The weekly standard., 1869-10-27
HOUSE AND FARM.

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SCIENTIFIC FARMIEG.-"Every plant de-
Telops and perfects itself by natural laws
When you have supplied all the necessary
conditions for plant growth, you have done
all that you can. This is scientific culture
1t is,as simple as rolling of log If people
had known 1t was So simple they would
have had it long ago"
Thus discoursed an aged friend, man of
learning and experience, in our hearing. not
many days since. Really, then, farmers have
beer. pFacticing scientific farming To great
er extent than many of them are aware Of
Three feurths Of our farmers arc ready, on
occasion, To scof at and ridicule the idea of
scientific farming. and yet, so far as they
have. farmed intelligently and successfully,
they may be said to have farmed scienti6csl-
ly fOf. they have given their crops the neces-
sary Conditions for development.
Every farmer who plants corn knows that
be should first have his land in fine tilth.
deep and mellow he should plant the seed
at a certain depth TO secure the necessary
warmth and moisture for its termination,
and At certain distances apart to give the
plants sufficient room for growth, and that
during growth the land should be kept
clean and mellow. His observation has
Taught him that these are conditions neces-
sary for the growth and development of the
plants, or the productions of good CROP
They are facts understood and comprehend
ed by his mind, hence scientific very
few farmers have pursued their observations
a little farther, and found that by selecting
the best grains from the best ears, and from
the best stalks and giving them extra cult
walton for the purpose of raising the best
seed they have been able to increase the
yield to fifty or one hundred fold.
Scientific farming is that kind OF farming
which is based upon knowledge truth, and
understood facts. The more knowledge
farmer can bring to bear upon his opera
tions,lth more facts he comprehends, perti
nsnt TO his business. the more thoroughly |
scientific will be his farming, and, 0f course |
the more successful There have been exam
piles Of theoretical farming, not based upon |
facts, or guided by experience, and errnne.
Ousy called scientific farming; but there is
nothing to merit ridicule in scientific farm
ing, feS nearly every farmer practices II in
greater or less degree.
the horticuiturist, by studying the char
acter aud wants Of plants, b5 carsful cnlti-
walton, By hyhridization. etc, have develop
ed new varieties, and otherwise accomplish
mensely TO the interest and profits Of their
branch Of farming. They are scientific cul-
tivatoTs. Yet there are some successful hOr-
ticultgrists who can barely read and write,
but they study, think. and observe carefully.
If they do not originate improvements, they
at Least inform themselves of those made by
others and appropriate the Advantages
Without this, the horticulturist of the pres
ent day cannot attain even more moderate
success, compared with others. The same
is true in regard TO the general farmer,
though perhaps in a less marked degree. IL
is true that the truly scientific farmer IS in
all respects the most successful, while the
old fogies barely live, or if they make some
thing more, it is more by luck than by the
amount of knowledge they apply to their
business.
The most essential requisite IN scientific
farming is careful observation, with knswl-
edge af what aud hos to Observe. As an
aid To such knowledge, I-,rks and papers
are essential From these mly lie learned
the observation and Experience" "l others, the
results OF expeuuepls. etc. Without appro-
priatiDg the kaoa lyd,c s,in,d ly others,
man can make but very sl"w purgreSs in any
business more especially ia farming In
no other way cah such knowledge be so
readily and crmt ti,tely gained as from books
and the agricultural papers. the latter being
the proper repositories for a record of facts,
observations, etc, of almost daily occurrence
Journal Of agriculture,
The TURNIP FLY.-In one of our late En-
qlish exchanges there was given the results
of most extended series of experiments
made With various washes and substances,
&
such manner as to resist the attack of the
fly. All (some thirty or forty in number and
extending half over the catalogue of sub
stances, within reach of the farmer proved
to be WORTHLESS, except the soaking of the
tumip seed for from five to six hours in train
oil, or iinseed OIL, the seed being afterwards
dried 10 powdered dry earth, 50 As tn enable
il TO be easily sown.
The effect o. the oil was to render the
growth of the plant far mare vigorous than
u Nasiin either 4 natural or an otherwise
prepared state; the seed leaf was darker,
larger anil fatter than other seed leaves the
plant Appeared to be Eeariy il not quite un-
molested by She fy. it turned into rough
leaf much sooner, the rough aYes being
also in q great measure exempt from attacks
Of the fiy, and the general growth continued
afterwards 70 be superior ln1g soaking
in oil did rot appear to be more beneA,ial
than the six hours ii is n thing well worth
trying, and IS within the reach Of an.-Ca-
na9a Former.
TREE PLASTNG.-In planting trees this
fall, alIsshould remember that it is requisite
to set the tree only just 50 deep as to enable
it 10 stand, forwe can earth up to protect it
from heaving by the-wiii,ers -frusrs; and as
soon as spring opens and the ground is
levelled down, the roots will start and seek
their appropriate depth. If We dig . deep
hole, especially in hard clay soil, and I'LL It
with good loan and set out trees therein,
we Enst invite the water there a. into els
tern; and second we cause n vigorous growth
of roots, until they reach the undisturbed
clay, when check isa once perceptible and
often an orchard stands from 1--WE to seven
years without apparently making any pro-
gress. Remember, Ihen, and plant yaus
trees just - deep as 10 cgyer their roots, but
no more; then Earth up for winier protection
against frtiSt for the first wear. snd dress
down again t. level in spring -H6rtiezl-
tVriA s.--t1l'
KEEPrS0 PuTATOEs IA Experience proves
that potatoes should. be kept ihsauqh the
winter in dry zIsd coil RimOsphere-fhe
diier the better, provided it be above the
freezing point. All changes uf temperature
or Of the degrees Of moisture are unfavora-
Bile Nhere eply small quaniilses are tn be
s'orei. as fof family -nse. fhey should he as-
sofief inio bsrrtis The inst1rsticss filed
with sunaTied sand and the whole covene.I
with nicely htied turf. Syroussag ar shriv-
cling IS thus pHyysRted, and much ai the
original FRESHNESS 4 fiir potAior Is rrtained.
They have is.d minister cocuml,-r in
San Fnpciscq. i MAS fys frrs and two
laches long. and eight spches ip diameter,