Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-12-11
AGRICULTURE.

The advice cannot be too often gwen 10
all who cultivate vines and plants, as TO
their protection through the winter and
early spring. We have found, after
good many years of experience, that
there is no mode so sure OF guarding All
vines and plants not entirely hardy
against our occasionally severe winters,
as Lasfng them and cOreriRg them lvith soil.
OF course We mean those which can De
so treated. The covering should not be
more than two TO FOUR inches, according
TO the nature of the nature OF thing lald
down. Ii TOO much earth is used, the
buds, from the heat OF the ground In
March, may burst too early, and may
be damaged by laSe frost when taken
up. which should rarely be done before
the first of April. All young grape
vines should be laid down, though II
will prove of great benefit, in our Judg-
ment, to all grapevines, yosng ana oid,
hardy and otherwise, TO prune them
and Law them down and cover them
with few inches of soil. All raspberry
canes also should be pruned and laid
down; so should roses that are liable 10
damage from the frost. Strawlng up
roses and other deciduous flowers and
shrubbery, as il is usually done-that
is binding them as tightly almost as
pole-is far more injurious TO them than
no protection at ali. When strawing-
up is resorted to il should be applied
6nly on the side exposed TO The sun. All
Hover borders should have good COW
ering of stable manure-horse-manure,
being very good for this purpose In
the spring the long stuff should be rak-
ed of, and the rest forked in. 1t VIII
81, m "A
injury during the winter, but the plants
Will appear in the spring greatly lnvig-
GRATED, and the flowers viii be much
more abundant and prove of much
higher cclors and greater beauty. Even
leaves, straw. debris of any kind; or, II
there be nothing else, slight covering
of soil will be OF good service.
PLASTER AND CLovER.-Farmers must
inform themselves As 10 the necessity of
supplying nitrogen 10 their animals.
Plants can notmature without nitrogen.
A full supply will insure paying
crop. Animals cannot thrive without
food containing nitrogen. All the nj
trogen supplied TO animals and plants is
again returned through the putrefaetion
aud decay in the form of ammonia
This volatile substance floats over the
earth in the atmosphere, Is condensed
by the hydrogen of water and descends
TO the farm, whereas if converted to
salt it is assimulated by cultivated
plants. Gypsum is the certain aad
steady agent that will lay its Invisible
hand upon il and fix it as salt, In
which form the nitrogen is re-cOnveyed
10 the soil and 10 plants. Clover is par
excellence plant most active in taking
up ammonia of nitrogen and storing
above and below. As 4 forage it is in
valuable. AS a manurial plant il has
but few equals. Plaster is then fer
tilizer alw avs 10 be within the reach of
the cultivator of the soil. lt should be
strewn over the floors of the stables.
Over every animal and vegetable sub
stance in the process OF putrefaciion,
and decay, over his fields, no matter TO
what crop he deyotes them. Ii there is
any farmer who doubts the scientific
experiment of Iceberg, my advice is for
such one to purchase Lieberg's agri-
cultural chemistry, ana study and read
il over and he will then cease to be the
creature of prejudice and Ignorance.
HINTS ABOUT HORsEs.-lf 4 colt is
never allowed TO get an advantage, II
power that man cannot control, and II
made familiar with strange objects 1t
will not become skittish and nervous.
If horse is made accustomed from his
early days to have objects hit him on
the heels, back and hips, he will pay
no attention to the giving out of the
harness, or a wagon running against
him at any unexpected moment. We
ence saw an aged lady drive high |
spirited horse, attached 10 wagon, /
down a steep hill, with no hold bach I
straps upon the harness, and she as
sured us that there was no danger, for
her son accustomed his horses 10 ali /
kinds of usages and sights that con-
monty drive that animal into frenzy
of fear and excitement. \ gun can be Z
fired from the back OF horse, an um-
brella held over his head, railroad en-
CINE pass close by, his heels bumped .
with sticks, and the animal takes it all ,
rs natural condition of things, if only I.
taught bv careful management that he I
will not be injured thereby.
TIE Use OF CORN. - \ Nirginian .
writes in praise of corn, not only as the I
best food for labOring men, but for do .
mestic animals of all kinds. He states .
that the usual ratiOns for negro la
borer, for a week, is one and half /
pecks of corn, three pounds of bacon,
and little moloasses. They thrive on /
it, and are healthy and strong. South /
eru horses and mules as rule, have .
only corn for grain, bu: they live longer 4.
and do more work than Northern horses |
that feed on oats. In this part of the /
country dogs are fed almost exclusively .
on cornmeal, and they not unfrequently .
eat corn in the ear, while wandering
ours devsur it on the stalk. Even cats
eat cornmeal stirred up with water, as
is done in case of chicken feed
BEET SEED.-In Belgium a scotsman
is considered bound to supple beet seed
having at least a germinative power
6sual TO eighty-five per centum. The
best seed is obtained at the summit of
The parent stem; these are especially
renewed; later the entire stalks cut
down and harvested. Drought the in
sects interfere with termination; it is
only after several tests with the same
seeds, and when failure ensued, that
inferiority is established.
YoUNG trees will often suffer more
severely this month than in any other,
from dry weather, and even now, il
may be necessary TO apply mulch
anything; straw, grass, chips, stones
whatever will cover the surface and pre-
vent eYaoration, to save then.
FENCES and gates, especially of a
young orchard, need to be cattle-proef.
Surface drains are to be made to let off
standing water, If the orchard needs
undertakings, there will be no better
time TO DO il than now. I:
The lambs should be protected from
cold storms, il older sheep have 10 rough
it. As long as the skin is dry, sheep
can stand good deal of exposure, but I
lambs cannot. THESE should now be
separated and penned by themselves.
Knew Very Little. ,
A light-haired youth with ill-fitting
garments, sidled up to one of the clerks
in the court and mumbled: