The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1881-08-11
AUGUST HINTS.

The hurry time when hOeing and having come
together, j. now well passed by the fUTehanded
farmer, and we begin to look with certainty
npon the results of the seasons work. Spite of
the insect pest, drOuth and driving storm, the
crops generally promise bountiful harvest. But
in surveying work done aud the promise of the
season, let not forget the work of the present.
Keep up with the weeds, rather keep them
down, and look sharp after the second crop OF
hay.
The Grain is not all harvested, but it should be
rushed through with will to secure it in
the best manner possible. If the oats are lOdg-
ed badly, cut at once for hay; the best farmers
practice this as the most economical, for the
grain will not fill out and ripen so well when
thrown down upon the ground, and the straw
will he of small value after laying week thus,
rOtting and liable TO rust.
Flat TigHips may he sOwn prOfitably this
month, with but trtling extra expense. Where
crops have failed to catch, the ground should be
utilized by sowing broadcast the flat turnip, aud
faking or brushing in. Where early potatoes,
peas, or other early crops have been grown, the
ground should he cleared at once and planted to
tunips They may also be eleaply raised by
sowing among corn. You can forget they are
there so far as to walk over them with care, and
surprise yourself in the fall with few hundred
bushels Of excellent fodder. We would urge up
on the farmers 10 pay more attention TO a crop
that can he raised so cheaply.
Select uGTi6ties Of fruit when in bearing TO prop
agate llOuls u nave IDuIu anu du tA-
ira fine stand of currants from which TO make
cuttings next spring. 4 black cap raspberry OF
of extra hearing qualities and flavor of fruit has
also received like attention, but this We shall in
crease by layering and division of the roots.
Many valuable acquisitions to the list Of desira-
BILE fruits have been secured by similar careful
selection and propagation.
Pruning of this class cf fruits should be done
as soon they have passed bearing, by remov-
ing all dead canes and cutting back the live
ones to three or four feet in length.
Draining of wet lands can be better done in
August than any other month in the year, hav.
ing leisure to do it, and the ground being in til,
best condition tOwOrk. A good rule to deter
mine whether land needs draining is to see il
sedgcs. or any so-called vater-grasses grow upon
IL. If they do one may be pretty sure that
drain beneath the sHFfsce would increase the pro
Effectiveness of the land. No arguments ut thi,
day are necessary TO show the Importance 81
draining. The system of drainage mnsf be becided
by necessities of the case, the purse of the oNne
and his tastes. Open drains Oftcntmes are pre-
ferable in muck lands, since they not only an
swer the purpose. but also furnish valuable
supply of organic matter for the light and gray
ely uplands.
RacldiRiRg ssrdap lands and rcf pastures is in or
der this month, by draining, stump-pulling and
burning, and brush clearing. Wet and ston!
pastures are easier improved by making stone
drains, TINS making the two evils destroy eacl
other, BOggy lands are best dried up by laying
the drains on boards, To keep them even. Thes'
lands can be plOwed better in August than an!
other month.
PIoWghiRg, indeed, Of any land, is quite as wei
now any time of the year, especially for thu
winter grains. Sod plOughed under now will b'
well dccomposed for next springs crop.
Top dressing grass fields is pre-eminently Angus
work, or better il performed earlier. immediate
ly after the first crop was cut. Only thoroughly
POmposted and pulverized yard manures shOnld
be nsed for this purpose, else much Of their good
ness will be lost on the air, which does not re-
ventsmuch drying up of the grass, which is prom
inent cause of mowings running out of small
crops. Chemical manure for second crops, were
proftably applied by many farmers of our ac-
quaintance directly ON removing the first, which
itself had been produced under the same ipfu
ence. The results are promising.-ScisRtife Far
mer.