The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1880-04-08
TOPICS FOR THE FARM.

The Hot Bed.-To sprout sweet pota- J
toes, temperature of 80 to 10O deg rees !
is necessary.
Tobacco Prospect.-It is given out in
the tobacco regions that the plant of this
year will nearly double that of last.
Chicken ChOleras-Cholera in fowls
may be prevented by incubation; so it
is thought may phylloxera in vines.
Just So.-Probably no vegetable with
which the farmer has to deal is Of
greater Importance the world over than
the potato.
Bug Remedy.-A correspondent of an
Eastern paper writes: Last season l
kept the striped bugs from my Gu
cumbers by saturating ashes with kero-
sene and applying a handful on hill.
New Seeding Apple.-California has
a new seeding apple resembling the
BelleilOwer In outside appearance, but
with flesh of beautiful rose-pink
striped with yellow. 1t is of fair size
and pleasantly tart.
Irrigated Land.-COlorado has 1OO,-
900 acres under irrigation, and $4,000
more of hay land, much of which is ir-
rigated. In 1879 the irrigated land pro-
duced So, ,150; 900 worth of cereals and
other products. q
Covering Seed.-Experience will sat-
is'y any one, that drill-seeding is far
better than broadcast sowing; there is
a saving of seed, every good seed grows
and none is wasted, and the plants hav-
ing q better root, are harder and more
vigorous.
Lawns.-One of the essentials of
beauty is we'll kept lawn. Nothing
can compensate for or take the place of
grounds will always have base un6n-
ished appearance. With it they will
always be attractive.
Poultry Vermin.-It is a very diff
cult matter to keep log hen-house free
from vermin, as the verinin get into the
cracks and notches that are in the logs.
under the loose bark and such places,
and it is almost impossible to fill such
places with whitewash. . -.
=
Tobacco Mould.-D. W. Whitman, of
Hart County, says he prevented his to-
bacco from moulding by spreading a
thick covering of dry straw over the barn
floor. The str NV il as good an absorbent
as the tobacco, and will take up so much
of tie moisture as to save the CROP
Farmers Home Journnl.
Home Without Chicken.o-Be-
sides the large numbers of poultry
RI sed for market, what would an Amer
lean home. be without its chickens ?
I Nothing on farm brings more pleasure
than the poultry when we'll cared for;
it gives work for the children, and they
enjoy gathering in the eggs and tending
to the little chickens?
The Virtue of Sunlight.-Grass will
not grow well without sunlight, hence
in our planting we must arrange for
plenty of it, but at the same time it
must not be forgotten that the contrast
of deep shadows will always be pleasant
Perhaps the most attractive feature of a
we'll kept, planted lawn is the ever
varying play of sunlight and shadow.
! importance of LOcati0n.-One of the
most important requirements for sue
cessful apiary is location. We may have
| the best hive in use, the best race of bees
known for gathering honey, the apiarist
may be well adapted to the business,
possessing all the knowledge necessary
for success, but with a poor location it
is still but poor business.
Vigorous Life.-A strong plant digests
its food be ter than a weak one, aud its
appetite, so to speak, is more vigorous,
young an NAL. II is with the plant as
with the animal; early feeding, and
vigor of growth, bring early and vigor-
Gus maturity. The farmer should study
to get early a strong and healthy
growth.
Think for Moment. are seven
millions of soldiers in Europe, who are
non-producers, and expensive con-
sumers; two or three millions of army
horses, all eating, and not working
emperors, kings, princes, and titled per-
sons of all kinds, who are supported in
the greatest luxury out of the public
revenues; and "the farmer pays for
ALL"
A Lamentablc Fact. first move
toward m king garden is to hire some
body to take away your ash pile. Then
borrow a hoe; and in this connection il
may be stated as an agricultural truth
that those people who generally make
garden the most are those who never own
their own tools. Just buy spading
fork and see how quick the neighbors
No Fear Of Surplus.-The worlds
markets are at our feet The fear thai
we may produce more than can be dis
posed of, is a bug-bear and a phantom
1t has been conclusively shown, that at q
certain price, we can control all the Eu
ropean markets, and that this price
while it pays US fairly, is too small for 8
profit to the European farmers, who have
to ply large rents, heavy taxes, employ
expensive labor, and use costly fertili
zers. t%t
II Our Need.-The present necessity il
larger crops at the same cost, or les.
i proportionate cost, than our presen,
small ones. This result can only be Sc
cured by additional fertilizing. The
present average of our crops is not more
than one-fourth of that which the soil il
capable of producing, and this extra
three-fourths may be produced without
any more labor by the use of fertilizer:
or additional manures; but fertiiizers
chiefly.
Saltas a Fertilizers. Salt that has beer
some saitpetre mixed WITH it. Saltpetre e
is not injurious, but on the contrary is
an extremely valuable fertilizer, con
tanning nitrogen and potash, two of the
principal constituents Of plants. We
have heard somewhere that salt that had
been used for packing is injurious tf