Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-05-17
The farm and fite5ide.
SOWING GRASS SEED.

The following directions for sowing grass
seeds will be found useful at the present time
In sowing we advise, for obvious reasons, that
the soil should be clean, in good condition
the surface made level and firm and perfectly
pulverized by narrowing and rolling. A
calm still day, when rain is approaching, is
most suitable for the work. After sowing,
the surface should be only lightly narrowed
and rolled. A firm seed bed and depth OF
covering of quarter to half an inch is most
favorable for the vegetation of small seeds.
If covered deeply they do not grow at all, or
in very small proportions; if not covered,
many of the seeds are picked up by small
birds, and the vegetation of those that escape
depends upon their being washed into the soil
by rain. Young grasses are injured by frost.
The proper season, therefore, extends from
March to September the spring months are
preferable. If the land works unkindly,
seeds will not vegetate we'll, and larger
quantity must be sown to obtain plant.
Grass seeds may be sown with or upon land
already planted with wheat, barley or oats,
as a regular crop, with every chance of sue
cess-except in cases where the cereal crops
are over abundant and lodged. When sown
without a crop-for the safe protection of the
finer grasses and to increase the produce OF
the first year, it is advisable to add to the
quantity of rye grass sown, and also bushel
of oats or barley per acre.
FIRST WORKING OF CoRN.-If the land
has been packed by rain since the corn was
planted, run close and break deep-if the
land is close and open, the ploughing is not
important. In that event use plows that will
90 over rapidly and save labor-a shovel, or
sweep, or cultivator will answer. Avoid
throwing much dirt to the young corn, only
enough to cover up any young grass that
may be present, but be sure that it is we'll
covered. Much hoeing will not pay in corn
crop; the plow alone ought very nearly to
make the crop. Of course thinning and some
chopping is generally unavoidable. Thin to
stand as soon as danger of frost and worm is
over. Nothing is more prejudicial to plant
than having another plant with the same
wants growing beside it. The estruggle for ex-
istence then becomes intensified. If the mid
dies are not very hard or foul, and time press
es, they need not be ploughed out at this work
ing. In any event push on rapidly to give
cotton its first working just as soon as it will
bear it. The farmer who keeps we'll ahead,
not only stands the best chance to make the
best crops, but will do it with very much less
actual labor than the laggard. Let it never
be forgotten that the time to kill grass is be-
fore it can be seen. Besides, every one knows
that early and frequent workings make cotton
grow off rapidly-and an early growth of
stalk is one of the surest antecedents of a
large crop of bolls.
SWEET PoTAToEs.-And now for the pota-
to patch, as we call it. Plough your intended
potato patch two or three times before setting
out draws, having it in rows. Plough and
reverse, getting the soil in fine tilth. When
the time is near for setting out, take single
shovel plough, open your beds to the depth
of three inches, put little pure stable ma
nure in the trench and await the rain. If
the rain does not come, set out with water
half pint to each hill-the earth being
pressed firmly around the potato root, and a
little dry sprinkled around the top ground.
Next is the setting out-some say one foot,
some say two feet apart say four inches
The best cultivation is to plough to your
potato all the time, pulling the earth up
around the little plants with the hoe the first
working. Never bar off, thereby saving the
small roots which make potatoes, and save
one-half the ploughing.
In 1876, made $50 bushels sweet potatoes
on one-half acre of land by this mode-giv-
ing one hoeing, or pulling up with the hoe,
and two ploughings to the potatoes-R. L..
Tanner.
The CUcUMBER-This, like the melon,
wants rich land having in its composition an
abundant supply of vegetable matter. Its
roots do not run so far as the roots of the wa
termelon, hence one can, in planting it, have
better excuse for making the land richest
near the hill. For the ordinary varieties, the
hills should be made about six feet apart.
Put in plenty of seeds to make sure of a good
stand, and when the plants begin to run, thin
to two in the hill. If the weather is dry, the
plants should be treated to frequent watering
with liquid manure and also to mulching with
some kind of litter calculated to prevent the
moisture from drying out. AS food the Gu
cumber is by no means worth its weight in
gold; still people will make use Of it-and
that is their business of course. The way Of
preparing it to make it most wholesome, is to
cook it precisely as you cook egg plants.
Properly prepared in this way it is very much
like the egg plant. To be in proper condi-
tion for this preparation, it must be almost
ripe-must be cooked just before the seeds
have become too hard to cut readily.
Preserving BRICK WoRK.-A cotempo-
rary says: "The exclusion of damp from
brick work has long been an important prob
lem with builders 1t is stated that one of the
most effective methods of accomplishing this
object is the following: Three-quarters Of a
pound of mottled soap are dissolved in one
gallon of boiling water, and the hot solution
spread steadily with fiat brush over the
outer surface of the brick work, care being
taken that it does not lather; this is allowed
to dry for twenty-four hours, when asolution,
formed of quarter Of pound of alum dis
solved in two gallons of water, is applied in
similar manner over the coating of soap.
The soap and alum form an insoluble varnish
which the rain is unable to penetrate, and
this cause of dampness is said to be efectual-
ly removed. The operation should be per-
formed in dry, settled weather. Another
method is to use eight parts of linseed oil and
one part of sulphur, heated together to 27S
degrees in an iron vessel"
SowING ON Observation-Disclosures as
have been the instructions of late for preserv-
ing the almost "lost ART" of sowing grain by
hand, there remains one mode that has es.
capped mention, and which, when mentioned,
will probably be derided by those who have
not tried it. I allude to sowing on horseback.
Sulky rakes, sulky rollers, etc., are regarded
as useful contrivances for the saving Of human