The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1880-04-04
AGRICULTURAL.
The Farm, the Garden and the
stock Yard in Spring.
Potatoes and Their Proper Cultiva-
tion-Cattle, Their Food, Diseases
and Cures - A Few Timely
Hints TO Farmers.
IRISH POTATOES

tatoes, but the danger OF too much wet ts 80
great that q warmer Hol Ia preferable. Wet
land produces coarse, unpalatable article,
and one OF little value even as food for cattle.
Early potatoes reach maturity sooner In a
quick, light soil. and present brighter and
cleaner appearance than when grown In a soil
thatis heavier. Old sod land we'll turned under
In the fell, and lightly plowed and narrowed
In the spring, will produce sound crop, and
often an astonishing large one. Glover sod for
tbiH purpose is excellent. When turned under
IN August or September II will rot by the fol-
lowing spring and very little additional
manure will be required to produce profit
able crop. A crop of our Southern field peas
turned under In the fall would answer the
same purpose even better than clover,l Well
rotted bafnyard man,ites are specially men
toned az good for Irish potatoes, and mari
and like fertillsers are pointed out az very
valuable, az they are of dry and absorbent
nature, and tend TO counteract the Influence of
too much wet-they prevent disease "a well
as promote the growth OF the tubets. On
warm, dry. light land muck compost may be
avantageously used deoayed leaves are ex-
cellent,. In fields treated With ashee potatoes
are seldom, II ever, affected with rot. some
more space than others. In drills
two and half feet by three Is ample: plant
ed In hills, three by three and hall feet is the
usual distance. Some Of the earlier varieties
crop. Cover about four inches In light soil,
but not quite 30 deep in the heavier. Many
farmers continue to plant three to five eyes
60 the hill. Thie is mistake. Potatoes cut
proportion of flesh TO each, and putting two
good eyes to tho hill, with the hills trifle
cloHer together, will produce a far larger crop
OF merchantable tubers than two whole pota-
toes will do; will yield from one.third to one
half more In weight, 30 say nothing of the
saving of nearly one-half the seed. 10 cut
potatoes to a eingle eye hold the
potato In the left hand with the
stem end to you.. The eyes, you will
observe, are arranged In regular rotation from
The bottom TO the top, passing spirally around
Che potato, somewhat like the threads Of a
screw, constantly getting closer aud closer as
they. approach what IN M apple would b. called
tbe blossom end Take sharp thin -blated
knife: place 1t midway between the eye near
est YOU and the one above lt; chip Off the eye
nearest you by passing the knife directly
down 70 the point where the potato was at
taohed to the stem. Now turn the potato un-
Gil the next eye Ia thespiral line appears, and
chip. IL off In the same way, and 80 continue
until the potato la all cut up. To a locker
on you would seem to BIO merely sharpening
your potatoes, On the last piece there
will necessarily be more eyes than one. This
method of cutting leaves 10 each eye ita due
proportion of ilesh. Cultivation shoud be
commenced soon after the shoots appear
above the ground, aud weeds should be kept
The earth should be drawn little towards
Che hill at each hoelng. that the rootlets may
gain strength and nutriment from the SUR
rounding earth. When the blossoms appear
cultivation should cease In fact, Il is rarely
necessary after THE. as the vines then cover
the ground and prevent the growth of weeds
Should weeds appear, appear, however Il Ia a
good plan to go through the patch and pull
Them out with the hands.
DOTTED WOOL AND rrs CAUSES.
II sheep are poorly fed, too much exposed,
allowed TO lie on damp beds, or otherwise
maltreated, go that the general health sut-
fers, the skin participates In the imperfect
nouriBhmenb OF the bodily organs, and the
wool being less abundanty supplied with the
LIQUIDS produced by the cutaneoue pupil@
oily secretion (yoltl from the sebaeeous
glands, witherH, hardens, loses its normal
elasticity, and is liable 10 become matted into
denee and inextricable masses while etill on
akin eruption which impairs Che natural
enouriehment of the wool, the condi-
tlon is likely to be aggravated. and the
mating even more dense and solid, be.
cause the wool Is imprisoned by the harden
ing OF the diseased exudations around
the filaments. By care TO keep the health
good, and to keep the sheep thriving. the
wool will retain such an unetupua covering
and such life and elasticity that cotting will
be virtually impossible. The avoidance of
ootting, therefore, implies the avoidance OF
all causes of ill-health, or poverty. whether
found in pool shelter, confinement, bad air, |
pure and inuutritious food. lack of water,
worms In lungs, bowels or elsewhere. scro-
fula and other constitutional ailments, or
scab or any 9th ar diseases of the skin. When
the wool is already cotted it will usually be
found impossible TO restore IL: and the OBJ
lect should be go to improve the condition OF
the system and skin rs TO insure that the fu-
ture growth of this and succeeding seasons
shall be natural and strong. This course
has the double advantage that IL not only se-
cures better wool but a heavier clip, and
The fleece.
sEuECrIoN FOR A FRUIT GARDEN.
The occupant of a new place wishes selec-
ton, or moderate list of varieties of the large
and small fruits, for spring planting. In CIV
Ing q list for this purpose every cultivator
would vary more or less In naming different
sorts, according TO personal preference found |
ed In diverse tastes, varying success with soil
and with cultivation and keeping; but there |
are q few sorts which are widely approved, to
which additions may be made TO suit different
regions of the couatry. 1t may assist those
their selections. The early sorts are named |
first. so that with apples the first will be sum-
mer varieties, then autumnal, followed by |
winter sorts and ending with long keepers. |
Apples-Eariy harvest, red Astrachan sweet
bough, autumn, strawberry, Porter. Grave |
stein, maidens blush, twenty ounce, fall or |
ange, Westfield, seek-no-further, Baldwin. |
Rhode Island greening. Northern espy, Rox-
bury russell. Some will add early strawberry, |
fame,lse, and golden russell of Western New
York. Pears-Summer Doyenne, Ciffard, Ros-
tiezer, Tyson, Washington, Bartlett, Bous !
sock, Seckel, Howell, Sheldon, Duchesse An
jou, winter nellie, Lawrence, Josephine de
Mallness. Plums-Rivers' early favortte,
Lawrence gage, Princes gage, Mclaughlin,
RENE Claude ue Bavay, Goes golden drop.
Strawberries-Wilson, Cumberland, Triumph,
Charles Downing, Triumph de Gand, Sharp
less, Kentucky.
HOW TO RAISE CALF.
Let it suck for one or two days, so as to get
enough of it's mothers milk to physic 1t.
Then take 1t away from the COW and shut it
I'D In a small pen; OF. If the weather Is cold,
q warm box stall. Fasten up at a proper
height v trough large enough to hold two
gallons. 1t is no use TO offer a calf milk un-
III It has tasted twenty-four hours. When
your calf gets hungry You will generally
have little trouble IN teaching 1t to drink In
t.Ar,I day srpix