Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-04-11
Dailp ARGUS.
Teor,a.y, April ii, 1879.
Agricultural.

Salt aud charcoal for stock. The use Of el
charcoal a. we'll ~ salt has been highly d
recommended to farmers, aS tending 10 keep o.
them Ia good condition and help their B
general Improvement. Salt acts healthily .
on the blood. Charcoal strengthens aud
heals the mucous membranes throughout
the alimsntary canal, and increases the y
power Of the digestive organs, healing any
unhsalthy condition existing there. Ii pre- .
vents worms generating in the stomach, etc, Q
10 absorbs the putrescent gases BY which '
worms are generated, and they consea usutlJ 4
die. The free use Of salt and charcoal will !
contribute 70 protect cattle from epidemios,
end will counterfeit the effects OF putreSceut
or septic water
There are several modes OF
growing early cueumbers. Our one 10 TO
plant she seed early in hotbeds. Soon after
the plants begin 20 show sheir.second pair Of
leaves, push trowel or knife under them 90
o. 10 sever the tap roots 10 day or two,
transplant them 10 the hotbed do this
without divesting the plants Of earth. A
week later push knife down around them
90 a. 10 cut lateral roots within 40 inch of
the main root then lift the ball aud trans
plant il.
Once every eight days or so, shorten the
roots, each time going little further out
and after each pruning transplant. Some .
two or throe weeks before setting 10 the /
field, transplant into cold frames, or admit /
cold air freely TO harden. Nothing can be 1
gained BY transplsntng into cold frames or
into the garden until the soil in either place l
frat becomes warn.
Small frames covered with glass may be /
advantageously used ia the open feld on
cold nights, IS . protection against frost or /
cold winds; bat NJ other times the glass
ought TO be left of. In this way, II plants |
are properly hardened and balls Of earth |
containing them are carried 10 the field and |
set without disturbing the roots, cucumbers /
can be had ak weeks earlier than by plant 1
ing seeds early in the open ground. Prairie |
fdImer.
New asparagus beds should be
made nov without delay, though
any time this month will answer. The best
plan in making these beds is to excAvAte
the earth, whether il is soil or not, to the
depth Of from twenty 10 twenty.four inches
remove all The dirs except the soil, and
commence to Gil up with good layer Of
horse mAnure, press il well down, then a
layer Of soil, aud then manure again, leav-
ing ihe richest manure FOR the last eight or
ten inches. Plant tuo-year-old roots Of the
Colossal variety, three feet spart each way,
with the crown Of the roots from six 10 eight
inches beneath the surface.
Keep the beds clear Of al Weeds, grass,
etc. The plants will make considerable
growth the first season, and the third season
there will be some spires ft to cut The
fourth season, three years after planting.
the bed may be considered 10 i,s full
maturity. No salt should DO applied uu,il
the osd is fully established. While there Is
no better fertilizer than salt for bed once
fully producing . orop-to be applied early
in April aud ~ soon after the fall dressing
Of manure is forked 10 as may b. conveuisut
--i,n death TO the Young plants. SslI dss-
troys the weeds and grass, and must be kept
from box sdgiug and young trees, or il will
destroy them too.
WATERING HoRsEs-A horse should be
vAiered from q brook, pond or river, aud
not wells or springs, rs the we'll wstsr is
hard aud colder, while she running stream
Is soft and rather warm. The preference
for horses Is for soft, even though IL be
muddy water, to that which is hard. Horsea
should be allowed ia summer time At least
four vGtsrings . day, and q half bucket stA
time, and IN winter a psilfal may be ALLOW
ed morning aud evening, which Is suti Giant
10 AssuAge their thirst without causing them
70 bloAt or puff up. Care, however, should
be taken shat the horse IL cot pat 10 work
Immediately after drinking full bucket Of
water, especially II thew are required 10 20
fast because digestion and severe eIertlon
oan never 20 together, and moreover pur
ging is apt 20 snsue 10 soma cases
broken wind or hsAves il thus produced
Avoid giving warm or lepid water to horses
that Ars often driven FROM hona, because
cold or well water will be given them
which will be liable 10 produce a oongeslive
chill, followed BY lunR fever, and in some
Gases colo. When horses are thus carefully
waisred, II one or moro Of them should re-
fuse their accustomed feed, something 10
wrong, and they should not be taken on, Of
the stable 70 work or driven further that
DAY bot 90 examination should be made
~ TO the cause, with view TO its removal
~ W, Farmer.
WirH rs the use Of the apple, Is an ar
ticls Of food, ia far undsrAted. Besides
containing large amount Of sugar, muc-
lage, and other nutritive matter apples con
iAin vegetable AoidS, aromatic qualities, etc
which act powerfully in the capacity Of re.
frigsrauts, tonioS, and Antissptics, aud
whom freely used at the season OF mellow
ripsnsss they prevent debility, indigestion,
and avert, without doubt, many Of the ellis
which flesh is heir tor The operators Of
Cornwall, England, considered ripe apples
nearly as nourishing as bread, and far more
90 than potatoes. In the year ls0l-vhich
was year Of much soGroity-Applss, in.
stead Of being inverted into older, were
sold 20 the poor, and the laborerI asserted
THAI they could stand their work on bak.
cd apples without meat; whereas q potato
diet required either meat or some other
substantial nutrimenI The French and
Germans use apples extensively, so do the
Inhabitants Of all EuropeRn nations. The
lGborers depend upon them rs an article of
food, and frequently make dinner Of sliced
apples and bread. There 10 no food cooked
&c a. many different ways IN our country As
apples, nor 10 there any fruit whose value,
as an article Of nutriment, is as great and
90 little appreciated.
A correspondent Of the Western Farmer
gives the following description Of how be
hArrows his corn 81 commence juSt before
the corn comes up and continue Is nssded
to keep soil loose and weeds out Of sight,
until il is so tall the harrow will break It
oil II used. There is nothing so nsedful TO
secure crop Of corn, with our short sea
sons, rs frequent stirring Of the soil whom il
10 10 It's hrst stages Of growth, and no tool
will do this so ohsSply or so thoroughly in
the hill ~ rightly constructed harrow.
harrow back aud forth till have my lands
a. desire. II the corn ia rowed both ways
Of the field, the second narrowing should
orosI the first, the third the second, and so
on. ! have not had failure in four years
with Dent corn on my white, heavy, cold
soil.