Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 November 1884 — AGRICULTURAL. [ARTICLE]

AGRICULTURAL.

Tile-draining is the best methodfol subsoiling, for then the roots will go far beneath the surface, attracted by the elements they require, and will do their own subsoiling and deep plowing. A member of the Western Mew York Farmers’ Club sprayed his orchard with a solution of paris green, to exterminate the canker-worm, and reports the apple aphis, which had formerly infested his trees, had wholly disappeared. There is no excuse whatever for the slovenly appearance of many yards or lawns about the farmer’s home. It is not the sign of good farming, since carelessness in one place denotes very clearly carelessness in another.—Chicago Journal.

Turnips for Cows. — T have tried every way to destroy the flavor of turnips in milk, but without success. 1 have boiled it, fed the cows after milking, but it was all the same—turnip flavor unmistakable—and as we do not like our butter so flavored, I only feed turnips when the cow is dry.— Mrs. G. Bourinot, Oitaira, Canada. Celery. —Last fall when I had taken ! ap and trenched nearly all of my celery, we had a heavy freeze and all the tops of the plants still standing froze eo badly that I cut off all the leaves that had been exposed and then placed them in the trenches, and I found that the celery I cut the' leaves from kept far better than that with them 0n. — H.F.1., Bedford, Pa. Seed Corn.—l select medium-sized ears and shell off the tip. Then I take one grain from the butt and one from ‘he center and one from the tip that is left; turn the ear around and serve the other side the same way. If I find the germ of a silver or light straw-color, and by mashing on the thumb-nail that there is oil in the gum, I conclude the car is good. I have followed this plan ior twelve years without a failure.— J. A. McMasters, Miami Co., 0. Profitable Crop of Beans.— The most profitable crop of beans I ever raised was on sod land, plowed the first week in June, thoroughly harrowed and rolled and the beans drilled in rows two feet five inches apart, dropping five or •ix beens in a place a foot apart in the row. All the labor performed on the >iece was to cultivate it two or three rimes between the row s and to chop out my weeds that came up between the beans in the row. Joseph Harris, Rochester, N. Y. You must not collect a large flock of iheep before you get something for hem to eat, and that something must be their natural food. That food is crass —grass that is sodded and perennial. The stomach of a sheep is small, tmd he eats but little at a time, and wants that little often, and every three hours; hence he should be where he •an gather his own food. The tendency >f all kinds of grain and dry provender is to make sheep unhealthy. A little grain before sending to the shambles is •iseful to help fatten, but fat itself is a Isease, and Should be avoided so-far as ■ossible in all breeding animals. Likeise should the other extreme —viz., ■overty—be avoided. I have seen sheep degenerate more from poverty in i <ne generation than they could be lm- ■ roved in two or three. I have seen mch in the papers about sheep loving itter weeds, briars, sassafras and the ike, and they are good scavengers for i foul farm. My sheep love the cultiated grasses best. I remember once to iave killed some sassafras with sheep, ? >ut I also killed some of my sheep. . .t was done by confining them too long o the same territory, as well as the same ood. Sheep need to have their pasture hanged at least once a month. And .his new pasture is as much to force r hem to sleep in a new place as it is to live a variety of food. No sheep can >e healthy long that sleeps on the same place and over his own excrement every .light.— Farming World. The»e is probably no country, unless it is Ireland, that uses more potatoes than do the northern and eastern por- . ions offhe United States. Potatoes form a crop that cannot be raised by everybody, their successful culture requiring ■onsiderable intelligence and industry, and the selection of seed is of much more importance now than formerly, as ears ago nearly all potato seed was good; but now at least one-half of the potatoes used for seed are unfit for that ourpose. When high prices rule growers ■ ell all that are marketable, leaving the >oorest to plant. Owing to the ravages if the beetle and the use of paris green ci large portion ,of the small potatoes .re not matured .and will not produce • vigorous plants. A strong application . f paris green will often scorch the eaves so severely as to prevent potatoes : bmost full grown from maturing. Potatoes of medium size, slightly green ■rom exposure to the sun, are "the best or seed. If they are planted as taken rom the storeroom they will be forced ato vigor by the richness of the soil, f the plant has a vigorous growth at lie start it will not only insure the yield, ut it will also resist in jury from insects, n regard to cutting and preparing seed, important discoveries have been made luring the last year. As the germ of acli eye penetrates to the center of the über, it is not advisable to cut through his germ, or the growth will be weakened. The best results obtained have i >een reached by cutting potatoes to single eyes and planting one piece in each till. One of the principal causes of >oor crops is to be found in the plantag of whole potatoes. Not more than : hree or four of the eyes will grow if the whole tuber is planted, and the crop contains a larger percentage of unmarktable potatoes. The tendency to disvse is increased by anything which Lowers the vitality of the” plant, thereore the overcrowding of plants in the ill, resulting in insufficient nourishment for all, is an evil to be avoided. L’oo much care cannot be used in the for seed of large and vigor •us tubers free from all signs of disase. A few years of such careful election will do much to improve the general potato-crop of the country.— JhtaoQo Tribune. H MBS can never be cured of eatmg ;ga. They should be killed at once i.. . lore they teach others.