1377.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
360 
The Curing of Corn Fodder. 
To cure corn.fodder perfectly, requires care and good 
management—it is too valuable to be wasted in the pro¬ 
cess of saving. The chief 
from molding, on account 
of the large quantity of 
moisture contained in it. 
To get rid of this moist¬ 
ure, there must be an easy 
means of escape for it, and 
good vent lation. These 
may bo provided as fol¬ 
lows : some boards—fence 
boards will answer the 
purpose—are fastened to- 
getherat one end in pairs, 
by a wooden pin passed 
through a one-inch auger 
hole, and by a cord or 
as shown in figure 1. T 
difficulty is in preventing it 
stay-lath about the middle, 
he boards should be notch¬ 
ed to hold rails, as shown in figure 1, or other fence 
boards may be tacked on to them; or panels of loose 
portable fence may be made to rest against them, as 
shown at figure 2. As many pairs of the boards are pro¬ 
vided as may be needed for several stacks, or for one 
long stack; which is probably the better plan. The fod¬ 
der, with the huts outward, is then piled upon each side 
of the range of ventilators as shown in figure 3. A con¬ 
tinuous passage is thus made for air, and copious venti¬ 
lation ; and fodder stacked while quite green will cure 
perfectly well when put up in this way. 
About Guns. 
Until predatory wild animals are extinct, until noxious 
birds cease to destroy crops and chickens, until outlaw 
men cease to plunder, some kind of “shooting iron” is 
needed upon the farm, where, living alone, or without 
assistance close at hand, a dangerous weapon is a “ warn 
off” to cowardly thieves—thieves and mean men are al¬ 
ways cowards. In many cases, a simple cheap muzzle- 
loader or pistol will answer, and good arms of this class 
are offered, (see Nos. 69 and 75, page 407). The modern 
Breech-loaders are of course more valuable. Where game 
abounds, the superior Breech-loaders, (Nos. 68 and 70, p. 
407,) are very desirable-The terms on which the several 
varieties of arms, named above, are offered, will render 
it very easy for any one to get what is desired.Tar- 
{jet Shooting; : So long as people will seek and have 
some sort of recreation, it is desirable to find the best. 
Of the various popular ont-door amusements, rifle¬ 
shooting is the safest and the least demoralizing, 
and the most desirable in some other respects. While 
there are thousands of rifle clubs in our country, not a 
dozen accidents, all told, have been reported, and the 
few that have occurred, have nearly all happened to care¬ 
less outside parties. The regulations of the organized 
rifle clubs render accidents nearly impossible. Hundreds 
have lost their lives, directly or indirectly, from over¬ 
straining on the ball-field. Not less then ten thousand 
persons have suffered severe injuries, contusions, loss of 
sight, broken fingers, etc., in ball-playing. Very numer¬ 
ous cases of drowning casualties, and sickness and death 
have come from boating. In boating or ball-playing only 
a picked 6, 8, or 9 derive benefit from the exercise. In 
the rifle club all take part. The gentler but efficient ex¬ 
ercise of walking, gun-cleaning, and loading, etc., are in¬ 
vigorating. We leave out horse-racing as unworthy of 
being brought into the comparison. Target shooting 
develops steadiness, and no little science and skill, for in 
long-range shooting especially, the barometer, thermo¬ 
meter, gravity, direct and diagonal wind-force, etc., are 
studied. Temperance is promoted ; the target shooter 
soon learns that to be successful, he must eschew alcohol 
and tobacco,or bo very moderate in their use,or his nerves 
are spoiled for such an exercise. As a rule, profane and 
unclean language find little favor at the rifle range. 
Steadiness of aim and fixed attention are cultivated. We 
will not discuss here the silent power possessed by a Na¬ 
tion, which has among its citizens a large force of men 
who can spring to its defence in an emergency, with an 
ability to keep obtruders at a respectful distance from 
their practised aim. Twenty-five expert riflemen in each 
town, amounting to half a million in the whole country, 
would be far more efficient for defence against invasion, 
than fifty regiments of regular soldiers. The latter would, 
cost the nation fifty million dollars a year ; the former 
would cost nothing, or less , for the rifle-practice furnishes 
good amusement, and diversion from lower associations, 
as shown above. This subject was discussed fully by 
us in October, 1875. Some interesting and useful notes 
and engravings on the science and practice of rifle shoot¬ 
ing will be found in the December Agriculturist for 1875. 
Those desiring the best rifles for target practice, or 
long-range shooting, and hunting, will be interested in 
reading Nos. 71 and 74, pages 407, 408 of this paper. As 
there noted, it will be quite easy for a considerable num¬ 
ber of persons, to each secure a good gun without cost. 
Silver Ware Cheap. 
We call special attention to the fine assortment 
of first-rate silver-plated ware, described on page 
402. We know the parties that make it, and can 
recommend it with great confidence. The style of 
the articles is precisely the same as those of solid 
silver. The coating of pure silver is so thick, that, 
with ordinary use, it will last many years, during all 
of which time the articles are as good, and as orna¬ 
mental, as solid silver, and only expert judges can 
distinguish them from solid silver, while their cost 
is far less, and the loss less if stolen. Further, the 
interior is white metal, so that, if by hard and ex¬ 
cessive usage any portion of the thick coat of silver 
should be worn off, it will not show, as on most 
plated ware.—Here then is a chance to get first-rate 
articles, with no risk of having merely silver wash¬ 
ed or thin-coated articles. It will he seen that al¬ 
most any family can get one or more of the articles 
without expense, by simply using a little time and 
skill in exhibiting the American Agriculturist , and 
collecting a few names as subscribers. Every per¬ 
son persuaded to take this journal, we feel sure, 
will be benefited thereby far above its cost. Now 
is a good time to make up a club, and secure for 
home use, or a present, some of these most desir¬ 
able articles, as every subscriber sent in this month, 
whether in a premium list or otherwise, will get 
the paper 14 months for the cost of a year’s sub¬ 
scription. 
