Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-04-13

heneOnaDie IhtntAs
suppose you put a little field in grass
last year. If so you have fine bit of work
to pick the stones Off ii, if 1t Is anything
like the average of New England farms.
MY way is TO begin early in the spring, as
soon as the ground is fairly thawed, before
the grass starts TO hide any of the stones,
and with potato digger or prongod hoe, TO
dig out every stone that shows above the
surface that is large enough TO be taken on
the hoe without falling between the teeth;
as fast as taken ont they are throwL into
heaps, where they remain until the ground
is hard enough to dive over with a cart
with light load without cutting deep ruts
in the soft land; then draw out of the way;
no bending the back all day; no wearing
the skin off the fingers, or breaking the
nails If a stone is embedded in the earth
little. l understand that an implement
has been manufactured expressly for this
work very much in shape like a long
handled manure fork, but with stronger
teeth l have not seen one, and doubt If l
should like it better than the pronged hoe,
though il might be very convenient when
it came to loading the stones into the cart.
But it is a satisfaction TO see field clear of
any stones which would interfere with
scylhe, moving machine or the growth OF
grass, aud To get clear also Of the back
aching task Of picking stones by hand.
Old meadows where there are only few
scattering stones may, and should be,
cleaned up very quickly by going over
them with a basket on the arm in which to
put all the stones and sticks which may he
found on the surface. Every hour spent at
this work now will save two at grinding
tools in haying time.
If you mean to raise potatoes this year
you must fight for them. The most inn
portant part of the battle is the planning it
rightly. If you can so plan yours that the
potatoes will be up and get strength to re-
sist the attack OF the enemy before the bugs
discover them, you will have gained great
advantage the advantage of position. Why
not, then, if you have sasbes, make hot
bed, or if not pile of horse manure and
leaves or straw in some warm sunny place,
will do, and upon that spread your pota-
toes out in such pieces as you would want
10 put in the bill, placing the pieces few
inches apart and covering lightly with the
straw, water frequently, and see that you
do not allow ii TO get too hot so as 10 bake
your potatoes. There they can sprout, and
you may allow the sprouts 10 grow some
three or four inches high. In the mean
time get your ground ready early as you
can, and when ready take up your potatoes
carefully and set them in the hill, drawing
the dirt up around the sprout, but not COW
ering the leaves. You have your pototoes
up and practically heed as early as others
plant, and before the festive Colorado chap
comes out of his Winter quarters, your po-
tatoes may laugh at him, and tell him he
had better try somebody of his own size.
And you will he not only two or three
weeks ahead of him, which will by SO
much lessen your battle with him, but you
will be two or three weeks earlier into mar
ket with them, which will give a Letter
chance for good price. The extra time
taken TO SET the plants instead of planting
in the usual way will I've more than made
up by saving one hoeing.
would recommend the Wakefield cab
bage, (or if your garden is sandy the Win
ningstadu, the Trophy, or Victor tomato !;
the Bell and the Chevy pepper and the
Hanson lettuce as suitable varieties for
starting under glass; cucumbers, summer
squashes and melons may also be forced
some weeks earlier by taking the trouble
to take a few sods, six or eight inches
square, and inverting them, planting the
seeds by pushing them two inches or so in
10 the earth side of the sod, keeping them
warm and moist. After the young plants
have made three or four leaves, if the
ground and weather are warm enough, the
sod can be taken up with the plants on it
and set carefully into the hills where you
wish them TO grow, drawing dirt well
around them. Don't get "dog- grass" sods,
or "blue joint" as they will grow either
side up, and you would be likely to have
a grassy hill OF plants.
Among other work for early spring is The
beating of manure on the moving land,
whether dropped there by cattle or spread
as top-dressing; narrowing and sowing
clover-seed upon spots where the grass has
winter killed, if not so large as 10 make it
worth while to re-seed and the setting of
few hens as soon as possible, in order
to have few early chickens TO sell and
early pullets TO keepto supply eggs next
winter-they are the best layers" Young
Far mer" Notes in Boston Journal.