The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-09-08

THE FARM.
Agricultural and Horticultural Notes
and Suggestions for september.
From tie detroit, Mich } Tribune ]

have been we'll prepared 10 y uly ana
August--nOt vestige of weed
should have been allowed to remain
In it. Provisions should have peen,
made for ensuring the perfect dram
age of the soil, and the enrlchlng OF III
with suitable manure. Every year
the great difference in the agreeable
produce of well managed and badly
managed soil is becoming more and
more apparent. There IS but little
use In sowing wheat on land which
has been exhausted by frequent crop
ping without manuring, except the
soil is plowed deep enough TO break
up the hard pan which has been form
ed by the repeated pressure of the
sole plate of the pillow, and the tramp
ling of the horses or oxen in blowing
Top dressing with lime, salt, plaster,
wood ashes, We'll rotted barn yard
manure. mari or muck, and narrowing
in. Immediately before the seeding,
will have q very beneficial effect.
Great attention should be given to
the selection Of the best seeds of every
kind for farm and garden. Some of
the finest varieties of wheat oats,
barley, etc, have been originated by
farmers from few ears, the largest
harvest field. The potato oat, which
has long been celebrated for the ex-
traordlnary size and weight of its
grain, was originated by gentleman
Of Cumberland, England, from a
single plant of unusual size which he
found growing in his potato field,
The new varieties of oats which are
now sold in the United States and
Canada have been originated from
single plants. Excellent varieties of
wheat and barley have been obtained
in a similar way. The improvements
IN corn have been made by careful
selection of the best ears and prOpa-
cations from them until the produce
was sufficiently large to admit of being
widely diffused Grain of any kind
Intended for seed should be allowed
to be fully ripe before being reaped.
It should be carefully we'd. and
all inferior graiEs, seeds of weeds,
etc should DC taken ont of the fan
ming mill and separator. hd if3
The thorough drainage Of the soil
is a matter Of the greatest Importance.
10 the farmer; for its beneficial effect
Is not confined to q particular crop,
but extends TO the whole produce of
the farm, and continues to be per-
mansnt improvement. Every farmer
adults the value of draining, yet too
many put off this work from time to
time, something always occurring to
fe prevent its performance. The best
way of operating is to do a litsle
every year, choosing the time when
the harvesting has been finished and
the wheat crop sOwn. There is scarce
~ a field of Winter wheat but re-
quires surface drums in certain low
spots, to prevent the water from de-
stroying the wheat plants. in these
places. A field may be deeply drain
ed, yet shallow surface drains may be
necessary to carry away the water
which Is produced By thaws or heavy
rains in Winter and Spring, while
the ground is frozen to a considerable
depth
A great deal Of butter is packed in
September for winter and spring use,
and much money is lost every year by
want Of care or skill In this operation.
There are certain conditions in the
management of the cows, the care Of
the mix and cream, and the manu-
fdcture of the butter, necessary in
order TO be successful IN obtaining
first rate quality of butter. The COWS
should have the best pasture and the
purest water; they should not be ia
tigued by driving, or annoyed in any
way; the milk vessels should be per-
feCtly clean; the cream should be ia
ken off at the right time, and not kept
too long before il is churned; the
ehurning should be regulated so that
the butter will come in from twenty
to thirty minutes; rapid churning will
not produce bookkeeping butter; the
buttermilk must be thoroughly work
cd out of the butter, the salt thor
oughly worked in, and all this should
lac done without touching it with the
hands. Half an ounce of the best
quality of salt is enough for butter.
Some farmers err In keeping too
much stock, consequently their pas
lures are always bare, and liable to be
burned up by the first spell of warm
weather. When the pasture gives out,
the stock soon follow suit; In fact, it
IS distressing to observe the condition
of stock on bare pasture during a
season of protracted drouth. The
experience of the present year. 10th
IN Europe and America, ought to be
n sufficient warning to farmers not to
depend entirely on the pasture for
feeling cattle aud sheep In Summer
fields OF green and succulent forage
ready in time of need. Corn stalks
and leaves afford an immense quantity
Ottorage just at the right time, when
this crop has been soWn exclusively
for FODDER Rape is cultivated In
many places as green food for stock,
with very good effect. A field of rye
sOwn in August will afford a large
amount of nutritious food for sheen
in October and November.
The time for holding the State and
County Fairs Is fast approaching, and
every one who has anything TO exhibit
should be prepared to take the field or
the bail, and contribute something
to make the meeting interesting. The
fruit crop is not abundant this yer :,
but plenty of specimens cap r
brought forward to I'll the She YES !
the horticultural halls. TT. q whea
crop is abundant, and it IL, gratifvin
to see that private indiviSuals are car
rying forward aud offering liberia
premiums to encourage improvement
in the production of one Of the grea
staples of the Northwest. We hav
heard farmers complain bitterly of tn
small premiums offered by the Mich
gan State Agricultural Society for tn
cereals, and also for clover and gras
seed. FAIRS have been called school
OF Instruction, in which farmers ar
taught useful obiect-lessons. by mere
ly making right use of their. eyes.
Poultry have been very pro6tabl
for several years, aud the supply i
not equal to the demand. In orde
to De successful IN raising and keer
ing poultry, they must be we'll take
care of-k5ept IN we'll arranged
warm poultry mousse, provided wit