The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-07-13
AGRICULTURE.

OxSbs
), WAsnINas FROM RoAps.-The wash.
irgs from Tho public roads that aecu-
mulate In ditches and pools into which
they lead contain q very large amount
Of fortilizing material. They contain
among other valuable materials the
solid and liquid droppings Of animals.
the foliage and stalks Of plants, the
leaves Of trees, and earth of various
sorts that has been reduced to a great
dcgrco Of tineness by tho feet OF ami
mails and tho wheels OF carriages. Tho
value Of the tirst.named substances is
acknowledged by all farmers. Many
arc unacquainted with the use of finely
pulverizod earth, but those who have
eMploye8 it speak Of 1t In the highest
terms. The swoepings OF tho streots of
most European cities and towns are
disposed OF for moro than enough to
pay tor collecting them. They are diff
ncult to handle rs they are liaole to bo
blown about by tho wind. When ap.
pltod rs top-dresslng to grass land thev
produce remarkably good results. Tho
like is true Of their use Oh grain fields.
Tho loose material on roadbeds arc car
ried by rains into ditches where they
accumulate Or are conveyed, If the land
Is descending; into hollows. There
thoy accumulate, and after the water
has passed out OF them to drainage or
evaporation, thcy assume compact
form. The consistency Of tho material
allows 1t to be lifted by tho shovel into
carts very readily. 1t may bo spread
over tho grass land where 1t will disin-
tegrato by the action Of rain, or 1t may
be applied to soil that Is devoted to any
cultivated crops. The value of tlnely
u q RI.
mitted by all who have eXperimented
with 1t and Its employment will be gen-
eral III the agriculture of tho future.
SEEDING TO GRAss.-Notwlthstan
ing tho tact that grass seeds sell for
higher price than for several years, 1t
will be saving of cents and an expense
of dollars to stint the quantity Of seed
sown beyond certain limit. No ex-
act quantity can DO named as that ne
ccssary to be sown on an acre OF
ground, for different varieties Of soil
require different amount Of seed. 4
sandy soil should have more seed sown
In 1t than a heavy or fertile one, and
with tho harrows commonly used, wo
believe that most farmers do not seed
sufficiently heavy. With flLe, for
tile, moist and smooth bed. one peck Of
timothy, one-half bushcl of rcd-top,
and four pounds Of clover arc amply
sufficient to seed an acre. Tho guam
ttty If applied evenly to All acre would
give about nine seeds per square inch,
and those farmers who are sowing dou-
bic and triple that quantity IN soil
poorly pulveriZcd, AMI then uneven and
improperly covering It, should spend
few hours between now and seed time
in considering their old methods OF
seeding. Previously we have stated in
these columns, that the harrow Is one
Of the most imrortant implements used
In cultivating our crops, and that 1t Is
tho ono tho most sadly neglected. II
the soil Is made thoroughly tine, deeply
pulvcrized. and the surface made
smooth before tho grass seed Is sown,
we hclicvc farmers would save sutti-
clcnt seed In tew years to pay for
improved harrows now so badly needed
to cover grain seeds, and unless imple-
ments are used that were specially de-
signed for that purpose, there must be
u loss Of more than onc.half of the
quantity OF the seed Sown by imperfect
and too deep covering.
SowINa SEEDS OF BEANS AND MELoNs.
Many Of us when getting our educa-
tion in vegetable gardening ,ccollect
how anxious we were to mako al early
start In the spring, and how often we
had TO SOW our sccdA, not once but
twice and three times over, frem put.
ting them In too early, the cold or
dampneSs cutting them Oft for us.
Most all OF us now wait until all dam
ger Is assuredly passed before we SOW.
Hut this waiting often throws us be-
htnd our more vcntur"some neighbors
who have been willing-to run a little
risk. y correspondent who follows
the plan OF sowing the seed on sods in
warm spot thus gives his method:
II cut the turf In squares of ono foot,
about three inches deep, hauling these
on a wagon to the place chosen for the
crop. lay them bottom up in the cold
frame and with an old knife cut each
square Of turf into pieces four inches
square, giving nine pieces to each
square. Into each Of these smaller
pieces OF turf stick tho bean, SQUASH
or melon seeds, | nut two beans In a
piece, or three SQuashes or melon seeds.
| then sprinkle soil over the bed and
when the seeds are up high enough
take the pieces Of turf with the plants
and Set them where they are to grow.
MARNlNG CArrLE.-rhe ancient Ro-
mans marked their cattle and horses
W'fh metal stamp containing letters.
The stamp WAS dipped into fluid pitch,
and WAS used to print Oh the bodies of
animals; but in the case Of runaway
slaves. the stamp was made hot and
printed IN the captive'S cheek or tore
heed.
"Old snooEcr. What Now"'
y canVasSer called AT a house to get