Middletown transcript., 1881-04-29
Agricultural Hints.

Our Agricultural Editor is theoretical
farmer. He writes books on farming, and
works a small garden patch for recreation.
He is high authority on agricultural mat
ters, and his hints will doubtless be found
very valuable to all farmers who have
not paid due attention to farming as a
theory.-ED. TRANSCRIPT
The Lima bean, when grown for profit,
should be planted in only moderately
rich soil. Forcing this valuable cereal has
a marked tendency to make it run too
much to pole. The pole should be cut
back in all cases if it seems to make more
rapid growth than the vine.
Too much care cannot be taken with
dairy cows, particularly in wet weather.
Nothing will injure the quality of the
milk quicker than allowing the cows to
stand out in the rain.
The planting Of shade trees at convenient
distances on the farm cannot have too
much attention. Ten or twenty trees to
an acre will not be too many. In the heat
of summer they will be of great use for
the hands to rest themselves under, and,
by being close together, workmen will
not lose time running to inconvenient
distances for their friendly shade. When
the writer was a boy he frequently, of
warm day, lost an hour of valuable time
hunting a tree to rest under. How diff
ferent, had there been a tree, say every
twenty feet along the corn row.
The siLo is coming into much favor, but
it is more tender fruit than even the
turnip, and soon becomes unmarketabIe
unless hand picked.
The keeping of winter apples is one of
the most serious questions that presents
itself to the farmer. Various modes have
been suggested, nearly all Of which have
failed; particularly where there were many
children in the family. Generally, they
will be found to keep much longer if the
head is left securely nailed in the barrel.
The parsnip may be protected from late
frosts by covering the blossom with few
thicknesses Of newspaper, but care should
be taken not to shake the tree 50 much as
to displace the tender bloom.
The egg plant will be found one Of the
most profitable things the market gardner
can grow, if he will get it in early enough
and use proper care in its cultivation. 1t
is not necessary to cover each plant with
hen-a peach basket will serve a better
purpose, being more open for the admis-
sion Of air and light, and protecting the
plant more assiduously. An armful of
straw under each plant will be found of
advantage, as, if this is neglected, the eggs
may fall on a hard place and break.
From what we can learn, the mortgage
has not paid the farmer in this climate. 1t
is of hardy growth, and seems to thrive in
almost any sort of weather, but experience
has proved that it is exhaustive to the
soil and is not profitable as crop. They
often mature before the farmer is ready
for them.
The cucumber, as an early fruit, has
been too much neglected. The tree does
well in almost any soil and will generally
bear the first selson. The yellow variety
is not near 50 valuable as the green kind.
In planting beet seed great care should
be taken to get the right end of the seed
down, so that the small end of the beet
may not grow uppermost, and great diff
Guilty be experienced in pulling them
from the ground.