334 



THE ILLINOIS E^RMEH. 



Something for Cattle Dealers. 



As this is a great cattle country, and 



oxen are a sort of circulating medium, 



we do not know that we can better fill 



this space than with the following article 



from the Countru Cfentleman: 



Training Steers to the Yoke and 

 To Work. — It is one thing to train 

 steers to the yoke, and another to train 

 them to work — even as knowledge of the 

 theory differs practically from "knowing 

 how" and going through iinth it. As in 

 teaching human scholars, "one thing at 

 a time is better acquired, than a miscel- 

 laneous jumble of information, so it is 

 in teaching steers, and the first object is 

 to train them to wear the yoke and to 

 obey the commands of the dx'iuer. Four 

 Dair of steers can be ti'ained at once, 

 with nearly the same ease as one. The 

 first step is to shut them into a well 

 fenced yard, with an area of from twelve 

 to sixteen square rods, where the driver 

 can stand in the centre and make the 

 steers travel around. They should be 

 kept going in pairs or Indian file, until 

 they Avill allow his approach, until they 

 leai-n to be handled without fear, which 

 is an important rudiment in the educa- 

 tion of an ox. In doing this, the same 

 patience and gentleness should be exer- 

 cised which is expected of the teacher of 

 a school — a patience which never yields 

 to vexation. In a short time they will 

 allow themselves to be yoked gn either 

 side, and can be driven anywhere, in or 

 out of the yard. Four days spent in 

 this way, will better train steers to the 

 yoke, than four months of miscellaneous 

 farm service, and they Avill be better cat- 

 tle for all kinds of teaming, and sell for 

 a higher price. The drilling in the yard 

 should bo continued until they can be 

 driven with ease. To learn them to 

 stand when they are left to rest, they 

 need hitching as much as a span of 

 horses. When steers are trained to 

 drive well in a yoke, the entirely difier- 

 ent operation of training them to work 

 should be commenced. This should 

 proceed by degrees, with light loads and 

 short journeys, until they give evidence 

 of ability as well as knowledge. Oxen 

 can be trained to work with as little ex- 

 pense to the natural spirits of the ani- 

 mal, as the horse; and it sheuld be the 

 aim of everp ox-teamster to train his 

 cattle to work well without discouraging 

 or abusing them. Doubtless many of 

 our farming readers are training steers 

 to the yoke this season. Will they adopt 

 the rule, "one thing at a time,'' and 

 break to the yoke before puttsng them 

 untaught to drawing losds, and after a 

 patient trial report success, or the want 

 of it for our columns. One thing should 

 be remembered — no farmer is competent 

 to manage steers who cannot govern and 

 manage himself. 



Rye — Its Value. 



Rye is not sufficiently appreciated by 

 farmers generally. For winter and 

 spring pasture it has no equal in any 

 variety of grass, affording a full bits for 

 cattle, sheep and hogs, at a time when 

 there is nothing else griien; and while it 

 agords the cheapest food that can bo 

 grown for these animals for several 

 months, it also contributes largely to 

 their health, giving them an early start 

 in the spring, and increases largely their 

 value. Besides the importance of hav- 

 ing a cheap, rich and healthy food for 

 stock, it is of a still greater value to the 

 land on which it is grown. It interferes 

 with no other crop, and besides being a 

 good fertilizer, it renders the soil light 

 and feiablc for the succeeding crop. 



Corn lane that would otherwise re- 

 main naked after harvest, should always 

 be sown in rye in the fall. Land that 

 was the previous summer in corn often 

 suffers much from being exposed to the 

 beating and washing rains of winter. — 

 Tee soil is washed into the valleys and 

 streams, and from beating effects of the 

 rain, and drying wind and sun of spring, 

 it breaks up in heavy clods that hardly 

 become fine during the ensuing summer. 



If the land is not tabe sown in wheat, 

 rye may be sown at the time of the last 

 working of the corn in summer, or what 

 is better it may be deferred until the 

 corn blades begin th dry up and let the 

 sun into the ground, when the seed may 

 be sowd and covered with the cultivator. 



This will afford good pasturage during 

 winter and spring, and the roots and 

 blades furnish manure to the succeeding 

 crop equal in value to t\>entj tons to the 

 acre from the yards and stables for any 

 spring crop that may occupy the land. — 

 Besides this the decaying roots and 

 blades tend greatly to improve the me- 

 chanical texture of the soil, rcndcrinii 

 the subsequent cultivation more easy and 

 thorough. 



