212 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
March 19 
FERTILIZERS ON A DAIRY FARM. 
HOW THEY HELPED RESTORE IT. 
Five years ago, I bought a farm con¬ 
sisting of a little more than 60 acres, 
which was keeping five or six cows and 
a team of horses. The meadows, like a 
good many others in this region, were 
producing about one-half ton of hay 
per acre, mostly White daisies. I began 
where my predecessor left off, with six 
cows and a team, and I was obliged to 
buy some hay the following Spring to 
bring my stock out to grass. At first, I 
followed in the old rut worn deep by 
many farmers; that is, I spread the 
manure from my little stock on three or 
four acres, plowed it under and planted 
the ground to corn or potatoes. Then 
the next Spring, I plowed the ground an 
inch or two deeper to bring up the ma¬ 
nure (which was already gone) and sowed 
the land to oats and grass seed. The 
oats took most of what fertility there 
was left, and the following Spring, I 
found I had a new meadow of a little 
clover, less Timothy, and a great many 
White daisies. I at once saw that, by 
following this method, it would take 
about 15 years to get over my farm, and 
that, in all probability, it would be worse 
off, if possible, after I had gone over it. 
If I had had plenty of money to buy 
fertilizers, I could have brought up my 
farm in short order, or I could have lived 
on the money and let the farm go, for 
that matter. But the problem that stared 
me in the face was to get a living from 
my farm, pay the mortgage, and at the 
same time, bring it up to a state of pro¬ 
ductiveness. I saw that 1 must plow 
more land each year to make any head¬ 
way, and that there was no use of plow¬ 
ing without fertilization ; so I must, 
evidently, buy some fertilizer, and this 
must be paid for by selling some crop. I 
concluded that the crop that would take 
the least fertility out of the soil in pro¬ 
portion to its money value, was potatoes; 
so I bought two tons of a good, reliable 
fertilizer to be paid for in the Fall, and 
used this on eight acres of corn and two 
of potatoes. That year, I plowed in the 
Fall the four acres that I had planted to 
corn the previous Spring, and during the 
Winter, drew my stable manure out on 
it as fast as it was made. The next 
Spring, I harrowed this well in, and 
sowed to oats with eight quarts of clover 
and eight quarts of Timothy seed. The 
oats did well, and when they were cut, 
the reaper cut off the tops of the clover, 
and the next year, I cut 11 good big 
loads of hay from the four acres, the first 
part of July, and another fair crop the lat¬ 
ter part of August, which was fed green 
to the cows. My two acres of potatoes 
paid for my fertilizer, besides what we 
needed to keep, and my eight acres of 
corn enabled me to keep several young 
heifers that I had started which would, 
of course, make more manure for the 
coming year. 
Now I began to see that I was gaining 
some, but my pastures were as bad as 
my meadows, so how was I to pasture 
my surplus stock ? I settled this ques¬ 
tion by plowing up half my pasture, and 
my friends wanted to know whether 
half was better than the whole. But I 
just sowed an acre to Winter rye, and in 
the Spring, early, another to peas and 
oats, and a while later, still another. 
Then I had my second growth of clover 
to fall back on after the peas and oats 
were gone and before the sweet corn was 
ready. By keeping all my stock on the 
small pasture which was left, and feed¬ 
ing them, I find that I am bringing this 
piece of land up along with the meadows, 
so may be, in the dim future, I will have 
quite a good farm. 
This Winter (three years after I changed 
my plans of farming), I am keeping 18 
cattle besides my team, or three times as 
many as at first, and I think now that I 
have only got started. My old meadows 
have been all broken up, and next year 
I shall have 13 acres of new meadow that 
ought to cut three tons per acre of clover 
and .Timothy hay. □! shall mow these 
meadows but two years, when they will 
be plowed again and planted to corn or 
potatoes, and I expect that the heavy 
sod will add a good deal to the fertility 
along with the fertilizers that I still buy 
for these crops, for I am convinced that 
the place for the stable manure is to 
make a seed-bed for the young grass. 
I have never been able to see the advis¬ 
ability of plowing under clover to enrich 
the soil, because that clover is capable 
of making a great many pounds of good 
butter when fed to good cows, and I 
don’t believe that the cows hurt the 
clover very much by eating it. Really 
very little fertility is sold in the butter 
after all. 
