cJjuld dj-rops. 
MARKETING VS. HOGGING CORN. ] 
- - ( 
Titk marketing and disposing of the im- | 
men so corn crop grown in the West is one i 
of paramount interest to farmers and, for i 
a starting point, I will say, that it is bad 
economy to ever sell any of it off the (arm : 
without converting it into stork, and there- | 
by saving ail the manure possible; but t he 
writer is Judy aware that in many localities i 
this is hardly practicable, on account of 
the large quantities raised and t.ho want of 
proper feeding facilities, to wit; dry feed¬ 
ing lots, shelter, shade, and good supply of 
water. Probably the largest return per 
bushel is realized from feeding hogs, and I 
am very favorable to “hogging down,” as 
we term it out West; that is, to turn the 
hogs into the field of growing or maturing 
corn, about September 1, the size of the 
field to be in proportion to the number of 
bogs, say 100 hogs to every 10 acres of corn 
that will yield T>0 bushels per acre. When 
this is consumed, fence off another like 
amount, until each hog has consumed about 
16 bushels of corn, which we assume, from 
long experience and observat ion, will make 
150 pounds of pork, gross weight, on an av¬ 
erage lot of hogs. When fed ill this way, 
taking present prices, *4.25 gross weight, it 
will give a return of 20 14-10 ets per bushel. 
This is being done this year, when corn 
hauled off to market is only bringing from 
30 to 10 cents per bushel, which can only be 
done in many instances, at an expense of 
12 to 15 cents per bushel. 
Wo will now proceed to make safe fig¬ 
ures: say you realize only 35 cents per 
bushel for your corn that you turn your 
hogs on to eat down, for you will probably 
have a hog or two to die. One acre corn, 50 
bushels “bogged off,” at 35 cents, *17.50; 
expense, nothing; hauled off to market, 50 
bushels average per acre, 35 emits, $17,50; 
stalks worth for pasture per acre, -SI, *18.50; 
expense of gat hering and hauling to mar¬ 
ket, 12 cent s per bushel, 50 bushels, *0; net, 
$12.50. 
Summary, 50 bushels hogged off, net *17.- 
50; 50 do. marketed, net *12.50 — differ¬ 
ence in favor of feeding to hogs in this way, 
*5 per acre. What a vast sum this would 
make, to Include alt the corn-growing re¬ 
gions— *500 on every 100 acres of corn. 
“But,” says one, “you have not made any 
allowance for salt, and fencing off the ground, 
where it lias to be done, and pump¬ 
ing water, as this will be necessary in many 
localities." True, but this is fur over-bal¬ 
anced by the deposit of manure left on the 
fields by the hogs; which, also, is » grand 
reason for disposing of t he corn crop in this 
way, us none of our ground but will bo 
greatly benefited thereby. I have known 
fields, very much exhausted, made to pro¬ 
duce good crops under this treatment. 
We would advise farmers throughout the 
West to prepare themselves for feeding 
hogs in this way, by digging wells in suit¬ 
able places, where they have not got run¬ 
ning water; and to have some fencing, that 
they can move from place to place, as re¬ 
quired, and thus maintain, if not improve, 
the fertility of their soil. We would add, 
to he sure, to select a good breed of hogs, us 
it will make considerable difference in t he 
income, if you feed inferior stock. 
Now, 1 know many of your "Eastern rend¬ 
ers, who cook corn for hogs in cosy pons, 
and advise feeding hogs on manure heaps, 
will exclaim:— “ Oh, how shiftless! What 
a waste!” But 1 think my thoughts will bo 
appreciated by every farmer in the West 
who rears and fattens 50 hogs and upward, 
where corn is only worth from 30 to40 cents 
per bushel, and labor high; and, although a 
seemiug waste, it is, in fact, scarcely any 
waste at all.—W illow Brook Farm. 
SUGAR BEET CULTURE. 
In a late Rural New-Yorker 1 saw an 
inquiry as to what variety of roots is best 
for milch cows. From an experience of 
thirty years with different root crops, I 
have found none that pays me as well as 
the American Improved Imperial Sugar 
Beet, all things considered. It yields the 
most, feed per acre, is raised and housed 
with less labor, is ahead of most root crops 
from the fact that there are very few fibrous 
roots — quite an item in cleaning. Instead 
of their imparting an unpleasant flavor to 
milk, as is complained of the turnip, I 
think they are a great improvement both 
in quantity and quality of milk. As to soil, 
any land (perhaps green sward excepted) 
that will px'oduco a good crop of corn or 
potatoes, will give a paying crop of beets. 
