Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-06-30
AGRICULTURAL.

Draining FIo,cerP P0ts.-An experienced
gardener, who grows hundreds of thou
sands of pot plants without drainage
writes to this effect in an exchange
The question of drainage is not whether
plants require it or not; we all agree OF
that. But the question is in what way
the water passes from the pot; whether
from the bottom or whether from tn,
sides. We who advocate that the prac
tice of crocking pots is useless, claim
that nine-tenths of the escape of mois
ture is from sides; they who praetic'
''bottOm drainage" would signify by sC
doing, that in their opinion the escape
of water is mainly from the bottom. II
any one wishes TO decide this matter
for himself, let him take half dozen
glazed pots, such as water will not per-
cOlate through, let him knock the whole
bottom out if he will, and ''drain" in
the usual way with potsherds, charcoal
or anything else he thinks fit. Let him
also take half a dozen of the ordinary
style of flower pot. Fill these up with
the same soil as used for the glazed pots,
but without drainage. Let the same
sort of plant be grown in each lot, and
under the same conditions of tempera-
ture and moisture. Let him note the
result three weeks after the experiment
has been made, and if he does not find
that the glazed pots, with the bottom
drainage. show indications of stagnant
water in a greater degree than those in
the porous pots, then all my observa-
tions on this subject have gone for moth
ing. If i am correct in this, does it not
emphatically prove that the escape of
moisture is nearly entirely from the
sides Of the pot and not from the bottom
and hence the futility of growing pots
herds in the bottom for drainage.
Ho,r b OJtafn Choice Bmter.-.Moore'
Rural gives the following brief sum
mary of the leading or more essential
requisites for the production of good
butter:
l. Securing rich, clean, healthy milk
milk obtained from good cows, well
cared for, kindly treated, grazed upon
sweet and nutritious pasturage free of
weeds, and provided with an abundance
of clean, fresh water.
,. Drawing the milk from the COW in
cleanly manner, and setting II in an
untainted atmosphere and keeping il at
a uniform temperature-about 60 de-
grees Fahr., while the cream is rising.
3. Skimming at the proper time, and
before the milk becomes old and bitter
or is decomposed.
4. Proper management in churniDg.
>. Washing out the buttermilk thor
oughly and working the butter so as
not TO injure its grain.
g. Thorough and even incorpOra-
ton of pure salt and putting down in
tight, clean, well-made packages-pack-
ages that will exclude, as far as possible
the admission of air.
Z. Placing the butter after il is packed
(if not sent at once TO market in 4 clean,
cool, well ventilated cellar-One that is
moderately dry and absolutely free from
all impurities and offensive OdOrs.
:. Cleanliness i'm all the operations
from the time the milk is drawn to the
packing and marketing the butter is of
imperative necessity. Judgment and
experience in manipulating the cream
and working the butter must, of course,
be an element that is not TO be over
looked nor dispensed with.
Ldnd WdShjRg.-One of the greatest
objections to our farming operations in
this country is the tendency of our rich
soil to wash OFF and rapidly deteriorate
in fertility. Another misfortune is the
Indifference with which many farmers
treat this important subject. 1t is plain
To any observing mind that a field OF
rich, fertile soil will yield double the
amount of one that has been thus
neglected. and suffered other malprac-
tees. j have i'm mind now the case of
sO-called farmer who allowed an old
roadway, a quarter of mile in length,
10 wash so deep that a plough could
hardly cross il, when ten minutes work
with "A spade would have prevented it.
And often we see large, impossible
bitches form through valuable land,
with no effort to stay the fearful waste.
This, with fearful voice, verifies the old
saying, "a stitch in time saves nine"
A few hints in regard to remedies are
in order. First, the land can be plowed
80 as to help the case by running the
burrows croSSwise of the rills. / prefer
To have the water flow in straight rills
at regular intervals, and to prevent
these from washing deeper, pack corn |
stalks, large green weeds, fine straight |
brush, etc, in the bottom, and allow |
the grass and weeds to grow in these |
bitches. Thus the water has something |
TO wear on, and with a little care much |
soil can thus be saved. But the best |
manner to preserve the fertility of the |
soil is, as any intelligent farmer knows |
Ia seed down to grass, especially clovers |
not forgetting the Importance of the |
proper use of manure.
Use Of Wool in the ApidTy.-For the last |
four years we have used wool quite |
larUelV for yarious nurposes i'm onr