Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1865-11-16
EXCERPTS FROM AGRICUITrRAt
JOURNALS

COMPOST HEAPS, &c.-A few hints inst now ma,
Pc Dc o' use 10 some persons who, like myself believe
that manure Is not only worth having but that il i
worth saving, and worth little trouble in making
NOW Is tne time; winter is coming on and most farm,
ers are pretty well through with their field work
texcep fall plowing) lei us see how much large, H.
manure heap can be made this year than il was laS
| than we did this fall. -N"' It w u
Have you got five or ten of woodland on Won,
| taIm: lhen gather up now. before winter sets in
twenty large loads of leaves if you have not time HI
| so many; get all you can-the more the bctter-and
spread them IN Your barnyard; they make frst-ratC
i;d or 80 so1;d ID" r 1%e' tney prevent any loss Of
| one OF the best manures you can get
Have you ditch to cl lean out-a pond that is near
~ heCl with leaves and mud that has been collect
ing in it for years? See to it at once and don tbr0W
the dirt away or haul it out to the road to get rid OF
it, but heap 1t up somewhere near Your barn ,ybere
leaves, and little lime with ii before spring
There may be some old rotten logs stumps lying
about In the woods; don't let them stay there ann
longer; they VIII do you good if scattered on
your cultivated ground than left where Mature let
Ii You think it won pay, sit down and count the
| cost Inc leaves cost you nothing. your team is
not got much to do: this morning to be sure there
little corn yet to huSk, but il is so damp from The
heavy ram last mig INT that it won't do to get at it yet
Now, hfch up and go to the woOds-you can get two
loads before dinner which will add at least one load
| TO your manure heap; when hauled out next spring
would give and do give Sl25 for such a load, and
haul it two or three miles and here you can ret If for
nothing and have only half mile TO haul it. Now,
how many such loads can be made this fall vet? Let
every one find out for himself.-Gcrma0t9,g re
graph.
Ssood OLD FEIgT pear
Snage, the 6aTf m becomes 50 hard and dry that the
diameter dian OF me body Of the tree cannot enlarge
Inns hard and irm bark will not yield or give way
to the expansive force of the sap and new wood bnt
little II any more than if it tin or sheet-iron
AS natural and certain result the health Of the tree
is impaired: and the fruit cannot grow large fair,
and delicious as itwould be were the bark kent in q
healthy condition. 'i-
The bark of healthy growing tree is more or less
elastic and as new circle of wood is formed, the
bark enlarges by expanding, and in some places
cracking aphrt After few years scales of dead bark
cover the body OF the tree, which should be scraped
off, clear to the live bark Sometimes it NAV he ne
cessary to shaye it off with drawing-knfe. If the
guently removed the outside half way through the
live bark, aterward Smearing the body with thin
coat, coat OF T[ T[gal? grating waX, applied warm with
well as pear trees. The bark of peach and plum
trees should not be cut beyond the dead bark
Another thing is. the soil needs renewing Perhaps
for more than forty years crop Of fruit has been
produced from that ground where old trees stand
without having received any fcrtzing material r.
compensate for the long succession of crops of fruit
When this the case remove six or eight inches in
depth of the old soil, with horses and scraper and
place OF what has been removed MingIe with this
earth. saw dust and chpmanure. the more the bet
ter Let the whole be spaded in deep and thoroughly
with tew bushels OF ashes or lime and some barn
yard manure. In year two. if the trees are not
too old and been neglected TOO long, they will again
bear like young trees
Another economical and effective manner of making
old trees bear well is to enclose each tree in the
middle Of a small yard, say fifteen or twenty feet
square. and keep few swine in it while lattening-
Make holes eight inches deep with a crow-bar in
scores of places beneath the tree dropping into each
one few kernas of grain. The swine will shortly
root up every inch ot ground, destroying all the roots
of weeds and grass and renovating the soil with
the focal matter which they deposit so that another
season the trees will bear abundantly. We have
tried this with the best OF results, on old pear and
old cherry trees: Autumn is the best time to attend
to lt.-Igdepcl1eW.
a CALIFoREIA FARMsR.-Air Bowles of the Sprug-
field Republican, writes from Chico, California of the
farming operations of Gen Bidwel the newly elected
member Of Congress from that State:-"Gcn. Bdwell
became the owner of one Of the famous Spanish
grants of land in the richest part of this valley and
has farm of 10000 of its acres of which is 0OO
are under cultivation. His crop Of wheat was 36 600
bushels in 1868 from 900 acres of land or at the
average rate of 10 bushels to the acre This is a
poorer grain year and his wheat will average hut 80
bushels per IhC general average OF the valley
is 50 bushels Of barley and oats his other principal
crops. he usually hareS 30 bushels 10 the acre fIs
garden and orchard D acres A large Touring
mill is among his concerns and its product is the IA
yorite brand of the State.
WHEN To SELECT SEED PoTAToEs.-.rhe best time
to select seed potatoes is when they are dug As
soon as they are brought to the surface and lie snreod
the ground the best can be selected with less diff
hculty than at any other tine Thgss ,h.t Az per-
fectly matured and OF good shane having the marked
characterisics OF the variety and good average size
should be selected for seed in preference to those Of
any other qualities They should then be placed
in boxes barrels, and kept where they will not be
injured by freezing Or warmth.
If seed potatoes are saved in this arneT for few
years III sucGeSsiGn we have no doubt decided i'm
pToyement will be observed in the yield per acre as
well sin the quality, of the crops. And we think
this practice will also he found efectual security
against small ones. and good defence against the
rot When potatoes hrst come from the ground. the
skins have clearness which they soon lOse.-Agri-
cuitHro}ist.