The Hickman courier., 1874-04-04

salts named. Combined with super
phosphates, these substances would be
likely to show still better results, and
fertilizer thus constituted is well worthy
of extended trial on our clover fields.
Xhe value of clover, especially when
pastured with sheep, is fully recognized
by our farmers but its systematic
growth preparatory to wheat, as is prac-
ticed in English tillage, is too much
neglected, inasmuch as, from the small
amount of ammonia taken by it from
the soil, it allows nearly a whole years
accumulation to be stored up for the
use of the succeeding cereal crop, to
which nitrogenized plant food is abso-
1utely essential.
CULTIVATION OF SMILAx.-Mr. J.
Wick, than whom there is no better au-
thority as a florist, gives the following
directions for the household culture of
this plant, now so much used in floral
decorations, for twining IN the haifand
for trimming party dresses: "With
little care and attention it can be grown
successfully as a house plant. The
seeds should be sown in a box or in
pots in the house, and should be kept
moist till the young plants appear.
The seed being rather slow to gerHnin-
a5ts atss III 1fE s Sippesfance4 i5 ih Two weeks
The young plants should be potted off
into three-inch pots as soon as they are
three or four inches high. Once a year
the bulbs should be allowed te dry off
and rest. They will start into growth
again in about six weeks. The vine
does not require the full sun, but will
grow we'll in a partially shaded s&ua-
tion. 1t can be trained on a small
] 4
pictures. It is a climbing vine, and
will attach itself to a string in lust
about the right condition to use for
wreaths, ETC., or, when required for
lighter work, the branches which be-
come entangled can be separated"
M1LLET. T.-MiIlet seems to succeed ev-
erywhere, with any reasonably fair
treatment. 1t can be soSn early In the
spring, and will produce a succession of
crops, by continued sowings, up to the
middle of July In this latitude. Scarcely
more than six weeks are required for
its growth, and the crop should be cut,
- for hay, when the tops of the seeds
begin to ripen if saved for seed, it may
stand until the seeds become brown.
MIIlet requires a good soil, well pre-
pared and as rich as may be made. Deep
ploughing is effective in the cultivation
OF this crop against drouth, as it is with
almost all others. There is nothing
better as manural application than
mixture of bone-dust and Peruvian GU
ano or good super phosphate. Barn
yard manure, when used, should be
well rotted. -Four or five pecks of seed
are sufficient to the acre when hay is
the object. When sown for the seed,
winch when ground is nutritious and
fattenlng, rather more seed should be
soWn. There are a number of varieties
OF mllIet; but our remarks above ap-
ply to that commonly in use, known
botaHlcally as Pd71ic1t7l1 77liLdcelt11. OF
its great value there can be no doubt.
and we hope all our readers who can do
so will SOW at least small patch of it
If only as an experiment, to test its
adaptablllty to their situation. We on
Iy add that the hay it makes is excel
lent IN quality, much relished by cattle
and horses, and frequently reaches three
to four tons to the acre in quantity.
RAPE AS HONEY PLANr.-H. o.
Krusch, Berlin, Wis, writes the Ameri-
can Bee Journal "As a honey-produc-
ing plant the rape is scarcely second to
linden, producing a beautiful golden
honey, of good flavor, and is in blossom
when nearly everything else is out of
blossom, commencing about the middle
OF August and continuing couple of
weeks. As farm crop it is as good if
not better than whear. The time for
sowing it is from the middle to the end
of June. This gives time to prepare the
soil after other crops are in; or if
wheat or corn should fail in coming up.
rape can be sown In their places. 1t is
harvested from the middle to the last of
September, after all other grain is har-
vested. 1t does not impoverish the soil,
but benefits. From five to eight bush
els more per acre of wheat are raised on
ground which had rape the previous
year. 1t allows no weeds to grow after
it is fairly started, growing very dense;
and its leaves completely shade the
ground, therefore it does not suffer with
drouth, like other grains. The seed
has good cash market at Fond du Lac,
Wis, where oil is extracted from it,
and brings from 81. so to g per bushel.
From ten to eighteen bushels are gen.
orally produced per acre but it is Of
tener over than under this estimate.
Two quarts are sufficient to SOW an acre.
Thousands of bushels are annually
raised IN Calumet county and it is just
as stable crop as wheat"
.
CULTURE OF ONIoNs.-The soil should
be of such a character as to be easily
worked and-rendered fine at the surface.
for which purpose medium loan COM
monty answers best. 1t will be great
saving of labor to have it clean and
previously IN good order, and it should
have a strong dressing of fine manure.
1t is better to have the land nearly
N<aw-r - H.. I
to wash by rains. There should be
very few or no stones, or they will
greatly increase the labor and cost of
cultivation. The seed is usually sown
IN rows about fifteen inches apart. Sow
as early in spring as the ground can be
well prepared. Four pounds of seed
are enough for an acre. 1t is important
to use a drill or machine for sowing the
seed, as it will ave large amount of
labor and put in the seed more evenly.
Roll the snrface, to press the soil on
the seed and to facilitate the first culti-
vation and hoeing. 1t is all essential to
destroy the weeds before they are an
.i7aah- d iHhz-ha To-; r-&lou.asoa af.uihel
work will be increased more than ten
fold if the weeds get several inches
high, and the crop viii be half ruined.
when the young plants are three or
two inches apart in the row, disturbing
the roots as little as possible in the
operation. The crop is usually mar
vested late in summer, by raising the
roots slightly with a small digging fork.
They may be then left on the ground
two or three weeks, and when thoroughly
dry packed in barrels, or in shallow bins,
in cool and dry apartment. They are
conveniently sent to market in barrels.
The extent of ground which one man |
can manage will depend on several cir |
cumstances, such as the condition and |
cleanliness of the soil, suitable machines |
for planting and cultivating between |
the rows, etc, and especially in taking |
time by the forelock aud keeping the |
whole ground perfectly cleanswith |
which facilities one man will more easily |
manage two or three acres than another
could manage one when working to a
The WethersfieId Large
Red OF the catalogues appears to be the
best sort adapted TO general cultivation.
nOb /