The Farm.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 11, 17 September 1874, Page 3

The Farm.

TOP-DRESSING GRASS LANDS.

1 The success or failure of farming operations depend largely upon the mode and time of applying the manure. No matter how applied, manure never fails to benefit the soil, and rarely fails lo benefit the growing crop. But it may be used so that it will do comparatively little good either to soil or crop. In this section most of the rotted manure from barnyards in the Fall is used as top-dressing on wheat. The " patchy" appearance of top-dressed wheat, however, results from an attempt to make a small quantity of manure produce a crop on poor soil. To have the best effect on wheat, manure should be applied on the surface some time before sowing, and thoroughly incorporated with the surface soil by frequent harrowing. But the best farmers in this section apply manure as top-dressing for grass lands and young clover. To produce its best effect clover should have as large a growth as possible, In a large growth the long top-roots strike down deeper, and not only loosen the sub-soil, but bring up the fertilizing mineral elements that have reached down during' years of shallow culture. Even if the clover be cut for. hay the extra growth of roots leaves the land much richer than if no manure were used, and the entire crop ploughed under. A good plan is to apply all the finer and well-rotted portions of the manure to the young clover of this year's seeding, This will be washed down among the roots by winter snows and spring rains, and give the clover an early and vigorous start next season. Manures are much more apt to wash away on wheat fields than on clover, especially if the wheat has a small growth. When I agree that top-dressing wheat is generally bene? ficial, I think it still better to use the same amount of manure on clover. There is a temptation to apply the manure directly to wheat, for tbat is a crop which brings the money most readily. But if this land can be most benefited and after crops largely increased by top-dressing clover, that is the best policy.

Ifc is rare that several loads of " scrapings" cannot be found at this season in barnyards. These should be drawn and spread .on young clover. Even good rich soil from the,. roadside will pay to draw, if not too far. The droppings of cattle and horses should also be knocked to pieces in clover and other pasture fields. There is. greatadvantage in this, even if the field is to be ploughed next summer. Gypsum (or plaster) should always be sowu on surface manured land. It is a specific manure for clover, and though not always uniformalfy beneficial, generally; does enough good to warrant the small expense of applying it.^fW. j. F:, Rochester, N.Y.j ' Profits: of FARMiNG.—Farming was man's first employment,. and as the means of existence for mankind is jde,-; rived, from this ;emplpy ment,, it must of iiecessity be his last ?on^tue ,;l^sfc one to; fail or become jph^ed oufc /The question how is not ir farming is/ a gpodi enoughbußimess3n*»rph s*e.; „htrary> are we gqpd ewpug&ti iaittterft the

