The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-06-03
FARm, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
pInn,,ne,n H,,is or Dr,lls.

Planting I'm Hills or Drills.
Whether 1t is best to plant corn, DO,
tatoes. beans, and similar crops in hills
or In drills Is an unsettled question
among our farmers. There are, how.
ever, circumstances or conditions under
which either one may have an un.
doubted advantage over the other. Fol
instance, In newly-cleared lands, where
there are many stumps, or on very stony
ground. planting in hills is preferable &c
drills, as it is difficult to secure centinu.
Gus rows, and the planter may skip a
stone or stump and still get nearly full
number OF plants to the acre. On heavy
tenacious clay or other kinds of soil that
have not been thoroughly prepared for
the reception of the seed, il is usually
best to plant in hills with rows in oppo-
site directions, in order to admit of run.
nlng the plow along the four sides OF
the hills, and thereby breaking up the
soil and pulverizing it in cultivating the
crop. In the Western States, especially
on the prairies, where very little hand
wedding or hoeing is bestowed upon
corn, potatoes, and similar crops, every
thing in the way of cultivation being
done with horseshoe, plow or cultiva-
tor, hill culture is really the only prac-
ttcable system; but when the land has
been brought under thorough cultiva-
tion, the drill system will usually prove
the most certain for securing large
yield.
BY planting in drills more even dis
tribution of the plants over the surface
can always be secured than by crowd
ing several into hill, as is usually
practiced with corn, potatoes and beans,
Ii the hills are four feet apart both
ways, there will be 2,722 on an acre.
With ordinary varieties of corn, three
stalks to the hill is abundant, and this
gives 8, 100 per acre. 1t is evident, how
ever, that with the three stalks starting
from space not exceeding six inches
In diameter-and in most cases the
grains will be dropped close together
the stalks must crowd one another from
the very start, the roots also interlacinR
and crowding rs well; consequently,
under such conditions it would scarcely
be expected that as full development
of the plants would fol 'ow as if each
stood separate and was not crowded by
IS neighbor. Now. if the same number
of plants stood in drills, and fifteen
inches apart, allowing four feet between
the rows, we would have 6,7I2, or only
SSS less plants per acre; or if OF a yari-
ETY. that will admit of closer planting,
the plants may be only one foot apart
In the drills, giving 10,S90 per acre.
This latter distance will answer well
for the low growing Northern varieties
OF corn, as well as for potatoes that are
cut up into single eyes when planted.
by this drill system it is apparent
that every plant has space twelve to
fifteen inches wide and four feet long in
which its roots can spread without
nIrNr t,a %
neighbor, and under such conditions a
better growth may reasonably be ex-
pected than if several plants were
crowded into the same space. Not
only do the roots have better oppor-
tunity of obtaining nutriment, moisture
included, but the leaves and stems can
spread out without any great obstruc
ton in all directions. 1t may be little
more difficult to tend crop and keep it
free from weeds when planted in drills /;
but there is certainly an advantage
which will show itself in the incree Sc
in yield that more than compensates for
the extra labor.
Corn stalks standing singly will usu-
ally produce more and larger ears than
can be obtained from them when
crowded; and we are often surprised to
see how few farmers adopt the drill sys.
tenn where there is nothing to prevent
it, and in regions where this crop is suf-
ficiently. valuable to pay well for any
extra pains in cultivating it. The drill
Is the true system to adopt, not only in
planting corn, potatoes and other crops
requiring cultivation while growing,
but also in wheat, oats and similar
kinds of grain. A few years ago all
kinds of grain were sown broadcast in
this country; but recently our farmers
have begun to use grain drills, and the
results are so satisfactory that it is
doubtful if those who have given them
a fair trial will ever desire to return to
the broadcast sys, EN-.
Drilling in grain is one step in ad-
vance of the broadcast method of dis
. tributing seed. The next step will
doubtless be the hoeing of the growing
grain, as is practioed rrin Europe, where
labor is cheap and land dear. We NAV
have 10 wait a few years before hoeing
wheat will become general practice
with our farmers, but it will come as
soon as the extra Yield obtained by the
system will pay for the extra labor re-
5 quired in cultivatiou.-NeW York Surs.
Rearing Calves.
In rearing calves, after fortnight old.
skimmilk may be gradually substituted
for new milk, by adding tablespoonful
OF f1axseed, well boiled, to their allow
ance mornings and nights. If faxseed
is not to be had, then substitute oil meal
Steep one quarter OF pound of this in
boiling water, and add to each gallon
of skimmilk fed to the calf AS the
animal increases in size, gradually in
crease tn quantity Of haxseed or oil
meal. Take special care that the milk
be sweet, and feed it blood warm.
After while oatmeal or fine middlings
may be added to the milk, and as the
cali gets to be two or three months old,
Indian meal and wheat bran, mixed
half and half, may be used instead of
oatmeal and middlings; but the flax
seed or oil meal should be kept up, and
the calf carefully watched to see that
this change does not scour it, and if so,
go back 10 the oatmeal and middlings
again. Let The calf run in a good grass
pasture if convenient, and after proper
time it will take gradually 10 grass as a
part of its rations.-Rurai Ne,O Yorker.
Black Ants a Cure for Currant Worms.
A correspondent of the Ohio Farmer
finds the common black ant an efficient
protc ction against the pla Iue of currant
worms. He has sew 3ral colon es of ants
close to his currant bushes, and enjoys
an abundance OF currants, while his
neighbors' bushes are overrun with
worms. Formerly he took pains to de-
stroy the ant colonies, but on witness
b. e At..s., k.x.l-r I.