w«s experienced in getting it to lie properly. His inventive genius soon out knot. “ I think, mis* tress, a cheese in the itber end w»d mak a grand balance.” The hint was immediately acted on, and like John Gilpin, he moved away with this “balanoe true.’ • A fickpocket taken with his hand in some one else's pocket endeavored to Invefct ail manner of impossible explanations of the phenomenon. “What’s the iise of your trying to lie about it so cldmsuyP” Said the Magistrate, benevolently; “haven’t you a jawyerf” tMaerableneas. The meet wonderful tad marveloua success, 1b eases where perrons we sick or pining sway from a condition of mleerahleilee*, that no one knows what alls them, (profitable patients for doctor*.) la obtained by theme of Mop Bitters. They begim to core from tbe first (lose and keep it up antU perfect health and strength is restored. tag afflicted In this way need not milter, wjjatf-thejfl can iret flop Bitiers. See “Truths" erbs In another column. ' *

New Yoke Crrr is extraordinarily weighted with officeholders. There are 18,000 Individuals drawing salaries from the oity and State, and 77000 who are jmid out of the Treasury of the United