The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1866-05-30
dQrltnlturaI anA Quulsstit.
Suggestions for the Season.

WAGE an incessant warfare against the
caterpillars Destroy their nests "hiie the
worms are small.
send a careful hand through the growing
wheat. and pull up every stock OF cookie
chess pigeon-weed, and other noxious
Fxamine squash vines for the grub near
the roots Split the vine open with sharp
knife and destroy the grubs. II Will not IN
lure the vines.
When neat cattle and sheep have access
70 red clover in the field, they should never
he deprived Of a rub Of salt as salt IS a Ger
tain preventative Of the hOOf
Procure a few spOOnfuls Of powdered
white helebore at drug store, pat u Ia a
dredging-box, and scatter il lightly over
gooseberry and currant bushes, To destroy
the worms.
Transplant evergreen trees and shrubs
az soon az the tender shoots begin 10 push.
as such trees are more likely % live II
transplanted al that time than when the
sop is not IN motion.
Prepare a small piece Of ground and plant
turniD seed by the middle Of June Every
farmer should raise al least one-fOurth OF
an acre OF some kind Of roots for horses,
neat cattle and sheep.
Toward the latter part OF the month,
blow up one or two acres OF poor meadow.
where not more than half ton Of hay per
acre can be gathered, and drill in four
bushels Of Indian corn per acre, for selling
your stock.
II the ground was not sufficiently rich
where melons and cucumbsrs are growing,
collect pallful Of hen manure for pOud-
rette. and put it in barrel Of water, and
make a strong liquid manure TO apply 10
the growing plants, at evening or in cloudy
weather
Mulch strawberry plants. with good
coat OF clean straw, saw dust or turner's
shawngs. and water the plants every eve
ming. in dry weather. with weak liquid ma
nure. Strawberry plants require bounli-
ful supply Of moisture to develop the fruit
Stick pumpkin seeds among potatoes or
Indian Corn. such seeds will always come
up quicker aud better If stuck into the
ground about one inch deep, with the germ
end down, than thrown down aud covered
with earth IN the usual manner.
From the middle Of May to the fret Of
July, early iield-Deans may be planted
with the assurance Of raising a fair crop. u
the soil Is in good state of fertility. I'M
mediately after soaking rain. when heavy
soil has become Just dry enough 10 pulyer-
ize nicely break up piece or ground and
drill in beans with grain drill stopping
half the tubes in the drill.-N Y. hide
pendent
ONIONS
The great consumption of this vegetable
ia due TO It's nutrition. few articles Of diet
giving such strength to the muscles as on
ions Onions. when dry, contain from 20
10 80 per cent. Of gluten, the muscle-form-
ing material. aud are eaten by the working
classes OF southern Europe for the same
reason that the Englshman eats cheese
with his bread. The consumption would
be greatly increased were it not tor the un-
pleasant effect upon the breath.
The soil Tor this crop should be a sandy,
gravelly loan, though they will do well on
almost any ground. Near Marblehead,
Massachusetts,, with fields covered so thick
with little stones that the soil can scarcely
be seen, 500 bushels are raised 10 the acre
Whatever the SOIL il must be thoroughly
pulveriZed II plOwed in the fall aud ex-
posed 10 the action OF the winds and frUsts
during the winter, the cultivatOr or harrow
will finish the work in the spring. "a onion
roots do not penetrate deeply II any
Jumps or ridges remain the roller will crush
and level them. No fineness of filth will
however, compensate for absence Of fer
tility. GuanO. narrowed in at the rate OF
six TO eight hundred pounds TO the acre, Is
probably about as cheap a manure as can
De furnished this crop. GuanO spends lis
strength. It gives the crop a fine start, but
unless the land is in good heart, it fails the
latter part OF the season. To remedy this
defect, it - usual 10 spread two or three
hundred pounds more of guanO mixed with
m equal weight Of plaster, along the rows
soon amer the last wedding and Just Is the
onions begin 10 bottom. Dry ashes also
scattered along the rows of onions after
they are up, is probably the best antidOte
10 that great enemy Of the onion grow
er-the maggOt. But 1t will not answer %
rely on these manures year after year The
barn-yar,l and privy vault are the places
where the farmer must draw to supply the
wants OF his crops. Night soil is the favor
tie manure oil the market gardeners for on
ions This should be cOmpOsted with three
or four times the bulk OF muck for sandy
soil, and for clay loan with the same
proportion of sand, and allowed 10 heat
aud disintegrate at least three weeks be
fore il is used. II shOveled over the second
time, all the better. Whatever kind OF
manure is used for onions ii should be cul-
tivated and narrowed, and not plowed in.
There are three leading varieties OF on
IONS the red. yellow and white, subdivided
as usual. Each has It's excellencies and
defects. The red is strong but keeps well
during the winter, the white Is pleasant
favored hut a poor keeper, the yellow
seems 10 have the golden mean and 10 this
is given preference. The sub-varieties de-
rive their name mainly from their shape
The pOtatOe or multiplying onion WAS
brought from Egypt early in the present
century. by Lieut. Burn, Of the English
navy, and has risen rapidly IN favor as il
comes early and is not subject 10 the at
lacks Of the maggot. Instead Of seed the
bulb ia planted IN drills Is inches apart and
6 inches from each other in the row. Around
the parent bulb a number of other bulbs.
usually SIX 20 eight will grow, much ike
potatoes.
Three pounds of seed are sufficient for
an acre. which should be rsised from the
early ripened, medium-sized. thin-skinnsd,
small necked. and hard-hesrted specimens.
II no ~ - 81