The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-11-02
AGRICULTURAL MATTERS.
Some Suggestions for the Farm
and Garden.
Top Dressing Grass Lands Putting
Away Potatoes Home Made
Mnnures Short Hints
Upon Various Sub

HoIne very important suggestions nre al
svanoed by the Chicago Times upon tho sub
iect III top-dressing grass lands, which W
reproduce for the benefit of our readers:
Whatever materials are employed for ton
dressing grass land should he fine. otherwia
they will Interfere with the growth Of TIN
tender stalks ~ they start III the spring
Weil-rotted stable manure and tho dung o
sheen do not require to be pulveTized before
they are spread On grass land in the fall, ~
the rains during the wintor will break up al
the large pieces and scattGr thu fragments
The curly part or the full is the best time III
which to top-d dress moving field, rs there Is
sufficient time between the application Of thu
manure and the starting of the grass tn the
spring for the eltilizer TO become distributed
The rains will carry all the soluble portions
or the manure down To the roots of the grass
while the insuiuble portions will remain
spread over the surface NJ tho ground. form
Ing mulch.
Other substances than tho droppings OF
cattle and the ordinary commercial fertilizers
may be applied to meadows with excellent re-
suits. There ore few things that improve
the quality ana Increase thequautity III grass
more than wood ashes. They cause the grass
tn start early IN the HprrE md 10 continue
its growth all the fail, Even ashes that have
been leached fer the purpose OF making lye
are very valuable tn applying to grass land.
Coal ashes are very inferior to wood Hshes
but they are nevertheless very advantageous.
On clayey soils Of those composed III hNa,.lR
they benefit the land mechanically us we'll as
chemically. 1t IL true that they are cutie do
hcient III potash, which renders wood aehcs
80 valuable, but they contain considerable
lime, sulphur and other valuable ingredients,
while much of the silica. which ~ plentiful, III
soluble.
Common salt applied at the ratio of 200
pounds To the acre, rarely falls to produce OK
cellent results. Ar-alacsled lime stimulates
the growth VI grass. not only on sandy soils
but on those composed iargelyo Of vegetable
matter. IL s especially beneficial to all va
rieties of clover and the less hardy ut the i'm
proved grasses The beneficial effects of limo
continue longer than those Of animal and
most OF the mineral manures. Portions ut II
are taken up directly by plants. and other
portions act TO decompose vegetable matter
contained In the soil. Many farmers are 90
situated that they can obtain refuse limo from
the kilns where It IL burned III from builders
who have had IL elacked before they were
ready TO use IT, Batches Of quick limo some
times become wet while taking II from the
kilns and can be obtained for tho trouble Of
hauling II or
Old mortar, whether used for LAYING up
bricks or stone. or employed MS interior finish,
IA good fertilizer for grass lands. Being
very fertile, IL is easily pulverlaed. Its good
results may not appear Immediately, but
they will continue many years. Street sweep
ings and common road dust are very bene-
a v
roads that accumuatas Ill largo quantities at
the foot OF hills and ut the termination Of
bitches contains nearly oil the clements Of
fertility. III III very easy To handle when par
TALLY dry and after exposure to the sun
few days may be pulveriTed with little diff
Guilty. 1t always contains considerable house
manure, vegetable matter OF various kinds,
and mineral salts dissolved by the rain 1t n
true that the larger proportion OF 1t ia soil
very similar to that Of the ordinary folds.
but 1t has been completely pulverizod hy tho
effect OF horses and the wheels OF wagons
and carriages. Dried meat or muck may
20 applied with good advantage To land chief
iy composed OF sand or clay, while sandy
soils are improved by tho addition OF clay.
Finely pnivsrzed soil Ut almost any kind
will benefit land that has been for some time
In grass. The continued growth Of grass
and Its yearly removal exhausts soils,
Something must be added 10 the soil to take
the place Of those portions Of 1t that have
been absorbed by the growing grass and car
rled away. The portions of soil that sre
taken up by the roots OF grass and the por-
tions that are washed away often leave the
upper part OF the grass roots exposed. An
application OF manure or good soil will cover
them and serve as protection against the &C
ton OF the sun and frost. Sometimes tho
hard earth taken out Of a post hole will be
carried by the rain quite distance, showing
Its beneficial effects by the Increased growth
of grass.
PUTTING AWAY POTATOES.
In storing potatoes several methods are 1
adopted, yet they are practically the same, /
the object being to protect them against srpeZ-
ing, whether buried In pits Or stored In cellars
The first consideration " to keep them In per-
feet darkness, tho bins should not be too
deep-not over three feet-to produce warmth |
and cause them TO aprout
When stored Iii the field, straight trenches
are dug say twenty feet la length and four or
i've feet wide, which are filed to the depth III /
three feet with patatoes. then we'll covered
with straw, on top Of which put eighteen or
twenty inches OF earth. In u pit twenty feet
long there should be about three gas escapes
or ventilaEng openings, which should be
plugged with straw and covered with board
set at an angle to turn the rain. If in cellars
barn or otherwise, tEs bins should be covered
with rugs, old carpetiag or straw. Those in
tended to be kept for late spring sales should
90 frequently examined and all sprouts re-
moved; Tor as soon ae potato begins to
sprout Y loses t. solidsty, dryness and quail
Telegraph.
HOMEMADE MANURES.
Dr- A. N: LedouS, Of South Carolina q prae-
Of homemade manures Oh all oceasi ions, aud
says. IN reference To preparing them that we
must select for the place ot our operations a
level spot, nnaer shelter, where We must pro
coed TO make slight excavation, forming q
slight slope from every side to the centre
From the middle wee Elust c2t ii small ditsh
four Inches wide and the same deep and cause
10 slope from centre to one side and ampty
INTO half barrel sunk into I'LL earth. This |
fitch can be covered with q board The
liquids, SO valuable as fertilizers and so often
wasted, will be caught In tLe barred and mlca
d two or three weeks should be oailed out
nd sErinkled over the top Of the heap Have |
{ hand pile Of dry eIrth. VI, better still. /
mixture OF dry earth. and ground pias- {
sr, and once In two weeks or 0ftrneF cover \
be heap to the depth of an inch or two. By 4
his method there will be maximum saving s
liquids and gases, and THE compose heap
till not be an offense to the nostrils, even i
hen quite near the house.
Having everything III readiness put to
ether stable manure, say 800 pounds raw 7
,tton seed, or about no pounds. and dis :
lived bone, $50 pounds. making 1000 pounds !
all. y
TO prepare fertilizer after this for mula. 4
reSd q layer Of stable manure. six inches 8
ep, over the bottom OF the concavity already J.