Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1859-06-10
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From HE .americon .fgriculfur1St.
Making Fence Pests Durable.


From he .7merican .fgricuIfu7Sf
Making Fence Pests Durable.
All posts will rot, sooner or later, and no
,rothod will put If tbe period of decay very
long. Yet something can be doue. Cbarring
the lower end before sitting it, is not labor lost,
although it must be remembered that the char
ring process often cracks the timber, and so
allows the moisture to penetrate he post and
thus induce decay. Boring small holes near the
ground, apd filing them with salt once year,
is sometimes recommended. Perhaps the salt
thus introduced. and difused through the wood,
may retard decay, but we cannot, from theory
or observation, vouch for such results. Coat
ing the lower end and six inches above the
ground with coal-gas tar answers good pur
eiFcctual'
a correspondent suggests soaking the lower
ends in solution Of blue vitrol, (sulphaie of
copper)-all thai will dissolve in watcr-and
says that this has been used With success on
shingles, spouts, bean-poles, and weod in other
forms exposed to the weather. We do not un-
derstand the chemical action Of such fluid, but
it may De good for fence-posts for aught we
know
Nor TOO LATE TO PLANT CoRN-The pros
pect of better prices for farm produce should
lead every one to get in all TIE crops possible
the present year. 1t is by DO means too late
to plant corn during the first week in June
Some good farmers purposcly delay their prin-
cipal eoru planting until the last Of May or the
first of June. Their experience has taught
them that, as general rule, corn planted June
1st is as forward BY the end of July, as that
planted May 10th. They say, that when plant
ed late, the ground is warm and quickly ger
inmates the Seed and starts il at once into Wig
orous growth, and that.i Will soon oyertake and
60 ahead of the carly planted. They also ar
que that one hoeing is saved By the late work
ing of the soil previ1us to planting, as large
number of weeds which have started, are then
killed. This year it is safe to act upon this
theory, where there is spare plot that may be
used. The quick growing varieties, like the
King Philip, are most desirable for late plant
ing, and for filing up vacant spots in that al
ready above The ground. OF course it will not
do to mix 10 the different varieties where pure
seed is to DC gathered-B
QUESTIONS ABOUT PorATo RoT--For sege-
raj years past my potato crop bas been almost
an entire failure. had planted the same seed
year after year, and on old ground. By read
ing, studying, and attending discussions, was
induced TO try different course. procured
my seed Is or 20 miles distant, and planted
without manure on dry pasture land, broken up
IN the Spring. When the potatoes were in bloom,
sowcd broadcast on the tops three or four
bushels Of ashes, with one-teuth part lime, per
acre, repeating it in six or eight days. This
was done during damp weather. Another peice
was old moving ground broken up, with strawy
manure applied 10 different ways. Both produ-
ced good crops, while many pieces in the neigh
bOrhood were nearly destroyed by rot.
We know the potato vine is great absorber
of moisture. When other leaves are wet, those
of the potato are often Try. Now does not this
absorbing power, which the potato possesses in
SO great a degree, cause supcr-abundauce of
water 1T the bulb in wet, foggy weather, stop
ping the healthy growth Of the tuber; and does
not the action of the heat which frequently fol-
lows, produce the same effect that moisture and
heat would on any other vegetable matter, viz:
cause it to rot9 Do not strong manures, by in
creasiBg the growth Of the tops, extend the sur
face Of The leaves, and consequently the alb
sorbipg power, aud thereby increase the liabili-
ty TO rotl
On the other hand; ii straw or coarse ma.
nures are used, which do not rot quick epough
to force rapid growth of tops, and increase
the absorbing power beyond proper equil-
trium; or if old pastures are used, and the an
lnal and vegetable rnanures do not exceed the
mineral, does not the bulb keep pace With the
top in growth, and need all the moisture abb
sorbed by the tops in order to produce a heal
thy po,atoi VIII not ashes and lime, sowD on the
leaves. make an alkal which, being absorbed
by the leaves and carried to the roots, Deu,rali-
zes or prevents the acetous fermentation, which
otherwise would take place and destroy the po-
tatol
OREN o. STEWART.
Lincoln Co., Ne, l859.-5L
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