The semi-weekly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1879-1882, 1881-08-11

grapes on the younger, or recently
planted vines, are generally less affec
ted than are these on the older vines
It has been sscer.ained that By means
ofenclosipg the clusters in paper bags,
rotting may generally be prevented,
but this is generally thought to be tco
costly and lsborious to be practicable
With any but fancy varieties. About
this season Of tie year, most grape
growers discontinue cultivating their
vineyards, and allow the natural gras-
ses to cover the ground This grass
covering serves threefold purpose,
as it benefits The ground as a mulch,
prevents the sand from drifting in the
winter, as It would otherwise do on the
light soils in which grapes are usually
raised, aud it is fertilizer Of ne in-
considerable value when plowed under
in the spring 1t is claimed by some,
too, that it is somewhat of protec-
tion from the ret, as it shields the
ground from the rays of the sun,
which some think are cne cause Of the
rot, by means Of scalding the roots Of
the vines
Millett, Hungarian gra sand other
ANIMALS will yield about half a crop
Of hay But for the recent timely
rains they would not have been worth
cutting in many places Corn is in
tassel and caring Whei planted
early enough TO get well started before
the recent drought it promises well,
except on new land, where, in most
places, it makes very poor show =
Fodder corn, sown late by many farm
ers 10 supply the lack of hay, which
it was seen there would be, is now
looking finely
In places where the drought was
most severe the blackberry crop was
exhausted some days since. il other
places the picking was somewhat pro-
logged, but very few will be gathered
this week, Cultivation Of blackberry
plantations generally ceases short
time before the picking begins, aud
the grass is permitted to grow in them
as among grapes The new black
berry canes which have come up this
year, have generally been cut back,
in order that they may grow short
and "stocky" and throw out lateral
branches 10 the winter the old
wood, or that from which the
crop has just been taken, will be cut
out, and the surplus new wood trim
med off
Early apples are ripening; many Of
the first were wormy and defective,
but these have mostly fallen and bet
ter ones are being gathered. Sweet
potato vines cover some fields, and
some farmers have already stopped
culiivating them; most, however, will
continue cultivation for some time
yet. Some ear cabbage is being
sent to market, and since the rains
the late cabbage is looking we'll.
Tbistles, the bane of SO many farm
ers, are almost unknown in this county,
but some other weeds, almost as diff
culS to eradicate, are becoming nat
uralized here. Among them are the
wild carrot and the common ox-eye
daisy 1t is thought that the seed of
both these weeds was brought here
10 clover seed nCrab" grass and
sorrel are natural to the soil, though
the seed Of the latter is often brought
10 clover seed, and the use Of some
kinds Of mari is said to induce its
growth where before almost unknown.
"Colts-tail weeds seem to be indigi-
geous here and make hard, woody
growth very exhausting to the soil =
They nearly always make their appear.
anss on strawberry fields, which are
left uncultivated after the crop is
taken of, and many farmers argue
that they exhaust the soil more than
it does to pillow up the ground and
grow cabbages or some late crop