Still my experience is that the richer the b 
land the larger the crop. 0 
Mode of Culture. —Plow good depth, a 
say any where from eight to twelve inches; c 
harrow fine and mellow. Lay the ground c 
off In fair ridges, from eighteen to twenty- j 
four inches apart; rake down lengthwise so J 
as to leave them about three inches above 
the general surface; plant the seed so that 
when the ground or drill is smoothed or 1 
rolled, the seed will be one inch under 
ground; in fact, they are sown after about i 
the same manner as other root crops. As I 
soon as the rows can be seen, hoe them close : 
up to the beet, but lightly. As soon as they 
are an inch or two high, go through them 
again, and weed out the rows. The great 
secret of raising profitably is the same as 
other small crops, or in fact any crop. Don't 
let the weeds get the start. When the beets 
are from four to six inches high, they should 
he thinned out to one good straight plant ‘ 
to fifteen inches. If the land is quite rich, ! 
they grow large and require room; keep 
them clean from weeds, and it i3 a pleasure 
t o harvest them. 
As the root is half or two-thirds above 
the surface, I go between two rows, taking , 
them by the tops, and when both hands are 
full slap them gently together to remove 
the dirt, break off the tops, and they are 
ready for the cellar, clean and nico. If 
suitable care is taken to keep the tops clean, 
put In snug heaps; they make nice feed for 
cows when grass is scarce and of poor qual¬ 
ity. 1 consider that the tops pay well for 
pulling tip' crop. They should be harvested 
before the ground freezes; freezing to any 
amount, hurts their keeping qualities. I 
got my first seed of Rollin' Lane, Addison 
Co., Vt„ five years ago this winter. I have 
yet t o find the man w ho has produced it who 
has not been satisfied with it as a crop. I 
have fed abouL 2 bushels per day ail winter 
to my stock. I feed to all kinds of stock. 
For sheep, I run them through a root cut¬ 
ter; for cattle, I put them on the bam 
floor, and with a clean shovel or spade, cut 
a bushel iu about a minute; for horses, feed 
whole.—A aron A. Fisk. 
•-♦ ♦ » 
GROWING CARROTS. 
In answer to inquiries about raising car¬ 
rots, I would say, select a piece ofrgbod dry 
land, suitable for corn, either corn stubble 
or greensward. Plow in the fall, if possible, 
or early in the spring. Pulverize thorough¬ 
ly wit h cultivator and harrow. Plow again 
just before planting; manure and work in 
with cultivator and harrow; mark, for seed, 
twenty inches apart, leaving drills two inch¬ 
es deep. Soak soed over night in water as 
hot as the hand can bo hold in; drain and 
mix with dry uslicS until the seed will sep¬ 
arate. Sow about the 10th of May. After 
sowing, brush a little dirt on t he seed. The 
row should be rolled or stamped bard, leav¬ 
ing the spaces between as light and loose as 
possible. The carrots (if seed is good) will 
appear in about ten days, or about two 
weeks sooner than by the ordinary manner 
of planting. They should be hoed as soon 
as they begin to come up. The previous 
rolling iu the row will hold the small plants 
so that the hoe may cut close without dis¬ 
turbing them. Repeat the hoeing in about 
a week. The weeds and surplus carrots 
may now ho easily pulled from the rows. 
Stir the ground often, either with the hoe 
or cultivator, and dig them out with a good 
plow, turning them out every other furrow. 
After twenty years experience 1 think 1,000 
bushels per acre an average crop. 
Otsego Go., N. Y. Henry Howe. 
-- 
FIELD NOTES AND QUERIES. 
Sprouting Potatoes to Advance the 
Crop.—The Germantown Telegraph says: 
“ Sprouting white potatoes will advance the 
crop two weeks. They should be cut. so 
that about two eyes are allowed to each 
piece, and these should be planted in hot 
beds with very thin covering of soil; or it 
is better to plant iu boxes and set these in 
a hot bed. so that after they are properly 
sprouted they can be at once carried to the 
place of planting, if the nights should be 
anyway cohl, protect with thin covering 
of straw when the plants make their ap¬ 
pearance above ground. Some persons 
who want a large quantity sprouted, cut 
t he potatoes as desired, and spread them on 
boards, boxes or crates, in a dark place, and 
when sprouted, say from an inch to an inch 
and a half, expose them to the light, moist¬ 
ening two or three times a week with tepid 
water. They should be planted out so that 
there is not more than two inches of soil 
over the top of the sprouts.” 
