Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-08-15

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Hints for August Work.
From the American Agricnlturist.
Preparations for sowing wheat
should be made ut once. There was
formerly more difference of opinion
as TO the time Of sowing wheat than
there is now. The majority of far
mers favor early sowing, and il the
seed is we'll in the ground late in Au-
gust, the chances are more favorable
than fit is sown later. Where wheat
follows oats, the Oat stubble should
be plowed Immediately after the crop
is taken from the field. 1fthe wealth
or is dry, the greater will be the ne
cessity for repeated blowing and roll
ing, to prevent the soil from baking.
A mellow soil, well rolled and
packed, is what the seed requires to |
terminate in. If the soil is cloddy
the young roots are exposed to the |
action of the air in the open spaces,
and dried and killed. This is the Sc
cret of many failures of what were
at first promising seedlings. Repeat
ed harrowings and rollings are need
ed to produce the proper conditions
of the soil. No matter if the surface
/ is somewhat rough, if the soil beneath
is mellow and fine. Indeed we would
little rather have the top little
rough.
Drilling is by far the best way of
seeding. It costs SOC. an acre if the
drill is hired, and less if it lie pur-
chased. Five pecks Of seed per acre,
or six a, most, is enough, SO that at
least half q bushel of seed per acre is
saved, and here is the cost returned
at once. But the difference in the
harvest is, many times its cost, in IA
vor of the drill, Every winter we
hear and read on every hand, "drill-
sown wheat looks we'll, but broadcast
wheat is injured badly" There is
much in placing the seed exactly right
in the ground. If the plant has no
depth Of root, it is weak and cannot
stand the rigors of winter or spring,
and it will not tiller out as will that
more deeply sown.
SEED AND SEEDING.-Itha hardly need
be said that if the seed is net good,
no good crop can be expected. The
necessity for selecting seed with care
has been maxim OF agriculture for
thousands of years. The oldest books
tell of it. And yet the success OF
those who make business of doing
this, is now made "nine days Won
der" Unfortunately it is forgotten
again in nine days, and we 60 on
sowing the seed just as it come from
the sheaf. 1t is q good plan to sow,
at least small strip in the field, with
the best seed to be procured, upon
ground prepared in the best way, and
. cut this by itself at harvest, and
thresh it at once for seed. But ifthis
pays why not grow the whole crop
, in the same way2 A good farmer
should have no grain that he cannot
use for seed; none that is poor, light,
shrunken, or mixed with cookie and
garlic.
PoTAToEs.-Early potatoes should
9 be harvested as soon as ripe. Else, II
: wet weather occurs, the tubers may
/, sprout and be injured. Rue's Potato
Digger is an effective implement, de
signed expressly for this work, ano
r where the crop is large one, it car
J, hardly be dispensed with, if the crol
:. is to be gathered and put away a
lit should be. There is no other crol
e that follows potatoes as well as fal
i wheat, and no ground so easily pre-
8 pared for it as potato ground. Pota
/. toes may be pitted and lightly cover
l. ed with the vines. and some board
g over these, and remain until frost.
= Reconsideration grain is thresfl
ed, it is safe from the majority of it
many enemies. 1t is also ready t
o sell at a moments notice, when tn
price suits or money is wanted. Per
n. haps no further reasons than thes
need be given, why 1t is well
thresh as early as possible. One @
the most convenient things about
farm is threshing machine an
horsepower, or for larger farms on
of the many good and cheap steal
engines, which will be found descril
ed in tho advertising columns. 1t
great convenience to be able
thresh just when one wants to, an
u without the fuss and bother ola hire
. machine.
+. MILK Cows-Will need some frcs
I'd fodder as soon as the pastures HAY
become dry and hard. Those WI
have provided some fodder GRO
,.e will keep up the supply of mill
lox vriI
's. their neglect. There are some ia
es mers who make more than other
nc some make but little, but the pc
might often do little better, and
sc this season this truth comes home.
llal RAsPBERRIES AND BLACKBERRIEs.
r. We prefer, for reasons given ID
M month, to cut away the old canes
err. soon as the fruit is of. Select t
lie, new shoots that are to fruit next We,
u and keep them tied, destroying
.el, the others. When these reach TO
Sc feet high in raspberries, and six +
$50, in blackberries, stop them by cutti
ma or pinching off the tip; some pre-
sic them lower than this by . foot. ~
ee, stopping will cause branching q
l.. the branches should not be allow
Ida to grow over fifteen or eighteen I'M
srs, es long.
len Black-cap and purple-cane raspb
ill, ries should have the old branches
tel. and if SO many new ones start as
die make the bushes crowded, remov
ale, part. Stop the remainder at three
eph four feet.
AK STRAwBERRIEs.-Th who he
ems, runners rooted ia small pots may
this month, and get good crop n
10Y, year. Runners from the bed
better be left until next month, uni
Iice one can give special care. Plants
ael- now should have all the outer lea
onn removed, to prevent evaporati
hcy leaving only the bud of undevelol
-. leaves in the center; spread the 70
'itT' well; water to settle the earth arou
; i the roots, drawing fine soil arou
-. the plant, and mulch with stable
10y; ter. If very dry time follows,
luel tering may be needed. While
would not pay in field culture, it y
}. "A a be practiced in the family gard
= ~. =. and good crop, if not full one,
s a had next spring.