The Arkansas banner., 1844-06-05
AGRICULTURAL.
From lie CHitlrqior

FHE. PUMPKIN GRoP-The pumpkin may be justly called one of the best articles the farmer raises There are many different varieties of this vegetable, but we think there is none equal to the old-lashioned, yellow, | field pumpkin, for yield and goodness. For producing rich milk, il is one of the very best articles that can be given cows. Fed raw to hogs, they are useful by increasing the appetite They will latten young fall beef, and give lattng oxen better start in the fall than either potatoes or turnips.
 The cultivation of the pumpkin is thought by many farmers secondary affair. Hence the idea that they can be grown only in eX- traordinary seasons, when every thing Is ia vorable. But that this crop can be success fully grown with corn, we have abundant eEldence-having never raised them scpcralc- ly but. one season. The pumpkin will grow and generally succeed well in any soil that will prduee the corn crop successfully They like rich, worm soil, with plenty of stable manure to feed on, and will stand drouth as any crop. But there are some difficulties to be overcome in getting the crop up and out ot the way of insects, (bugs, Sc. We have generally planted them at the time of plant ing corn but there is an objection to this early planting, and that is, they may be cut off by late frost. This was the case sthe two last seasons-irost occurring the first of June. After the young plants are up, and the danger from trosts IS past, then comes the '.tug of war'' with the bugs The little striped bugs comes in swarms, and will ill a short time, if Jeff to themselves, dastroy the ! R,I+ Il, than cufe,o and to prevent their attacks we sprinkle the plants, as soon as up, with plas- ter,'and find the ssyarmints" do not like to meddle with anything that is whited with this substance. In case the plaster Is washed of by the rain, we sprinkle again, and con tinue to do so as often as necessary till the l plants arc out of the way of these ''pestiier- ous critters" Our crop the past season was planted with corn, and had just got finely up when, on the night of the first of June, they, with the corn, were cut down by frost. The corn stared again, but the pumpkins were ssdead seto at that business. We had d few seeds left, and a few days after the frost we stuck them down between the hills of corn. They came up well, and we took care to keep them covered with plaster, 50 that 1 space covered by the vines could not have been much over an acre, yet we gathered from 1t six large cart-bodics heapmg full, To escape late fross, NC think the farmer would do well to delay planting till about the first of June, Ill this climate. The spaces at which they should be planted IS import ant, as the vines extend good distance. If planted with corn, we think every alternate hill in every third row will be thick enough -the vines will then cover the ground Care should be taken not to obslruct the vines after they begin 10 run. If weeds spring up, pull them out by hand, or cut them out with a hoe We have been in the habit of raising pretty large crops of pump- kins. Seven or eight years ago, the seed which we saved from one crop measured tea BHshels-whieh we sold to Mir Iamen Stone the scotsman, at dollar and a half atushel The seed saved from the last crop was two bushel.
 Now if any of your readers can tell o tougher pumpkin story than this, which, by the way, is no less true than tongh, l shall be glad to hear it. L. D-D.