The Red Cloud chief., 1874-05-14
FARM AND HOME.
Agricultural Notes.

Notes.
KILLING POTAToEs.-A correspondent
of the Rural NeW Yorker tried an e1-
pertinent last season with raising pota-
toes by killing and by leaving the sur-
face fiat. The summer was wet, giving
the killing the advantage, if any. The
result Was about the same quantity for
each, but the potatoes from the part
not billed were larger, fewer in number,
and finer in quality. He thinks much
labor. worse than useless, is expended
in killing potatoes.
BARN RooFs.-The Mirror and Farm
er says: As you begin putting in Your
new hav, see to Your barn roofs. On
some of them the shingles are worn out,
and only an entire new set will meet the
emergency. On others there is a vacant
place here and there, from which the
winl has torn a single or two these
NAV be patched. Whatever the condi-
ton Of your finances or grass crop, you
cannot afford to put off any needed re-
pairs upon your roofs. Better let your
grass rot In the field than to put it into
your barn to be spoiled by the rain that
will find its way through a leaky roof.
Though all other buildings go to the
dogs, keep your barn roofs waterproof.
Two CROPS A YEAR.-Such n thing as
two crops of grain in one year is by no
means rare in California. Apple trees
have been known to yield two crops and
pear trees three crops but such a phe-
nomenon as that related in tine %subjoined
item from an Alameda paper will be
likely to create surprise: A slxty-acre
field on the rancho of Juan Peralta, near
San Leandoe, was farmed to barley last
year, and d good heavy crop of the grain
harvested from it. This year it was al
lowed to volunteer, and it has produced
a heavy growth of clear oats, which now
stand about three feet high, and is In a
very thrifty condition.
WASTE LANDs.-The reclamation of
land and utilizing it, thus making waste
places productive, is one OF the ecOnom
zeal modes a farmer has of reducing the
proportion of his taxes to production.
Thousands of acres of most productive
lands lie idle, and taxes are paid on them
in almost every State, the net product
resulting from the reclamation of which
would pay the entire taxes of the farmer.
Often the best lands Oh the farm are
thus wasted-worse than wasted-for
the want of a little vim and enterprise
on the part of the owner. 1t should be
a rule with all farmers not to own an
acre of ground that does not pay them a
profit (either by production or apprecia-
ton in value) on its assessed valuation.
No business man can afford to keep
such land if he has active and profitable
use for his capital.
CUT-WORMs.-The New York Times
says: We have succeeded in greatly re-
ducing the numbers of this pest by en-
ticiug a flock of poultry into the field
while it was being plowed. The fowls
followed the pillow closely, picking up
every cut-worm exposed and searching
every furrow for more. There is no
other way of Kidding the fields of these
vermin but by encouraging their natural
enemies. These are crows and black
birds, which devOur the grubs, and
skunks and moles, which devour both
the grubs and the beetles, of which
they are the larvae. While these crea-
lures are killed or driven off, We shall
suffer from the depredations of the in
sects which are their natural prey. To
prevent the destruction of the young
corn by the cut-worms, to some extent,
the seed should be rolled in common
pine tar and then dried in plaster before
it is sOwn.
OATs.-The time for sowing oats is
at hand, and our experience and OBJ.
servations teach us that the earlier this
can be done the better, and We advise
the farmers to have everything in readi
ness, good, clean seed prepared, plows
and harrows sharpened, and, at the yer,
first time the ground is in order to work
break the ground and SOW the oats. w,
have tried several ways of putting il
oats, such as first sowing the oats on tn,
ground and covering with a breaking
pillow, turning a shallow furrow, and af
terward narrowing to level the ground
also blowing them in with double shov
els but We are inclined to think We sc
best results from breaking the ground
and as fast as We get land broken, SOW
ing the oats on the fresh turned soil
and brushing in with a heavy brush Gu
from the woods, or, where this coul,
not be had, use the harrow.