Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1874-01-24
FIELD AND GARDEN.
Eaftea by M.R. RATEHAM.
THE MEETING AT wILLouEHBY PLAINS.

tneTe Hast s>dtufudf aileTuOUu. Oii al
rival at the depot, we found the son of
President Gray, with spirited team of
blacks, ready to take us to the "Plains,"
| which is a fine district of sandy soil.
about mile in width, bordering the
lake shore some three miles north from
the rail road. Here area dozen or more
| families of intelligent farmers. who
| constitute the Club. and hold meetings
once month to discuss topics OF inter
est pertaining to their professionals
should be done in every such neighbor-
| hood.
| The spacious school house was already
well filed, on our arrival, and as the
topic of our. remarks had been previous
| iy announced. aid was not of particular
interest to women. we were agreeably
surprised 10 find fully one half
| the audience composed sf ladies. The
President explained this, by saying they
| were all farmers, and the women were
interested In whatever pertained to the
Occupation of their husbands and BROTH
| ers.
4 Ouk bODtC was liz ubCtuOuo vi III
creasing the fertility of soils.' We cam
mot give an abstract of the lecture: only
indicate its character.
First, showing by admitted facts that
the staple crops, in all the older parts of
this country and this State, had materi-
ally deteriorated, and the soils dimin-
ished in productiveness in consequence
of the exhaustive methods of farming.
/ Second, adducing facts to prove that
It Is possible to increase and preserve the
fertility of soils by judicious and skill
ful management.
Third, that more of education, study,
and scientific knowledge, in short, more
of brains is needed in farming, than has
hitherto been commonly supposed; that
scientific and practical farming are not
diverse or antagonistic, but one and the
came. if rightly conjoined; true science
| being the guide and teacher of right
practice.
Fourth, showing how science taught
the necessity of the mechanical inn
proyement Of soils--the reasons for
Idraining, subsoil plowing, and the mel
low tillage of growing crops; the action
of the atmosphere Oh soils and the roots
of plants.
+ Fifth, how crops exhaust soil: what
elements compose the crops, and whence
these elements are derived; how to in
crease manures; value of lime, ashes,
muck, blue clay, &c.
Sixth, the theory Of rotation of crops;
| benefits of blowing in clover; how clo-.
yer increases the fertility of land.
Seventh, amount of different chemi-
cal Ingredients removed from soil by
crops of different kinds, according to
| tue best authorities; and means of their
restoration.
The audience listened with marked at
tention till the close, and then voted the
Speaker their hearty thanks, after which
IL good team in the skillful hands of
friend Newton, took us to the depot in
! time for the return train to our home.
The farmers of the '.Plains'" neigh
borhood are ready to form a Grange of
Patrons, as soon as a Deputy will come
aHu Vi OfSdtlZc titcui, UuI VIZ nav So''aS
doubts as to the propriety Of organizing
thus in corner of the township, where
1t may prevent the formation Of good
township grange near the centre. The
rules of the State Grange forbid the To-
eating of oranges less than five miles
Iapart, except by consent of adjacent
oranges.
GRANGE IN AsHTABULA COUNTY.
A Grange of Patrons was organized
last month at Trumbull, O. 1t now num-
bers 43 members, with d. Webb as Mas
ter, A. Graham, Secretary, n. Lewis,
Steward, and r. F. Cook, Assistant
ISteward. Mr.. r. F. Cook is appointed a
State Deputy, to organize oranges in that
county and vicinity.
PRUNING GRAPE VINES.
/ We notice that few persons have as
yet pruned their grape vines, excepting
where the cuttings were wanted for
lplanting. 1t is now good time to do
this work. whenever the wood is not
frozen. If the coming month should
be mild, the sap will begin to flow quite
early; hence pruning should not be de-
layed.
GOOD PRUNING SHEARS,
Nearly all vineyardists, no doubt, like
ourself, have had mach trouble with
, pruning-shears, from the breaking of
, the springs, when in constant use for a
few days. This IS true, both of the
steel aud brass (fiat springs. But las,
summer we found on exhibition at the
; Cincinnati Exposition. style Of grape
, shears with springs of stout brass wire,
(not in spiral coil) which pleased us &c
we'll that we took a note of the place ol
manufacture which was at Mildletown
Ohio, by SUTrHIN & JOHNSTON, and aftel
using one pair of these shears for 8
l couple of weeks, we can testify thai
they are the best and the cheapest we
2 ever handled. We advise grape grow.
ers and hardware dealers to send to then
: for a circular:
GRASSES FOR HAY AND PASTURE.
Il We think our farmers rely too exclu
. sively on timothy and red-top for mead
:, ows and pastures. The former is quit.
!. unreliable and Of short . duration OF
. many soils and the latter is unfit for dry
), lands and at best is of poor quality
:, Have any farmers in Northern Ohio triet
a orchard grass, or meadow fescue? The
: latter was called English blue grass il
some parts of Ohio and adjacent States
ten or more years ago, aud was hight,
!, approved by some farmers.
5 MooRE's RURAL NEW YORKER.
4 Our friend, D. d. T. Moore, is verify
u ing the old adage ''It is an i'll wind, ,
n &C., for the misfortunes that have be-
t fallen him in his outside speculation.
n tho past year or two, have evidently
j cured him of such alterations, and now
n he is devoting his whole heart and sou
j to the Rurol, making it more valuable t.
:. its readers than ever before. OF course