Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-04-21
For the VERMONT FARMER.
Wedding.

As il will soon be time to commence
work on land few words on weeds may
not come amiss. Weeds occupy the soil to
The disadvantage Of the crop. They also cx-
clude light and heat from cultivated plants,
and thus interferes with their growth. And
they take up mineral and other matters from
the soil, and hold them during the growing
season, thus depriving crops of their use.
1t is not necessary to argue the injury
done by weeds Every farmer is we'll con-
vinced that they should bs destroyed, and
the best means of accomplishing this are Of
The greatest Importance.
In the first place we should protect our
selves against their increase. This may be
done by decOmposing all manures in compost
whereby the seeds contained will be killed
by. the heat Of fermentation or, if one
bushel Of salt be mixed through each cord Of
compost it will kill seeds as we'll as grubs
BY hoeing or otherwise destroying growing
weeds before they mature their seeds and
by keeping the soil in the best possible condi-
tion.
The last point is one Of much importance
l believe that those weeds which naturall y
grow on the most fertile soil are the ones
most easily destroyed. There are exceptions
(of which the thistle is one), but as genera
thing think it is so. BY careful attention
to the foregoing points weeds may be kept
from increasing while those already in the
soil may be eradicated in various ways
chiefly by mechanical means, such as plow
ing, hoeing, etc.
Prof. Mapes says that six bushels Of salt
annually sown broadcast over each acre o.
land will destroy many weeds as well Al
grubs and worms. The common hoe is a
very imperfect tool for the purpose Ofromov.
ing weeds, as it prepares a better soil for
and replants in position to grow, nearly as
many weeds as it destroys.
The scufFle hoe is much moro effective a,
it leaves nearly all Of the weeds on the sur
face to be killed by the sun. In using thi'
hoe the earth is not trodden on after beinl
hoed as is the case with the common hoe.
have seen but very few used in thi
state, but they are used extensively in New
York aud also in Massachusetts, and far.
mer that has once tried them will use NJ
other.
There is nothing more pleasing to the ey
Of every good farmer than to see his field
free from weeds aud when you see such al
one you may know that he is prospering, bu
on the other hand when you see field Of corr
full of weeds, it is a sure sign of a shftless
slothfu, slipshod farmer whose fences ar,
down and everything indicates a mortgag
soon or something worse. PAsAcK.
THE soil Of nearly all cultivated farms i
so full Of seeds Of noxious weeds that tn
effort to eradicate them must be very persis
tent to be of material advantage.
Our noighbor, the late Stodlard Tower
who was one of the best of farmers, was one
of the few men who live up to their rule t
never let weeds mature their seeds The
labor of cultivating his farm was greatl
lessened after few years Of this practice
the saving being many fold the amount o
extra labor to give clean culture.
II farmers will destroy weeds before the
grow it will not be much work. When the
6rst spring up or even before they pierc
the surface is the time to fix them, and
the sun shines hot aud no rain falls, stirring
the sell with almost anything will fms
them. If the whole surface Of the soil b
stirred with the point of a stick once
week, weeds will stand no chance.
In planting hOed crops it is of the creates
importance to make rows very straight, so thi
the cutivator may run very close. Then
a staight harrow tooth be made to replac
one of the corner coulters Of the cultivator
may DC run 80 clOse us 10 hlulOsI touOh W
corn the first few times without doing
harm. Farmers often run rows both way
to allow of cross cultivation, to save han
labor. This necessitates planting the hil
very compact or wide margin will be LEI
1t is we'll known that larger yield of cor
is gained by spreading the hills. The col
planter, which makes the hill more like
drill, allows Of very close cultivation, OF
way only, gives better crop and saves labo
A man and horse can plant eight or t.
acres in a day, dropping both corn and te
tilizers, if the latter are dry aud fine. Mar
farmers in Springfield have used the Am
Plow Company's corn planter with gret
satisfaction for few seasons. 1t is found
be less labor to hoe the corn, and there is
great saving in time in planting