The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-08-28
FARM, GARDEN, AND HOUSEHOLD.
Planting and Transplanting.


try Gentleman, are heat, mir and moist
ure. but not light. In cold soil they
remain dormant; ii too dry, they will
not sprOut, and if buried deep and COM
pactly beyond the action of the air, no
movement toward growth takes place.
The small seeds of weeds often remain in
the soil for years when turned under
deep by the plow; when brought again
to the surface, the new and copious
growth which Mt once takes place has led
superficial observers to the erroneous no.
tion that they have sprung up spontan-
eously. Nurscrymen sometimes keep
peach stones dormant a year when they
happen to have "A surplus, by placing
them two feet under the soil until need
ed. The depth for planting must depend
largely on the size of the seed; and the
general rule has been given to bury
them from three to five times as deep as
their diameter. This rule will vary
somewhat with the nature and condition
of the soil. If heavy and moist, the
depth should be less than in light, dry
and porous soil. In moist, wcll-pul-
verified soil most seeds, whether large
or small, will grow if merely covered
and kept moist: but this condition can
not be commonly continued, as a few dry
and warm days will dry the surface of
the soil and prevent the gel mination Of
the seed. Hence the common practice
10 vary this rule with circumstances.
Corn, planted early in the season when
the ground is moist, will grow freely If
buried only an inch deep; but under or
dinary circumstances two inches will be
better. 1t will find its way freely to the
surface after many days wien buried six
inches below. Early in autuTn, when
winter wheat is sown or drilled in, the
soil is usually much drier than in corn
planting time, ana for this reason, AL
though the seeds are smaller than grains
of corn, it should be placed at a depth of
two inches. In n dry spring corn should
be planted deeper than in wet one, and
the old practice Of pressing each hill with
the hoe, when the work was done by
hand was useful when the soil was dry.
When planting is done with machine,
"A roller to follow the tube would be use
full in dry weather.
In dry season, AS the present has been
in many places, much care is required to
inpart sufficient moisture to seeds when
planted. If the particles Of soil are dry,
the small grains or Jumps which com
pose it will touch the seed only at "A few
points, and the chances for its germina-
tion will be small. Even if mOistened
by shower, the water will be conveyed
to the seed only at the few points of con-
tact. tits better, therefore. to plant seed
after shower than before it. as the soil
is rendered moist and yielding, and,
pressing the whole surface of the seed
causes termination at once. On this
principle, experience has shown that un-
der common conditions seeds grow
much better if planted after than before
the rain. The exceptions are, when the
soil has been so finely pulverizcd that it
cases the seed well on all sides while yet
dry; and when the rain is so copious
that it fills with water for Il sufficient
time the interstices which surround the
seed.
The Rose Bug Pest.
Another bug has strangely increased
in numbers, in the past two years, and it
promises to be more troublesome than
the enemy of the potato. The rose bug
has come upon US in swarms, and il de-
stroys not only our grape and peach
crops, but our apples and plums. if un-
checked. The best method OF checking
them it is desirable to learn, if there be
any method. We have tried hand pick
ing, whale oil soap, and variety o
agents. but our efforts have been only
partially successful. The white hellc-
bore dust is the most effective destroyer,
but it is expensive and troublesome to
apply. II occurred to us this year to
take or grapcvincs from their supports
and 10" -hcm close upon the ground
when in blossom. This course saved
our crop 80 far az the experiment wa;
tried, and W present tie plan for the
benefit Of grape growers everywhere
! The insect cannot or does not reach tht
blossom when the vines are in this posi-
ton, and no injury results to the vine;
during infOrcscrnce. As soon rs the
fruit is formed the danger is over, and
the vines may be raised and secured tC
the supports. This we regard as i'm
/ portant Information, and it should bC
/ remembered. Our peach crop we saved
/ this year by passing through the orchard
and .jarring the trees by blow with th'
hand once or twice day. The insect
are detached from the fruit and fall upol
/ the ground, and DO not return to til
ruit until after considerable period O
TIM. The better way is to place
sheet under the trees, catch the bugs an
cstroy them in pan Of whale oil soaI
suds.-BCSton Journal of Chemistry.
Household Hints.
Glass held level under water NAV b
easily cut with paii Of shears or stron
scissors. Cut a little at time.
Never wash raisins that are to be use
in sweet dishes. 1t will make the pud
ding heavy. TO clean them wipe ther
on dry towel.
In boiling eggs hard put them in boi
ing water ten minutes and then put theI
in cold water: it will prevent the yolk
from coloring black.
To make macaroni tender. put it j
cold water and bring it to boil.
will then be much more tender than
. put into hot water or stewed in milk.
All milk vessels should, in their la:
. rinsingS, have boiling water or hot supel
heated steam applied, as nothing shol
. will destroy the putrefaction which
abundant in milk vessels not thorough
cleansed.
To take out tea stains, put the line
in kettle of cold water; rub the.staiI
well with common CASTLE soap; put Il
! kettle on the side of the stove, to let Il
water get gradually warm; wash
/ thoroughly in warm soap suds; then II
r the stain again with soap, and boili th'
. rinse.
a Single cream is cream that has stot
4 on the milk twelve hours. 1t is best I
V tea or coffee. Double cream stands
e its milk twenty-four hours, and crea
; for butter frequently stands forty-eig
i hours. Cream that is to be whipp
;. should not be butter cream. lest
d whipping it change to butter.
S Small holes in white walls can