The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-08-30
AGRICULTURAL.

AGRICULTURAL.
HINTS ABOUT FRUIT.-Every peach tree
in the orchard should be carefully examined,
at least twice Il year, for the purpose of
| finding and destroying the borer. When
grubs are small and confined to the bark,
they may be easily detected. If they have
penetrated into the wood, they must be dug
out with knife or piece of strong wire.
around the base of the trunk, has been found
Il good preventive of these insects.
WOMAN AS a FARMER.-In Nineland,
n. j., place of 10, 900 inhabitants, 35 miles
south of Philadelphia, women are demon
strating what they can do at farming. These
women are not coarse or illiterate, but
some of them have been highly educated and
possess well-cultivated minds. l do not
know how many there are here who own
farms, which they have brought into cul-
tivatiOn solely by their own efforts, but
will speak of Il few that have come under
my immediate notice. The first one who
gave me an account of her work is a maiden
of about forty. She had been school teacher
in Massachusetts for sixteen years; she got
weary, as she said, of being a slave for
others, and, thinking farmers life more
to her heart, came to Vineland and bought
ten acres. She has been here three years,
and has five acres in good bearing condition,
I'LL Cue WOIh except Uuc clearing OI Uuc lstuu
has been done by herself and a boy thirteen
years old; and from being weak in some di-
rcctions she has become strong and healthy.
l next saw another maiden of the same age.
She was educated as physician, but her
health giving way, she came here and
of only a boy she has five acres under nice
cultivation, and she says she never had so
good health in her life.
ATTEND TO THE STANDARDIZATION
the Mobile Sunday Times we copy the fol-
lowing: The fruiting season, with straw
berries, being over in this latitude, the
plants now require attention; and it should
be prompt and thorough. Or system of
culture, which we have practised for several
years past with satisfactory results, is as fol-
lows: The plants are in rows four feet apart,
and, late in the winter are mulched with
pine straw lightly-sufficient to keep the
fruit clean, but not enough to keep down
the grass. AS soon as the plants cease bear
ing, we rake off the mulch, then run a turn
pillow as near the row as possible without
mjuring the roots, turning the furrOw from
the plants. In this furrow, and on the side
next to the row, we scatter Il moderate
quantity of Baugh's rawbone superphos-
plate of lime; then break up the middles,
blowing as deep as possible, turning the
furrOw to the plants and completely cover
ing the phosphate. After the midtllcs have
been thus thoroughly broken up, we follow
with hoes, covering up, or removing, all
the grass and weeds, drawing soil around
the plants, and leaving the surface perfectly
clean, smooth and level. All the subsc-
quent work necessary during the summer
Is, to go over the ground occasionally with !
hoes to keep out the grass, and at the same
time clip the runners. If the plants are set f!
in beds, and cannot be plowed, they must
be cleaned out and the ground worked and |
made mellow with hoe and garden fork |
The point is, to get out all the grass, and |
put the ground in perfect order, in some
'cdy. Last season las we have before stately |
the wet weather caused such a. growth |
of grass during the bearing season, that
nothing could be done with n pillow, and |
we were compelled to spade in the grass |
The effect was so wonderful, that we are |
inclined to the opinion, that it would always |
pay to trench the ground between the rows |
We are satisfied that, in this section, nine
out of ten of those who pretend to cultivate
strawberries, neglect to give them this in
dlspcnsable sumner culture. 1t is busy |
season of the year, the job is a heavy one,
other work is pushing, and the wberry |
- patch" is permitted to ''go to grass
Next winter it will probably be burned
over, and, in the spring there will be
small crop of very small berries, and the |
is, that Strawberries will not pay |
in this climate. Our experience is, that with
proper attention and thorough culture, no
'rop pays better than the strawberry; but
il will not bear neglect. No more labor Is |
'cquircd than for- other crops, but what 1T
hoes need it must have, and must have at |
he right time; and that is all there *
lDout it.
PERsoNAL.-Undcrt this heading the New
49, l,, f,lI,