The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-08-02
FARM AND GARDEN,

FARM AND GARDEN.
How TO RAISE Tho
general opinion that horscradlsh re-
quires wet ground Is erroneous. Any
surface Is suitable, If 1t Is only rich
enough. TO meet this necessity, ordin-
airy soil requires an application. Of about
100 loads Of manure per acre. Then
thoroughly plough deep, ana also sub.
soil, making the ground rs loose as pos
sible. Some early crop, as bccts, cab
page or potatoes, can be planted, and
the horseradish put in as Il second crop.
The sets arc first prepared by taking
roots about as large as ones finger and
cutting them III pieces six inches In
length, cutting the lower end slanting,
50 as to place them right side up. Now
take a light crOwbar and in the line of
the row punch holes between every
two potato-sets or cabbage. plants, about
bottom, filling the hole with the foot.
The deeper the set can be planted and
come up, the better, smoother and
straighter will be the roots. 1t Is to be
understood that the rows are to be from
to ~ feet apart and the plants from
to ~ feet distant. At the depth
named the plants will be some SIX weeks
coming up. Should they interfere
with the other crop, chop the tops off
| with sharp hoe. This will not injure
them rs tho main growth Is made In
the Autumn. AS soon as the first crop
Is oil, plough and hoe the horseradish,
and so continue until the large leaves
shade the ground. AS late as possible
dig what Is needed for Winter and pack
IN earth In the cellar, or pit In the open
ground. Digging is the most laborious
part, as the small roots spread all over.
These should be saved for sets. | have
had q splendid crop the second year
from these roots LETT In the ground. |
have had specimens weighing two
pounds, but the average is about half
pound. OF late years the market has
been overstockcd, and the only way l
could dispose of mine profltably was
by bottling, Even then the demand Is
very limited, as u bottle will go great
way In family. a small patch has
paid better for the labor and land than
any other crop l have ever grown.
Last Spring, having a surplus. sent to
| New York, and received reply that
there was no demand, as the market
was overstocked, Atprescnt it is hard
ly bringing enough In that market to
pay for digging.
pONfl.oN F'k DEEDS FOX NOWIS.-Slln-
| flowers and parsnips can, and ought to
| be, made two Of the most profitable Of
| crops. Six hours spent in planting
sunilowcr seeds OH waste lands, in the
| fence corners and around stllmps and
| rocks in the cornilclds and on the bor-
ders of marshes and swales in meadows
Will insure crop equal In value to FIVE
acres of corn. They require no culti-
walton whatever; and they will grow
and flourish Oh any kind of ground,
though, of course, rich cultivated lands
will produce The largest crops. ANY
ordinary farmer can produce a hundred
bushels of santlower seeds, and gather
them In OH his barn floor for less than
50; and for feeding and fattcning fowls,
chickens, turkeys, ducks or geese, a
bushel of those seeds is worth more
than two bushels Of corn. 1t Is not
necessary to shell and clean the seeds.
The heads should be cut of and gath
cred into dry place before they are
fully ripe; for If left to ripcn on the
stalks the birds will gather the harvest.
The suntlowcr heads may be thrown to
the fowls. They will do the thrcshing.
ills we'll to plant suntlowcr seeds early
In the spring, or even in November
preceding; but if planted at any time
before the twentieth of May they will
|
Ordinary frosts do not affect them.
Farmers who do not care to raise sun
flower seeds for profit should plant them
for the wild birds. Every bird from
the wren and the recd-bird to the flick
er, the blue-jay, the quail and the par
fridge will go for them with avidity.
Seeds for planting can be procured at
any country store where other garden
seeds are kept; and ten cents worth, If
properly planted aud distributed, will
produce twenty-five bushels.
FORMATION OF SoILs.-The successful
cultivation of the soil depends upon
chemical principles. Our soil is COM
posed Of organic and inorganic sub
stances. Red heat will destroy the or
ganic part, which consists of two
groups Of matter. The one contains
nitrogen the other is destitute Of this
element. All plants producing soils
must coptain supply Of these SUBJ
stances. The important inorganic ele-
ments In the coil are potash, soda, mag
nesia, oxide of iron, sulphuric acid and
phosphoric acid. A healthy plant con-
tains them all. lfany OF these elements
arc wanting In any soil, they must be
reproduced by the application of for
tilizers.
FENCE PosTs.-Char the ends OF your
posts before putting them into the holes.
They will last much longer. They may
be charrcd little higher than the
ground,, although that ia likely to
make them a little unsightly. There
are far ncrs who even after charring
make an application of thin tar.
|
i To Skeletonizo Leaves.
Select wcll-grown leaves, and exam
Inc carefully to sec If they be perfect
before soaking. Put into m earthen-
ware dish or wooden tub, keep covered
with rain water and stand in the sun