Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-04-13
Farm and Garden.

| SpODdPnt OF tne ffurlC FdfmCr says
Plant never less than six inches deep,
better seven in sandy soil never less
than seven or seven and q half. The
reason is this, and | will show how
many points it will cover: 1t will put
the crop beyond the hurtful influence
of the heat and the drought; it will
bury the seed so that the frost cannot
reach it, early as it is put into the
ground and if it should reach it, being
buried so deeply, it will draw out grad.
uallv, which will save it. 1t is as we'll
here, the seed is, as in the cellar, and
may better sprout here than in the
cellar. 1t will thus show above the
ground in due time, when the frosts
have disappeared and the growing sea
son sets in. The soil being we'll drained
an indispensable thing-the rest will
not hurt. There being a good mellow
soil, with humus Vegetable matter)
charging it, it will be comparatively dry
and warm. This will save the seed,
providing always it is sound otherwise,
affected with rot, it will be lost.
The distancs of planting apart must
depend upon the sort that is planted.
A spreading potato-spreading in the
hill-must have more room. Thus,
we plant the Peach Blows farther apart
than the Early Rose. The latter will
put its tubers close together, nest Of
them, and the hills can be put close to-
gether, say twelve to fourteen inches, or
drop the seed Ia single eye or two) con-
tinuously eight inches apart, the rows
as near together as will permit with the
cultivator, the nearer the better for the
close growing roots. By thus planting,
as will be seen, rather close, there will
be no overgrown, and, consequently,
coarse, and it may be, hollow potatoes.
Neither will there be necessarily many
small ones, especially with some sorts,
Of which the Early Rose is beautiful
example. The size will be medium,
large enough-just the thing for cook
ing; and there will be improved quality
a thing, we need not say, of no sec
ondary Importance.
Select such seel for planting as is
wanted to be grown, of the best the
finest qualities all round, and divide
into as many eyes as 1t pleases-a few
eyes only in hill.
Oats for Lam6s.-A correspondent Of
the journal of the Farm says: The i'm
portance of having lambs ready for
maj f.ot dI do early ptIIo't vi VIC StftoOll
as possible, is matter which every
farmer, who lives in the vicinity Of large
markets, understands or at least ought
to. 1t may perhaps not be known to
all farmers that lambs are able to eat
oats when from three to four weeks old,
and my experience has been that there
is no provender with the use of which
| am familiar, that appears to have such
an immediate and salutary effect upon
them. All that Is necessary to be done
is to moisten the oats, and place them
in a trough raised about six or eight
incAes from the hoor and where the old
sheep cannot get at them. Those who
are silepical III regard to this matter,
can very readily test the value of this
suggestion on a single lamb or a pair.
Small Horses.-The SomAen Farmer
says; The arguments may all be in
favor of great size, but the facts are all
the other way. Large horses are more
liable to stumble and be lame, than
those of the middle size. They are
clumsy, and cannot fill themselves as
quick. There is nothing more surpris-
ing to Western men than to visit Mon
treal, and to see the small, but stout,
Canadian horses hauling large. two
seated carriages, full of people, with ap-
parent ease. A horse weighing 900, in
Maine, takes a chaise or Concord wagon,
with two men in il, and makes fifty or
sixty miles in day, over hills that
might have terrified Hannibal. But
their weight is where it ought to be. 1t
is compact, and not lying around loose.
1t is muscle, and not pulp, that we want
in 4 horse.
DuraJle Garden Stakcs-A correspond
ent wishes to know the best way to
make durable garden stakes, for sup
ports and other purposes where the
wood is thrust into the ground, and
soon decays under ordinary exposure
and mentions red cedar, gas tar, pe:ro-
leum, etc. He wishes 10 make supply
during winter. Red cedar, where it can
I be had, is excellent for stakes, splittir e
straight and clear and lasting for long
time. A common tence-post, selected
for its even grain, will make a large
number of common-sized garden stake S
this is the easiest and cheapest way,
= if the cedar can be had in market.
Next to red CEDAR gas or coal tar is best
tor the part which runs into the ground.
The best way to apply it is to put the
tar into q coarse boiler, heat it, being
careful to prevent its catching fire, and
Y then put IN the stakes rather further
into the hot tar than they are expected
4 to 30 into the ground. In few min
y utes the tar will have penetrated the
e pores, and they may be taken out to
give place to Il second place parcel, and
30 on; large number may thus be pre-
pared in an hour or two. We have thus
e made light porous wood last at least
f twenty times rs long as without any
e such pro;ectian. Where exposed to air
i and SIN, the gas tar is of very little use,
t and for such exposed parts crude petro.
s leum, washed over the surface and alb.
/ sorbed by the wood, is far better, and
/ one OF the cheapest and best of all pro-
: tectors of exposed woodwork. We
S have lately seen an account of n mode
i Of protecting stakes by gas tar, by which
!, they may be made to last many years
: when subjected to continued exposure
h by rolling the tarred portion in SHARP
e sand as soon as taken out of the kettle
/. and after they are perfectly dry giving
5 them another coat of tar and of sand
il This would obviously give them awater
/. proof and frostproof casing, as a mix
S ture of tar and sand is affected b,
neither moisture nor freezing.-C Countr,