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FOL. XIX. \ INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, APRIL 26,1884 NO. 17. . -aw lor tb,Indiana Farmer*-.^-•'-.': '_r ' ABTHICIAL MEADOWS. a,,* The) are Treated in France- Other Agricultural Matters. Ensilage, Fat Stock Show, Etc. BY J. P. T. It Is not more than a century since frsnce bad only one kind of meadow, the iitai-1, snd only one way for rearing kock, pasturage in summer and hay in .inter. Thanks to the cultivation of ar- l.oUl grasses and rotation of crops, the Mirer of the land has been tripled. All iLi-idoned lands became natural meadow, ■ 3d will continue indefinitely so If not [•oken'up. Artificial meadow is laid down [rtfiied number of years, or one year (ten, and sown with selected seeds. A ciftiral meadow demands less care and diets less capital than artificial grass _•_, but the produce will be less.' Cer- iin passes would die out as the mineral ittera they preferred became less, and ier species would in due course succeed. i lsying lands down to meadow, not only :e soil, but the climate should be studied. . moderate temperature and a fair dose of -midity are requisite for the success of _e_dows. Where these conditions do not list, lucem may succeed. • As the condition of soil, climate and hu- iL.ity vary, so will the grasses or flora; ier. are species suited for high, medium _i low lands. For the higher.the grasses ieapore bracing air; aromatic ..plants rill abound there, and so sheep and goats fl thrive. For medium altitudes, the ai will be less dry and the plants more iandant; such pasture is excellent for L-rses. While the third, if not marshy, rill suit black cattle. In marshy land the •;.M will be good, but. the quality de- ::ie-t. The best meadows are situated in ileys below the arable soil. They will •us enjoy the drainings of such land, Lfrebv acquiring food and numidity. Of -.useiand lying on the borders of rivers -.d liable to be inundated,; must remain L'SEFPI. GRASSES. In meadow lands the aim ia to extirpate ii grasses, keep land clean, irrigate at aright season, and carry off allsuper- ,-ondant water. Ourches says that ordi- ■jn meadows contain 42 specimens of ■lieplans; of these, 17 are useful, tHe -Minder worthless or injurious. On ele- ■ttd pasturages there are 38 species of L-ases, of which only eight are useful: in * meadows 25 species and but four use- :!. From experiments made in Bretagne, : results, that in the case of natural mead- is, there would be on high lands three- Mhs loss, and in low meadows six- -renths, if cattle refused to consume all ."grasses that were useless and injurious. TO START A MEADOW. For natural meadows study the grasses :«_liir to the locality; It the land be ■..-.T.brealt up and crop it for a few years, :i'then lay down, sowing aftercorn suit- is seeds, not the sweepings of hay lofts; 'sios ought to be used respecting the in- -4ocUon of n«w Varieties, chiefly tie cause they are new, though they may be natural. Endeavor to have grasses that will come into flower at the same time. Not a few farmers allow the cattle to feed down the aftermath of the first crop; it is better to allow the land to get firm. In winter long manure is spread on the grass and scattered by a light harrow in spring. Mow the first crop of grass before coming into flower, roll frequently, but never let sheep feed thereon for two seasons,or they vjrill bite the heart out of the young clover. And as natural meadows have not only different species of grasses, but these species come more or less forward as the season Is wet or dry, select accordingly. GRAZING. • Lands when grazed produce more many think than when mown. The plants tiller better. The first inch of a blade of grass grows more rapidly than the second and the second more than the third. The sev-' eral short re-growths will in the aggregate surpass the total length of that when mown. • > Never feed bare a field; give it rest, and alternate the animals;.divide the pasture land into sections and graze accordingly; give stock to be fattened off the best bites, and do not torment them with such mixed company as horses and sheep. Indeed the latter ought ever to be suspected, as they are very able" in snatching up the titbits! For cart horses, they are better rested, when fed in the stable on soiling. It is now the custom to spread cracked cake on the sward for fat stock; they pick it up with avidity, and it hastens them for the