The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-02-01
FARM N FIREsIDE.

SALT ON WHEAT.-Mr. W. G. Fish, e
# Onondaga County, gives the Country Z
the following report of his ex- s
pertinent in sowing salt on spring wheat. a
t is evident that his success comes e
from the power of the salt to =
lttract and retain the moisture of the at 4
nosphere. He says: For over twenty 9
i've years farming on soil too hot and {
Try for spring wheat to fill well Tin the
usual manner of c%ultivation), it proved
q very uncertain crop. Becoming nearly
discouraged in trying to raise it, l began
four years ago sowing salt. The first
year three bushels was scattered on the
just as the wheat was fairly up
and the ground was dry. Twenty-Five
bushels per acre was the first years yield.
The second year four bushels of salt was
sown, and twenty-nine bushels of plump
wheat was raised to the acre. The third
experiment was four bushels of salt, and
thirty of wheat to the acre. For the past
summer in Onondaga County the Their
mometer marked eighty degrees and up
ward for thirty-eight days, fifteen of
which were rel ninety degrees, and it
was a scorching time for spring grain.
For the last trial I drilled, on six acres
of corn stubble ground, n and three
fourths bushels of wheat, and sowed six
bushels of wheat broadcast to the acre. A
strip wa left without any salt, which
was very light. On this ground the
dew dried off quicker, and the wheat
headed out two days later, with the
straw darker colored and badly crinkled
down. The yield this year was twenty
six bushels per acre.
TRIMMING PLANTS WHILE GROWING
Every one admires a beautiful form in a
plaut-an venues of growth in the va
rious branches 70 give fine balance to it.
There are some plants whose habits are
naturally straggly and uncouth. While
they are growing, a little nipping back
of the leading branches with the fingers,
or with a pair of shears, will hold them
in check, while other branches will be
encouraged to grow to the same size.
We will cite, for instance, the lemon yer
bena. This seldom makes a slightly
shrub, when left to itself, although it is
a favorite owing to its sweet scent and
delicate green. By pruning back the
leading branches it will soo grow into
a w~ell-rounded and closely formed shrub.
If you wish it to grow tr~ee-shaped, en-
courage it to grow tall by nipping back
the ends of side-limbs till it has acquired
the right height, then, to prevent growing
one-sided, and to make it well formed,
nip back all the shoots that are out of
balance. This same system can be ap-
piled to roses, %geraniums, and, in fact,
any plants that are desired to grow into
better shape. 1t is not at all necessary to
cut branches off close to the stalk, in fact
it is better not to do SO. But a little
nipping back of the ends of growing
shoots is all that is required.
GROWING CORN IN DRY SEASONS
On this subject Jacob H. Bruner, OF
Lanesville, Indiana, writes as follows
l will tell you how I made fifty bushels
of corn per acre on an upland field some
years ago, where there was scarcely any
rain the entire season through. 1 first
broke the ground with a two-horse pillow
, in the spring; this was sod ground,
Then / cross-plowed it and gave it a few
good, genuine borrowings with an iron
tooth harrow. I do not remember how
often 1 plowed and narrowed the ground
: before planting, but I kept up the pro
cess of blowing and narrowing until thu
! ground was well pulverized and much
: resembled an ash bed in appearance
a and then it was planted. Scarcely
dop of rain came until the corn was up
. then 1 plowed it while dry, and in
short time plowed it again in the dry.
The weather remained dry, scarcely
drop of rain falling. So l gave my corr
another good blowing while dry weathe
! continued.
4 Invent through it, 1 believe, the fourtl
e time, while the ground was scorchiDI
e hot, then laid it by to rest and fight il
' own way the remainder of the seasol
alone.
After the last blowing my corn twiste'
e and shriveled up at a fearful rate an
d looked like dying, for the ground wa
< extremely hot and dry, and the sun sen
.e down its burning rays day after day wit
ID mighty power and great heat. But b
# fore my corn ceased to live there came
E. refreshing rain, and the corn put on. ne
n life, and the kinks came out Of ii, and
n grew with new vigor.
d At gathering time it. yielded abor
fifty bushels per acre, and all because th
e. ground was put in good condition pefol
planting, and then because it was we
: titled during the dry weather whic
followed through the summer. The col
i'd was ready to silk and tassel when tt
:. first rain of the season came, of NUT
or importance. Bence l demonstrated Il
to fact that it pays well to tend your col
all the same, or more so, if possibl
ma when the season is dry.
he This corn was not MANFRED, and Il
ground was only moderately good al
productive in common seasons. Had
not properly prepared the ground befo
planting, and then had 1 not given n
les corn proper cultivation during the d
tie, weather which ensued, 1 certainly wou
n not have raised half a crop. But we fiji
er by experiment that good cultivate
OF generally, ifnot always, pays best. Tht
It, we say to farmers and gardeners to s.
as that your ground is well plowed al
d. narrowed and put in proper conditic
for growth of crops of all kinds befo
ms your seed goes into the ground. &c
of tainly half the battle is fought befo
al yousow and plant your crops. For WHIT
OF your ground is well pulverized befo
the seed goes into it it saves a va
N amount of trouble and hard labor afte
re wards.