What Farmers Must Do. 
At present agriculture is the one flourishing pur¬ 
suit in this country. In the main it will continue 
to be so. But the native wealth in the new soil, the 
organic matter accumulated in centuries past, is 
fast being used up. Even on what have been term¬ 
ed the “ inexhaustible prairie and bottom lands,” 
there is generally a decreased yield of crop. Oa 
the average, with the same culture, a soil will not 
yield, with the same treatment, over half as much 
the third and fourth decade of (10) years, as it did 
the first and second decade. It therefore stands 
farmers in hand, who would he succcessful, to read, 
think, and observe; to study up new modes of 
culture, fertilizing, draining, improved varieties of 
crops, improved implements and animals. He who 
would not fall behind in the race, or who would not 
find his labor less and less remunerative, must in¬ 
form himself. Knowledge is power, is profit. In 
this unusually prosperous year, let every one 
set apart at least a small sum to supply himself 
with books and periodicals concerning his own 
business, for these furnish him with a knowledge of 
the practice and experience of a multitude of 
others, and help him to think and plan better, to 
adopt more profitable methods, varieties of seed, 
animals, etc. The more farmers there are in any 
neighborhood who do this, the more improvements 
and experiments will there be brought under the 
direct observation of each farmer in that neighbor¬ 
hood. For this reason alone it is for the interest 
of every farmer to introduce among his neighbors 
as many agricultural periodicals and books as 
possible ; he is thus helping himself in the imme¬ 
diate future.—In this connection we suggest that 
during this month our readers make an extra effort 
to get up a club of subscribers for this journal, and 
not only take advantage of the offer of the paper 
the rest of the year free to those subscribing now 
for 1878, but also secure for general use one of the 
Farmers’ Libraries offered on page 408. See also 
hints to Farmers and Farmers’ Clubs on page 399. 
Science Applied to Farming—XXXIV. 
More About Ashes as Fertilizers. 
Ingivingreasons of the high value of ashes as fer¬ 
tilizers, I have laid special stress on several points : 
(1.)—They contain all of the food ingredients that the 
plants require from the soil except one, Nitrogen. (2.)— 
By their chemical action they render the inert nitrogen 
of the soil available to crops. (3.)— 1 They also help to 
set free potash and other mineral ingredients of plant 
• food that are locked up in insoluble combinations in the 
soil. (4.)—They improve the mechanical condition of 
the soil. For instance, they make heavy soils lighter, 
and thus provide space for air and moisture to circulate 
through them, and prepare food for plants, enabling the 
roots to make their way to the food more easily, and 
counteract the ill effects of drouth. (5.)—Thus, by 
virtue of what they themselves contain and what they 
enable soils to furnish, they constitute practically a com¬ 
plete fertilizer. (6.)—Hence, like stable and yard manure 
they are fitted for all soils and crops. They are accord¬ 
ingly worth more for general use than ordinary com¬ 
mercial fertilizers such as guano, phosphates, bone, fish, 
potash salts, and the like, which contain but part of the 
list of necessary elements of plant food, and do far less 
to aid crops to economize what the soil itself contains. 
Cl.)— And finally, they are generally applied in large 
quantities, are exposed to scarcely any waste until they 
are used by the plants, and therefore their effect is as 
lasting as it is valuable. 
Plant Food Removed from Soil by Sundry 
Crops. 
In this connection it will help us to notice what 
amounts of the more important ingredients of plant 
food are removed from the soil by various crops, as 
shown in the Table below. It will of course be 
understood that the figures in this, as in the other 
tables, represent general averages. 
INGREDIENTS REMOVED 
FROM SOIL. 
KINDS AND AMOUNT OF 
CEOP. 
Potash. 
i 
3 
Magnesia. . 
1 Phosphor- 
| ic Acid. 
Sulphuric \ 
Acid. j 
§ 
o 
RYE. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
lbs. 
Grain,25 bushels (1.400 lbs.) Straw 
3.500 lbs. 
35.1 
12.9 
6.8 
19.1 
4.1 
OATS. 
Grain 30 bushels, (960 lbs.). Straw 
2,000 lbs. 
22.0 
8.2 
5.0 
9.8 
3.0 
29.6 
WHEAT. 
Grain. 20bushels, (1,200lbs.)Straw 
3,000 lbs. 
25.3 
8.8 
5.7 
16.1 
3.4 
CORN. 
Grain, 50 bush., (2,800 lbs.) Stalks, 
6,500 lbs.. 
72.8 
26.8 
22.5 
51.0 
8.4 
76.0 
HAY. 
Mixed grasses, IX tons, (3,0001bs.) 
39.6 
25.8 
9.9 
12.3 
7.2 
46.5 
POTATOES. 
Tubers, 150 bushels <9,000 lbs,).... 
51.3 
1.8 
3.6 
1.44 
5.4 
80.6 
TOBACCO. 
Leaves, 1,206 lbs.. Stalks, 1,100 lbs., 
dry... 
118 
88 
19 
22.5 
17 
82 
All of these ingredients are regarded as indis¬ 
pensable to the growth of plants. If any one 
is lacking, the whole crop suffers in proportion. 
By continued cropping the supply of some of them 
becomes reduced, and a poor yield follows. The 
chief use of fertilizers is to furnish the plant food 