butcher. A good pasturage ought not to be abused by being fed bare. ■ It should be in harmony with the breed of cattle. The droppings, or clots, should be regularly spread out on the land. It is a good plan to only allow sheep to succeed after cattle; they and horses will eat the tufts and fairy rings that cattle dislike. On ne account let pigs or geese en paddocks; their natural home is a special piece of marsh land. THE ARTIFICIAL. MEADOW. Ibis difficult to know to what country belongs the honor of discovering artificial meadows. Italy claims it from Camille Tarello, whose work appeared in 1566. In any case, it is only recently that the artificial meadow has been called into practical rotation use. Artificial meadows require good seed, good tilth and well manured soil; they are generally sown in spring with a cereal crop, but if rye grass, which grows so rapidly, it is better to sow alone in autumn or after an early crop. The seed selected ought to be precocious, so as to come for the feeding or fattening of animals when the natural pasturage may be late. Artificial grass land is the base of all ameliorating and progressive agriculture. It is most profitable when the grass,cut twice daily to avoid fermentation, ls given to slock in the house. Some farmers adopt the pen system, and in Normandy in the districts of Caen and Cau__ the peg and rope, plan is adopted. A cord eleven feet long is divided into equal parts, passed through oblique holes in a board 20 inches long and four wide; one end of the cord is attached to the sunken peg, the other to the horn or' neck. The rope is thus never entangled nor the animal's legs caught; a sweep of 2>£ feet, or segment of sward is allowed. Thaer al leges cattle give more milk when thus fed than if pastured at large or soiled. For Italian rye grass obtain the best seed; here it comes directly from- Italy. The seeds are brushed in, covered to a good quarter of an inch and rolled. When clover is employed, three or four varieties are selected, as it is rather a fickle plant. A bushel of clover seed weighs 64 pounds and may contain from 16,000 to 54,000 seeds; a bushel of rye grass can vary from 15 to 30 pounds, and one ounce of seed contains from 15,000 to 27,000 grains. ENSILAGE. Ensilage in France is now confined to experiments as to dispensing with silos in masonry, all a matter of dollars and 6ents. The secret of ensilage resides in perfect compression of the mass and exclusion of the air. Thus secured the green forage can be conserved under a shed or in the open air. The first attempts at ensilage failed because efforts were made only to exclude the air. It was M. Goffart demonstrated the necessity of heavy and continuous pressure at tbe same time. Some experiments made at the Agricultural Station of Munster, demonstrate that maize is tbe best forage for ensilage; that the total loss can reach as high as 39 per cent. The proportion of fatty matters augment during fermentation.while those of a non-nitrogenous character diminish. The sugar, gum, dextrine and similar carbon solubles are decomposed and lost in the form of gas, but aromatics and organic acids are formed which compensate the loss. Further, the maize is rendered more palatable and more easy of digestion. THE CATTLE SHOW just held has been very successful, but It must never be viewed as other than a display of fat farm stock, a gathering for the butchers. For breeding cattle it would be ever best to exhibit these apart in a special annex. The display of implements was especially fine, and the bringing together of cylinders for flour mills, instead of the old burr stones, would alone pay the nation for the expense of the show. There was something new in churns and in chaffing machines. The exhibition of farm school requisites was a novelty. The prize ox was a Durham-charvlais, age 32 months 15 days, weight 18>_ cwts. The spine, though it had the curved line of beauty, was not so graceful as if perfectly straight. In sheep the Dishleys won, the three, aged 10 months, and less fleeces, weighed 3% cwts; in pigs the Yorkshires carried off the blue ribbon, the prize, aged 12 months and 15days, weight 5cwt. 191bs. The scholastic part of the show consisted of botanical collections on the part of masters' and pupils of the primary schools where agriculture is taught. There were also exhibited and recompensed specimens of the geology and insectology of tho locality and maps of the districts. Another