The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-05-28

[From the American Agriculturist.l

A0W ~ a tOtO ana 4 t0M ADMITS OIL
greater diversity and a far greater chance
for improvement than ache, to plant. The
seasons are, to a great extent, beyond our
control, but the chemical and mechanical
principles of agriculture are everywhere
the same, and we should study to adapt
them to the character of the soil and cli-
mate. Much of our success will depend
on our ability to economic our own
strength and energy and the strength of
our men and teams. The more thorough
ly we study scientific and mechanical prin-
ciples the greater will be our ability to
save labor.
much York wih Little Labor should
be the motto of every intelligent American
farmer.
The best men are the Cheapest. Every
experienced farmer knows this to be the
case and yet it is rare that we discrimi-
nate sufficiently. We are too much inclined
to pay all the men alike. This may not be
unjust to the good men, but it is doing our
selves an injustice. Better let the stupid,
plodding billiards 60 to work on the rail-
roads.
Brains as soeH as Muscles are required on
the farm. This is getting to be more and
more the case every year with the intro
duction of more and better machinery.
Horses are Cheaper than Men.-Some
learned ignoramus has said that horse re-
quires for his support the pro duce of five
times as much land as a man. 1t is not
true-unless you feed the man on hay and
oats Steam is cheaper than horses, and
horses are cheaper than men, for the
simple reason that coal is cheaper than hay
and oats, and hay and oats are cheaper than
beef, mutton, pork, butter, cheese, and
bread.
Husband your Strength when you can,
and use it freely when you must. We do
not like to walk IA miles day, after two
horses, on soft ground, to harrow eight
acres. when we can just as easily drive four
horses and harrow sixteen acres by walking
the same distance.
Double Ploaos will certainly come into
general use for the same reason.
1aoO-HOr CuhiUdtors, that take two
rows at time, have not as yet given much
satisfaction on our own farm, owing to the
difficulty Of steering them. But this diff
Guilty will soon be overcome.
Thomas's Ha,ro,o, until we get some
thing bettery4sa useful implement in killing
weeds in corn and potatoes. The real
point is to use it as soon as the weeds
terminate. Go over the field two or three
times, or until every young weed is killed.
Ctlltivating Corn and Potatoes costs
more than most farmers realize. We
should use the best cultivators, and do the
work carefully, thoroughly, and frequently.
Gypsum on Plaster may be applied to
corn either before or at the time of plant
ing, or it may be scattered on the plants
after they are up.
Planting Corn is the great work of this
month. We have written so much on the
subject that it is unnecessary to give fur
Their directions here. Aim to put the land
in good condition. and plant early. If you
must plant late, select the small, early va
rieties of corn. Whatever you do or fail
to do, do not neglect to keep your corn free
from weeds. Clean, mellow land is the
great secret of success in growing corn.
Potatoes as rule are not planted early
enough. Plant early and deep, and use the
harrow freely to kill small weeds before
the potatoes come up, or just at the time
they are coming through the soil. We have
used Thomas harrow on potatoes until
they are several inches high.
Horses are required to work very hard
this month. Feed literally, and be very
careful to clean them after the days work
is done, so that they will get good, COM
Portable nights rest.
Coos unit! turned out to grass should
have good hay, and three or four quarts Of
bran, and one or two quarts of corn-meal
per day and it would be well to continue
the bran and meal, mixed with peck of
cut hay, for week or two after the cows
are turned out to grass.
C1ao,, cbo,l1 have 81 tho how thou mill
eat at this season. The grass is very sucu-.
lent, and is apt to produce scours. Bring
the sheep into the yards during storms,
dry and clean. Keep the sheep carefully
tagged.
housed at night and during storms. Moth
ing is so bad for them as wet fields and
rainy weather. Feed the ewes literally,
and let the lambs have some bran and oats
placed in small troughs separate from the
ewes. A few sliced mangels are excellent
for lambs at this season.
Sicine are to be managed according to
circumstances. In this section we usually
keep only pigs enough to consume food
that would otherwise be wasted. But if
we keep pigs at all we should keep them
well. A young, growing pig should have
all the food Of some kind that it will eat
and digest. If the refuse of the house and
barns and dairy are not sufficient for this
purpose, we should feed more or less grain.
If possible, let all the swine have the run
of good clover or grass pasture. Sows
that have had pigs this spring, and which
are to be fattened and sold next fall, ought
to have more or less grain all summer.
Breeding sows will keep in good condition
on clover alone.
Young Trees planted out this spring
need to have the soil kept mellow around
the roots. Keep the soil of young or
chard plowed. and let some crop which
needs constant culture be planted between
the rows. Supply such an amount Of ma
nure for the growing crop that the young
trees will not have their growth checked
from want of nutriment.
Mulch.-A good mulch around newly
planted trees will be seryiceable in keeping
the roots from drying out. Salt-hay OF
anything which will prevent the sun from
striking the soil around the trees, will
answer, even if it be only small heap Of
stones. 5
A DIVORCE CASE in st. Louis the
other day took very singular and mys
terious turn. The respondent, Mrs. Hill
testified that it had been agreed by hersel
and the plaintiff that if they did get /
divorce they would marry again, anyhow
W. SbanIdntt cnpnnoa that Si,J,ra ~, inv,