Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1871-05-26
FARM AND FIRESIDE.

| "A n NH kANG AARLSkD~1
The CURouL1o MAsTERED.-For many
wears past the curculio has been an almost
uncomfortable enemy of he fruit grower
and not a few have cut down their plum
trees as cumberers OF the ground, net re-
ceiying any returns from them. A writer
in the Ohio Farmer says: 81 have remain
inc few nice trees, left standing for orna'
ment and shade, and year after year theSe
trees have bloomed and set full, but IN splE'
of every effort, until the present season. not
quart of fruit vas received. ME tle
trees were in full bloom last spring. my Wlle
determined to try an experiment upon one
of them, which she did, and 1t resulted
more favorably than could have been expect
ed. Early every morning, while IN full
bloom, corn meal was strewn over the
ground beneath the branches, and the whole
flock from the poultry yard at once set to
work to gather up the particles Of grain
The ground was daily thoroughly scratch
ed over, and meal, insects, and everything
to the fowls edible gathered up. Later IN
the season brood of chicks were cooEed
beneath the tree, and the operation OF SOW
ing meal continued. This operation was
not omitted for day, from the time of put
ting forth of the trees until the plums were
beyond the reach OF the little pests Now
for the result: This tree, and this alone,
was loaded with fruit, to the perfect amaze
ment of all who saw it. 1t was literally
covered with fruit, as perfect as could be de-
sired So heavily were the limbs laden that
props had to be used all around the tree
really believe there were more and better
plums upon this single tree than in all he
township, and am almost disposed to say,
all of the county. Not plum matured on
any other tree on my premises, and all are
of the variety as the one saved.
ToGRow CABBAGE PLANTS PRooF AGAINST
THE CABBAGE FLEA" AND OF EXCELLENT
QUAL1TY.-"C. B." writes to the Peters
burg Courier the following plan to keep the
flea" from troubling cabbage:
Take small quantity Of the droppings
from the hen-roost, as much new milk as
will cover the seed, mix all together and
let it soak, say from eight to twelve hours
The flea never troubles plants so soaked.
As soon as the ground is fit to work in
the spring, select a sunny spot, make the
bed loose and rich, using rotten dung and
zeached rood ashes, with small quantity
of hen dung with i. well worked in and
mixed with the soil.
After sowing, should there follow drying
suns, sprinkle the earth morning and euen-
ing with zuhe-garna mater, so as to keep the
bed in dampened condition
Set out the plants when they are three
or four inches high, keep them watered and
the ground we'll worked
If the ground is, as it should be, rich,
with old manure, none will excel you in
size of heads, beauty, Or delicacy Of favor,
or in any fine quality for the table.
The secret Of the highest perfection IN all
vegetables, is that system of culture which
produce quick, rapid groe0th the soil
should be in fine filth, light, Spongy, well
supplied with siiuuzants, manure, and con-
stantly worh;ed.
The quicker the growth the more tender
and marrow-like the vegetable-as in the
opposite degree, fruit should grow and ripen
slowly, so that their pieces should be con-
centroted into high and winoy flavor.
ASPARAGUS BEDS. Hitherto our family
gardens have allowed but small space to the
asparagus bed The plants have usually
been put in rows two feet apart, one foot in
the row, and the beds have been limited to
about 40 feet. The new variety CCon-
overs ColossaD has with its introduction al
so brought new system of culture-wide
planting The originator now puts his
plants four and oneh half, by four feet, and
grows entirely in hills By this method
larger shoots are obtained, and more shoots
from every hill so that in the end the eul-
ture is much easier; the produce is fully as
ample ; but being of larger size, the profits
are far greater. The roots of the Colossal will
grow in one season from seed to the length
Of two and half or three feet. If we were
to plant them two feet apart Or even three,
would they not overlay each other, and in
time, as they enlarge, year after year, would
not the ground become one entire net work
of roots, sucking and robbing one another
as much as possible But if the plants are
put at right distances apart-say four feet
each plant forms hill by itself control
ling exclusively the nutrition Immediately
around, and hence we have greater sue
cess and far more permanent plantations of
this vegetable -HoHicutouist
To CURE GABeET IN Cows.-A CORES
pendent says ''Some six or seven years
ago saw beans recommended for garget in
COWS, by gentleman who had COW so
badly affected that she was nearly spoiled,
but she got to stack Of beans and ate what
she wanted. The result was that she was
cured Since then l have used nothing else,
and it has never failed to cure as yet Beans,
we all know, will do no harm and are
medicine that all farmers have on hand, or
ought to have. At first soaked pint to
feed and mixed them with meal to make
the COW cat them ; but now keep ground
beans, as [ think the meal is the best This
Fall had very promising two year old
heifer become so bad in one teat that [ could
scarcely milk it, and the milk was very
| cbunkv and hloodv I oave her a mint oe