feature, and which will come better into play next year, was the reports by teachers and pupils, on local systems of culture, manners, customs, habits, wages, etc., of their region. A collection of such documents, handed over to an editor with the patience of a Benedictine to "boil down" and classify, would be worth cartloads of official commissioners' reports, Hitherto the government has rather lent at all the agricultural shows to reward the large agriculturists; so far excellent, for the future rewards will be made to suit the small farmers and their wants, as well as kitchen gardens and laborers' well-kept _ homes. BEET SfflAK CONTROVERSY. Farmers and sugar manufacturers are far from being reconciled on the subject of beets. The fabticants desire it to be plainly understood that their mills exist for manufacturing sugar, and not for preparing pulp. ARBORCULTUBE ' and the replanting of mountains are receiving marked attention. The phylloxera still holds its ground, advancing, not retreating; however, vineyards are being replanted with American stocks, and the foe shows no desire to come back. Those who can do so, intend trying the summer irrigation of the vines. Paris, France. EDIBLE QUALITY OF CABP. Chas. W. Smiley, Esq., editor of the Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission, last July sent out a circular containing 15 questions, covering the whole field of carp culture. The circulars were sent to persons who had received carp from the Commission. One of the questions was regarding the value of the carp as food. Over 600 replies were received, but more than 350 of the writers had not yet tasted the fish. Of those who had eaten them 40 reported them fair to very good, 96 gave them emphatic praise, 39 made favorable comparisons between them and other fish, 19 described them as sometimes soft and muddy, 17 criticised them unfavorably, 31 confined themselves to describing the modes of cooking .the fish they preferred. From this mass of testimony in their favor it is evident the carp are a desirable fish for the table and worthy of extensive cultivation. AGBICULTUBAL BEPOBT. The report of the Department of Agriculture for 1883 has been sent us by Commissioner Loring. It contains nearly 500 pages,divided as follows: Commissioner's report 16 pages, Veterinarian 47 pages, Botanist 50 pages, Entomologist 80, Superintendent of grounds 16, Chemist 55, Statistician 170, Experiments with sorghum cane 22 pages, Forestry 20. The meat question. The volume contains . numerous plates, several of them colored, illustrating diseases of cattle, grasses, insects, etc. This, like most of its predecessors, is an Important document, and would be of great benefit to all farmers who may be able to obtain copies. It would be a profitable investment for the government to provide copies for every township in the country. THE GREAT MUSICAL FESTIVAL. The May festival in Cincinnati will begin on the evening of Tuesday, Slay 20. There will be seven concerts in -all, five evening performances and two matinees, Thursday and Saturday afternoons. The concerts will be under the direction of' Theodore Thomas, who will lead a festival orchestra of one hundred and fifty artists, and a chorus of six hundred and fifty voices. The great festival chorus has bean rehearsing the works for the festival of. 1884 for two years and to-day stands absolutely unequaled in this country and unsurpassed anywhere. ' .-•
Object Description
Title | Indiana farmer, 1884, v. 19, no. 17 (Apr. 26) |
Purdue Identification Number | INFA1917 |
Date of Original | 1884 |
Subjects (LCSH) |
Agriculture Farm management Horticulture Agricultural machinery |
Subjects (NALT) |
agriculture farm management horticulture agricultural machinery and equipment |
Genre | Periodical |
Call Number of Original | 630.5 In2 |
Location of Original | Hicks Repository |
Coverage | United States - Indiana |
Type | text |
Format | JP2 |
Language | eng |
Collection Title | Indiana Farmer |
Rights Statement | Content in the Indiana Farmer Collection is in the public domain (published before 1923) or lacks a known copyright holder. Digital images in the collection may be used for educational, non-commercial, or not-for-profit purposes. |
Repository | Purdue University Libraries |
Date Digitized | 2010-11-15 |
Digitization Information | Original scanned at 300 ppi on a Bookeye 3 scanner using internal software. Display images generated in CONTENTdm as JP2000s; file format for archival copy is uncompressed TIF format. |
