The Prairie Farmer, Vol. 56, No. 2, January 12, 1884 | Page 6

1884, and a long life thereafter.
Next, permit me to advert to the contents of some
RECENT NUMBERS.
First, to the pro and con of pasturing corn-stalks. That is a subject, like
many others, on which much can be said on both sides. Mr. Stahl (in
No. 50) quotes Prof. Sanborn as saying that a ton of corn fodder,
"rightly cured and saved," is worth two-thirds of a ton of good timothy
hay. That may be true; but to be rightly cured and saved it must be
protected from the rains and snows as the hay is; otherwise it will be as
worthless as the corn left standing in the field. Most people who have
cut their corn and left it standing in the shock during the fall rains,
know by experience that large portions of it are rendered useless. And
if we deduct the waste of corn by wet, and by rats and mice, and the
waste of fodder, added to the cost of cutting, it would seem that a
"Subscriber" (in No. 52) has at least a strong side of the argument. But
these men are both right, in a degree. In the East in cases where the
crop is not large, or in the West, and where the producer has large barns
or sheds in which to store his fodder, it had doubtless best be cut and
utilized in that way. But where no such facilities exist and the crop is
large, as usual in the West, I can conceive of no better way to utilize the
product than to feed it where it grew.
HOW TO RAISE WHEAT.
Prof. Hamilton (see No. 52) has hit the nail squarely on the head in his
essay. I doubt if there has been a more valuable article on
wheat-growing in the public prints, for many a day. It gives a new view
of the question, and in my opinion illustrates, at least in part, why it
was that in the early days of wheat-growing throughout the prairie
States, the crops were so much better than now. Wheat was then sown
for the most part on newly broken prairie sod, and its character was

such that the grain could not be deeply covered, nor could the ground
be heaved so much as in later sowings, when it has been mellowed by
deeper culture. Prof. Hamilton's essay ought to be read by every
wheat-grower in the country. Other valuable articles in No. 52 are those
of J.H., on Corn, Prof. Hall's lecture on Schools, and many others--not
omitting what the two talented ladies say about hens and bees.
COUNTS AND BARONS IN AMERICA.
Some alarm has been manifested in certain quarters, and Congress been
inquired of, concerning the fact that divers European noblemen have
been purchasing large bodies of lands in our public domain. There are
no laws, I believe, to prevent foreign noblemen from acquiring lands in
large or small quantities in our Territories; but it is clearly contrary to
public policy to permit these, or our own capitalists or syndicates to do
this thing. The public lands should be held for actual settlers, and for
them alone; and it is to be hoped that Congress will so amend the laws
as to prevent English or European lords, or American lords, from
acquiring large bodies of land. The Government has been generous--too
generous--to the railroads in the gift of lands; and that policy ought
now to cease, and the roads required to fulfil their side of the contract
to the letter.
MONOPOLY--AGRARIANISM.
In connection with the above, it will do to say, that as monopolies
increase and gain strength, agrarianism also is extending. Legislation
should be so shaped as to check the one, and give no cause for the other.
Good government and strict regard for the rights and interests of the
masses, are the surest means of checking agrarian and nihilistic
tendencies. Had the French monarchy and governing classes been just,
the revolution would have been impossible.
TO CONCLUDE.
It does seem to me that your magnificent offer of your Standard Time
or Commercial Map--worth $2 itself--in connection with THE
PRAIRIE FARMER, all for $2, ought to bring you hosts of subscribers,

and that it does is the hope of
DIOGENES.

FIELD AND FURROW.
The best temperature to preserve apples, potatoes, turnips, or any other
roots or fruits stored in the cellar, is just above the freezing point.
Stiff, hard clays intended for tillage in the spring ought, by all means,
to be broken up in the fall. A light, sandy soil should, on the contrary,
be suffered to remain unbroken.
A wholesale drug house in Indianapolis, tells the editor of the Drainage
Journal that tile drainage has reduced the sale of quinine and other
fever and ague medicines nearly