Connecticut western news., 1880-04-07
FARM AND GARDEN.
PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES.

the acre, sown in shallow depth. Only pure oats were employed as seed, how ever. In discussion which followed these facts appeared: There is great difference in the kinds and qualities of seeds. Oats that are carefully winnowed and relieved of the lighter grains are much more valuable seed, and less amount of such carefully prepared grain is required than that containing many imperfect kernels. Rich land requires no less seed than poor land, the argu- ment being that while poor lands tiller less, rich lands bear an equal quantity of seed because they will bear 1t, having fertility to make it produce heavy crop. The general opinion appeared to be that one and a half bushels to the acre is @ sufficient amount of seed, and that a crop raised from thin seeding stands better than when seeded thicker.
 Leonard Gaige, Kirkwood, N. Y., gave his experience in sowing clover during freezing and thawing weather. It was somewhat in this wise: Several years ago, clover seed being very high, he sowed one field of seven or eight acres with timothy seed on crop of oats. The next spring clover seed was forty per cent cheaper. He purchased seed early, and about the last of March, or the first of April, wet the clover seed and rolled it in plaster and sowed about four quarts to the acre, when it was freezing nights and thawing days. It proved @ fine success the first year. He sowed plaster on the piece in June following the clover seeding. Again few years ago in seeding down field with timothy and clover, MT. Gaige fell short of seed and left the stakes stuck where he left
 off seeding, intending to get seed and
 finish it soon, but heavy rains falling be-
 fore the seed was procured, it was left
 until the next spring, when he wet the
 clover seed and rolled it in plaster as be-
 fore, and sowed the seed when it was
 freezing nights and thawing days, and
 got good catch again. The next year
 there were more weeds than where it was
 seeded before, but the second year it was
 as good and clean as the rest of the field.
 The object in sowing during freezing and
 thawing weather is to SOW while the
 ground is frozen, so that much of the
 seed is likely to get partially covered
 when it thaws. While not recommend
 ing this plan as always trustworthy, MT.
 Gaige believed that it was worth trying
 in cases where one does not wish to re-
 plow ground.
 Without disputing the points of the
 letter, MT. Bridgeman was forced to say
 that the success reported did not accord ) with his own experience. In conversa- } ton which followed. concerning the ad- visibility of dragging an old sod, Mr..
 Bridgeman, who had tried the plan, con- sidered that it broughtmore trouble than was compensated by increased growth on ! the meadow. He believed when sod l gives out the best way is to plow it, and l after @ suitable course, reseed. Presi- ) dent McCann, on the other hand, thought that an old sod is oftentimes improved l by dragging, but the work should be de. r layed until later in the season.
 . Allowing cattle to run on meadows 1T Q the spring was condemned as injurious 8 to the sod. President McCann said upo1 S this subject that it seemed to him bettel h to keep even steers shut in the yards un S til there is pasture for them in the fields ;. The saving of manure, to be used whel y needed, is an important item, leaving ou J. of view the injury to meadows and othe ,f fields by poaching, which is a very seriou l, matter in many cases.
 e An Elmira farmer who uses hand e seeder for sowing grass seed, withou e exactly advocating light seeding, be le lieved there is much waste in sowin y grass lands usually. He was caugh al once with five acres to seed in oats an 9. no seed in the market. He had thre l. pecks of clover and timothy mixed n which was left from sowing on wheat ii few weeks earlier. This he applied wit ,e care to reach over the field and the nez n season was disappointed to see heav i- growth of clover. Since then he has e1
 perimented by sowing at the rate of si1
 ten, fifteen and twenty quarts per ac1
 on narrow strips side by side, and n visible difference appeared when it gre, ] up. His practice generally is to SOW
 peck of clover and timothy mixed, equ, parts per acre.
 70 SUGAR BEETs.-The American Cult
 Vator records the names and addresses
 150 enterprising farmers who last seasor
 by careful and intelligent management
 succeeded in raising an average of nearl twenty tons of sugar beets to the acre ,ss o,, for which they averaged 8 cash return ( ;, about $100 each per acre. This recor Q represented the product of many farmer in different towns and in three States ' viz, Maine, Massachusetts and Ne e' Hampshire. which makes it appear ths S- successful beet culture is not so much n matter of soil or locality as of individus 7' effort and skill.
 THE ORoHARD.-A well-known fruit ,4 grower in making new orchard sys f tematizes matters by setting his appl .4 trees so that the summer apples will b ~t together, then the fall apples, then tn # easier to gather them and avoids the ne rs cessity of hauling all over the orchard.
 PoULTRY.-A woman in Wyoming Tel
 ritory who has raised large numbers C
 hens says that after vainly trying tn le recommended remedies for lice, she hi upon the plan of giving them once o lg twice @ week large loaf made of Ora h. ham flour in which handful of sulphu el had been mixed. The hens liked it, wer le freed from lice and kept healthy d le through the summer.