Fowl Meadow-Grass on Wet Land.— 
I have got some swamp land that forty 
years ago was an open cranberry marsh; 
but lately it had grown up to a thick growth 
of bushes. Last Summer I cut the bushes 
and burned them off. It is covered with a 
coat of roots and wild grass, and is go soft I 
can easily run a pole down ten foot. Now, 
I wish to ask if any one can tell me whether 
1 cun sow fowl meadow grass seed on it, aud 
have it catch and grow ? If so, where can 
I get Rood, and when sow?—L. A. Bur¬ 
roughs, Geauga Co., 0. 
It will grow; sow at once if water does 
not stand on it. We do not know where 
the seed can be obtained, but presume of 
any seedsman. 
Result of Selecting Corn. — Henry 
Kljperd, Clinton Co., Ohio, sends us a few 
kernels of what he calls “ mammoth yellow 
corn.” These kernels are, certainly, splen¬ 
did. He obtained it, he says, by planting 
large kinds of corn mixed together; then 
selected the finest ears to plant for a num¬ 
ber of years, until lie has what he asserts to 
be “ A No. 1 variety of corn." He selects 
the best ears, and the best grains out of the 
middle of these best ears for planting. 
Applying Hen Manure to Corn.—S. 
Sherman i3 informed that we should mix 
about ten bushels of gypsum, or plaster, 
with the thirty bushels of hen manure, 
and drop a small quantity of it in the hill, 
hauling tho earth slightly over the manure 
before dropping the corn. Or. if you have 
much that has been exposed to frost the 
past winter, mix it in equal quantity with 
the hen manure, aud apply in the hill. 
Bresee’s Peerless Potato planted by 
A. G. T., Factoryvllle, Pa., beside King of 
the Earlleg, Early Mohawks, Early Rose, 
Excelsior and Bresee’s Prolific, No. 4, 
yielded (in 1870) 40 pounds for each pound 
planted, the most prolific of the other va¬ 
rieties, (Excelsior) yielding but 23 pounds. 
In 1871 ho planted 30 pounds of Peerless 
and tho product was 21 bushels. 
Remedy for Cutworm in Corn.—The 
Practical Farmer says:—“ After the corn is 
dropped and covered, and before it is up, 
apply on the surface of each hill, about one 
tablespoonful of ground salt. Unless it is 
carbolic acid, nothing makes worms squirm 
like salt.” 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
Liquid Soap for Cleaning Wool.—An 
excellent liquid soap, for cleaning and wash¬ 
ing raw wool, according to Moser, may be 
prepared by using a kettle in which the 
mass cau he heated, by means of a steam 
tube opening directly into it. Tho kettle 
(holding 150 gallons) is first to be half filled 
with water, which is then to be heated, and 
68 pounds of caustic soda of 42 (B), aud 125 
pounds of oleine added to it. This soap is 
to be boiled thoroughly for twenty or thirty 
minutes with continued stirring, aud is then 
ready for use, forming a very homogeneous, 
so-called, soap-glue, of asirupy consistency, 
and especially adapted for washing wool. 
Should the soap be required for fulling, an 
addition of some aiumoniaeal salt will be of 
advantage, to be introduced immediately 
before using. Instead of eaustio soda, which 
it is sometimes difficult to obtain, we may 
use ordinary soda salt, which is to be ren¬ 
dered caustic by leaching through freshly 
burned and slightly moistened lime. Even 
ordinary potash tye, obtained from ashes, 
mixed with fresh quicklime, cau be em¬ 
ployed iu this preparation. 
Foot-Rot in Slieop.—I have tried this 
with success:—Whenever the disease ap¬ 
pears let the feet be washed aud the hoof 
pared off as much as possible (aud not cause 
it to bleed), and let the sheep stand upon a 
dry stable lloor, sprinkled with lime, for 
four hours. After this keep them in a dry 
pasture, and there will be no further dan¬ 
ger. 
Or, after the foot has been pared, apply 
spirits of turpentine and blue vitriol, iu 
equal parts, bind a cloth over the foot, aud 
let it remain four days. Sheep that are dis¬ 
eased should be kept separate from the 
flock, as tho disorder is infectious.—E. F. 
W., Hardin Co., Iowa. 
Ewe with Diseased Tail.—I have a 
ewe in my possession which has got a hard 
substance in her tail, win eh appears like a 
worm to me. Tier tail, which was formerly 
fat, has dwindled away to almost nothing. 
It also causes her to scratch very much. 
Will you or some of your readers tell me 
the cause of it, and what will help it?—W. 