Description
Title | Page 1 |
Subjects (LCSH) |
Agriculture Farm management Horticulture Agricultural machinery |
Subjects (NALT) |
agriculture farm management horticulture agricultural machinery and equipment |
Genre | Periodical |
Call Number of Original | 630.5 In2 |
Location of Original | Hicks Repository |
Coverage | Indiana |
Type | text |
Format | JP2 |
Language | eng |
Collection Title | Indiana Farmer |
Rights Statement | Content in the Indiana Farmer Collection is in the public domain (published before 1923) or lacks a known copyright holder. Digital images in the collection may be used for educational, non-commercial, or non-for-profit purposes. |
Repository | Purdue University Libraries |
Digitization Information | Orignal scanned at 300 ppi on a Bookeye 3 scanner using internal software. Display images generated in CONTENTdm as JP2000s; file format for archival copy is uncompressed TIF format. |
Transcript | FOL. XIX. \ INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, APRIL 26,1884 NO. 17. . -aw lor tb,Indiana Farmer*-.^-•'-.': '_r ' ABTHICIAL MEADOWS. a,,* The) are Treated in France- Other Agricultural Matters. Ensilage, Fat Stock Show, Etc. BY J. P. T. It Is not more than a century since frsnce bad only one kind of meadow, the iitai-1, snd only one way for rearing kock, pasturage in summer and hay in .inter. Thanks to the cultivation of ar- l.oUl grasses and rotation of crops, the Mirer of the land has been tripled. All iLi-idoned lands became natural meadow, ■ 3d will continue indefinitely so If not [•oken'up. Artificial meadow is laid down [rtfiied number of years, or one year (ten, and sown with selected seeds. A ciftiral meadow demands less care and diets less capital than artificial grass _•_, but the produce will be less.' Cer- iin passes would die out as the mineral ittera they preferred became less, and ier species would in due course succeed. i lsying lands down to meadow, not only :e soil, but the climate should be studied. . moderate temperature and a fair dose of -midity are requisite for the success of _e_dows. Where these conditions do not list, lucem may succeed. • As the condition of soil, climate and hu- iL.ity vary, so will the grasses or flora; ier. are species suited for high, medium _i low lands. For the higher.the grasses ieapore bracing air; aromatic ..plants rill abound there, and so sheep and goats fl thrive. For medium altitudes, the ai will be less dry and the plants more iandant; such pasture is excellent for L-rses. While the third, if not marshy, rill suit black cattle. In marshy land the •;.M will be good, but. the quality de- ::ie-t. The best meadows are situated in ileys below the arable soil. They will •us enjoy the drainings of such land, Lfrebv acquiring food and numidity. Of -.useiand lying on the borders of rivers -.d liable to be inundated,; must remain L'SEFPI. GRASSES. In meadow lands the aim ia to extirpate ii grasses, keep land clean, irrigate at aright season, and carry off allsuper- ,-ondant water. Ourches says that ordi- ■jn meadows contain 42 specimens of ■lieplans; of these, 17 are useful, tHe -Minder worthless or injurious. On ele- ■ttd pasturages there are 38 species of L-ases, of which only eight are useful: in * meadows 25 species and but four use- :!. From experiments made in Bretagne, : results, that in the case of natural mead- is, there would be on high lands three- Mhs loss, and in low meadows six- -renths, if cattle refused to consume all ."grasses that were useless and injurious. TO START A MEADOW. For natural meadows study the grasses :«_liir to the locality; It the land be ■..-.T.brealt up and crop it for a few years, :i'then lay down, sowing aftercorn suit- is seeds, not the sweepings of hay lofts; 'sios ought to be used respecting the in- -4ocUon of n«w Varieties, chiefly tie cause they are new, though they may be natural. Endeavor to have grasses that will come into flower at the same time. Not a few farmers allow the cattle to feed down the aftermath of the first crop; it is better to allow the land to get firm. In winter long manure is spread on the grass and scattered by a light harrow in spring. Mow the first crop of grass before coming into flower, roll frequently, but never let sheep feed thereon for two seasons,or they vjrill bite the heart out of the young clover. And as natural meadows have not only different species