Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 21, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 February 1900 — AGRICULTURAL. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AGRICULTURAL.

Foundation Under a Buildiug. It is often desired to put a tight foundation under a barn or other structure, already built. This is a difficult matter, particularly if the building is close to the ground. The foundation should extend down below the frost line. How shall the ditch be dug under the edge of the barn? The illustration, from the New England Farmer, shows an excellent plan: Dig a trench close to the barn, and then dig in under the barn to the required distance to accommodate the foundation stones. Exactly under the edge of the Barn, at the bottom of the wide trench, drive stakes and put down a rough board. Now fill In behind the board with loose stones, put on another old board and continue to All in the loose stones until they stand level with the surface of the ground. The part of the trench outside the boards can now be filled in with earth, packing it down solidly, leaving the old boards where.they are. The flat stones above the ground can then be

(put in and cemented. Perhaps they ,can be put in more conveniently before filling in the outside trench. Rented Farms. There seems to be a lack of system in renting farms in this country. The oauier seems to expect that the tenant Wtu make no improvement to land or buildings, and to recompense himself for the expected deterioration he charges a high rent, and to pay this the tenant must take reverything that he can from it, and expend neither nftney nor labor in making any permanent improvement. lit this way the rented farm soon becomes a rundown farm, and after a few changes of tenants Is likely to be an abandoned farm. It would be well if some one would study the system of farm leasing in Great Britain, where certain improvements Ere to be made each year by the tenant nd certain others by the landlord, and where the farm is kept improving, while, in many cases, generation after generation has lived in the same place, paying about the same rent as they would have to pay as interest, taxes and repairs if they were owners of the farm. When landlord and tenant are each trying to “skin” the other, it usually results in skinning the farm. Jennie Deans.

Cross-bred heifer. Aged 2 years 11 months 2 weeks 2 days. Bred by Charles Kemp, Auchencrieve, Huntly. Property of the Earl of Rosebery, K. G., Dalmeny. Champion of the Scottish National, 28th, November, 1899. AberdeenAngus sire, Shorthorn dam. Weight, 16 cwt. 42 lb. Profit in the Cow. ' , There is a large difference In the profits on cows, even when the same kinds, of foods are given. The majority of dairymen are well satisfied with a cow that w r i|l give as much as ten quarts of milk a day for 300 days, and, allowing fifteep quarts of milk for each pound of butter, she would produce 3,000' quarts of milk and 200 pounds of butter. Many cows do not approach Such yields of milk and butter, but there are cows which give twice as tnuch milk as the quantity mentioned and also produce twice as much butter. The profit is therefore large, because the greater the yield of an animal the smaller the cost proportionately. Growing; Broom Corn. Waldo F. Brown in the Prairie Farmer gives good advice to farmers in saying that they should not begin the growing of broom corn unless they can arrange to grow quite a quantity and hold It for from one to three years for a rise when the price is low. He predicts that when the crop for 1900 is ready for market the price will be below the cost of production. He has known it to sell for S3OO one year and S4O the next, and at the latter price there wSs no profit. It is never good policy to go largely Into the production of any crop the nex’ season after an »ra of klgh prices. .There are so many <% ho will do so that those who try some •ther crop will ho the wiser ones'And

this is more true of perishable crops than of one that can be held over like broom corn. Winter Work. There is but little to do |n the fields during this season* hut the time for planting corn will soon arrive, while such garden crops as onions nnd peas go into the ground very early. If the weather permits the manure should be hauled and spread on the ground before spring, and the application of fertilizer should not be delayed, especially if potash Is to be applied. It Is better to put fertilizer on the strawberry, raspberry and blackberry locations while the ground Is cold than to delay, as to apply too late may cause Injury In some cases. This Is the time for using crude petroleum on fruit trees as a remedy for the San Jose scale, and grapes, raspberries and blackberries shoukl be given attention while the weather is cold. Sometimes the spring opens earl}’, and it will then be too late to cut back the grape vines. The old canes of blackberries should always be removed in winter. The manure heaps should now be worked over so as to get the* materials in as fine condition as possible. Wellrotted manure gives more Immediate benefit to plants than does coarse litter. and the winter is the season for preparing it.

Preventing Freezing in Cellars. There are times when it seems almost Impossible to prevent vegetables from freezing in the cellar. Of course, having doors and windows tight and a banking around the walls on the cold sides does much to prevent this, but when that “coldest day since We can remember” comes unexpectedly, as it does so many times, .the chances are that many are not well prepared for It. A small oil stove, or even one or two lanterns, lighted and burning, will do much to give a warmer temperature, and one or two tubs of water put down there will do nearly as much. The first throw off an active heat'and the water a latent heat. Not. until the water is frozen will anything else freeze there. Set the stove or lanterns on the bottom of the cellar, as heat rises, and see that they cannot set fire to anything.

Foul Seeds. Tests made of seeds by the-United States Department of Agriculture show, among other results, that a lot of fox-tail seed from Germany was only 16.5 per cent pure. It cost 35 cents a pound and was adulterated with seed worth only 10 cents! Of many seeds purchased-la thfe-open market, a sample of orchard gratis was found to be 53 per cent bad; a batch of redtop clover, 73 per cent; a lot of crimson clover, 98 per cent bad, pnd some Hungarian brome grass that failed to germinate at all. It is to be hoped that this investigation will improve the quality offered on the market. Whitewashing Peach Trees. Those who have peach trees will do well to remember that in Missouri they have decided that spraying peach trees two or three times during the winter is an efficient protection for them against the early starting of the buds, and killing afterward by frosts. Use a thin whitewash and cover trunk, branch and twigs, and renew when the weather had washed it off. They say that it makes the fruit but little, if any, later, but makes a sure crop of it, which Is what peach growers most want. Shade Trees. It is not the lack of means that some farmers fail to ornament their farms with trees, evergreens and paint. It costs but a small sum to plant evergreens ;to serve as wind brakes, and they very much beautify a home when placed along the roads. Even around the barnyard, evergreens are useful and are superior to fences on the dividing lines of farms. Cattle in the fields, both in summer and winter, will seek shade and protection, and these and evergreens will serve them admirably. Dairy Suggestions. In the winter keep the cow warm and dry. Never use rusty cans under any consideration. Don’t keep a hard-milking cOw, if you value your time. Always milk as quickly as possible, and do It with clean, dry hands. Cream should be token off the milk while it is still sweet, if possible. Cleqn, bright food, iu sufficient variety, is what is needed for the dairy. Two or three degrees of temperature will make a great difference In churning. Be on friendly terms with the calves from the very first. Talk to them and pet them. Never disturb piilk when cream is rising or the butter globules will sink never to rise again. The good-looking, round-bodied cowls never a good one. The best dairy cow is hardly pretty. , Whenever a cow drinks water that you would not drink yourelf she is robbing you of profits. The cow can have no better fpod than shredded corn fodder, if it is good fodder. or eusilnge. First rinse cans in cold water, the\ wash them In warm water, then scald with boiling water and dry. A cow is both a machine and a very sensitive, delicate organism. Do nos make the mistake of supposing that si# is simply an inanimate machine.—Wesr eru Plowman.

PUTTING IN A FOUNDATION.