The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-08-20
Farm, Garden and Household.
Preserving Green Fo6der.


vegetables. has been in use for many
fodder is kept in good condition for six
or twelve months A trench two to
four feet deep is dug in q dry spot in
the 6eld and the tops of the roots,
carefully gathered when free from rain
or dew, are thrown into it. They are
very compactly pressed down, and when
the pit is filled, some straw is laid upon
the fodder and the earth is heaped over
the whole. In this manner this pro.
duct, which is generally wasted in great
measure, is utilized. On one occasion,
the writer saw one of these pits opened
in the spring, which had been filled
and covered up the fall previous. The
fodder, which was leaves of sugar beets,
Was as fresh to all appearance as when
gathered, ann the COWS to which it was
fed ate it with avidity, Salt is geuer-
ally sprnkled upon the fodder and
aids in its preservation. 1t would be
worth while when our root crops are
being gathered to preserve the tops in
this way as an experiment. It is not
probable that there will be any diff
Guilty on account of our colder climate
in thus preserving for future use very
considerable amount of winter fodder.
The principal requisites are to pick
away the leaves when dry, to compress
them as closely as possible, and to cover
them so completely with earth that all
access of air is prevented. 1t is by the
exclusion of air that they are kept from
decay.
Agricultural Philosophy.
There is no great success in farming
without hard work but it is the good
thinking that costs, not the plodding
alone. 1t is uphill work to go against
the judgment of all your neighbors,
but ii you are sure you are right, go
ahead, no matter what they say. The
servant is not above his master in in.
dustry the farmer must be able to lead
in the field and know whether a man is
doing good work, and the workman
must know that he knows what days
work is. said forty years ago would
use plaster if it cost me $40 ton but
clover aud plaster alone will not keep
mp the fertility OF grain farms. When
see man draining his farm and cart
ing out notable piles of well l.rotted
manure, consider him safe. He can
borrow money to make improvements,
and the Sheriff will not often tie up at
his hitchipg post. When the nudge
demands an early harvest, or the ground
is SO rich that the straw falls, 1 have
almost saved crop by sowing salt
Farmers miss it i'll giving up the old
worm fence. 1t is the cheapest in the
end. l wire the stakes together and
keep the bottom rail up. 1t is awk-
ward looking, but 1 have sound rails
that were not new forty years ago. 1
have burned good rails in my time, but
~ al, I do
now.
Apple Tree Borers.
Now is the time to examine the
trunks and large limbs of apple trees
for borers. They are more numerous
this year than common, and at this sea-
son they have not penetrated the wood
SO far that they may be easily found
with knife.
Wherever there are borers you will
see rough-looking slit or crack in the
bark abont an inch and quarter long
with the boring or sawdust protruding.
This sawdust is sure sign of destruc'
tion within. There are generally four
grubs in each place. They must be
dug out at whatever sacrifice of bark o,
patience, or the tree is ruined.
Cut into the tree about an inch above
the wound and carry the knife down.
ward removing strip of bark to the
bottom Of the scar. This will generally
reveal three or four separate burrows,
that by examining you will find to con.
tain each grub little below the sur
face of the wood. A little later in the
season the grubs become more rapa'
cious and bore through the tree or up
ward along the heart and are very diff
cult to find. The crabs-especially the
transcendent--are attacked much often
er than other apple trees.
Worth Knowing.
DIR. Glass, living near CRANKY, wht
Is clearing up new farm, has beer
troubled with large number of big
oak stumps. He had heard that salt
petre was good for stumps. Accord
inely, about q couple of months ago hj
sprinkled on the top of each stuml
ABOUT a tablespoonful of pulverizet
saltpetre. A few days ago he set fir
to these stumps. and says they com
menced and continued to burn unit
every stump was totally consumed
roots and all, so that he was able t,
plow without the least difficulty owe
the very ground formerly occupied b.
these large stumps. He says some O
the stumps burned four or five days
Farmers, try the doctors remedy /; h
says it will not fail. The doctor ais
says that if yonr cabbage plants ar
trouble d with little black bugs you ca
save every one of them by sprinklin
them lightly with cayenne pepper
Use an ordinary table pepper box
1nis is dead shot.-Gronby (lio.
Miner.
horticultural Irrigation.
The Rural CdrOltnian points out tina
the common method of watering plant
and young trees is very unphilosophi
cal, since it insures irrigation onl
for the mere surface, and not to til
roots. In the case of young trees an
large herbaceous plants, the best wa
is to carefully scrape away the Sol
arouTd them to the depth of an inch O
two. forming shallow basin into whic
sufficient water should be poured t
moisten we'll the ground as deeply an
as widely as the roots extend. Whe
the water has soaked in, the dry cart
should be returned, which will prever
speedy evaporation. Among sma
plants, which cannot be treated in thi
way, make holes with an iron rod or
sharpened stake several inches in dept
and fill them with water, which wi
thus reach the deepest roots.