All along since I have begun raising 
more corn, there has been a considerable 
waste in feeding the fodder, so this Win¬ 
ter, I have got out logs, and shall build 
a tub silo next fall for my corn, and 
with an addition to my stable, if all go 
well, will be in shape to winter 25 cattle 
next year. 
My herd is composed of purebred Jer¬ 
seys, and the picture of the old founda¬ 
tion cow. Cypres, was published in The 
R. N.-Y. last year. I see that you advo¬ 
cate a grade cow for a common farmer, 
and say that purebreds are not practical, 
because of their high prices and aesthetic 
tastes. I must disagree with you; I 
claim that the poor man cannot afford 
to own anything but the best cows, and 
the poorer he is, the less can he afford 
it. An old friend of mine while looking 
at my stock recently said, “If 40 years 
ago I had begun as you did with one 
purebred cow instead of half a dozen 
scrubs, 1 think I should be worth a great 
deal more money than I am to-day, and 
I know I should have taken a great deal 
more comfort in taking care of my cows 
on account of their looks, if nothing 
more.” 
This latter remark just agrees with 
me ; I never could have taken care of a 
lot of stock that would make my eyes 
sore to look at them. When I was a 
little boy, I was the terror of my teacher 
because of the pictures 1 drew on my 
slate where my sums should have been, 
and some suggested that I would make 
an artist; but when I was older, I saw 
that it would be better to make a fairly 
good farmer than a very poor artist, so I 
abandoned the effort. But I find I can 
still produce a very fine picture of a 
heifer, by selecting my best cow, using 
a fine bull, finishing off the product with 
plenty of good food, and then touching 
it up a little with the brush. 
Madison Co., N. Y. J. grant morse. 
Perhaps the 
“New Woman ’’ will 
be a stronger wo¬ 
man than the old 
one. Certainly, 
fresh air and the 
right exercise will 
do much for her. 
Fresh air is a great 
restorative, exercise 
a great nerve tonic 
if a woman be in 
condition to take it. 
A healthy woman 
can avoid disease. 
She can avoid the 
seemingly almost 
inevitable “ weak¬ 
ness ” of her sex if 
she pu r s u e s the 
proper hygienic 
methods. The 
same methods will 
wSis^not cure her if she 
be already sick. 
Taken under medical direction, in con¬ 
nection -with the right medicine, they 
will help effect a cure. No women who 
suffers at all from so-called “ female weak¬ 
ness” should attempt athletics of any 
sort. She should first put herself into 
possession of strong and hearty health by 
taking Dr. Pierce’s Favorite Prescription. 
After she is thoroughly well, exercise and 
diversion will help to keep her well. The 
cure should come first. Dr. Pierce’s Fa¬ 
vorite Prescription is designed and rec¬ 
ommended for only the one thing. It 
acts directly upon one set of organs. No 
matter what is the matter with them, it 
will cure it. It will not cure anything 
else. It is a wholesome tonic, an invig¬ 
orating nervine, or nerve-food as well as 
a healing medicine, and thousands of 
perfectly well women have found that by 
taking it regularly during the period of 
pregnancy, the danger and pain of par¬ 
turition were much lessened, and in 
r any cases, almost entirely obviated. 
In every American household, there should be 
a copy of Dr. Pierce’s great work, “Common 
Sense Medical Adviser,” 1008 pages, illustrated. 
One copy free to any address on receipt of 21 one- 
cent stamps to pay for mailing only. World’s 
Dispensary Medical Association, Buffalo, M. Y. 
Common tarred paper was ail 
right for your grandfathers to use 
as inside lining and outside cover¬ 
ing of their buildings, — in fact, it 
was all they had to use; but in 
this age of advancement a fabric 
has been produced which appeals 
to every farmer, florist, or gardener. 
It is known as the Neponset 
Waterproof Red Rope Fabric. It 
is a splendid roof and side cover¬ 
ing for outbuildings, and takes the 
place of back plaster in dwellings. 
It is proof against wind, water, 
frost, and insures warm, dry build¬ 
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feet at the factory, with the neces¬ 
sary nails and tin caps. Any man 
with a hammer and pocket knife 
can put it on. 
