Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-03-08
Advantage Of EARLY Planting--Deep
DEMONSTRATING and Manaring Fruit
Trgea.

j. often said, sit Is too cold TO pillow to
day, +" as he would wander off TO sit by his
neighbours fire. Year after year / watched
these farms. Mr.. CPS sod for corn was
all over before Mr.. j. thought It DIT to
plow; Mr.. G.'s oats, barley and spring
wheat were being sown while Mr. J. was
breaking his sod for corn Mr..J. was
planting when Mr.. G. was cultivating.
Mr.. G.. usually averaged 40 or 80 bushels
of corn to the acre. while Mr. j. rarely
exceeded 90 The dry season came on just
10 time to iniure MIR. J.'s corn aud oats,
while Mr.. G.'s was too far advanced to be
seriously injured. o casonally, once In
1--WE or six years, Mr.. J.'s slow and easy,
'Jog-hehind" system hit, and that Was all
The announcement he needed TO pursue II.
Mr.. j. sold of piece after piece Of his farm
to his neighbors , Mr.. q. was always, If
prices suited, ready TO buy. Years after,
when | became a man, saw that Mr.. g.
prosperity was very largely owing to what
my father called "driviug his work." and
not allowing his work to "drlye him."
Mr.. G. was always through every piece Of
his work before most Of his neighbors,
especially nelgkbor j were ready to begin.
Start the pow In sod ground, where
you have sod for corn, especially sedge and
old clover sod, as soon as the of horse or
ok can follow the furfow without miring
do not stop for little wind, or frost, or a
furry Of snow, or q drizzly day, If ii is I'll
Tor team TO BIZ out anywhere. Men Of
wealth aud energy do hot stop for trifles.
My hired man once said to me, would
rather lose my time and 70 and yet the
horses shod, - distance Of four miles,
than TO plow the team such day u
this" He went, aud wher he came back,
said he, 81 was ashamed Of mysrlf to-day
when / saw old Mr.. s. blowing with bis
own hands, with overcoat aud mittens on,
with the third team in The same field With
his men," Mr.. S. was worth two hun
bred and fifty thousand dollars and began
a. hired hand on the farm AZ ten dollars
month.
Pow sod ground for corn from eight to
ten lneh"s deep 1t you would have The
corn roots 20 down out of the dry earth.
IN season of drought, to where the sOil
Is constantly moist. The organic matter
of the decompDsing sod turned under to
the depth Indicated, will hold mois ar,
sufficient TO keep crop of corn in con-
slant growth, even when corn on superb
cially plowed ground is all shriveld up.
This is the first and great advantage IL
dry sandy land such as Is to be found on
the lower part Of this peninsula. Another
advantage is, your fathers have bean using
up the surface of the farm to the depth Of
three or four inches. They have exhausted
nearly all the soluble-potash. Soda, lime
and phosphorus to about that DEPTH out
below that there is larger amount Of
these elements of plant growth unused
than you eau afford to apply in the purchase
Of commercial fertilizers.
These elements naturally slnk in the
soil. Clover is substitute in measure
for deep plowlng by sending its long
tapering roots far down below where your
pillow has been Tor a supply Of these ele-
ments. You need not fear getting your
turf or manure down SO far that the corn
roots will not bring 1t up. 1t will invite
them to come down and get moisture, and
u supply of all the elements of plant food
necessary for their use. Thousands OF
tons of the best fertilizers have been pro-
nOunced worthless because placed so near
the surface that IL remained in dry state
during the dry weather No chemical
action can take place In fertilizer kept
perfectly dry. Moisture and heat are abso'
lutely necessary TO bring out the virtues OF
any fertilizer, barn manure not excepted
Hence to secure all the benefits Of any
organic substance as plant lood 1t must BE-
placed un er the soil far enough at least tt
keep moist. All the fertilizers containing
mere salts, should be applied to or nGa
the surface, as they tend downward ant
REQUIRE less moisture to bring out thei
action the air aud dew being sufficient
or little shower Of rain, but fertilizer
Q containing organic matter to be benehcia
, must be kept moist.
Here is a second benefit of deep plowinl
for sod ground,or ground that Is manfred
especially, in sandy or light soils. Thou
sands OF bushels OF corn would be added &
/, productions of this peninsula, were TIRE
or four inches added to the average dept
I of tillage. Apply caustlc lime as soon
i possible after the sod Is turned over. Tn
more organic matter the more lime tn
. ground will beer. Ten bushels of slacke
!, lime or five of unslackcd is enough io
i sandy land. hut a dressing of that amour
+. will not njure as often as you have sod o
1 which to apply IL.
Open the holes this mouth for plantin
fruit and other deciduous trees. Eve
- greens may be planted later.
prefer fall planting for fruit trees NJ
=, less they can be set before the buds sta
in the spring. 1t is well TO opsn the no
n two or three weeks before the tree is sc
II The following method has never failed
n be satisfactory Dig the hole large enoug
- to set the tree without bending or cuttiu
- the roots, and at least ak or eight inch
~ deeper thar the tree needs 10 be set.
= the ground he POOR put into ;he bottom
the hole one or Two shoycls full of wei
n composed muck or leaf mould, or son
~ reliable organic fertilizer containing pho
~ phate, soda, aad phosphate substance
~ Phosphoric acid, when procurablr, is Il
Ia quickly soluble and short lived in
a.E Hul M
Il, frsit trees, unless frequently apple
,s when il becomes unnecessarily expensiy
= Among the cheapest AMI most perm
"a nent preparation for fruit trees are leatb
n clippings, lime and muck, peat, or l..
N mould, kept wet aud thus cOmposled uud
- shelter until the leather clippings are We
rotten If not entirely deeayed. An c
i. boot, even, laid under the 70 Is Of gro
- ing tree will produce visible effect
ga years, by its slow decomposition, on DO
~ the tree and the quantity and quality
~ the fruit. Next is coarse ground bone,
~ even pounded bone where the land is ri
:, enough TO vigorously start the grOwi
u tree. Sugar retinel's refuse, bone bat
ar and animal charcoal, pulyerlzea chare'
- and charfed peat are very durable f.
- tree fertilizers. Barn manure has an I
re- necessary amount Of nitrogen in IL 10
al ! tue best tertlllNtf luf trees. IL VIII max
ar great spongy growth of wood and leav
i, but not wood of fruit producing char
a. ter. pound OF almost any good co
il mercial fertilizer put in the hole a
iai thoroughly mixed with the soil in the 3
H. tom Of the hole for a week or two Def
mr. planting the tree, will be Of great servi
- and is better fer the health of pea
IN. pear, apple or cherry tree than ten poul
al of barn manure. | speak ROW only
nj preparing the ground so that the tree 70
,at shall have a suitable bed at the time
nc planting with a soil as near like virgin
nncultiyatsd, freshly cleared woodlg
M d" soil as possible. The roots, fbres, C
he and tissues Of the fruit tree form perl
~ laboratory, better than any chemists,
I'd preparing Its own food from the or
for materials. Hence, no wise man
on furnish expensive elements when
h. crude, cheap and easily procured
,gs better. The selection, method OF pli
M 6- ing and cutivating fruit trees will be c
nd sidered hereafter.
.on GENERoUs.-Mr. James Bradford
we returned TO the Water Witch Fire G.
sseI pany the carriage drawn by him at T.
ael recent fair, and they will dispose Of
% the best interest of the company.