Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-09-05
farm \ fireside.
Contributions 10 this Department Of
the TRIBUNE are respectfully solicited.
d1dress,
AGRICULTURAL EDITOR,
Delaware Tribune,
TViI0tingtOn, Dei.
Agricultural Gossip.
Messrs. Editors -

MessTs. Editors -
What has become of your Gag
rlcultural Editor and his department in the
TRIBUNE? Has he gone under, and off with
this August celebration of the Ancient Del
uge, or is there too much water in his ink
or too much mud-not ON his brain-but on
his boots? Some of us are curious to know.
Although We do not live OH ''the Peninsula"
and are not therefore included in the land of
great expections, and greater crops of straw
berries, yet we are interested in growing
fruit, corn and potatoes, and therefore turn
with interest to your Agricultural Column.
We had hoped to learn, among other things,
the way, and the means, by which that crop
of four thousand Dollars, in strawberries
was obtained from four acres of land. To
speak of the fact, without telling the why
and the whereby, only causes our mouths, il
not our pockets to water. Was it the soil,
the man, or the moon, or combination of
the threc3 For you must know that although
we claim an average amount of intelligence
for the farming community of " Old Mill
Creek, " yet many of us believe in the moon
as goddess worthy to be worshiped, and
whose smiles must be sought for in order to
secure crop, more eager than Baugh's raw
bones, or Philips best. What wonder, than,
that some of us think those berries come
from the moon and with the moonlight de-
parted.
Speaking Of the moon reminds me to call
the attention Of her worshipers to II sad
failure of one Of their 'signs" the present
season. You know you always promise lis
full crop. when the trees are in full bloom
during the light Of the moon. Such was the
clsc last spring, but where are the apples !?
You may smile gentlemen, but there are all
over our broad land, otherwise sensible men,
who believe in and will contend for such
struck farmers This and kindred super
stitions would be only a subject for amusc-
ment, were it not a fact that they tend to
degrade and stultify the mind which enter
tains them. OF course, if it is the moon
which makes or mars our apple crop, which
pulls up our fence posts, shrinks our meat
in the barrel, blights our potatoes and ripens
our wheat, intellect, skill, are superhuous
qualities, and the man willis. On the morn
ing of May 3D. a heavy white frost rested on
the earth. Ice was formed and ground
frozen half an inch thick. Through the day
we had now showers, and cold N. E.wind.
Pear and apple trees were full bloom. The
result is, that wherever the blossoms were
fully exposed to the force of that frosty air,
there is on fruit; where they were sheltered
by frost and other trees, we have fair crop
| We farmers and fruit growers who have
not the influence of large bodies of water tt
temper the blasts of spring, must look tt
shelter for our fruits and vines, if we expect
to complete with, in thatrespect, more favored
localities. Much more might be said on this
point, lut this random article is becoming 9
long one, and we close with the hope tha
your Gag Ed, has not gone off in Noah's
ark. MILL CREEK.
AUGUST 30th, 1867.