Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 May 1891 — FARM AND GARDEN. [ARTICLE]

FARM AND GARDEN.

Practical. Farmer. The flrst requisite to secure a good yield of potatoes is to select a well 1 drained soil, a clay loam that has al least produced one good crop of clover, and some time, in November oi December this ground should be plo'wed to a depth of about ten inches. When plowed so late as this there is no danger of the soil becoming toe hard, but the freezing of the soil during the winter will kill out the clover and pulverize the»soil very nicely, so that it will be an easy matter to prepare the soil for early planting by use of a disc harrow. But before the time of planting the soil should have a goed coat of well-rotted manure, evenly spread and thoroughly harrowed in. For early varieties of potatoes the planting should usually be done in latitude 40 about the middle of April if the. ground is dry enough to crumble up nicely. When this time has come the plot should be “furrowed out” with a good single-: shovel plow, which makes a better furrow, by running twice in the same furrow, than can be made with any other plow. The shovel of the plow should not be over eight inches wide, but should be run to the depth of about ten inches, and the soil will roll back into the furrow when run the second time, so that there will ba only about four inches depth of the furrow. The potatoes or pieces may then be dropped about ten inches apart in the row, while the rows should be about three feet apart for the earlier varieties and three and one-half for later varieties. When this is done, if the dropping is dono by hand, the potatoes may be lightly covered by running a small wheel of about four-inch width of rim in the row, which will pack the cut potatoes nicely in the furrow. When this is done,' the furrow should be partly filled with some good compost, had in readiness, and this followed with a light cover of soil, which will leave it in a nice condition for the harrow five or six days later, if the soil is sufficiently dry to crumble well; but never when too wet to crumble. The first harrowing should be parallel with the rows; the second should be across the rows. The second harrowing may be done about four or five days later than the first, owing to the condition of the ground, i /About five days later a good cultii vator should be run close to the rows, on each side, to loosed the soil thoroughly, and about a week later the cultivator inay again be ruri but once between the rows. After that, a one-horse, spring-tooth harrow should be run once in each row. If the potatoes are at this time beginning to form blossom buds they should be let alone, except to pull the weeds by hand in the row. The potatoes for planting should be of well matured stock, kept from sprouting or from partly freezing at any time before planting. The potatoes should ■ now be cjit lengthwise, not less than two or three good eyes to each piece: if too small to cut, the tip or sprout end should be cut off and thrown away, the other part planted. Ido not advise planting any potatoe smaller than a hulled walnut. If these directions are followed, a good yield is pretty well assured. NOTES. The early Egyptian is one of the best beets that can be grown for family use. Ashes gives the best results when broadcasted over the ground instead of in the hills. The soil for beets should be plowed from twelve to fifteea ■ inches deep, and as much of the b6et root grown beneath the surface as possible. i Produce something out of season, i make it attractive and delicious, and see bow quick it will sell and how soon there will be a call for more. In dry seasons farmers should look well to their water supply. Water from wells nearly dry is generally foul. Foul water is the source oi many ills. Every weed or bunch of grass that grows where they are riot wanted take fust as much plant food from the soil as one of the plants that compose the crop/ If, while an orchard is starting, the owner feels that he must use the land for some productive crop, it should be some hoed crop which requires Clean cultivation. Nearly all cattle will refuse to eat wet hay- or wet fodder, unless hunggrier than it is profitable to allow the farm stock to become, and even then they will waste more or less. There is nothing in the land but that which is added to the soil, except its primitive elements, which soon become exhausted by supplying food to plants. Fertilize as well as abstract. The best time to clean the mud off the horses’ legs is before it gets dry; wash off with a large sponge or cloth and then wipe dry. This will be far better than allowing to dry and then use the curry comb and brush. It is a great mistake to think that swine prefer to revel in dirt andfi.th. On the other hand they probably appreciate cleanliness as much as anyother animal, and it is certainly conducive to their health and thrift. The bush lima bean was given a trial over the whole country last year, and the verdict is that the bush varieties are valuable acquisitions. The small bush variety—the Henderson—is not equal in quality to the running varieties, but when their productiveness is considered, as well as the lessening of the labor of providirig’poles, the bush varieties will eventually supplant all others.