Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-07-11

Treating M6d6OtcS after MOtcing - As
meadows are short, yet with pretty even
and good set and as the time for applying
manure cannot well be spared, and a good
quality of manure-fine and rotted-is not al
ways on hand, the next best thing and one of
decided advantage, is to SOW plaster. Apply
as soon as the crop is of. 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 POO to 800 pounds per acre. Grass re-
quires this. The sulphate is especially bene-
fetal on clay land. Applying the same guam
tity to grass as to clover (and the grains are
included among the grasses) has failed to
show satisfactory result, except where the
quality of the plaster was superior, when a
less quantity has the effect of greater amount
of an inferior article.
Mulching PotatOes.-It pays to mulch po-
tatoes. Straw pretty well rotted makes about
as good general covering as anything. If
the ground needs fertility, coarse manure is
preferable. Any coarse material-weeds,
swamp grass, unrotted straw-has its good
effect. Apply as soon as the cultivator is
withdrawn. The benefit is more than is usual
ly supposed. 1t keeps the ground moist and
cool, two conditions essential to the best sue
cess of this plant. Weeds also are kept down
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 a decidedly
improved condition, the mulch by that time
being 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 ex-
hausted by bearing, and the young plants
choked and robbed of their pabulum by the
weeds. The plant thus treated will not be fit
to set out during the summer, 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 better. Such a begin
ming is not generally the most successful for
raising strawberries. On the other hand if
the plant is to succeed well, it must be attend
ed to from the start. My experience has
demonstrated the excellence of this plan, and
l know of no exceptions. l strengthen the
old plants by manuring and watering, so as
to secure strong runners. AS soon as the run
ners are fastened (and l have the ground mel
low for that purpose l drench them with
| liquid manure, and occasional waterings af-
| ter, if the season requires it, 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 impe-
tus must be kept up, either by manuring or
by previous preparation of the land, giving it
the proper texture and the necessary nutri-
ment. In addition, the ground is to be cult
waited and runners kept off. This, at the be-
| ginning of winter will secure as fine plants as
one can wish for, surprising the usual spring
planting, and with the prospect and almost
certainty of bearing heavy crop the next
season. Cover with homlock brush during
the winter. l always manure the plants lit
| tie 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 it pays well, always insuring a
crop.
Rye for MdHuring.-I am glad to see that
the sowing of rye for enriching land is agitat-
ed. This is right. We want our stubble land
covered with a growth to protect it against
the sun, which evaporates the volatile ele-
ments if exposed 1t also, in the fall and
spring, is guard against washing, having a
strong root and occupying the ground soon.
| Being vigorous grower it will form a large
| growth to turn down the latter half of May
for corn, paying, also, to turn down early for
| spring grain. But do not bury too deeply !:
pillow to inches. Any soil may be benefit
ted thus, but particularly clay.
Thinning ont FruH.-Every tree, however
hardy, will be hurt by heavy bearing. 1t lisa
strain upon the powers of the tree, lessening
its vitality, requiring year or more to re-
eruit and shortening the period of its life.
The fruit fails (and largely to come up to its
usual standard, to say nothing of its highest
condition under the best management All
this results from neglect of thinning out, an
| operation much less difficult than is supposed.
Remove down 10 moderate amount of fruit,
which in a heayiy-laden tree is at least half
the crop; often more should be taken. This
relieves the tree, and enables it to concentrate
on the rest of the fruit greatly increasing the
size and quality, which in market tells most.
By lessening the number of specimens, the
number of seeds is reduced and it is this
particularly that favors the tree as the seeds
draw sharply upon the trees vitality. 1t also
| has the effect of faYOring bearing the next