Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-07-11
Farm, Garden and Household.
Ground for wheat and Rye.

l., who thinks 1t matter OF great I'M
portance that at the present price of
grain and labor every farmer should
know how to raise a good crop of wheat
and make it pay, gave his opinions on
the subject of preparing ground for
wheat and rye to the Farmers Club.
His remarks were in substance as fol-
lows
For raising wheat or rye 1 never
pillow but onee-but well-many will
differ with me on this point. If the
stnsble or anything else is so high that
it does not turn under we'll, l harrow it
down the same way that 1 pillow. If
l use manure or bone-dust 1 always
spread it on the ground and harrow in
before SOW. use broadcast sower,
harrow twice over, sometimes only once,
then roll with an iron roller, which
leaves the ground in fine condition to
use the reaper, I find that by harrow
ing the ground my grain comes up more
evenly. l always run my wheat and
rye through the fan while using a sieve
that lets out all the small grains.
Farmers too often make a mistake in
not sowing the best wheat. mean the
largest grains. 1 prefer bone-dust for
wheat to any other fertilizer. Have ex-
perimented with bone-dust, superphos-
phate, and Peruvian guano, by using
the same amount of money on each
acre of ground. Bone-dust lasts the
longest it shows the best in the after
crops of grass. You may SOW half of
your lot with bone-dust, and if you pas
ture your lot your cattle will always eat
that part sown with the bone. There
is much phosphate in bone, which gives
the grass a different flavor. Use am
monia, and cattle will leave that grass
if there is any other for them to eat.
In Orange county the farmers now raise
nearly all rye, as the straw brings a
high price in the market. I always SOW
or try to finish sowing before the 14th
of September, so that the ground is
we'll covered before winter sets in. Sow
two bushels of wheat to the acre one
bushel and three pecks of rye, or as
near that quantity as possible. When
I use manure forty loads to the acre is
none too much. Five or six hundred
pounds of bone-dust, if good, I use to
the acre. The bone dust is the cheap
est, as the labor of drawing the manure
is quite an item. I once thought that
a crop of wheat could not be raised ex-
cept by blowing, narrowing, cross
blowing, and other extra work. /
admit it is good to cross-plow if you
only pillow your ground about half the
first time, and I have tried both and
find the extra labor will not pay.
A member said a: Since farmers are
draining their lands of all surplus water
they find the new plan of blowing
deep, but not so often, and heavily
manuring, preferable to the old way OF
blowing light, three, four, and often
five times. There are two important
things to be observed one is to put
the wheat in so as to secure good top
before winter and the other is not to
be so early about it as to give the in
sects chance at it in their season. In
and about the vicinity of New York,
from the LIST to the 18th of September
is good time to SOW wheat, and always
with drill,
To Keep Hams in Summer.
There are number of modes giver
to keep hams during the warm season
free from the attacks of insects. Some
bag them and whitewash the bags
which is troublesome and sometime,
expensive some cover them with DIR,
wood ashes and pack them in barrels
some pack them in barrels and cove
thoroughly with shavings but W,
think the best plan of all, and certainl,
the least expense with all who have
smoke-house-and every farmer SHOULD
have good one-is to keep the ham
hung in the smoke-house, which should
be kept perfectly dark at all times. w
have some hams so kept, two years old
and they are among the very best W
ever tasted. Uniform darkness is
compile protection against the attack
Of insects.
Crude Petroleum for Paint.
Tt is unnecessary to mix any colorin
matter with crude petroleum which
to be used as paint for wooden build
ings. The dark color of the crude O.
kills, in great measure, the color {
the added matter besides, as the cole
is all absorbed by the wood, and doe
not dry or harden upon the surfac'
whatever coloring matter may hav
been added remains loose upon the SUI
face, and either drops off or is rubbe
off in time. One of the best, if not til
best, and in the end the cheapes
paint for farm buildings other tina
houses is the ground oxide of irol
generally known as ire-preof miner
paint. It is dark, rich, reddis
brown, covers we'll, and is very aurabl
1t should be mixed with linseed oil.
Paralysis.
The disease which paralyzes the hin
quarters of pig is probably caused !
an affection of the spinal marrow al
the kidneys. The most effective renee
is to administer diuretics, such as tn
pentine or saltpeter, in the feed. T.
dose to be given is a tablespoonful
turpentine or dram of saltpeter po
dered and mixed with molasses 81
placed upon the animals tongue. T
loins should be bathed with wal
water, then dried and rubbed with tt
pentine. Perseverance with these rem
dies may bring about cure in a we
or two. Giving regular doses of wo
ashes with the feed is considered a p
tentative.
=---------------------
That Newspaper Bill.