Ilye is an fixcellent crop to succeed 

 hemp, jind whether following hemp or 

 corn, after affording a good pasturage, a 

 good crop of grain may be secured, if 

 the land is not wanted for spring plant- 

 ing. 



If our farmers would make the exper- 

 iment of always sowing rye after their 

 corn, when other winter grain is not to 

 be sown, and mark the benefits upon the 

 succeeding spring crops, to say nothing 

 of the value of the pusturage, we think 

 they would never be willing to let their 

 fields lie naked another winter. 



get some one who can. Flat, or nearly 

 level land, requires more care in mak- 

 ing drains, than that which is rolling. 

 No farmer can, in this, copy another, as 

 every farm differs in many features 

 from all others. Some require more 

 and deeper drains than others, and with 

 some, the springs issue from the tops of 

 the hills, and in others at the bottom. 

 This depends on the peculiar geological 

 features of the country. Drain tiles 

 may now be had easily, in many places 

 in this State, and at reasonable rates. 

 They are far superior to all other mate- 

 rial for this purpose. Be sure, in lay- 

 ing tile, that they are laid without any 

 depression, where the water will be sure 

 to repose its sediment, finally filling up 

 the drain. Roots of trees or vines, 

 planted near such drains, are also very 

 apt to enter and choke up. They should 

 always be laid deeper than the frost can 

 reach, during the most severe seasons. 

 Many American farmers err in making 

 their drains too shallow. Don't be 

 afraid that they are too deep. We have 

 never heard of any such. 



When tile draining was first begun in 

 Great Britain, the drains were dug from 

 one foot to eighteen inches deep ; but at 

 the present time, two feet six inches, is 

 common, and even three or four feet. 

 Don't think that because your soil is a 

 stiff clay, the water will not reach the 

 drain, if sunk deep. Did you ever dig 

 clay that was not wet, at every depth, 

 during spring? The size of your main 

 drain depends on the amount of water 

 that is required to pass through it; but it 

 should not be larger than necessary. 

 Two inch tile is generally used for the 

 branches, but when placed near each 

 other, an inch and a half is large enough; 

 but in every case, the size and number 

 of drains should be sufiicient to carry off 

 surface water thoroughly and rapidly. 

 — Ohio Farmer. 



UA'DERMAIMNG. 



Underdrains may now be made, and 

 they should always be put in with ref- 

 erence tt) a general system, for the whole 

 farm. It is best to survey the ground 

 for this purpose, and if you cannot do it, 



ReguIatlo:is for tlie Inspection of New ll'Iuter 

 and Spriii^f Wheat. 



The following pr«-arabli) and Kesolutions werp adopted by 

 tlie Board ofDirrctorB of the Board of Trade of the City of 

 Chic igo at a meetiog rooeutly held at tlieir roonis : 



Whereas, Theqaality of the Dowcrop cf wheat surpaSBes 

 that ofany ef the past ten years, and whureaH the new crop of 

 Sprii g wheat is more uniform iu its character than heretofore; 

 therefore 



if csoh'*-/, By the Directors of the Board of tra'leof theCity 

 of Chicago, That tho grades of wheat bo re-established ai 

 follow b: 



No 1 White Wheat — Theberrytobe plump, well cletned, 

 and free from other grains. 



No 2 White Wheat — To be sonnd but too dirty for Nol 



Nol Ked Whk t — The berry to be plump, well cleaned, and 

 free from other grains. 



No 2 Red Whsat — To be sonnd, buttoodirfyfor No 1. 



KejectedWihter Wheat— Unsound and unmerchantable 

 wheat, and to weigh 45 lb to themeasurfd bushel, 



Nol Spring Wheat — The. berry to be well cleaned, free 

 from ether grains, and to weiith 5S fts to the measured bushel. 



No 2 Spkino Wheat— To be sound Spring Whtat, but too 

 dirty for No land to weigh 52 lbs to the measured bunhel, 



K EJECTED SpniKQ WHEAT— Ml uDHOuiid, uumercliantabl« 

 b'prlng Wheat, and must weigh 45 Iba to the measarcd 

 bushel. 



Hcsnlved, That the abore grades take effect on and after the 

 16th inst. SETH CATLIN, Sec. 

 .•. 



B@" The early May wheat seems to have 

 done better in Central Illinois the present 

 season than any other variety. Information 

 from our farmers on this subject would be of 

 great value. 



