Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1867-04-11
AqrifnItnral.
Work for April.

work for this month Manure is to
be hauled and spread, and the ground
is to be plowed The waste of ma
nure which occurs after it is spread
is very little III weather which will
not allow plowing, and not very great
in full, hot sunshine, if it does not lie
long. 1t is much worse to dump the
manure in small heaps and leave it
for some time exposed to the action
of rains, for the goodness washes out
into the soil and enrlches it in spots,
to the serious damage of the crop.
PIowing and any other working of
the soil should never he done when
the clods will not crumble. Dryness
is essential to useful tillage. 1t is
much better 10 delay work than to
leave the land lumpy and hard. There
are many spots on which
Draining may be done in the spring
especially where there is good
fall, and work may progress from the
outlet The necessity for drainage is
now obvious, and though partial drain
age is never to be recommended where
thorough work will be undertaken, yet
as a demonstration of the fact that
"burying crockery" will pay, it is
worth while often to try the expert
mcnt ''iust to see.H Remember that
the full effects of draining are often
not witnessed until the third or fourth
season.
Spring GrainS.-Prepare seed by
selecting with the fan-mill the heav-
lest grain-the more times it is fan
ned the better will be the seed then,
when the soil is nearly or quite ready,
prepare the seed by picking to de-
stroy the seed of smut, which may be
attached to it. This is useful for bar
ley, and imperatively necessary for
wheat. Add to a strong brine pull
verized "blue stone," (sulphate of
copper until no more is dissolved !;
into this throw the grain, stir thor
oughIy, and after five minutes scoop
it out, throw into basket, let it drip
back into the tub of pickle, then put
in a heap upon floor ; after "a hours
shovel it over, ,sprinkling on dry slaked
lime, thus drying it. Sow B to Z
pecks Of wheat, 2 bushels to q Of
barley,24 of oats. The ground should
have been plowed in the fall for wheat
and barley Oats do tolerably we'll
on a sward pIowed i'll spring, For
all either very fine compost or some
concentrated fertilizer, such as a mix.
ture of superphosphate of lime and
Peruvian guano-say 100 lbs, of each
should be used. Sow, as a rule,
those kinds Of grain which are in the
highest repute in your own neighbor-
hoods.
Root Crops.-Prepare the soil for
sowing carrots, beets and mangels,
and onions, the earlier the better. 1t
should be deep and rich, plowed in
the fall and as free from weeds as
possible, especially for onions, which
require the finest and mellowest soil,
enriched with good, fine compost
The other root crops need also rich
soil, deeper than onion soil, but not
less rich, though the enrichment need
not be Of so fine quality. These
crops can not be sown too early, after
danger for hard freezing is passed
and the soil is warm and dry enough
Beet seed ought to be soaked "a
hours.
Potatoes. least a portion of the
crop should be planted very early for
security against the rot. The Early
Cottage, White Peachblow, Cuzco
and Fluke are commendable kinds
Plant deep,in drills q to feet apart,
cover with the plow. Harrow as of
ten as weeds appear, until the tops
show very plainly, and once after
that, driving with the rows. 1t is
sometimes well to turn burrows upon
the rows to cover them a few days
after this, and when a new crop OF
weeds appears to harrow again
Superphosphate, castor pomace, leach
ed or unleached ashes are good used
in the drill. 1t is usually poor prac-
lice to plant in hills.
Fac-Sow on very mellow soil
free from weeds, one and half bush
els per acre, (for seed and lint both, }
as evenly as possible. Selecting the
heaviest seed, soak in warm water
two or three hours, roll in gypsum
and sow two ways. Cover with a
brush or light harrow.
Manure makes fast in compost
heaps, if occasionally worked over
with the addition of muck or any veg.
etable mold, and thus the quantity
available for corn may be greatly in
creased.
Liquid Manure has great effect up
on grass, and no better application
can be made upon winter grain,
though the labor attending it's appli-
cation is considerable. A liquid ma,
nure distributor is a rare but needed
article on American farms. In buy,
ing
Concentrated Manures do not pur-
chase any because they are cheap
The admiration Of guano is notorious.
The farmer can much better afford to
mix in the sand ON his own farm than
10 pay s65 in gold ton for sand, and
cart it a dozen miles besides. The
other popular manures, superphos-
Phate, etc, are quite as liable to adul-
tration, or even more so. After all,
it is best to make ones own fertili-
GERS, or buy only of reliable parties.
Horses.-Feed according to the
amount of labor required Of them
Groom daily and thoroughly. Give
air and sunlight in the stables, feed
and water regularly, blanket only
when exposed after labor.
Orsn.-Warbles,. or grubs in the
hack OffaD bacora varv ohyiouS a+