The Osceola times., 1880-09-04
FACTS FOR FARMERS.
How to Drive Away Rats-Clover as
fertilixer-The Principles of Prun-
ing-Misceilaneous Notes.

premises of rats, and keep the vermin
away, pbmanently. He says: We
clear our premises OF these detestable
vermin by making whitewash yellow
with copperas, and covering the rafters
and stones IN the cellar with it. In
every crevice in which a rat may tread
We put the crystals of copperas, and
scatter the same in tie corners of the
floor. The result was perfect stampede
of rats and mice. Since that time not a
football of either rat or mouse has been
heard about the house. Every spring a
coat of yellow wash is given the cellar
as a purifier, as an eXterminator, and no
typhoid, dysentery OF fever attacks the
family. Many persons deliberately at.
tract all the rats in the neighborhood by
leaving fruit and vegetables uncovered
in the cellar, and sometimes even the
soap-grease is left open for their regale-
ment. Cover up every thing eatable in
the cellar and pantry, and you will soon
have them out. These precautions,
joined to the service of good cat, will
prove as good a rat exterminator as
chemists can provide. We never allow
rats to be poisoned in our dwelling, they
are so liable to die between the walls
and produce much annoyance"
CLOVER AS A FERTILIZER.
Waldo, in the Ohio Fdrmer, says: 81
cut crop of clover hay last season, and
turned under the second growth some
six weeks before sowing the wheat.
The result is a splendid crop of wheat.
heavier than on the adjoining land in
the same field that was heavily manured.
Here is an additional proof of the great
value of clover. / have 81 acres of
wheat ON this farm, which was SO run
down three years ago that it was not
supposed capable of producing paying
crop. One-half of this field manured
wita stable manure at cost of not less
than 800; the other half had the one
crop of clover turned under, and the
wheat is much heavier on the clovered
land-the l04 acres manured giving 247
shocks, against 343 on The clovered half
of the field.
81 estimate the average per acre on
the 2l acres at 20 bushels per acre, but
if it should thresh TO the shock as well
as my wheat did last year, the average
would be about % bushels. As long as
clover will give such results as this on
my land | shall sing its praises loudly.
We drilled So worth of bone meal to the
acre on two-acre strip through the
middle of the wheat sown on the clover
land and there was no difficulty in tell
ing, as you drove round the field with
the reaper, when you came into the strip
thus fertilized.
"This is the fourth year have grown
the Fultz wheat, and it shows no sign of
| deterioration. 1t has produced more
uniform crops and given better satisfac.
ton than any wheat | ever grew. 1t
stands up better, produces more grain to
the straw, and is less liable to loss or
damage. / am glad to be able to give
this testimony. for it has been reported
that it could not be successfully grown
year after year on the same farm"
THE PRINCIPLES OF PRUNING.
The art OF pruning is one of the sim
plest as well as one of the most impor-
tant operations connected with horticul
ture. Yet it is one that is frequently
neglected or ill-performed. The princi-
pal objects of pruning are to induce a
vigorous systematical growth, remove
superfuous wood, and promote fruitful
ness.
| Whatever be the form of training
adopted, there are some general pTinci-
Piles underlying all pruning operations,
which should be observed to some ex-
tent, though no precise rule can be
given for all cases. Briefly stated, these
principles are: When the growth of
wood is large and the tree or vine vigor-
ous, more wood should be cut away than
when the tendency TO the production of
wood is small When there is a great
tendency to the production Of wood and
fruit, pruning of the wood and thinning
of the fruit, or both, may be necessary
in order to produce the best specimens.
Shy bearing IN trees is sometimes treated
with root pruning. When an upright
growth is desired, pruning of the lateral
growth is required, and when a rounded,
bushy growth is wanted, the main or
central stem and longest laterals should
be shortened in.
To prune successfully requires taste
and good Judgment, and much beauty
and utility can be gwen to the form OF a
tree by proper pruning; but too much or
unsklllful pruning may be done with
scarcely less injurious results than those
that follow the neglect of the operation.
Pruning at the wrong season, the removal
of very large branches, and the neglect
TO prune. are responsible causes for the
irregular. headed and unshapely trees
which are found in far too many or
chards.
In order to have well-shaped heads
on trees, pruning and training should
be commenced when the trees are quite
Young Many trees are trained with too
low heads, which much interieres with
the work of cultivatiug an orchard. In
| garden culture or for ornamental speci-
men trees on the lawn, low-headed,
horizontally branched trees are some
times desirable; but for orchard culture
the heads should be high enough to
allow convenient approach in cultivat-
ing. Removing large limbs from trees
is a practice much to be deprecated; but
Whenever necessary it should be done
very carefully, and at the proper season,
so that the wound will heal rapidly, and
| the tree suffer the least loss of sap. The
removal Of large limbs also causes an
unsightly trunk, making it rough, harder
| TO clean and more secure harbOr for
insects, moss, etc.
When superfuous shoots or branches
are removed in their incipent stages of
growth, no such effects are produced.
Summer pruning, or more properly
nipping of the shoots as they grow, can
often beemployed to advantage, prefer
able TO pruning when the wood is dor
mant. This method of pruning, If be-
gun in season while the tree is young,
will cause an even and symmetrical
growth. which can not be so well attain
ed when all the pruning is done when
the wood is dormant. SDring-set trees