Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1861-07-26
A GRICULT U R A L .

LIME FOR PoTAToEs.-Several years
since, gave a statement Of my preyen
ton of the potatoe disease which for {
number of years l had proved to be en-
tirely successful. 1t is simple, and re-
quires but little expense.
When the potatoe tops are beginning
to blossom, take a measure containing
air Stacked lime, and with cup or trow-
el, in the morning when the tops are wet
with dew or rain, | sprinkle on the tops
Of the vines of each hill about one gill.
To make sure the prevention, within a
week repeat the sprinkling with lime
This application of lime properly made
| have never known in a single instance
to fail of success. With me it has been
successful when applied to several kinds
of potatoes most subject to the disease.
think much depends upon applying
the remedy at the right time. My opin-
ion is that the disease, so called, is an in
sect of the animalcular tribes that rises
to the potatoe tops in blossom to multiply
and then to descend to the tuber3. If in
any instance the remedy has failed | am
confident that it has been owing to its
being too late, when the insects have de-
scended by or in the vines.
My theory Of the disease may not be
correct, but the success Of the application
proves that to be true beyond dispute.
am aware that many are liable at a
very busy season to neglect TO bave the
air Stacked lime ready for application. 1t
has been my practice to procure the lime
as early as the first of June, and to ex-
pose it to the open air so that hy the time
it is wanted it will be completely pulver-
| lied Several times | have known per-
sons intending to apply the lime preyen-
ted from doing so by the failure to have
the lime prepared for the purpose
Large harvests in that way have been
lost. If any person can inform the COM
munity of better prevention of the dis
ease, they may be assured Of the cordial
thanks of many.
HARVESTING THE GRAIN CRops.-
To let wheat get ripe is undoubtably
dntr;rn Antal tn tho quality Of the grain.
anu al IHJ~.J -
"two or three weeks before maturity,
as has been recommended by some ultra
writers, entails even still greater loss.
We know from actual experiments of our
own,-what indeed common sense would
teach-that in this case this berry would
shrink very considerably. As a general
thing, however, farmers are perhaps
more inclined too cut too late than too
early. A good practical test is to take a
kernel between the thumb and finger and
press it out. II any milk is seen, it is
not ready to cut. AS soon as the kern ELS
contain no milk, is the time to cut. The
circulation of the juices in the berry has
then ceased, and it can obtain nothing
o,o,o from, tla soil
The same test will apply to barley.
The general rule is to cut as soon as the
reddish color of the ear has disappeared.
Maltsters rather prefer barley that was
rot cut till fully ripe.
Oats, if good, heavy sample is desired,
should be allowed to get rather ripe
even till a few Of the oats shell out in
harvesting. But if intended to be used
on the farm, especially if they are TO be
cut up and fed straw and all to horses
they should be cut rather green. In this
case, what the oats lose will be found in
the straw.
Some good farmers bind up all their
wheat, barley and oats. For the two lat
ter crops, this seems to US an unnecessa-
ry labor, bnt there are those who claim
that il is on the whole the least expen-
sive. Binding is, to us, an unpleasant
and laborious operation. If the machine
which has been invented for binding
grain proves to be as valuable as the trial
made with it last year indicated, barley
and oats, as well as wheat, will undoubt-
edly hereafter be bound up.
Binding is too often performed in
careless and hurried manner. Some men
leave more wheat on the ground than
would pay their wages, and the sheaves
come united. to the great hindrance OF
subsequent operations. The sheaves
should not be made too large, especially
if the straw is green.
An occasional wet harvest should teach
us to be more careful in shocking. Wheat
properly and Compactly shocked will
stand many days of heavy rain without
serious injury. In wet harvest, the Eng
lish farmers hood or cap their "hsat
shocks by putting one or two sheaves