Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-05-18
THE FARM AND GARDEN.
Fail Flowing.

3 ploWs too many, but that he should ploy
i oftener as well as deeper and more thor
l oughly L spent three or four of nv boy
r lsh summers planting and tilling corn ant
potatoes on fields broken up Just before
| they were planted, never cross-plowed
> and OF course tough and intractablt
throughout tie season. The Weld of corr
was Il ddling, considering the season. that
OF potatoes more than middlino: vet, i
those fields had been well plowed in the
, previous autumn, cross-plowed early in the
spring, and tho oughly narrowed Just be.
tore plantlng-tlme, am conident that the
yield would have been far greater, and TIE
labor (saVe IN harvesting) rather less-the
cost OF the fall plowing being over-bal-
anced by the saving of half the time ne ces-
sarlly given to the planting and hoeing.
Fall plowlng has this recommendations
it lightens labor at the buster season, by
transferring it to one of comparative dull
ness. may have said that consider him
a good farmer who can make a rainy
day equally effective with one that is dry
and fair; and, IN the same spirit, I count
him my master in this art who can make a
days work In Autumn or Winter save a
days work in Spring or Summer. Show
me farmer who has no land plowed when
May opens, and is just waking up to a con-
sciousness that his fences need mendino
and his trees want trimming. and [ viii
guess that the sheriff will be after him be-
fore May comes round again.
There is no superstition in the belief that
land is Cor may be) enriched by fall plow-
ing. The autumn gales are freighted with
the more volatile elements of decaying veg
citation. These, taken up wherever thew
ale given off in excess, are waited to and
deposited in the soils best fitted for their
reception. Regarded simply as method
of fertilizing, do not say that fall plow-
ing is the cheapest; l do say that any DO.
field, if well plowed in the fall, will be in
better heart the next spring, for what wind
and rain will meantime have deposi ID
thereon Frost, too, in any region VIII
the ground freezes, and especially where
it freezes and thaws repeatedly plays an
important and benefcient part in aerating
and pulverizing freshly plowed soil,
especially one thrown up into ridges, so as
to be most thoroughly exposed to theaction
of the more volatile elements Thefarmer
who has good team may proftably keep
the plow running in autumn until every
rood that he means to till next season has
been thoroughly pulverized.
Stirring Soil Around Trees.
| Opening or tightening the soil around
the roots of trees, either in the spring or
fall. for the purpose of letting in warmth,
and atfordlng freer medium for the ex-
pansion and development Of the roots, is
of great value in promoting the health
and vigor of the tree. All trees, whether
fruit or ornamental, young or old, indigo
nous or exotic, are vastly benefited by
this process. In old orchards, the soil
about the trunks of trees, and to con.
siderable distance from them, in every
direction, should be carefully broken, and
the upper surface, to the depth of three or
four inches, removed in the spring, every
four or five years. The eggs of the circu-
lilo and other insects are deposited in this
stratum, and, if not removed or destroyed,
will produce incects, the ravages OF which
the succeeding year will be productive of
far greater loss than the expense of remov-
ing the soil, and replacing 1t with compost
or loam. 1t is an utterly hopeless under
taking to attempt the cultivation of good
fruit, when no measures are resorted to to
obviate the fatal ravages of this detestable
and insidious foe, and the remedy now
suggested is by 40 means expensive, if we
take into consideration the advantages
otherwise resulting to the trees from its ap-
pEieation.
Any good SOIL taken from the open fields
or cultivated lands, may be used as sub
tlty will suffice. Even if no fresh matter is
applied, would recommend the removal
of the surface soil, and would replace it
when convenient. Chip manure, or old
dung covered with straw, answers well for
that purpose Germantown Teleqraph.
Substitute for Manure.
| Hearth and Home says the following
recipe of raising potatoes is worth the price
OF any paper for one year to any farmer who
is short OF manure. 1t is as good as the
| superphosphate of lime, and will not cost
| half as much. It has been tried two years.
and is good on dry land: 'sTake one cask
OF lime and slake it with water, and then
stir in it one bushel of fine SALT and then
mix in loam or ashes enough that it will
not beceme mortar; it will make about FIVE
] barrels Put half pint in hill at plant
ing. All manures containing potash are
! particularly suitable for the potato. Ashes
contain more than any other natural fertil-
1zer, and should be freely used and care
fully saved. Any farmer seeing the analy-
Sis OF the ashes of potatoes can readily
imagine what fertilizers produce the great
est effect and what the plant most needs.
Girdled Trees.
1t may be matter of interest to some of
our readers to state that girdled fruit trees
can be saved; and we see no good reason
why the same treatment will not have the
same effect upon all trees The experiment
has been tried with satisfactory results
The method is as follows: To graft five or
SIX sclons, as large around as pipe-stem,
and long enough to reach over the girdled
place into the Je. First notch the live
bark above ard below the girdle; then
spring the shoots or scions into these
notches, and fasten the ends with wax.
The principle is, that the scions grow rap
idly and spread over the girdled surface.
We have been told by gentleman who
gave this method trial, that he saved
some very fine fruit trees in this way, after
they had apparently been ruined by the
gnaWing of mice.-Er.
Soil for Flowers.
The best soil for most flowers, and espe-
cially for young plants and for seed=beds,
is mellow loan, containing SO much sand
that it will not ''bake" after hard showers
1t we have not such soil, we must, of
course, use the best we have. A stiff clay
soil can be much improved by little sand,
or ashes and manure, and by pretty con-
stant working. It must not, however, be
handled when too wet. Always drain the
hover garden so that no water will be on
or near the surface. Don't try to grow
good flowers in poor soil. Always have a
little pile OF manure in some outer corner.
1t is as convenient as money in the purse.
Those who keep COW or horse WILL OF
|, course, have manure enough; but those
who have no such opportunity can get a
load OF sods from some meadow or the
sides of the road; lay them in pile to rot,
and give them soaking with soapsuds on
, washing-days. When the leaves fall get
all you can handily and throw them upon
the pile, and no one will be able to boast
OF better flower food; in fact, this is the
very poetry of manure.
AN INTERESTING HISTORICAL and arch.
geological q covery has just been made in
Paris. Near the Pantheon, on the high
ground known as the Montague Saintt
Genevieve. Roman amphi heater has beer
brought to light by the excavation of the
. ground under which it has be for centu.