of grasses, but these species come more or less forward as the season Is wet or dry, select accordingly. GRAZING. • Lands when grazed produce more many think than when mown. The plants tiller better. The first inch of a blade of grass grows more rapidly than the second and the second more than the third. The sev-' eral short re-growths will in the aggregate surpass the total length of that when mown. • > Never feed bare a field; give it rest, and alternate the animals;.divide the pasture land into sections and graze accordingly; give stock to be fattened off the best bites, and do not torment them with such mixed company as horses and sheep. Indeed the latter ought ever to be suspected, as they are very able" in snatching up the titbits! For cart horses, they are better rested, when fed in the stable on soiling. It is now the custom to spread cracked cake on the sward for fat stock; they pick it up with avidity, and it hastens them for the butcher. A good pasturage ought not to be abused by being fed bare. ■ It should be in harmony with the breed of cattle. The droppings, or clots, should be regularly spread out on the land. It is a good plan to only allow sheep to succeed after cattle; they and horses will eat the tufts and fairy rings that cattle dislike. On ne account let pigs or geese en paddocks; their natural home is a special piece of marsh land. THE ARTIFICIAL. MEADOW. Ibis difficult to know to what country belongs the honor of discovering artificial meadows. Italy claims it from Camille Tarello, whose work appeared in 1566. In any case, it is only recently that the artificial meadow has been called into practical rotation use. Artificial meadows require good seed, good tilth and well manured soil; they are generally sown in spring with a cereal crop, but if rye grass, which grows so rapidly, it is better to sow alone in autumn or after an early crop. The seed selected ought to be precocious, so as to come for the feeding or fattening of animals when the natural pasturage may be late. Artificial grass land is the base of all ameliorating and progressive agriculture. It is most profitable when the grass,cut twice daily to avoid fermentation, ls given to slock in the house. Some farmers adopt the pen system, and in Normandy in the districts of Caen and Cau__ the peg and rope, plan is adopted. A cord eleven feet long is divided into equal parts, passed through oblique holes in a board 20 inches long and four wide; one end of the cord is attached to the sunken peg, the other to the horn or' neck. The rope is thus never entangled nor the animal's legs caught; a sweep of 2>£ feet, or segment of sward is allowed. Thaer al leges cattle give more milk when thus fed than if pastured at large or soiled. For Italian rye grass obtain the best seed; here it comes directly from- Italy. The seeds are brushed in, covered to a good quarter of an inch and rolled. When clover is employed, three or four varieties are selected, as it is rather a fickle plant. A bushel of clover seed weighs 64 pounds and may contain from 16,000 to 54,000 seeds; a bushel of rye grass can vary from 15 to 30 pounds, and one ounce of seed contains from 15,000 to 27,000 grains. ENSILAGE. Ensilage in France is now confined to experiments as to dispensing with silos in masonry, all a matter of dollars and 6ents. The secret of ensilage resides in perfect compression of the mass and exclusion of the air. Thus secured the green forage can be conserved under a shed or in the open air. The first attempts at ensilage failed because efforts were made only to exclude the air. It was M. Goffart demonstrated the necessity of heavy and continuous pressure at tbe same time. Some experiments made at the Agricultural Station of Munster, demonstrate that maize is tbe best forage for ensilage; that the total loss can reach as high as 39 per cent. The proportion of fatty matters augment during fermentation.while those of a non-nitrogenous character diminish. The sugar, gum, dextrine and similar carbon solubles are decomposed and lost in the form of gas, but aromatics and organic acids are formed which compensate the loss. Further, the maize is rendered more palatable and more easy of digestion. THE CATTLE SHOW just held has been very successful, but It must never be viewed as other than a display of fat farm stock, a gathering for the butchers. For breeding cattle it would be ever best to exhibit these apart in a special annex. The display