The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-06-04
Agricultural.
THE GROUND.

A correspondent of the Germantown Tele-
graph writes, "On dry or wet ground the
effect of the roller is found to be salutary.
Ploughed and prepared for sowing, dry land
is much helped by the roller. The blades of
grass spring up sooner and retain firmer
hold in the earth. In a season of drought,
rolling has saved the crop when Without II
the seed would have never sprung from the
ground In wet and heavy ground it is be-
ieved the roller, smoothing and hardening
the surface, will leave the soil Immediately
beneath the surface in a better condition to
generate the seed. On grass ground that has
been heaved by the frost the roller has an
excellent effect in fixing the roots. Rolling
the ground is also good when the land has
been laid down unevenly the previous year.
1t the land is too dry, wait till just after a
soaking rain, and it will work capilally. 1t is
a good idea TO roll pioughed sowed ground
before narrowing, as it presses down the fur
rows that would be turned back, and makes
the surface less uneven, and the harrow pull
verizes it much. We find that on an average
not one farmer in four has roller"
LOOK OUT FOR CANKER WORMS.
In many sections of the country orchardists
are not troubled with this pest. But in GER
tain parts of the country this enemy of apple
trees makes fearful ravages in orchards. From
the early spring time till autumn is the time
the ravages OF the canker worm, as the slug
which lays the eggs takes advantage Of the
first open weather to crawl up the bodies of
the trees and deposit its eggs. If they can be
trapped on the road their pupose is thwarted
and the trees are. safe. Many devices, more
or less successful, have been resorted to for
this purpose. A tin trough, fitting closely
around the tree and filled with petroleum, tar
or any sticky substance, is sure protective.
So small wooden trough lying on the
ground around the tree, filled with The same,
proves effectual. Heavy paper or old news
paper wound around the trees, covering
couple of feet of the body and smeared with
printers ink and molasses or tar, does the
same thing. The pecautions in sections
troubled with canker worms cannot be taken
too soon.
PREMIUM POTATOES.
The New York Tribune says We lately
interviewed practical farmer who, for several
years past, has taken the first premium for his
potatoes. In reply to inquiries as to his mode
of operations, he said that the largest and best
shaped tubers are always selected for plant
ing at digging time the previous year; and
he finds that they have been gradually in
creasing in size until his potatoes are now
enormous. Sod ground is chosen for the
crop; it is very carefully and deeply plowed
and thoroughly pulyerized with the spike
harrow. Previous to breaking up, however.
the whole surface is heavily manured and
this manure raked into the furrOw as the
plow passes round. The tuhers are cut into
quarters few days before planting and drop
ped in the rows sixteen or eighteen lncnes
asart The rows are struck out with the
plow about three feet distant, and the seed is
covered with good depth OF soil. roller is
passed over the ground, levelling and smooth
ing the surface, to be followed in short time
by the spike harrow. As soon as the young
pants appear above the ground the cultivator
is started and kept going frequently through
out the growing season. Every weed is pull
ed up as soon as it makes its appearance; for,
to use his own expression, be is ''too poor to
grow weeds.' As the plants wax strong,
slight furrows are thrown up to them with
small plow, and these are still further increas-
ed afterward by repetition of the same proc
ess. In digging, great care is taken not to
skin or bruise the tnbers, but to handle them
all carefully, and this enables the owner TO
preserve them much better than the careless
farmer who throws his potatoes about as ii
they were cobble stones. This is the only
magic he employs. Careful choice OF seed,
thorough preparation of the soil, frequent
stirring of the surface and total extinction OF
weeds-these are the secrets of his success.
CLOVER AND GYPSUM.
George Geddes writes the New York Trib-
une that he has on his farm, in Central New
York, a field which from 1899 to 1873 has had
no manure except clover grown on it and
plowed under, and that wheat, corn, oats,
barley, meadow and pasture have been regu-
larly taken from the land in five years rota-
tion-the closing crop being winter wheat
with which timothy and clover is sOwed.
The clover has been regularly treated with
gypsum for fifty years. He has particularly
noticed it of late years and says the land is
more fertile now than twenty-three years ago.
STABLE FLOORS.
The question of the best kinds of stable
floors for horses, cows, or other animals to
stand upon, is far from a satisfactory solu-
ton, and is constantly being discussed by
stock keepers. We publish the following
from the American Agriculturist, not be-
cause we believe that it solves the question,
but because it is agtating in the right direc-
ton:
Upon the proper arrangement OF tne nou,o s.,,o
OF stables depends much of the comlor' NJ .Io
stock and economy in saving man1fe , f Norn ss,r
ius, is more detrimental to the n7l'n VI T.
| animals than foul earthen stapie hoors; 1noy
| are saturated with liquid manure, they are
/ slvavs damn. an unhealthy mody smell con-
s+anily nervades them, and millions OF the
| germs of possibly poisonous fungoid growths