The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-04-25
AGRICUL TURAL.
Extcrminating Mustard.

An exchange says a large portion of
.be seed will shell and fall TO the ground
before any cultivated crop can be re-
moved from the field. Then, if the
ground be narrowed thoroughly, soon
after crop of grain is removed, almost
every mustard seed will terminate, grow,
and the plants will die after the weather
has become 30 cold as to freeze the
ground. When the land is plewed in
autumn. all the seed that il buried over
one inch deep will remain in the ground
for an unknown number of years but
as soon as it is turned up to the surface,
where the kernels are covered with only
a brushing Of soil, every one will ger
inmate and produce plant. If the
seed be allowed to remain ON the surface
Of the ground undisturbed until the fol-
lowing spring, every kernel that is COW
cred with only thin covering of mold
will grow. As soon as the growing a.
son has commenced, let the ground be
narrowed All the mustard seed near
the surface will then terminate. AS
soon as the young mustard appears in
the seed leaf, let the land be narrowed
again. The harrow will root up and de-
stroy every plant in the seed leaf, and
will bring much seed near the surface,
which will Immediately terminate. By
this practice some ground may be di-
vested to great extent of these per-
nicious weeds before the seed for a crop
of grain is put in.
Plant Trees.
Plant trees in the garden, along the
sidewalks and roads. A few trees i'll the
bleak pasture will improve the appear
ance of ranches, as well as serving in
time for grateful shade for the stock in
the long, hot days of the dry season. 1t
is well-established fact that trees at
tract moisture, and everybody knows
they add much to the attractiveness of a
place. This is most favorable time for
the work; the ground is warm and moist,
and trees set out with ordinary care are
bound to grow. Therefore, plant trees
plant fruit trees, and in few years
you can raise your own fruit; plant trees
for fuel, and your children that come
after You will thank your thoughtful
ness; plant trees along the highways,
and in few short years you can reap
the reward of your industry by bonus
from the Board Of Supervisors; plant,
also, shade trees, and when the infirmi-
ties of age come upon You, you can sit
under your own vine and fig tree, con-
scious of having done your duty, with
none to modest or make you afraid.
ImperviOus Clay.
We have been asked of what use are
drains four feet in depth in impervious
clay, and why would not surface drains
answer better? To which we reply that
" impervious" means a relative and not
a positive quality of the clay. No clay,
or at least none that we meet in agricul-
ture, is really impervious. To become
so it must be subjected to a process of |
which renders it plastic. Some
geological clays are met with that have
probably undergone some such process,
and they alone are really impervious. A
clay subsoil, when examined, will be |
found to be filled with small pores or
veins, through which the water finds
Of escape, and the deeper the
drain is placed the larger number of
these veins will be cut, and the more
perfect will be the drainage. No one
need be afraid Of draining the most i'm
pervious clay that can be met with, at a
depth of four feet from the surface.
Fine Bullocks.
The New England Farmer says: w.
II. Cheever 4 Co., of the North Attic
boro (Mass.) market, have recently
pair Of oxen that weighed,
after being off feed twenty-four hours
and walking two miles, 5,52S pounds.
The dressed weight Of one was 1897
pounds, and of the other 1866 pounds.
They were fed by Josiah Richards, of
North Attleboro. At the Attleboro fair,
'ne year ago last fall, working team of
'welve oxen was exhibited by Richards
\ Bros, which averaged about $500
pounds per pair-the heaviest weighing
:, 100 pounds.