Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-05-20
Farmer and Gardener.

Well Advised by tho Germantown Telo-
graph.
Ii grass and weeds once get ahead in the
asparagus bed, it is very difficult thing
to get it clear OF them, and they Immediately
affect the growth Of the plant. The best
way to prevent grass and weeds from
getting the upper hand is to sprinkle the
bed with salt. ANY common article
answers the purpose. 1t must not bc
applied sIarinSly, as asparagus is really y
marine plant, and the salt acts as 4 feeder.
Caro- must, however, be observed not t"
apply it to any bed that is too young to
cut also, it must bc kept away from all
plants, box c,lgin. Or very young trees, us
il is certain death to them.
Protect tho Tomatoes.
This is i very tender plant and is gen
orally Set out by this time. Still there is
sometimes danger of frost for 4 week or
ten days to come and it takes OILY light
visitation to destroy or set them back.
We formerly used cOnical boxes open ut
the top, to put over them. They should
be about i foot square ut bottom and four
to five inches ut top, and Llade of half
incl, boards. A set will last ten to fifteen
years ard they will answer to place over
egg plants, cabbases &c. We never lost
plant by them. Old newspapers can be
used by placing clods or stones at each
corner, to prevent being blown of: as 4
substitute.
Early Turnips.
The earliest aud perhaps the best variety
of turnip for table use is the Early Flat
Dutch. 1t is universally popular, and it
takes only a small plot to furnish sup
ply for 4 medium sized family. Ono rca-
~,l,,r f..i1
the richness of the soil and their frequent
growing in the samc bed. In preparing 4
plot for tulnips dig down full spade deep,
for the purpose of getting some of the vir-
gin earth, and especially little
clay. As fertilizer there is none equal
to bone dust, and and nothing else. The
turnip should grow slowly. with rs little
top as possible. It will not bear pushing
or forcing.
This is the earliest garden product for
the table, coming even before asparagus
generally, and is best when the growth is
youngest. AS it is As easy to raise rs any
thing can bc, no garden, however limited,
should be without it. Fresh beds may
yet bc set out, and i'm doing SO Il portion
of the root must be used with small bit
of the crown This will afford crop the
ensuing year. In planting the seed it will
require a year longer. A well-prepared
bed will last for many years, by being COW
cred with manure late in the autumn and
forking it in in the spring. The stalks are
tcnderer ty removing the sccd-sprouts as
fast rs they make their appearance, and
the roots are stronger.
Nothing. Made in Vain.
In Franco os-cu;turc is no mean in
dustry. Some people make fortunes out
of it. The demand for the hindQuartcrs
of this animal is unlimited. OF course
they must not be allowed to get too old
before sending to market, otherwise they
are rs tough almost as India-rubber,
though very sweet and appctizins. The
business is also carried on in this country
to a greater extent than might he sup
posed. Ii is true that tho arrangements
for prosecuting it arc not SO systematic,
especially on our rivers and creeks. Any
day the nicely strung up quarters can bc
seen in our markets early in the morning,
~ they are quickly snapped up by those
who are familiar with the excellence of
the meat. Hence this industry is destined
to become larger every year. TO call
France 4 frog eating country is not offer
ing her a discourtesy, simply because she
has been in advance of other nations in
discovering and apprcciating Il delicious
mOrsel.
Tho Millet crop.
The craze over the "Hungarian Grass"
new name for the good old one of millet,
has, like SO many other things that are
flashed upon lis, had its day, and has now
measurably disappeared. leaving only here
and there evidences of its career. But the
German millet has higher claims to con-
sideration that nearly or quite any one of
the rest, for it really possesses substantial
value and fair claims upon the attention
of farmers. An acre or two would ALWAYS
come into use and pay well, especially as
it can be cut TO: green food the latter part
Of August and forepart of September
when pastures arc frequently short. It
should be sown any time from the 2:Itl, of
June to the 10th Of July, and il, will take
about five-cighth Of Il bushclof seed to the
acre. 1t also makes fair hay. cattle eating
it freely; and the seetl is ground for
horsc-iccd, and in parts of Germany and
Hungary bread is made of the flour.
Fowls in winter arc especially fond of the
seed and fattcn upon it. Four tons of hay