II. H., Newburgh, N. Y. 
FARMER GARRULOUS TALKS. 
Ought a man to be knighted who sug¬ 
gests something new, Mr. Editor? At any 
rate, it strikes me I have something new. 
Every man and woman loves distinction— 
don’t they ?—of some sort. How hard men 
will work to get the prefix “ Hon.” before 
and A. M., D. D., LL. D., etc., for a suffix 
to their names. Don’t we poor plodding 
farmers need some such professional stimu¬ 
lant, I wonder? I believe so! Look how 
Emperor William of Germany is distribut¬ 
ing his cast-iron crosses to his soldiers. 
True, they arc of no intrinsic value, since 
iron is so cheap! But they mean something. 
Look at the significance attached to a simple 
ribbon worn in some of tho courts of Europe. 
They are passports to favor when worn— 
they are insignia of tho distinction of their 
wearers as doers. 
Now, why should not the Government, 
through the Department of Agriculture, or 
the respective States through their respect¬ 
ive Boards of Agriculture, distinguish Agri¬ 
culturists who really merit it or who may 
hereafter reach, or rise above, a fixed 
standard of excellence, by some such in¬ 
signia? Wouldn’t it be better than giving 
medals to stallions and bulls, and diplomas 
to washing machines and churns? Shouldn’t 
we honor men for what they do, pro bona 
publico , rather than attach blue, red, yel¬ 
low and white ribbons to cows’ horns, long 
carrots, beehives and butter tubs? These 
last are gett ing to mean little, because they 
are too easily obtained. Let US devise 
something worth working for, and for which 
whoever wins must work! 
My Hired Man. 
His name is John. lie is a model. He 
can be trusted to put up bars, or shut a 
gate, or put a tool in its place, or pick up a 
piece of board, a fence stake, a rail, aud set 
it up where it will uot be in the way; or to 
milk a cow without bawling at, or kicking, 
or pounding her with a milking stool; or to 
plow, with an excitable team, a stony, 
stumpy piece of laud, without jerking or 
screeching at the horses, or tearing tho 
plow to pieces; or to saw a hoard, without 
running the saw into an old nail; or to plow 
an orchard, without Larking the trees; or 
to drivo a mower without falling off his seat, 
and losing a limb in the midst of bay har¬ 
vest; or to pass under my specimen pear 
trees, and among my specimen grape vines, 
without plucking the fruit 1 want saved; or 
to plow the garden without rooting up my 
wife’s favorite dill, or uiy daughter’s patch 
of pansies; or to pitch manure all day with¬ 
out breaking my ruvorlte fork; or to haul 
manure, without running the wagon over 
and breaking my lioo handles; or to plow 
corn without destroying two or throe rows 
in turning; or to feed my pigs and calves at 
the right time, aud t he right quantity, when 
I am absent; or to do his level best at any 
work I set him at, even if my eye Is nut on 
him; or to wait on the women folk without 
scowling or grumbling; or to wash tho 
wagou, and grease it, when it needs it; or 
to put tiie right harness iu the right place; 
or to drive a nail where aud when it needs 
to be driven, and fasten a nut when it is 
loose; or to look after young lambs when it 
is wet aud cold; or watch a cow soon to 
calve, aud provide her a quiet and secure iso¬ 
lation; or to destroy foul weeds wherever 
he sees them; or to open the mouth of a 
drain when it is closed; or to lay up a fence 
properly which the wind has leveled; or to 
go of an errand, aud waste no time in idle 
, gossip; or to know family secrets and keep 
his mouth closed; or to go into tho cellar 
[ for cider without leaving it running from 
, the faucet; or go fishing or hunting and be 
back by “cow time or to deliver a mes- 
. sage to a third person correctly; or to get 
, my mail without tearing the wrappers all 
off the papers, aud studying the postmarks 
on the letters; or t o stow away the most hay 
, or grain in the smallest space; or to blanket 
, and water a team at the right time; or to 
take off and save a loose, horse-shoe; or to 
select seed corn at husking; or to weed 
j onions and carrots without complaining of 
the baekacho; or clean his bouts before en¬ 
tering the house, aud his finger nails before 
sitting at the table; or to receive a dircc- 
! tion without expressing an opinion until it 
1 is asked; or to do what I ask him to do, aud 
t in the manner 1 tell him to do it. 
Such a man is John; and such are a few 
. indices of his merits. Someti me I’ll tell you 
. what makes him a Model Hired Mau—that 
j is, what has conspired to produce such a 
. pheuonienal creature in these days of de¬ 
generacy.— Farmer Garrulous. 
