Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-04-29


FLAX CULTURE.-In this locality, it has
been our practice invariably to sow at the
last quarter of the moon in May. For one
acre, one bushel Of perfectly clean seed is
plenty. Sow evenly; to do this, SOW both
ways, taking still time when there is no
wind. Be careful not to fill your hand too
FULL otherwise you may lack seed at the
cross sowing. The land should be sandy
loan, that was planted to corn or potatoes
and well manured the previous year, and
kept clean from weeds, ploughed fine and
smoothed evenly with tine-tooth harrow,
then sowed as directed and covered with Il
light brush The time to harvest is when
yellow. Pull and keep the butts even; tie
and when perfectly dry, draw to the barn
barn floor, threshing ut some time before
your second harvest comes on. Have
your barn floor swept perfectly clean take
Il tive-pail iron kettle or an empty barrel
place it in the middle of your barn floor,
and set the boys to whipping the pound
bundles over the edge of the barrel or ket-
tie, keeping the butts even; throw the
threshed bundles out in your yard, and il
it rains on them before spreading all the
better. Rotting by spreading is our prac-
| tice. 1--WE have never tried waterrOtting
in pOnds.) Draw out on u smooth dry
meadow, well protected from stock of all
kinds; then commence spreading on the
upper part of the meadow. One man to
unbind and . handful " out, and one man
to follow and spread, are sufficient Keep
the butts even and spread smoothly; no
tapping of one gavel or row on another is
allowed. When rotted nearly enough,
turn over the gavels with II pole eight or
ten feet long, running it under the tops and
turning it over. If grown for seed, we
get twelve bushels from bushel of seed
sown. When rotted enough rake up in
good-sized bundles, and bind; keep the
butts even, and draw to the barn on n very
dry day; pack away over your barn floor
under the roof.-C0unf1y Gentleman.
WORK FOR TIE SEAsoN-Sceds for the
garden and grass seed, should be secured
now, that there may be no delay when
needed. We have for several years laid
in Il full years stock of seeds in March
anu llt' ~ SNtlS E'tt HIVE iIitic Il SttN Ill
by it.
Potatoes for planting should be selected
now. The most successful growers we
know are very particular in selecting their
potatoes for seed. Large, smooth tubers
only are used. These have fewer sprouts
according to their weight than small ones,
and the young plants start stronger, have
more vigor, and the crop is considerably
earlier in consequence.
Top dressing moving lands with special
fertilizers had better be done early, if at
ALL while the ground is moist.
Hot beds should be ready for the seeds
A good hot bed will enable Il family to
bring garden vegetables to the table sew
eral weeks ahead of those raised in the
open ground; but unless one can be ut
home, and give it almost hourly attention,
it might as well be dispensed with. An
hours neglect may destroy the labor OF
weeks, and if one only wants few plants.
it would be rs cheap and more sure, to buy
them from one who makes Il specially OF
raising early plants. 1t requires the same
care to raise one dozen good plants that it
does to raise Il thousand dozen.
Permanent improvements of many kinds
may be made ut this season bitches
may be dug in some soils more easily in
Spring, while the ground is soft. than
during a drought, and the presence of Il
little water is Il guide to the proper dr.
rection and fall of the drains-Ne,U Eaq-
land Farmer.