The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-10-30
AGRICULTURAL.
FALL FLOWING.


Every observing farmer understands
how thoroughly frost acts as an amel.
~iorator of stiff soils, breaking and dis.
integrating the solid mass and render.
ing It more thoroughly prepared for
crops than can be accomplished by
any mechanical means at the farmers
command. To obtain the full benefit
of this process, the land should be
well plowed, and if possible to a depth
Of some inches below the usual plow-
ing. This brings fresh soil to the
surface for the beneficial action of the
frost, and deepens the seed bed pre-
paratOry to a more remunerative
cropping As ordinary farm blowing
seldom exceeds six inches in depth.
If plowed and cropped freely, the six
inches becomes comparatively impov-
erished, and the surface of the soil at
the bottom of the burrows rendered
hard and impervious by the friction
of the pillow, so that the roots of the
growing crop cannot penetrate to a
greater depth in quest of the neces
sary food. Deeper Fall blowing and
subscribing by some process will be
found the best remedy for this defect
In good cultivation.
What is true of Fall blowing farm
lands is equally important Ia the cul-
tivation of garden plats. Whoever
has a garden of stiff soil can benefit
depth in the Fall, and allowing the
action of frost to soften and pulverize
the hard soil for Spring operations,
which will be very much facilitated
thereby. Do not forget to spade deep,
ODD khrn" - wrH wOuwhl, kEoN = -o-x
become warm and dry the earlier in
Spring.
SMUT IN WHEAT.
There are two kinds of smut in
wheat. The first, called ared0 segetun1,
appears in the shape of black ears.
This disease is found In every kind of
grain crop, and may be observed i'm
mediately after the ears have shot
out. Heads affected by smut of this
kind crumble away and disappear.
Some soils seem to communicate the
disease so extensively to the crops
which grow in them, that the only
way of getting rid of tits to lay down
the grass for several years.
The second, and most destructive
kind of smut, is ured0 fetida. This
disease attacks the kernel of wheat.
1t is composed of an immense num-
Der of minute spores. 1t is calculat-
ed hat a single grain of smut con-
tains 100000 of spores, and by
means Of these the disease is propa-
gated, as they are absorbed by the
roots of wheat and carried upward by
the sap. BY the aid Of the microscope. |
the progress of these spores may be
traced through the stem to the ear.
The spores adhere to. the grain of
wheat by an oily substance. which
picking and washing dissolves and
clears away. Poisonous sleeps for
wheat are unnecessary, as a strong
brine is the best pickle that can be
used. After being raised from the
steep, the seed should be dried with
fresh lime. This treatment Of the seed
Is an effectual prevention of smut.
THE CURCULIo.
The curculio has been very de-
structive to plums this year, >and has
extended its attacks to peaches and
cherries. Experiments made by b.
ID. Walsh, Esq, State Entomologist of
Illinois, nave established the fact that
there are two distinct brOods of the
plum curculio every year, the first of
which comes out in the beetle state in
the latitude of Rock Island, from
about July 10 to August A, and the
second from August % to September
Is. The first brood is generated by
females which have passed the Winter
In the beetle state, and have attacked
the early fruit, laying the eggs which
produce the second brood. The
second brood of beetles come out late
In the season, and the females leave
through the Winter and repeat in the
succeeding season the process detail
ed above. Thus it will be seen that
the curculio differs from the apple
worm or codlery-moth-which is also
double brooded, in this-that the for
mer passes the Winter in the perfect
state, and she latter in the larva and
pupa states.
HOW TO KILL THIsTLEs.
There arc two ways to do it, both
sure, as L have often proved. The
first is to NOW them just as the bios
SONS are opening, before the seeds
are ripe enough to grow; NOW them
all, and close, and on the third year
there will be very few to NOW. The |
reason is this: The roots of no seed
bearing plants can live without air,
which must be received through the
leaves, and the. roots, having nearly
exhausted their vitality by forcing up
their seed stalks; if deprived of them
at this time all at once they must die.
Another way is to pillow them up and
to harrow the ground thoroughly with
a common spike-tooth harrow, and
when you plant it, pull out as man.
roots as you can, and when you hoe it
cut. every thistle deep into the ground
hoe il again, and cut them a little
deeper, it possible. The third time
take a chisel, put 9 long handle to it
like a hoe handle, and with that cut
down deep below the new sprouts,
aud the work is done. Il have killed
Canada thistles in both of these ways,
and know whereof | speak. To pillow
and hoe once does no good, but more
hurt than good. To NOW them but
one year is but a temporary check;
but if mown three years in succession,
at the time | have named, it win kill
them.-C0rTespOndence Boston CGlti-
GATOR.
PRUNING IN WINTER.
d. Beebe, of Hillsdale, Michigan, \
writing in The Western Rurdl, says:
/ have been pruning my orchard.
/ commenced about the middle of
November, and finished about the
middle Of December. The first man
that came along asked: Why do you
trim your trees now?" The next one
says: You will spoil your orchard"
Another says: There was but fifty
two days in the year that trees ought
not to be trimmed (Sundays.) To
all these | replied, l trimmed them
because l had time. | had now about
two rows trimmed, and, lest something
might be wrong about it, L thought
L would consult some authority.
Going In my library took dougD