of implements was especially fine, and the bringing together of cylinders for flour mills, instead of the old burr stones, would alone pay the nation for the expense of the show. There was something new in churns and in chaffing machines. The exhibition of farm school requisites was a novelty. The prize ox was a Durham-charvlais, age 32 months 15 days, weight 18>_ cwts. The spine, though it had the curved line of beauty, was not so graceful as if perfectly straight. In sheep the Dishleys won, the three, aged 10 months, and less fleeces, weighed 3% cwts; in pigs the Yorkshires carried off the blue ribbon, the prize, aged 12 months and 15days, weight 5cwt. 191bs. The scholastic part of the show consisted of botanical collections on the part of masters' and pupils of the primary schools where agriculture is taught. There were also exhibited and recompensed specimens of the geology and insectology of tho locality and maps of the districts. Another feature, and which will come better into play next year, was the reports by teachers and pupils, on local systems of culture, manners, customs, habits, wages, etc., of their region. A collection of such documents, handed over to an editor with the patience of a Benedictine to "boil down" and classify, would be worth cartloads of official commissioners' reports, Hitherto the government has rather lent at all the agricultural shows to reward the large agriculturists; so far excellent, for the future rewards will be made to suit the small farmers and their wants, as well as kitchen gardens and laborers' well-kept _ homes. BEET SfflAK CONTROVERSY. Farmers and sugar manufacturers are far from being reconciled on the subject of beets. The fabticants desire it to be plainly understood that their mills exist for manufacturing sugar, and not for preparing pulp. ARBORCULTUBE ' and the replanting of mountains are receiving marked attention. The phylloxera still holds its ground, advancing, not retreating; however, vineyards are being replanted with American stocks, and the foe shows no desire to come back. Those who can do so, intend trying the summer irrigation of the vines. Paris, France. EDIBLE QUALITY OF CABP. Chas. W. Smiley, Esq., editor of the Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission, last July sent out a circular containing 15 questions, covering the whole field of carp culture. The circulars were sent to persons who had received carp from the Commission. One of the questions was regarding the value of the carp as food. Over 600 replies were received, but more than 350 of the writers had not yet tasted the fish. Of those who had eaten them 40 reported them fair to very good, 96 gave them emphatic praise, 39 made favorable comparisons between them and other fish, 19 described them as sometimes soft and muddy, 17 criticised them unfavorably, 31 confined themselves to describing the modes of cooking .the fish they preferred. From this mass of testimony in their favor it is evident the carp are a desirable fish for the table and worthy of extensive cultivation. AGBICULTUBAL BEPOBT. The report of the Department of Agriculture for 1883 has been sent us by Commissioner Loring. It contains nearly 500 pages,divided as follows: Commissioner's report 16 pages, Veterinarian 47 pages, Botanist 50 pages, Entomologist 80, Superintendent of grounds 16, Chemist 55, Statistician 170, Experiments with sorghum cane 22 pages, Forestry 20. The meat question. The volume contains . numerous plates, several of them colored, illustrating diseases of cattle, grasses, insects, etc. This, like most of its predecessors, is an Important document, and would be of great benefit to all farmers who may be able to obtain copies. It would be a profitable investment for the government to provide copies for every township in the country. THE GREAT MUSICAL FESTIVAL. The May festival in Cincinnati will begin on the evening of Tuesday, Slay 20. There will be seven concerts in -all, five evening performances and two matinees, Thursday and Saturday afternoons. The concerts will be under the direction of' Theodore Thomas, who will lead a festival orchestra of one hundred and fifty artists, and a chorus of six hundred and fifty voices. The great festival chorus has bean rehearsing the works for the festival of. 1884 for two years and to-day stands absolutely unequaled in this country and unsurpassed anywhere. ' .-• |
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