Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-08-24
TFor the Alexandria Gazette.
Agricultural.

Farmers Club, and from the New York Tri-
bune.
An English farmer cured dog Of the sheep
killing propensity by tying. him securely be-
tween two stout rams and letting them drag
him about till he was dead tired.
Gas-lime acts as fertilizer by supplying
lime to the soil. This is its only beneficial et-
feet, and this is obtained only by exposing it to
the air that its deleterious properties when
fresh may pass off, and the lime be thus rem
dered comparatively pure The impurities
which render fresh gas, lime deleterlous to veg
citation are chlorine and sulp phuretted hydrogen,
both of which are deadly posons to vegetable
life.
Joshua Fiero, Ulster county, n. Y, speaks
against bontires and says it is better to bury
filth than to burn it, for the reason that smoke
spreads disease He adds: Let all who have
a spot of ground large enough dig hole from
two to four feet Deep according to the amount
up the hole with old boots and shoes, bones,
old bottles, and filthy rags, dead cats land live
cats if you have more of them than you need
plant them in the hole, place sharp spade
upon their necks aud see how far you can settle
them); then fill up the hole with earth, and
set tree or vinc Do this each and every
year, and you will soon have better health and
more fruit or shade trees.
The chief dependence in fattening Pork, says
the Rural World, should be on good pasturage:
Glover pasturage is considered the best, but all
kinds of pasturage are reished by swine, and they
thrive on it as readily as other stock. 1t is not
economical to keep hogs up In pens and yards
and feed them by hand every mouthtul they
eat; they should have pastures just as much as
cattle or sheep or horses. They must be taught
L rrla
ly do it If the pasture is good and supplied with
water An ear or two Of corn to each head is,
however, highly advisable In fattening hogs
great deal of of unnecessary labor is given.
In some comments on crop statistics furnish
cd by the Department of Agriculture, The
MARYLAND Farmer says: 1t uniformly appears
from this fund of correspondence that wheat
nut in with the drill suffered much less from
frost and Winter killing and from drouth than
that sewed broadcast; this is the testimony from
south, west, and north, and worth needing.
The general testimony proves also, that the
wheat on deep plowed, wel-dralned lands was
injured less by frost and drouth than on the
contrary. The experience OF careful operators
shows that Winter grains and meadows, when
we'll mulched or top dressed with fine manure,
forest leaves saw dust, or litter suffer less from
Winter frost and Summer drouth than when
not so treated These things are worth MOTTO
ing and practicng Deep plowlng, drlll-Sow
ing, under draining, and top dressing tor wheat
and for meadows.
WHEN TO TRANSPLANT TREEs.-If we may
inffpe by the number Of inquiries received at
This office, the interest in fru!t-culture has new
er been more active than at the present time.
Many person are asking whether 1t IS better to
transplant in Fall or wait till Spring. This ques-
tion has always been and seems likely to con-
tinue an unsettled one, even among the most
intelligent and experienced men. With large
fruits, including pears, apples and peaches,
much more depends upon the condition anu
preparation of the ground than upon the sea-
son ut which the transplantlng takes place
At different times. and under dlf1erent treat
ment. we have instituted experiments, the re-
suits of which we hoped might serve as
guide, but as yet nothing definite on this point
has been determined On four or five occa
sions, in putting out lots Of 200 to 500 pear
trees, half would be planted in the Fall and
the other half in the Spring. Twice there was
a very noticeable difference in the growth OF
the trees for year or two, but invariably this
difference would disappear, so that at the end
of five wears one could not positively dlstin-
guish between them. With tall aud weak
trees there is serious objection to Fall planting
The Winter and early Spring winds will, unless
the tress are stakcd, sway them backward ana
forward to such an extent as to seriously DISTURB
and dispace the roots. This is especially true
ofcherry and spindlipg apple trees. Whenthis
evil is guarded against, then Fall has some de-
cided advantages over Spring planting Form
stance, in the Fall there is less pressing
work to be done, and therefore more time can
be given In the transplanting to details that
are important to the welfare OF the trees
Again, the ground is usually during Autumn
in better order for longer period, SO that
there is no necessity of hurrying forward the
work. as is frequently the case IN the Sprlng.
For these reasons we have on different occa-
sions recommended Fall planting OF apples,
pears, peaches, and grapes. nor do we see any
good reason to change opinion IN this respect.
There is no doubt however, that, all thlngs
hcine equal the Spring is decidedly the best
season in which to do the work. But the frost
may remain in the ground till the middle OF
April. Following this may be spell OF wet
weather. keeping the soil heavy and cold, and
nnft TO plant trees in, and thus the time be so
shortened that the Job if done at all has to be
done in hurry, in which event many lmpor-
tant minor matters are likely to be neglected.
Better wait whole year than run the risk OF
planting the trees in wet ground, under any
circumstances. -, :
Before planting see to it that the ground is
in good order, thoroughly. pulyerlzed by ploW-
ing, cross plowing, aud subsolllng, until every
part of it. to depth of IS inches, is well dis
urbed. For fruit trees, ground should be III
good heart, but it is great mistake to suppose
that they need to be planted in rich rich garden en-
soil Ground that will give $50 to 200 bushels
of potatoes to the acre is strong, enough Tor
them or for grapevines. ::Well-r,otted yard
manure applied year or two in advance WIN VII
best bring the soil up to the standard OF quail,
ty. At the time Of setting, some finely grou'11o
bone or super phosphate of lime to. sprinkle
around the roots will be Of service. AS to the
season. however, we repeat that with a g91o
soil in good order, properly melloWed, II win DC
safe to transplant apples, pears peacneIS; M 80, "
grapes, either in Spring or fall.-Ne0 1"A
Farmers.