s latter is the most dimcuit question tp> ; t answer satisfactorily. There is'atpre-, ,t; sent but -)Uttle.;-KaßQii^for v X'^r^er)t^^ c munuur about the hardships of his ; vi|p _ cation compared Vwi&.'.^j&t 1 he mSgHt q have, done twenty years laj^b.vWetare t not ha^sjj,™ .. comfortable; homes ' a were in o.ux cabins . of gone by,; s nor do we realize sufi^cieipitly how much f more of comfort}, and hiiury we* 'enjoy 3 now than then. vJust iiow! jthere a>a \ fine boots and fewer ibfrw ; heels ■ seen^ ; 1 1 flying oyer' raUfendea t^aii there used' i j to be. There never were so -many aj farmers riding in* carriages or so; many - > j farmers' wives wearing s^k dresses* and ■> 3 so few of therxi running spinning^-. r t wheels as now. On the whole, instead : of farming as a business ,beifl|: at a dis% r count, ft is th,e economy ; a^d^jirift that, *■■ t used to mark, our fathers* ways that ara . placed out and have disappeared j and ' } notv^ithstanding we have lost these yn> - j tues, we yet carry more inaney in our : 5 pockets every month than they could , j gather together in a whole ye^r, v I REy.^ACEtyEN? of Hoop.— rGener? t alljr a, horse that haX lost "$* ho^f byi accident is thought to he beyond re- . covery, an,d a^.^he injury ip exceedingly j painful, the, poor creature i> ■ destrctyecl t at once.' But the natural replacefneht i 'of the hoof seems to be a possible and 5 even probable occurrence under proper . treatment and favorable conditions, j We hear pf a horse in San Francisco. , which/had its hoof torn off hy the wheel { of a dray, and being not only valuable • but a favorite^ it' was determined, ; if . possible, to effect a cure. The horse i was slung for nine days, during which ; time it suffered most acute pain. After this the pain apparently abated, and the horse was lqvyered fo his feet, the . wounded fop.t being well preserved ; from any undue amount 'Of "exertion. , The horn, or hoof, ban now grown two? thirds of its natural size and in a proper shape, and it is hfped that the hoof will i become sufficiently strong to bear a , shoe, and allow the animal to return to , work. The cure has been brought about by humane treatment and con-i ■ stant care. , A machine for drying hay and grain, has been put into operation into Essex, . England. I,t is the invention of a ,Mr . Gibbs, and works (>y passing the newly cut grass through a trough about, four feet long, a strong current: of highly heated air being driven at the same time through the trough against the stream of green gras,a. Thus the grass is dried on exactly the same principle, as fruit or vegetables is some of our most successful drying pr preserving appara-r tus. ' •". ' -"-.'•"*■" Iv the 5 Cincinnati Enquirer 1 - tf a, perplexed farmer's wile" is advised tq, try a variety of remedies for that truta perplexing way which creani som^iiries, , has of refusing to come to butter or to time. First, oats in the feed are blamed* for the trouble, and shorts and yellow corn meal are recommended, as a' subn stitutej.then heating the milk in, the pans upon the stove until nearly boilinois advised ; a teasp^onful of sulphur iv bran every other day for week and once or twice a week is tjien vouched for as a pure ;; . then it was the. milk lja4 sfood.too long befpre churn-: ing, and the limit of 36. hours was fixed ' as the proper time. Then again,r.the vats were- charged with the mischief j and another/ person was certain that; putting a pint qf boiling .water in the churn would *' fix things j" then, again, sulphur was recommended, and, finally, two sympathising ladies advised scald- ; ing the milk. "In the mi|ltiti|4e of „ counsellors there is wisdom," and there must of course he wisdom here, but where it shall- be found, pr in which plan exactly, we fear is a question which.' will leave the farmer's wife still perplexed. . '."'"'*. The farm of Auchfochrach Glenrinnies? near the forest of Glenfiddoch, in Baunfshire, it is hardly necessary to state, is in the Highlands of " Scptland. It is situated in a romantic glen, which is now become historical by reason of the great, supcess of the splendid blackpolled cattle which are there' produced. It was from this glen' that the polled ox came, which, in the Smithfield show of 18?2, beat every other breeds shorthorn included, and that at the early age of three years, at which tender > period; he .weighed 9,400 i pounds* r /Recently Mr. M'Pherson. "of that ilk," sold : six tworyear old beasts of this breed- for 152d015. each. /Besides this the average •: price for two-year olds from the whole; ! : of this 'Highland glen for several years ' past has been from lOOdols.to HOdols. 5 Mr. M'Pherson possesses the-only pure • polled cattle in the glen, hence' the greater values of his stock. Plenty .of milk to begin with, good grass,turnips, and straw are the main materials" of which this fine two-year old beefis made. Surely this is creditable to this not inelegant— if black and hornless—stock. Tlie '.* Flint Globe* a p^per pnbltshed in Michigan says:— "The^ 'li^siature of Massachusetts has lately passed a law fixing a .pound and,a .-half W-itifr.: minimum Weight 'of a dozprj jeggf^ is a move in the right direction, a^%e^ I hope, other States will jfoijoyjr' „ '^j^x I egg from a weU-fed isvheaVier and richer th»h atiiegg-fr^ma^ that is only;£al£fe^ "': this old style of buy^ by number i^tf^6JP^i||^|fi6uld^^ discoQti^d. ■ Jt Jli^ura^e^oy^e^|^ •of hlooderJ a^?fi^^^ta^^^r| ; .^eje4arge;.e^g&;i^^ poultry, ■-\ y :yyyy^::;y:-wx'sx^tx