The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-10-21
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.

be overdone or UNDERGONE. There is
reason in everything, seven in roasting
eggs" as the saying is. So in hoeing
crops. If we hoe up the soil in large
Jumps, as we are apt to do with the very
serviceable modern prong hoes, We let
he keen, dry air into contact with the
startling but enfeebled roots, and by
their parching an irrepairable injury is
done. Such Jumps should be crushed
down so as to be permeable to air through
out and yet serve to protect roots from
its free sweep. But as in avoiding Scylla
we may run to wreck on Charybdis, 80
in crushing the soil we may make it too
fine, in which case the first heavy rain
will run the surface together in crust
impervious to the air, and for want Of
enough of air, 80 essential to active root
action, growth will be checked until the
hoe or its equivalent is used again to
break up and open the surface crust.
Some soils have such texture as to
prevent this packing effect of rains, in
which case they are apt to produce more
than far richer soils which "run." A
surface dressing or mulch of vegetable
matter, or the shallow working in of
manure, greatly favors the productive
ness of such fine, compacting soils, which
with vigilant summer hoeing will yield
more than any cOarser soils can.
The USE OF TAN IN GARDENs.-Writ-
ing in the Revue Horticole, M. Ballet
urges the use of tan in gardens, where,
he states, it is most useful for covering
the walks, the acidity in the material
checking, or indeed, preventing the
growth of weeds, especially where they
have first been cleared away. The paths
are likewise rendered more pleasant to
walk on than on gravel or on the scoria
and single frequently used. Too thick
a coating should not be given, as this is
likely to harbor damp after rain; but
this can be remedied by previously
spreading upon the ground layer of
cinders. upon which the tan will rest,
and which will drain off the water rap
idly and efficiently. The tan should be
renewed upon the walks in the spring,
as they are much worn in winter. The
old material is scraped off and deposited
on the borders, where it forms excellent
mulching, and may subsequently be in
corporated with soil as manure; for
strawberry or raspberry beds nothing is
better.
In La Brie the white maggot attacks
those plants that are mulched with tan
less frequently than any others. On the
edge of the footpaths the roots of Ables
excelsa are fond of developing their
spongioles in old tan, for it is left for
several years upon the less used walks.
Some time back, M. Ballet made the
following experiment upon a plot Of as
paragus: One part of the bed was GOV.
cred with tan. the other with saltpetrous
earth. In the latter portion growth was
very vigorous, while in the former il was
the reverse. Tan. therefore, it may be
presumed, is not conducive to the health
of asparagus.
An accidental circumstance also show.
ed that a young tree, having its roots
dried up or weakened by long journey
will recover and throw out young root
lets, when the roots have been placed in
a heap of tan. An arboriculturist Of
Troyes, M. Lanier, wishing to reinvigor
ate an espaller of pear trees, used 9
mulching of dung, but being deficient
of a proper quantity, he tried fresh tan
and all those trees to which the latter
was applied assumed a robust aspect
while the others remained unhealthy
M. Ballet states that he still uses tan il
hotbed frames, mixing it with a bed o
earth, and that the kitchen gardener
use it to fill up the paths between TIT
beds; later on this tan is mixed will
dung. At st. Hubert, in Belgium, gar
deners make good thing out of thu
heaps of tan from the tanneries; and i
seems probable that more will be heart
of this vegetable substance.
EVERY FARMER SHOULD DO HIS owl
THINKING.-The Country Gentleman yer,
truthfully says that it is only within
recent period perhaps-at least as com
pared with the epoch of positive asser
ton, thirty or forty years ago-that W
have found out in farming how com
pletely truth too broadly asserted be
comes falsehood, how many qualification
and limitations theories must be hedges
about, and what folly it is to lay dow
any single dogma for the universal &C
ceptatiOn of all. And, as natural con
sequence in our agricultural literature
the tendency is no longer TO pronounc
upon this or that practice as right o
wrong in itself, but to elicit from thOs
who are successful the modes by whic
and the circumstances under which sue
, cess was reached, and then to leave eac
reader to judge for himself to how grea
an extent similar course of actio
would suit his own case, and wherein
might be hazardous to his interest:
What we ask, in word, is the exper
, ence of others-what we wish to teach
that each should think for himself.
, "SHALL WE PLow Deep" is a que,
ton being continually asked by farmer
in all parts of the country without re
ceiving a conclusive or satisfactory ar
swer. Theoretically we say yes, a
almost all theorists have said during tn
past hundred years. Practically we ar
G undecided, for the reason that so man
failures have occurred for want of favor
able conditions of soil, drainage, etc.
A farmer in asking the question shout
} know the object for which he desires t
: deepen the filth of his soil, whether
, be to break up the hard subsoil, to assis
drainage, prevent drought, deepen tn
{ fertility, or for the purpose of maxim
it rervious to the penetration of tn
roots of the growing crops. To secur
any of these things by deep blowing
is necessary, if we would get satisfactor
, results, to consider the character an
quality of the soil, whether shallow G
, deep, and whether the natural or artif
r cial drainage is sufficient to relieve it {
all surplus water. Without underdrair
ing, the fertility, much below the surfac
, of the ground, can not ordinarily b
utilized. m that IL il not good pOljcv 1
, place the cream of the fields much belo'
the depth of ordinary blowing. Fou
t inches Is as deep as the average of pillow
t go; the eight to twelve inches in dept
farmers talk about being seldom reached
, except by trench blowing; even then
$ is difficult to get below eight inches.
0 Deep blowing must be done cautiousl
4 and by degrees. Clay soils are itet
where plenty of manure is at hand
, enrich them thoroughly, but the lightt