The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-07-04
SeasOnable Hints.
TREATING MEADOWS AFTER MOVING.

TREATING MEADOWS AFTER MOVING.
AS meadows are short, yet with pretty
! even and good set, and as the time for apply
ing manure cannot well be spared, and good
quality of manure-fine and rotted--is not
| always on hand, the next best thing and one
OF decided advantage, is to sow plaster. APP
| ply as soon as the crop is off. 1t is cheap,
| indeed the cheapest of all fertilizers, yielding
much for the outlay where the land is adapted
| to it, and it is soon applied. Give double
the quantity or more that is given to clover
| from 200 to 300 pounds per acre Grass re-
quires this. The sulphate is especially bene-
fetal ON clay land Applying the same guam
| tlty to grass as to clover land the grains are
included among the grasses) has failed to show
satisfactory result, except where the quality
OF the plaster was superior, when less guam
tity has the effect of greater amount of an
inferior article. All depends upon the pro-
portion of the salt (sulphate of lime) in the
| stone. A good dose, evenly applied and COW
ering all, will, with anything like favorable
weather the remainder of the season, forward
| and thicken the already good set, with the
| prospect of securing another cutting if the
| first crop is removed sufficiently early, as it
should be.
| MULCHING POTATOES.
1t pays to mulch potatoes. Straw pretty
well rotted makes about as good general
| SoNSlhiS 40 any blliS. Ii VIC STOunu HtcuS
| fertility, coarse manure is preferable ANY
coarse material-weeds, swamp grass, unrot-
| ted straw-has its good effect Apply as soon
as the cultivator is withdrawn. The benefit
| is more than is usually supposed. 1t keeps
| the ground moist and cool, two conditions
| essential to the best success of this plant
| Weeds also are kept down; the ground re-
| tains its mellowness, the mulch preventing
the rains from packing it, and the sun from
| baking it, and when worked for the next
| crop, will be found to be in q decidedly i'm
proved condition, the mulch by that time be-
ing decayed and mixing with the soil. The
soil will be cleaner, richer and mellower.
| STRAWBERRY PLANTS FOR SETTING.
What is wanted to secure good vigorous
plants is not the usual way of letting them
run at random unattended to, the old stock
more or less exhausted by bearing, and the
young plants choked and robbed of their
pabulum by the weeds. The plant thus treat
| ed will not be fit to set out during the sum-
mer, and if done in the fall, the winter will be
severe upon it, and likely will kill it. If left
to be set out in the spring, it will be little bet
ter. Such beginning is not generally the
most successful for raising Strawberries On
the other hand, if the plant is to succeed well,
it must be attended to from the start. My ex-
pcrience has demonstrated the excellence of
L
strengthen the old plants by manurng and
watering, so as to secure strong runners. AS
soon as the runners are fastened land have
the ground mellow for that purpose,) drcnch
them with liquid manure, and occasional
watering after, if the season requiresit, pulling
up all weeds as they appear. This makes the
young plants thrive remarkably. They will
soon be fit to transplant; and then taken up
with the adhering earth and set, the whole
carefully done, there will be no check to the
growth. The earth attached to the roots,
having been previously enriched to grow the
young plants, now continues to push Them
And the impetus must be kept up, either by
manuring or by previous preparation of the
land, giving it the proper texture and the
necessary nutriment. In addition, the ground
is to be cultivated and runners kept Off
This, at the beginning of the winter, will Sc
cure as fine plants as one can wish for, sur
passing the usual spring planting and with
the prospect and almost certainty of bearing
heavy crop the next season. Cover with
hemlock brush during the winter. always
manure the plants q little in the fall before
the growth ceases. 1t affords sustenance
during the winter, and aids the plant in the
spring. This is taking some pains, but pays
WELL always nsuring a crop.
RYE FOR MATURING.
am glad to see that the sowing of rye for
enriching land is agitated. This is right
We want our stubble land covered with
growth to protect it against the sun, which
evaporates the volatile clements if exposed
1t also, in the fall and spring, is guard
against washing, having a strong root and
occupying the ground soon. Being "a vigorous
grower, it will form large growth TO turn
down the latter half of May for corn, very
materially increasing the crop, paying, also,
to turn down early for spring grain. But do
not bury too deeply; plow A or inches
Any soil may be benefited thus, but particu-
larly clay,-COuntay Gentleman.