For inside lining Neponset Black 
Building Paper is very inexpen¬ 
sive. It also is water-proof, odor¬ 
less, and clean. Hundreds of far¬ 
mers are using this paper to-day, 
and repairing buildings at slight 
cost. 
Full particulars and 
samples free. Write 
F. W. Bird & Son, 
East Walpole, Mass. 
For sale by Dealers 
in Hardware, Lum¬ 
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Supplies. 
NEWTON’S 
latest improved 
DEHORNERS 
your came. Write us for specie 
information on the subject. 
H. H. BROWN MFG. CO. 
DECATUR. ILL. 
HOW TO BUILD ASK 
WILLIAMS MFC. CO., KALAMAZOO, HIGH. 
Poultry Experts' Opinions of 
Cabot's Insulating 
“ I have the warmest poultry-house I ever saw, 
and I have seen a good many.”—C. H. Latham, 
Breeder B. P. R., Lancaster, Mass. 
‘‘In the coldest weather the water did not freeze in 
the fountain.”—M. K. Boyer, Ed. Farm Poultry. 
One layer is as warm as ten of rosin-sized 
paper, and warmer than a layer of boards. 
Easy to apply, uninflam mable, indestructible 
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A “comforter” that will keep your poultry 
warm. (Or your house and stable). 
Send for a Sample. 
SAMUEL CABOT, 81 Kilby Street, Boston, Mass. 
Agent#* at all Central Points. 
How's Your S 
Spring. 
Avoid mistakes and secure the 
very best thing of the Idnd made. 
Use Sykes “Old Style ' 
It Is made In avar- MOM ROOFING. 
lety of styles, 1» easily put on and Is lnngllved and 
handsome. Falling sparks can’t lire it, half can’t break 
it and the wind can’t blow It off. Roofs that have been 
on 26 years are good yet. Send for catalogue and prices. 
Sykes Iron and Steel Roofing Co. Niles, 0. and Chicago, tli. 
B^FyoUR Buildings 
Use GEDGE Steel Roofing and Siding. 
Save paint and siding and foundation by using our gal¬ 
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Illustrated Booklet. WE SEND IT FREE. 
GEDGE BROS. IRON ROOFING CO. Box 19, Anderson, Ind¬ 
ians Prairie Dogs, Woodchucks, Gophers, and Grain 
In sects 
“Fuma” Carbon Bi-Sulphide Did It. 
“I treated 500 inhabited (prairie dog) holes two weeks 
ago, and not a hole opened up.”—R ichard KESuen. 
Send for free illustrated pamphlet. It is beautiful, 
interesting, readable, and will save you money. 
EDWARD R. TAYLOR, Cleveland, Ohio, 
TRUTH ABOUT BEES 
and all about the production, handling 
and marketing of honey as taught In 
O-leanings in Bee Culture. 
It is a handsomely Illustrated magazine devoted to 
the Apiary in its entirety. Sample copy and Book 
on Bee Culture and Book on Bee Supplies, sent FREE to 
all who mention the name of this paper when writing. 
THE A I. ROOT CO.. MEDINA. OHIO- 
Save the COWS. 
General Cow Drink on hand Is cheap insurance. 
50 c. each: $ 3.00 dozen. Circular free. 
MOORE BROS., Veterinarians, Albany, N. Y. 
aproved COW TIB 
olds them firmly, draws 
Lem forward when lyi ng 
>wn. pushes back when 
anding, gives freedom 
’ head,keeps them dean 
E. O. NEWTON CO 
/l.A.I_ 
Trade 
Hark 
Reg’d. 
LUMPJAW 
Now Cur abler-Surely, 
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FLEMING BROS., Chemists, 
10 E. 11th St., New York, 
have s remedy that quic-ly enrea the 
moat obstinate caeee. Supplied by mail 
under positive guarantee. Price, $2.00. 
Valuable information and fnU particu 
lara free. Mention thin paper. 
Don’t build or order seed for silage or 
fodder, until hearing from 
AMERICAN SILO CO., 
BUFFALO,N.Y. 
OINTS OF 
ERFECTION 
REVIOUSLY 
UNKNOWN 
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OR WITHOUT 
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