Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-08-01
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD
Hands and Feet in Agriculture

recent agricultural convention, said that
although engaged in gardening opera
tions for over a quarter of n century, il
had only been lately that he fully real
lied how indispensable is the use of the
feetin sowing and planting. In the SOW
ing of seeds he thought millions were
lost annually through neglect of firm
ing" the ground around the seeds. Dur
ing the past dry season, enormous losses
were incurred by market gardeners and
other cultivators of cabbages, caulihow
ers, celery, ETC., mainly because they
persisted in sowing the seeds without
taking the precaution to firm the soil by
rolling. His own practice is, after ploW-
ing, narrowing and leveling the land
smoothly, to draw lines by the mark
er, " which makes furrow about two
inches deep and foot apart; after the
man who sOws the seed follows another
who with the ball of theright foot press
es down his full weight on every inch of
soil in the drill where the seed has been
sown. The rows are then lightly lsveled
longitudinally with the rake, a light
roller is then passed over them and the
operation is done. By this method mis-
cabbage and celery crops have never
once failed, and what is true of these
seeds is equally true Of all seeds requir-
ing to be sown during the late spring or
summer months. On July, 2, 1874, as
an experiment, he sowed twelve rows of
sweet corn and twelve rows of beets,
treading in after sowing every alternate
row of each. In both cases, those trod
in came up in four days, while those un-
firmed remained twelve days before
starting, and would not then have germ
mated had rain not fallen, for the soil
was as dry as dust when planted The
result was that the seeds that had been
trodden in grew freely from the start,
and matured their crops to q marketable
condition by fall, while the rows un-
pressed did not mature, as they were not
only eight days later in terminating, but
the plants were also to some extent en-
feebled by being partially dried in the
loose dry soil. ~ ...
The same season in August he treated
seeds of turnips and spinach in the same
way. Those trod in germinated at once
and made an excellent crop, while those
impressed terminated feebly and were
eventually nearly all burned out by a
continuance of dry hot air, penetrating
through the loose soil to the tender root
let's. A large proportion of the blame
often laid at the doors of nurserymen on
account of selling dead trees he attri-
butes to the neglect of growers to COM
pact the soil about the roots.
Hog Cholera.
A letter to the Elmira Club, published
in the HatsbGnd11aGia, says: "My pigs
and large hogs are all sick (thirty- three
in alD with what call lung fever or in
hammation of the lungs. l lost last year
in July about the same number. | want
to inquire if any OF you are acquainted
with this disease; ifso, is there any cure
for itP The symptoms are blindness,
very sore snouts, loss of appetite. troth
at the mouth, the victims linger for two
or three weeks, and die in convulsions.
Any cure or prevention will be thank
fully received"
The disease appears to be that which
DR.. Law calls intestine fever, or hog
cholera. In his Veterinary Adviser"
there are the following directions for
treatment and prevention:
Treatment oughtnot to be permissible
unless in a constantly disinfected atmos-
phere. Feed, well boiled cruel of barley
or rye, or in case these raise the fever,
corn starch made with boiling water
give to drink fresh cool water, slightly
acidulated with sulphuric acid. For the
early constipation give mild laxative
Castor oil, rhubarb), and injection Of
warm water, following up with fever
medicine (intrate of potassa and bisul-
phite of soda). IF the patient survives
the first few days and shows signs Of
liberation of the bowels (blood dung,
tender belly), give oil of turpentine, fif-
teen to twenty drops night and morning.
Follow up with tonics and careful soft
feeding f
Prevention-Kill and bury the dis
eased; thoroughly disinfect all they have
come in contact with; watch the su
vivors for the first sign of illness, te,,
all suspicious subjects with thermom
ter in the rectum, and separate from the
herd if it shows more than 103 deg. F.,
destroying as soon as distinct signs of the
disease are shown. Feed vegetable Oh
animal charcoal, bisulphite of soda, car
bolic acid or sulphate of iron to the
healthy, and avoid all suspected food
places, or even water, which has run
near diseased herd. All newly-pur-
chased pigs should be placed at a safe
distance in quarantine, with separate
attendants, until their health has been
proved.
The Wheat Weevil.
After wheat has passed safely through
all the perils of the harvest and escaped
the ravages of insects that wage war or
the growing plant danger is not un
frequently in store for it when it has
been deposited in the bins,
The danger makes itself apparent by
| 10 zt,r-,.zffl-VVgT TfII
grain and peculiar odor that permeate
the bins. On passing kernel betweel
the fingers it crushes readily exposing
mere shell partially filled with dust il
place of round, plump grain.
The little black beetles that laid il
wait during the winter months come on
-. from their hiding places in myraid
with the return of warm weather. I'll
l female makes minute incision in tn
t grain and therein deposits an egg. A
' each female lays an ninnumerable numbe
of eggs and the insects do not hesitate t.
f penetrate the heap of grain in all direc
) tions, but few kernels escape. The egg
deposited soon hatch out maggots whic
, bore into and consume the starch OF tn
e grain BY the time these pests are grow
the grain is nearly or quite exhausted
: the worms go into pupa state and IN
a few weeks become weevils which fore
!. their way out of the grain and seek som
{ hiding place for the winter.
|. Farmers who anticipate trouble frol
g these weevils resort to variety of e.
pedients. Among these is fumigatin
i the bin with burning sulphur. Othe
g sprinkle air-slaked lime on the whe'
and others again sprinkle it with sal
O The surest way of avoiding the weey
!. is to change the place of storage. Fun
h eating the bins with burning sulphu
already referred to, is reported by mar
|. farmers who have tried it as eifectual
s preserving their grain from this enem