The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-07-17
AGRICULTURAL NOTES

AGRICULTURAL NOTES
Two Maine farmers discovered that
beans planted between their rows of
potatoes drove away the potato bug.
PROFESSOR HENDERSON finds lamp
black, applied with woolen cloth, the
very best substance for Furnishing the
brass or silver-plated mountiugs of har-
ness.
COLONEL j. B. MEAD, Randolph, VT,
is credited with the statement that his
farm crops doubled in five years after
he perfected arrangements for saving all
the liquid manure of his stables and ap-
plying it to the land.
"PLANT some peanuts" is the advice
of Mr.. H. J. Dunlap, Champaign, ILL.,,
which, contrary to the general impress
sion, he declares will grow in almost
any of the Western States. Place good
seed mot roasted) eighteen inches apart,
two inches deep, keep the soil clean and
loose, and expect ''from a few hundred
hills enough to supply many an evening
party''-especially if the season prove
hot and dry.
Mr.. CHARLES w. GOODHUE's farm
in Pomfret, Conn, yields 125 tons of
hay each season, in place of S5 tons Of
10 years ago, with corresponding in
crease in other crops-largely the re-
suits of judicious tile draining and util-
ization of liquid manure, which is col
lected in cistern near the stables, di-
luted with water, pumped into water
ING cart, and distributed over the mead
ows at suitable intervals.-N. Y. Trab-
aI7se. ~
/ WATERMELoNs.-A writer in the
Practical Farmer remarks that for rails
| ing on a large scale and for distant
, market, such varieties as have thick
rind, as the Mountain Sprout, or the Gu
ban Queen, or other large varieties,
{ should be selected; but for home use OF
near market, the red fleshed or thin.
rind varieties, as the Peerless or Noun
, tain Sweet, are to be chosen. Both are
sweet and unsurpassed in flavor. The
, latter is described as pale green, slight
: ly mottled, and twice as long as thick
c the seeds, when fresh, are of a mahoga
: ny color, and change to dead brown al
: they dry.
: A STRAWBERRY CRoP.-E. B. Under
kill of Poughkeepsie, N. Y, planted two
e kinds of strawberries in rows three an(
:, a half feet apart on nine rods of ground
e Picked off blossoms, kept out weed
0 and let them run. Late in December
= when the ground was frozen hard, b
e put on heavy coat of horse manure
r which remained there the followin,
season. Cultivated in sprin,
with prong hoe, and just before bios
soming sowed superphosphate and plas
II ter at the rate of half ton per acre
:. The season was fine, prices high. an
"a berries mammoth. From the patch b
!, picked and sold within few cents {
/, 800 worth of berries, or at the rate {
i $1,000 per acre. On the same groun
at he raised crop of celery which woul
+ net by the acre 1000 more.
it MANURE IN POTATO HILLS "A Wes
u ern New York farmer says: "Fres
q manure in the hill with potatoes dot
at not answer. 1t will make the potato'
" scabby The best commercial fertilizt
~ to use is the one richest in potash.
e. have always observed that we get Il
m largest yield of potatoes on new sol
I'd and the yield diminishes in proportic
ID to the number of crops produced.
Sc prefer sod to any kind Of stubble for p
It. tatoes. Have used a mixture of plast
$. and ashes on potatoes with great benef
or When the tops are four or five inch
q, high I dust the mixture on the folia,
to and can see an important change in lie
on than two weeks. prefer to apply it
the foliage rather than the ground as
repels the beetle. Beetles never alta
as vigorous growing tops, but choose t
feeble growing Ones"
na no SUMNER PRUNING OF GRApE-vINEs.
nS The pruning of grape.vines in the SUI
Ia ,la mer is rarely attempted except by pl
~ ,to fessional growers. But it is very u
~, y, full practice. 1t keeps the vine with
,iu bounds, prevents much useless q
-, wasteful growth which would otherw
Sa ~ divert the strength of the plant from
'ao rn formation of fruit, and greatly improy
"a the quality of the grapes. There is
- secret about the method. With sha
III 'n' pruning.knife (Which has cury
un ur blade) slash off by quick stroke
;.S ends of the shoots which are intended
i.n VI bear fruit, leaving those intended
a. make wood to grow on. If fine fruit
desired, only one bunch should be
see on each spur or shoot branch; if ab'
at dance is desired more than quality, t
lett clusters may be left. The ends of
an, shoots may be pinched off with
Iins finger and thumb just as easily.-N.
lst, Times.
md
,ses Farmer UOuSe'S StOTys
suf-
- L. Snvs