The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-10-12
FARM NJ HRESIDE.


CoTToN.-The Southern A~griculturist
planted cotton grows better than
early planted, but in localities where
the seasons are short it is important to
plant early, to ecure maturing of the
crop. Gotten should be planted very
shallow-one inch is ample depth; but,
dry weather prevailing. it may not come
up if the seeds are so near the surface.
The old-fashioned plan of opening furrow
with scooter and covering with two fur
rows of the same, and men knocking of
with a board Just as the cotton is ready
to come up, is the surest, but it is slow
and tedious. A planter with wheel
running in bottom of furrow, and press
ing the earth in a narrow drill into
which the seeds fall, and covering with
a board pressed down by a spring, or by
a block, will under ordinary circum-
stances give a good stand. If the beds
are rough and cloddy, it is best to pre-
cede the planter with a harrow, which
we will briefly describe. 1t is simply n
ordinary triangular harrow, from two
and a half to three feet in width behind,
and with teeth set a little sloping back
ward to prevent its fouling. The front
tooth should be about six inches long in
the clear, and the rearmost ten inches,
the intervening ones increasing gradu-
ally in leugth from front to rear. Such
a harrow will hug a bed, clean 1t of, still
leave it elevated, and with a uniform
rounded surface. We find it exceed
ingly useful in Jur own practice for
smoothing and ffeshening the surface of
beds. 1t is a great point gained in cot
ton culture to have the young plants in
a straight narrow line, on a smooth,
gently rounded bed; the first working
can then more easily be given it.
CHEMICAL NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
PHATE.-We take the following from a
sensible paper by MI. b. F. French. read
before the Massachusetts Horticultural
Society.
What we call chemical ,,afinities and
chemical combinations, are mere names
for what we do not comprehend. Phos-
phoric acid and lime will combine in
two proportions only. Two atoms OF
each form phosphate of lime. Three
atoms of phosphoric acid and one of lime
form superphosphate. Nobody can tell
why they may not as well combine in
other proportions. To change phosphate
of lime, which is said not to be readily
soluble, into superphosphate, we make
use of the chemical afinities of the sub
stances. We have seen that in phos
phate of lime, the phosphOric acid and
lime are chemically combined in the pro
portion of two and two. They form 6
sort of equal union or marriage-ont
bone if not one flesh. Now to break W
this union and entice away from tilt
phosphoric acid the lime, which may b.
regarded as a weaker vessel, we bring
into her neighborhood an object o
stronger affection or affinity. Sulphuri'
acid and lime are found to have
stronger affinity for each other thai
phosphoric acid and lime, and by adding
sulphuric acid, we entice away a portion
of the lime, forming the new combina
tions. sulphate of lime and superphos
!. phate. Why these afinities exist, ant
why these new combinations are formed
/ it is as difficult to explain, as why
young gentleman and lady have
> stronger affection for each other than 70
all the world beside-
/ What new combinations take place il
the soil after our fertilizers are applied
we can only guess, and many substance
produce effects entirely beyond our CON
~prehension. Two hundred pounds G
gypsum applied to ar acre, have on som
I soils produced an almost magical effect
yet 1 suppose chemistry has thus ia
= failed to solve the mystery. 1t is though
!, that the elements that compose gypsur
do not enter into the composition of th
, plants, but its effect is due 10 its chen
ical action upon other nutritive element
probably potash and magnesia, renderin
8 them avilable to the growing crol
. Liebig says that he found by experimer
: that a solution of gypsum in contact wit
arabic soils underwent decomposition
and formed combinations quite contrar
! to the ordinary afinities as observed
J the laboratory.
e FARM DRAINING.-A correspondent
s of the Ohio Farmer says: The wet lane
e of most farms are the best, when we
underdrained. This has proved the ca
with mine, and I believe this is the rul
What is to be done with such lands
: To work them in their wet, cold cond
d ton is not profitable. Such land mu
be underdrained. There is no prof
without it, that is certain. Will it pa
q to drain such lands? That depen'
It upon the cost of the work and the ma
ner in which the work is done. &c,
orally speaking, it will pay. If the lar
= is naturally good, and open outlets
Il the main drains can be obtained wit
IS out extraordinary expense, nearly a
a lands lying near villages and cities
is the Eastern States, when too wet Fl
n profitable culture without, should
IL underdrained. The owners of sue
farms having good buildings and fenc
II can not afford to abandon them for Il
e cheaper lands of the West, net havir
v these advantages.
it During the present year I ha'
thoroughly underdrained twenty 81
IS acres of land, placing therein 6,961 til
from two to five inches in diameter-a
sole tile, which I prefer to open, or rour
tile if the subsoil is clay, as mine is, al
d no quicksand. These tile cost me fro
fifteen to twenty-five dollars per tho
. sand, OF, in round numbers one hundrt
II and fourteen dollars. The labor of la
0. ing, together with n hundred rods
open ditch on one of the boundaries