The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1873-08-21
for the farmer.
WHEN TO CuT BUSHES.


We have no doubt but that late in summer,
when the growth OF the season is just ended aud
the plant mas expended all its energies in grow
ing and Is just falling into that rest 30 essential
to vegetable maturity, is an excellent time to
bebead these piagues of the farm. But We have
tried another season, when the iabors of the year
were not qnite SO pressing as is usual in summer,
or early antumn, and have found 1t 30 successful
in our care, that We bold IL worthy of common
dation to others.
Many years ago, there was dense patch of
willows OH swampy spot At one end of the
meadow. They covered about half an acre and
were so thick that any animal, biped or anad-
ruped, would find IL difficult to pass through the
thlcket. 1t was waste land, good for nothing IN
less 1t were for wasps and hornets to occupy in
rearing their young or for the bob-o-link to pour
his noisy CHATTER. More than this il was a griey-
eyesore, that closely embodied pbaIanx Of will
lows in full view of the highway and the first
object that greeted the eve in ons direction from
the windows.
1t was in our school boy DAYS and il 40 ham
peued. as was then customary in New england
our school adjourned over from Wednesday night
before thanksgiving. until the following Monday.
to give The teacher time 10 go home and visit ali
his cousins and nelghbors, the big bows to skate,
and attend turkey shoots aud every one To enjoy
themselves in the ways best suited to their
fancy.
Cold weather had set in in earnest The ponds
were all frozen over, and the streams flowed
noselessly along under their lev blankets-dark
clouds chased each other across the horizon. oc-
casionaily splitting SHOW as from very spite. and
the hOarse north wind piped in ,loleful notes the
birth of the season of storms and snow-drifts, of
sleigh-rides and singing schools. OF course our
old enemies, the willows, were firmly lodged in
winter quarters. At least, Jack Frost had all
of them firmly secured in his unfiDchlne. reent-
less wise. Taking that fact into consideration.
in connection with the other more important one
that we had two whole days all our own, to do
what we pleased with the provisO that we must
not be pleased in doing any sort of mischief we
resolved to open speedy hostilities on onr old
hateful enemies, the willows, and accordingly,
with a sharp ak in baud, we commenced onr
warfare, cutting them off smoothly and RAPIDLY
just below the surface. Our progress in the bu 3
iness was very good in these two cold days The
improved look of the meadow was an ample CON-
pensation. We.have no d0nbt we made better
progress in our studies that winter for the tri-
umphs of this two days labor. But this was but
the beginning of the end in this business The
removal of the willows revealed old logs and
stumps; and there must be drains cnt to take off
the water that had fed the willows. So it was
concluded to fence of that end of the meadow
for pasturing, while this operation was going on.
The result was this: The bushes were cut so
low, that the first thaw covered their stnmps
with water, which frOze firmly over them
Whether they drank too much in this drowning