Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1872-03-21
Farm and Garden.

the spring when the snow begins tc
melt, is to let off any water that accu
mulates on the surface. No matter how
carefully the dead burrows and outlets
may have been made in the fall, there
is always more or less to be done in the
spring, to provide free egress for the
water. A few hours work with hoe
and spade, at this season, will often let
off thousands of gallons of water, which
otherwise would soak into the soil and
keep it wet and cold for several weeks.
In letting off a shallow pool of water,
the easiest and quickest plan is to COM
mence at the pool and make a little
furrow with a hoe, letting the water
follow you. But where the water is in
a somewhat deep basin, with little ap-
parent fall from it to the outlet, better
plan is to commence at the outlet and dig
with spade up the basin and in order
to be sure that you lose no fall, dig the
ditch deep enough to let the water fol-
low you up to the basin.
Oats and Peas.-The american AgTicuL-
turiSt says: Goats and peas sown to-
gether is favorite crop with US. If the
land is rich enough and in good order,
and the crop is sown early. great
amount of valuable fodder and grain
may be obtained per acre. We would
SOW % bushels peas and II bushels oats
per acre. They can be sown together
with an ordinary grain-drill, but it is
necessary to see that they are well
mixed in the drill. Roll the land after
the drill, and pick off everything that
would interfere with a moving ma
chine. On rough land they are a
troublesome crop to harvest, but when
+ L - l., Il Ill kL1 L,
can be set to run as close as mower,
they can be cut and delivered in bum
dies with self-raking reaper"
The Cost of Poor Probably few
farmers think of what it costs to keep
a poor COW or lank-pike hog. They
readily understand that good COW, or
a hog that will dress 200 lbs at ten
months, is profitable stock to keep, but
the fact that this gain is really the
amount of loss on the poor stock, is
rarely considered. If COW yields 200
lbs of butter in year, which brings $50,
and another yields rs lbs, which brings
$22.50, the loss on the poor COW is just
$3.50. The fact is, it would be more
profitable operation to give her away
than to keep her, for she does not pay
for her feed. The dairy business of this
country is not on satisfactory footing
by any means, and solely on account of
the multitude of poor COWS, which are
kept year after year. This is a matter
which should be looked after by the
county agricultural societies. Every
one OF these associations should intro
duce improved stock, by means of
thoroughbred male animals, into their
localities. 1t is a good work to elevate
the ideas of farmers and to foster taste
for improvements, but to the great ma
jority of their clients the possession of
such stock, or the use of it, is quite un-
attainable, on account of want of the
necessary mears. By making this a
special branch of their operations, the
usefulness of these societies would be
much increased, and their importance
greatly enhanced.
trawberries.-Prepare the ground fo1
new plantations as soon as possible, and
give the old beds fresh supply OF
manure and work it in well between
the rows. Set burrows two feet apart,
with eighteen inches between the plants.
BZackbcrries.- Set out in rows six feet
apart, and allow from four to six feet
between the plants, according to the
variety. Cut the plants back to six
inches before planting. The old plants
should have their canes cut back to four
or five feet.
Cuttings of currants, gooseberries, etc.,
may be made now, and planted out
in trenches prepared for them as soon
as the weather permits.