Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-05-20
agricultural.
Spring Work.

PLANTING Corn is the important field
work of the month. Corn is not likely to
be as low next year as it has been for a
wear or two past We think it a good time
to plant freely Better cultivation is, how
ever. more desirable than a larger area.
Wet land and weeds are the great enemies
of the crop. Early planting is desirable,
provided the land is warm and in good
order. On rough land we would plant in
hills 3 - or feet apart. We can then
cultivate both ways and clean and subdue
the land with little hocing. On clean,
smooth, rich land we think it pays to drill
in the crop When the stalks are valu-
able and the land is rich enough for fodder,
we are sure that drilling is more profitable
than planting in hills. Drilling has one
great advantage The work is not only
done much more expeditiously and cheap
w. but YOU can put in the seed every day
rs fast as the land is plowed and narrowed,
and thus avoid delay from wet weather.
A drill that would drop III hills so rs to
have the rows straight both ways would
enable us to do the same thing but we have
never yet found a drill that will drop the
seed exactly in the hills. Plaster can be
sown either broadcast or dropped on the
hills after planting, or busted on the leaves
of the young plants. If there is manure
attachment to your drill, it is u good plan
to drop the plaster with the seed.
BEANS are sown us soon rs we are
through planting corn. They are usually
sown on clover sod. Rows - feet
apart, and four or five beans in u hill II or
Is inches apart or if drilled in with a grain
drill, drop the beans about two inches
part Plough the land carefully and har-
row very thoroughly, and roll before plant
ing. Use the cultivator freely and keep
the crop clean. If you can not do this do
not 90 extensively into bean growing.
POTATOES, as a rule, especially Peach
blows, do best when planted early; but
we have had n good crop of Flukes planted
as late as the first of June. \ clover sod
on light loan is considered best for pota-
toes If the land is dry and rich, it does
not matter what the previous crop may
have been. Mark the land carefully three
feet apart each way, and drop one large
potato or two sets in each hill. Cover two
or three inches deep with hoe. A spoon
full of plaster dropped in each hill frequent
" has beneficial effect. We have known
it increase the crop 30 bushels per acre
If planted in drills, drop the sets ) to IS
inches apart We make the drills with Il
light steel pillow, feet apart for Early
Rose and 31-2 feet for Peachblows. Cover
with plow three or four inches deep. and
as soon as the weeds begin to start, or be-
fore, harrow the land with Thomas or
other light harrow
HORSES need to be well looked after at
this season. Much depends on their ability
to do good days work now. They re-
quire not only good feed, but good diges-
ton, Neither man nor horse can work
ho S1a Il
digests his food. Horses suffer more
from indigestion than from any other one
thing. At this season we are apt to keep
them too many hours in the field. We
know of horses that are taken oct to plough
at six o'clock in the morning. are brought
to the stable ut noon, the bits taken out of
their mouths, but the harness not removed.
They are given few ears of corn and
have some long dry hay thrown into the
racks; are again taken to the field at half
past one, and kept there until half-past
seven at night. The horses are tired and
exhausted when brought in ut noon, and
before there is time for digestion to COM
mence they are again pu to hard work.
Ploughing is often hard work. This is
especially true in striking out the first
fIrrow. In sod land we should always
put on three horses, or else strike out a
light, narrow furrOw. On stubble land
we throw upa light firrow and then turn
it back again. This ploughs the whole
land and does not oyert1X the team. When
the horses are brought home ut noon give
them a pail of water with Il pint of corn OF
oatmeal stirred in it. Take off the harnes :.
Wash the shoulders. If sweatv, rub them
dry with straw, curry off the mud and dry
sweat, and rub them down with a brush
Then feed them, and let them eat while
You are ut dinner. Better grooming in
the stable and less idle time in the field is
what we aim at on our own farm Cut
feed, moistened with water and mixed
with meal and little bran, can be eaten
more rapidly ssthan long hay. and leaves
more time for rest and digestion. We mix
Il bushel of cut hay, four quarts of corn
meal and two quarts of bran together.
and let the horses have all they will eat of
the mixture, and give them u little lone
hay in the racks. As soon as the horse
stops eating the cut feed remove all that is
left from the manger. This is very i'm
portant. Give a little salt in the manager
every day. The horses will not eat too
much if they have it regularly. For
chafed shoulders wash with warm soft
water and CASTLE soap and then dress
with crude petroleum. If liberated. wash
them with carbolic soap and apply petro-
leum afterwards. If possible, let the horse
rest a few days.
Mich Cows will be longing for green
grass before it is ready for them. We do
not believe in the notion that if they once
taste grass they will not eat hay after
wards. 1t is not true. Cut up hay. mois-
ten it with water, sprinkle on a quart OF
corn meal and II quart of bran to each
bushel of the hay, and let the COWS have
all they will eat, night and morning. Con
tinue this feed after the cows are turned
out to pasture as long as they will eat any
of it. 1t will pay.
CALVES should be fed literally. Moth.
ing. of course, is so good as new milk
next fresh skinned milk, with fiaxseed
tea or oil-cake tea A little nice early.
mown hay, bran, oatmeal, cornmeal. oil.
cake, sliced mangles, carrots or parsnips
are all good Tor calves in addition to a rim
in n sunny, sheltered pasture
SHEEP--Let ewes and lambs have the
best of pasture, and give daily feed OF
clover hay and sliced mangels ifsyou have
them. Dock and castrate the lambs when
three or four weeks old Tag the old
sheep, and keep sharp lookout for anv
symptoms of foot-rot. If any are affected.
pare and dress the feet of the sohole flock
Immediately with crude earbolic acid or
q saturated solution of blue yitriol. d,