Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-08-19
Some August Suggestions to Farmers.

on the farm is considered TO be over
when haying and harvesting are fin
lshed. With the exception of few
old iogies who believe in letting grass
and grain get dead ripe before har-
vesting, farmers now have a little
time TO attend TO the odds and ends
which always accumulate in the pres
sure of hay and grain harvests. One
of the first things TO be attended to is
the eradication Of the weeds which
are now fast ripening their seeds, and
which, If neglected, will make awful
work next summer. We see in many
gardens and fields stalwart weeds.
which are contending with the corn
and potatoes for supremacy. Many
farmers neglect these pests after hoe
ing, thinking that their crops have
such start that weeds can do little
damage; but the best hoers are apt
to leave few weeds, and these are
now almost as tall as the corn, and
taller than the potatoes, and should
be carefully pulled out, put in piles,
and carted to the hog.pen They
make good hog food and good ma
nure; but If left in the field will
propagate themselves, some a hun
dred, and Others thousand fold. In
the rich soil of the garden these
thieves love TO lurk and plunder.
There is another place from which
farmers should exterminate weeds.
and this is the roadside. We care
not how nicely a farmer cultivates
his fields, we call him a sloven if he
neglects the roadside and allows it 70
become perfect swamp of thistles,
mulleins, golden rod or any other
weed. How is he TO prevent his farm
from being stocked with all manner
Of vile stuff if he permits the roadside
to be nursery for its propagation !?
Does he not know that seeds make to
themselves wings and fly away?
Another of the August farm duties
is to fill the barn-yard and pig-pens
with muck or some other absorbent.
TO save and increase the supply OF
manure. If the droppings in the
barnyard are LEFT uncovered they
waste their fertility upon the air.
Cover them with muck or leaf mold
occasionally, as a leisure day gives
opportunity.
The latter part OF August is the
time for cutting willows, alders. and
all kinds of bushes, with the hope
that one cutting will be the only
surgical operation they will require.
An old physician, and at the same
time a large and observing farmer,
said TO us long years ago as he saw
us cutting hard hacks in June: "My
boy, If you wish TO exterminate your
bushes cut them in the old of the
moon in August" We thought at
the time that the idea was an old
mans whim, as we were not so luna
tic as TO believe that the moon had
much influence on vegetation, nor do
We believe it now; still, we had too
much respect for our old friend not
to try his suggestion, and after cut
ting bushes for many years in the
latter part of August we are satisfied
that it is good time to attend to
this job. The philosophy of its de
stroying the bushes lies not in the
moon, but probably in the fact that
at this time of the year the vitality of
the bushes is mostly in the trunks
and branches, and if these are cut
of before they have vitalized the
roots by the return of the true sap,
the plant generally, not always sue
cumbs. In any event, bushes on a
farm are almost as bad as weeds. and
should be extermiDated. If cutting
will not do it, then they should be
grubbed out at the roots.
Grazing cows need n little extra
attention in this month, if the flow of
milk is expected to be kept up TO the
standard. The pastures are very apt
to become lean in these hot, dry
days, and lean pastures will surely
cause lean cows and leaner milk pals.
The provident farmer has a remedy
for the deficient pastures in his patch
OF sowed corn and rowen crops of
clover and orchard grass. There is
no way in which sowed corn can be
used so economically as TO feed 1t
directly from the field.