Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-05-25

ty of frequent working with cultlvator,
which is the only good substitute for tins
mulching.
! This mode of cultivation will give US a
sure crop, an early and an abundant one.
A dry soil is desirable, but not too dry. 1t
must have moisture, but if the land Is
choked with stagnant water, the plants will
suffer. The quality of the potato grown on
a light mellow soil, a sandy or gravelly
loan, is vastly better than that on heavy,
cold and soggy soil And so new land is
excellent, because the plant has the advan-
tage Of the light burnt top soil. Sod land
is also good especially if the sub soil is light
and open. Potash in any form and lime
are good for the crop, but avoid the use of
coarse rank manures, except on heavy
clay. where the potato should never be
planted if it can be avoided.
We want the readers of the Ploughman
to try the plan of moving away the soil
from the rim of the plants as suggested
above, leaving a few rows to be cultivated
in the ordinary way as an experiment.
Massachusetts Ploughman.
SAVING LIQUID MANURE.-At meet
ing ofthe Franklin Farmers Club it was
stated that the solid matter in the urine of
a COW for one year would weigh nine hun
bred pounds, and was richer in elements
yielding ammonia and equal in phosphates
and other salts to the most valuable guano,
pound for pound. In order to save this
farmers were under the necessity of using
some material to absorb the liquid. What
that material should be was an important
question; and all must be governed more
or less by surrounding circumstances. If
sand is used, and is free from water, every
cord will weigh seven tons; half sand half
clay, free from water, will weigh six tons
pure clay, four and three-fOurths tons gar
den mould, rich in vegetable matter, four
tons peat, or muck, two tons.
1t should be borne in mind that these
weights are after the material has been
heated so as to drive off the water, and is
free from moisture, when one cord of each
will hold or take up if fully saturated with
water, pure sand, one and One-half tons,
half sand, half clay, or a strong loan, two
tons pure clay, two and one-tourth tons
peat or muck, three tons.
These statements are from a source be-
lieved to be reliable, and should be studied
by every farmer who would use them for
preserving his manure
Ii was the opinion of the club that for or
binary cultivated soils, and of itself with
out considering its weight or power to alb
poorest material for composts. Peat is the
best; as it is composed almost wholly of
matter that can be appropriated by the
growing crop-and retains liquids and gas
ses with good results.-Nel0 Hampshire
Statesman
WHEAT.-Let no Vermont farmer who
r. is the possessor of upland that will with
proper tillage produce an average crop, say
| from forty to sixty bushels Of sound corn
e to the acre, ignore the idea of raising
wheat Vermont now stands as State No.
= three in the productiveness of this crop per
D acre and we are sure it is susceptible Of
! taking still higher rank, from the successes
/ which careful culture in many instances
meets with. For if one acre can be made
II to produce from thirty to forty bushels Of
n wheat, there are thousands in the State
h that can be made equally productive. A
correspondent of the New England Farmer
: writing from Lyndon, informs that paper
T, that Mr. Henry Chase of that town. raised
v on q acres of land, last season, 50 bushels
(, Of excellent wheat. Two bushels per acre
= was the amount sown. The kind Of wheat
grown was a bald variety known as the
l. gold drop The ground was in gooG
% condition, as Il matter of course, and was
As another specimen of good Vermont
lie farming, which takes the wheat crop int
= the account, we find statement from Or
t, leans county, where forty-five bushels OF
5, wheat were raised on one acre and seven
tenths. Instances as encouraging as the
n foregoing, are by no means scarce, even IL
l. our own county, and the argument is, tina
rs they can be increased to a profitable adj
il. vantage. Plaster, lime, and some Of tn
mechanical rriiizlrs, no doubt, contribute
- largely to produce 50 favorable results, ant
>, we have known good crop on land wher
;. little or no other manure had been applied
.. for years.
y The intelligent farmer land if he is no
=, intelligent he has no business to be Il farm
er) can soon learn from observation and eX
perience, what his own soil requires t
- make it wheat producing, and if he is wis
Il he will not fail to apply it, and thereb
~ add to the economy of farming by raisin
We his own bread material Waterman an
NJ Journal.
NJ LOOK TO Your SEED.-Sow only tn
". best. 1t is an irreversible law Of natul
-ly that like produces like" and he who SOW
Ia or plants poor seed may be certain he wi
/ d reap poor harvest. five breed from poe
lr- animals-horses sheep, or swine-we sha
ng certainly not improve our stock, but the r
Sc verse. And the same is true of grains al
)ut vegetables This fact appears now to
Wis universally recognized but it is not
ill strictly observed in practice as it shou
WI be- Indeed, by many it is neglected
viii their own detriment. Be careful in seleC
ar, ing seed from your own crops, to select Il
en- best, and in buying from those of Other
ch, to buy the GerBldHtOlCR Telegraph.
ca SURFACE DRAINs.-It is all importa
Ia to attend to surface drainage during t
M spring months The frost often preveI
' the water from descending into und
ion drains or loose porous sub-soil, and resti
ar upon the surface, freezing and thawir
I'd" breaks and tears the crowns and ST
oo IVY face roots Of plants, greatly to their injul
'eG i All vineyard and small fruit grounds
'Nlo pecially should be watched, and the 81
iN" face drains kept open, 50 as to allow wal
to drain off freely; and it will pay also
on see that no water stands around the crow
in of even large fruit trees.
Us SAND FOR CEAIENT.-A good test of t
-. purity of sand, says the London Buildi
oee News, and most important one, is t
III homely practice of rubbing it between I
Nse palms fit be fit for use as mortar it "
. not SOIL Jne nanuS, anu Will De Tree III
q anu ~ odor. DIR. Higgins British authority
u :. 10 the subject, has pointed out that NOR
hVei made with sand whose grains are abe
lo.s equal in size and globular, cannot be
luI strong at any period of induration as Il
SUI SUI which is mixed with as much fine sand
anu can easily be received into its interstiC
80 in order that the lime may cement
' an'o grains by the greater number and extern
V 4i' their contiguous surfaces. He also sta
tho that the sand that passes through a 81
~. wy in washing is finer than that which may
Iii sifted through the same sieve when dry
li ~ Sand is never non-absorbent and imperi
IN in able and, therefore, it is needful it sho
t tiIe be pure when used for building purpo
i. 'e 81 The medieval builders knew this, !;
VI hence the fine character Of their masor
NV River sand or "silt" is the best of all XII
'iio Pit-sand is too fine, and not so sharp
s., gritty. Coarse and fine sands, then she
I'm on be mixed in order to obtain a good Gem
az ~ since the finer grains fill the interstice
" w - the larger, and so tend to consolidate
81 ~ whole mass. Lime should not be mi
= dI ~ before shaking, but the bulk of the W
! III ~ should be applied to the sand before
= o ero lime is added. 1t is important that all
LIE III ter used should, at least, be fresh. In
' u"t case, it should not be polluted or stagn
nv Ordinary water contains some acidu