The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-07-10

Every Day Thoughts about Every Da,
Things.
by II Young Farmer.
WRITTEN FOR THE BOSTON JOURNAL.

WRITTEN FOR THE BOSTON JOURNAL.
With the month of June hoeng fairly
begins to Dive us all up, and if the weather
holds as wet as it has been thus far, it is
likely to drive me hard, for | have put in
an unusual quantity of fine stuff, such as
onions, beets, carrots and mangolds, that
will give man great deal of work in
small field. And this farm is a very weedy
one, owing, / suppose, to the neglect OF
previous tenants. Luckily for me. hand
labor is plenty and wages are not very high
and have kept the weeds well under con-
troll so far, and have got good start of
them. / like to give such of my fields as |
can cultivate by horse power good horse
hoeing one or two days before l am ready
to go into them with the hand hoes This
gives II chance for the weeds in the middle
of the rows to die if the horse hoe has done
its work. and if one does not die its green
top will make such show that the person
hoeing will see it, and of course, cut it up.
If heavy rain beats down the ground be-
tween the going along of the horse hoe and
the hand hoes. 90 through with the horse
hoe again, and if the rows are not getting
too weedy, wait day or two longer before
hoeing 1t is the fashion now a-days for
writers on agriculture to say that the hoe
and cultivator do more good in mellowing
up the earth than they do in killing the
weeds. 1t may be so, but l am not ready
to endorse it yet. Loosening up the top soil
does much good, | know, but the killing the
weeds appears to me to be of the greatest
Importance. You would think you was
working against great odds if you had to
feed hundred men to get the labor of one,
1. I,,,1 not. IL al. e.: y \ 4
profit for the sake of the produce of one
And yet that is what we do in our fields,
year after year, too many of US. We allow
hundred worthless, improbable weeds to
live and mature their growth for every
useful plant that we raise; and nearly every
one of them takes as much of the elements
of nutrition and growth from the soil and
manure as would a stalk Of corn, a turnip
or ca, bage plant. How can we thrive
against such odds as that? | do not won
der that so much land is getting worn out.
And while this state of things continues we
cannot expect TO bring it into good condi ion
again very rapidly if we put on an extra
quantity of manure, we raise n little larger
crop of weeds We stop hoeing too soon;
too many farmers think that if the crop
planted gets well under way. so that the
weeds cannot smother it out entirely, it is
useless to hoe more. 1t will pull, through
some way. So when the plants are nearing
maturit, just at the period when many
kinds should be making their most rapid
growth the weeds are robbing them of their
natural food and water, and literally starv-
ing them to death, nnd think they have
ii ished their growth and SO they have
prematurely, because that winch thcy fed
upon and grew upoa has been taken away
ltl al, :.
the seed which is to fill your land with a
new crop of weeds another wear. | know
| have allowed the same thing to take place
on my fields to a certain extent but il was
not because thought il was n good plan,
but for the same reason that | do many
othe things which should not. and leave
undone many things which | should do. it
is owing to the irresistible force of circum.
stances. But if we would all inv Ia checl,
the growth of all weeds Mt as early n stare
as possible, and prevent them from going TO
seed upon our cultivated land or the bor-
der. thereof. VIC would Increase tho ,,eef,l
products of our land largely and greatly
lessen the labor of taking care of il after n
few years-perhaps the seven years that
are said to be necessary IN wood ont ono
years seed.
Insects are almost as great n trouLle
There are caterpillars in the trees and buus
in the vines; worms everywhere. FARMING
is a continual battle. and the farmer Is nor
sure of victory until lack Frost comes to
his assistance. Then woods bngs and
worms must die or retreat. and the farmer
gains a doubtful sort of victory in which
his success can be measured nv thc snoils
he brings off at harvest Time IF did moi
love "A farmers life. and enjoy secino the
growth of stock and crops SO well. and if |
had not faith that to the farmer who makes
good stand against these enemies far n fe,v
years, Without ALLOWING them to connuer
him once, the time NAV come when ihcv
will come against him with greatly reduced
forces, even if he does NOT quito onnihilnte
them, | should get discouraged in the
business, and try to find. some occupation
where | should not have so many foes TO
contend against.
"A wet May brings barn full of nav ="
is the old saying. / hone il is a true one.
Cor the old hay is about cleaned out of the
barns this spring. In riding out the other
day saw that many of the farmers are
preparing for it, eithet by fixing up their
old barns or building new barns, or adding
on to the old ones so as to increase their