The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-08-09
AGRICULTURAL MATTERS.

ssi~i. eAi y Otutf CROP Ou9
weed will take up and evaporafe q
good deal of moisture from the soil
and rob the crop of what it greatly
needs. This loss Of moisture il not
often thought of in considering the
effect of weeds, but it is very import
ant. When too late to be killed bv
cultivation the weeds should be hand
pulled.
NEGLECTED ORcHARDs.-The abund-
ant fruit crops of last year have had
the disastrous result of causing own.
ers of orchards to neglect their trees
on account of the low prices for
which apples and other fruit has been
sold. This is, however, the worst
course to pursue as, for lack Of a lit
tie care, fruit trees will soon produce
only worm eaten and knotty apples.
and will become utterly worthless.
On the contrary, manure your trees,
destroy insects, and by careful thin
ming and selection you will be ena-
bied TO furnish such fine specimens
for the market as will readily com
mand good prices.
CARBoLIc ACID FOR TREEs.-Tbe
New York Herald gives the following
result OF its experiment with carbolic
acid as a destroyer of potato bugs
and other insects unfriendly to gar
deners: We have found upon trial
that crude carbolic in proportion of
two tablespoonfuls to half pail of
water will kill the weeds in gards.,
walks. Apply with watering pot.
1t must not come in contact with
grass or flower borders. Weeds in
lawns, such as dandelions, daisies
and plantains, may be killed By hay-
ing a drop or two of undiluted car
bolic or strong sulpheric acid poured
into the crown of the plant.
CURRANT WoRM.-The season is
now at hand when the current worm
makes his annual visit. To one pail
full of wood ashes add one quart each
of white hellebore and -four of sui
phur; mix thoroughly, apply by sift-
ing on the bushes. / used nothing
else on my plantation of over two
acres last season, and want nothing
better. When the Wilson Albany
strawberry is in full bloom, then
apply the codling moth bands to
your orchards. Our most careful
fruit growers think the practice
pays. Examine the bands fort
nightly to destroy the larva of the
moth. Many growers use two bands
One near the branches, the other
near the root. They find that two
bands are better protection than
one.
PROTECTING GRAPES FROM INSECTS.
The Secretary of the Ohio State
Horticultural Society recommends
covering the clusters of grapes to
protect them from rot and insects.
Covering the fruit by slipping a
paper bag over each clnster after the
berries are formed and letting re-
main till ripe is found complete
protection from rot and- also from
insects and birds. The bags are
those in common use by groee1s, tho
size 6x9 inches, and costing about 50
per 1000. They are fastened around
the stem of the clusters with two
pins, of course allowing space for the
fruit to grow. One gentleman near
Cincinnati saves from 5000 to 1000
clusters per year in this way, largely
of atawbas, and finds the quality
very superior The cost, including
labor, he estimates at only one third
of cent per cluster
GApEs IN CHIcKENs.-The plan
given below has been successfully
used by US. We give it anew from
the pen of an English farmer: II
have frequently lost large numbers
of chickens from gapes, and have
never until this spring been success
ful in curing them. About Six or
seven weeks ago the old complaint
made its appearance in about thirty
chickens, some the size of pigeons
and Others less. As an experiment
tried sulphur, commonly called -four
of birthstone, and salt-namely, two
parts sulphur and one part salt,
| mixed with water to the consistency
of thick cream Git is best TO use the
finger in mixing, as sulphur will not
readily mix with water). ] then ap-
| piled it with feather from fowls
wing, dipping it in the mixture and
putting il down the chickens throat
about three inches, worked the feath-
| er up and down few times, then app
piled some more in the same way.
| soon found they were much better,
and repeated the operation three or
four times, two or three days between
each application. They are now
all cured and doing well. / have
not lost one, although some of them
were very bad indeed when the rem.
edy was first applied. | may add
that the feather requires to have
about half of the broad side clipped
off, or it would be too large for the
purpose required.
THE PoTATo BEETLE.-There is
danger that the slow progress of the
potato beetle this season will make
farmers careless, and if hot weather
and busy times in haying and har-
vesting come together the crop will
be lost, sometimes in q single day.
This is one reason why I rely on
hand picking. It has proved with me
less trouble than using Paris green,
and am sure that while l can keep
the bugs down | am safe from utter
destruction of the crop. We cannot
kill the old beetles with poison, as
they seldom eat anything. While
the plants arc young, and there are
only old beetles, it is very easy to-
keep the vines clear by hand picking,
though repeated operations are
needed. In the garden patch ard
for all early planted potatoes il is
best to go over the vines every other
day until the middle of June. After
that they will need little or no care.
Late planted potatoes can be entirely
freed from beetles by two or three
thorough pickings while the plants
are young. The entire secret of
success 10 fighting the potato beetle
is thorough work from the very first.
| The above from the Country Gentle.
man. We would suggest that where
hand picking is resorted TO the per.
sonal supervision of the owner will
be required. In our own experience
we have found that persons en-,
ployed to clear field Of potato bugs
are apt to be vary careless. An old
Irish pardener. who cleared 8 two.