Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-09-29

FARM. GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD,
Trsnsplanting and muIching.


and if protected for few days from the
heat of midday, will go on growing as if
in their original quarters.
AS the weather becomes warmer and
dryer, the mulching of trees set this spring
should not be neglected. For this purpose
use can be made Of straw manure, chip
dirt or any litter which may have accumu-
lated duriag the winter. Should a long
period of dry weather occur, remove the
mulch, fork over the ground and replace
the mulch as lightly as possible. The
trees can by this method be kept growing
right along.
The watering of plants and vegetable
should never be done in the middle of the
day. The best time is at night, unless the
temperature is quito low, when it should
be performed early in the morning.
Gut back all trees and shrubs set this
spring which seem to be living at poor
dying rate. The roots and rootlets many
of which Were torn away VI hen the trees
were remOyed-are yainly trying 10 sup.
ply nourishment TO the full sized top with
numberless leaves and branches, but unless
some OF the latter are removed the tree or
shrub will surely die. Therefore cut back
and pinch off a portion of tho top strug-
Cling for life. Watch all shrubs and trees
heavily if necessary.
One of the rpadiest means of propacatinp
many kinds of shrubs and vines. grapes
especially, is by leyeriDgs. Bend down
the part you wish to layer, and cover to
The depth of two inches; If necessary con-
iine with peg. The vine will send out
rOOtlets from each JOINT; another spring it
can be disconnected from the parent vine
and removed 49, HoneSksnd
Keeping sweet Potatoes.
II, Ii. G. Dewitt, Mo Please give me
the best method OF putting up sweet pota-
toes so as TO keep them safely through the
winter.
The conditions of the tubers at digging
time and the copveniences for storlng
them vary SO much i'm different parts oftbe
country that no method can be recommend
ed as the best under all circumstances. III
the season To perfect the potatoes and to
insure their having thick skin, and there
Is, wlthal. dry cellar, the temperature and
dryness of which may he regulated, there
rs little difficulty In preserving sweet po-
tatoes in bulk the same as Irish potatoes.
II, however, the potatoes are no. thorough
y ripened, and have thin skins, and there
Is no suitable cellar for storing them, il is
over the winter. In all cases the potatoes
should be dug before they are injured by
frost aud should be left in the sun till they
are quite dry. They should be handled
carefully, SO as not to ipjure the skin. In
the absence Ofa suitable cellar, they may
be kept in a chamber or attic over the
cook-room, or they may be packed
suitable boxes and kept in the kitchen. In
order to insure them against frost and to
prevent the rot from spreading among
them, many recommend placing some sub
stance between the potatoes TO keep them
from coming IN contact. Many things have
been recommended for this purpose, such
as oats, saw-dust. chat, cut-straw, bran
and sun-dried sand. Rotten wood, dried
and pulyerized, and peat served in the same
manner, are also recommended. The OBJ
ject should be TO pack them in some SUBJ
stance that is bad conductor of heat.
which will absorb moisture. and which will
not ipjure tho skin of the potatoes. Old
Hour barrels are very convenient for pack
ing purposes. Put in thin layer of either
OF the substances spoken of; then place a
layer of the potatoes as close as they can
be put without touching. adding the filling
from time to time till the barrel is filed,
when it may be headed up. A few small
holes in the barrel would be useful for VEN
tilation. The best temperature is one
that is even and is only sufficiently warm
to prevent the potatoes from freezing. If
the air of the apartment is too dry, the po-
tatocs will have shriveled appearance in
the spring, which will injure them for Ia
bic purposes.-Prairie Fdrmr.
ARE OUR SOILS DETERIoRArING "A. B.
Arnold read paper on this subject before
the Ithica Farmers Club at late meeting.
He said that the first settlers pursued the
policy of taking from the soil all they could
get, and returning as little as they could
help. This policy has been commenced
at the East, and was now vigorously pros
ecuted at the West. But the Eastern farm
ers, after running their farms nearly out,
saw the necessity of improving them, and
went 10 work to that end. This improve
ment also was going on from East 10 West.
The question for us is, on which side of
that line of Improvement are we? BY n
reference to the census-tables for 1915 and
those for 1866, Mr.. Arnold show
ed that in every crop except oats
there was a gratifying advance in the av-
erace amount per acre Welded in 1866,
the oat crop be attributed TO the dryness
Of The census year 1861 So our soil is
undoubtedly improving. There are two
sources of improvements: I. Barnyard ma
nure. 2. Green crops We can not doubt
that our improvement is duo almost en-
tireiy to the latter, ard mainly TO clover.
In erder 10 keep up the fertility of our soil,
We need to return IL as much as we take
from 1t. Now, we do not return, in barn
yard manure, Que quarter of what the crops
take off. But rotation in which clover
holds prominent place has a wonderful
power OF improving WORKOUT laud. Var
ious instances were given In support of
this theory. Twenty years ago farm was
bought for Sl2 per acre; il was gravelly,
poor. and thoroughly worn out The
owners now get first-rate crops from it, and
would not take 500 per acre for it now.
This has been accomplished 10y clover.
VALUABLE TESTIMONY ABOUT HAYS III.
Farnswortb, of China, Me-, in an article
recently published in the New ENGLAND
Farmer, states the following facts:
Two years ago put into bay twenty
four by seventeen feet some eight tons of
hay that was cut when i'm full bloom. with
a machine, after the dew was off; raked and
put up before the dew fell at night; opened
the next day. and got In in the afternoon.
At the same time had about two tons that
had the sun only one day, but as it looked
hike storm. put it on top of the other.
As there was no storm, Immediately filed
up the NOW with wellInado hay-some
sixteen tons in all. In September follow
ing pressed it, commencing on the top
with the later cut hay. The bales weighed
from $50 10 $50 pounds EACH When L
came to tho hay that was put in green, the
bales wen: from $40 TO 80, and the hay at
the place where the person stood who
moved away was turned to a very dark
color and was matted together. When I
came to the early-cut and thoroughly-cured
hay, the bales went from $50 to 410
pounds"
WHEN TO PRuNE APrLE TREES. cor
respondent of the Watertown, N. Y, Times
says: "It has long been the practice
among farmers TO commence pruning apple
trees in February, mainly. suppose, be-