Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1881-04-16
FARM AND GARDEN.
Some Practical Hints About Spring
Work.


contains an acid which is injurious to
the wood. Pine-tar is better, and clude
petroleum is the best. The shingles
may be put into barrel half filled with
the petroleum and stirred round, and
then taken out and put somewhere to
drain, to save the oil or, they may be
dipped one by one and thrown into an
empty barrel to soak and drain.
PREPARING Muck FoR MANURE.
whole business is so simple that it can
be easily explained. The muck should
be dug, thrown into heaps, drained, and
then used in the stables, pens, and yards
as an absorbent, or composted with ma
nure, or with lime and wood ashes.
Whatever means can be used to decom-
pose it will serve to make it available,
but its best use is as an absorbent for
the liquids which usually go to waste.
A DURABLE WHITEwAsH. A very
durable whitewash is made as follows ::
Take one-half bushel of good unslacked
lime, slack it with boiling water Cover
it during the process to keep in the
steam( strain the liquid through a
sieve, and add one peck of salt, dis
solved in warm water, three pounds of
ground rice boiled to thin paste stir
in boiling hot one-half pound of pow
dered Spanish whiting, one pound of
white glue and five gallons of hot
water; let the mixture stand few
days covered from the dirt, and apply
with brush. To give it a slight yell
lowish tinge add yellow and brown
ochre in equal parts, or in such proper
tons as will make the desired shade.
WHAT WILL KILL SoRRE1 ?-Sorrel
has running roots, and can only be
killed by blowing it under deeply and
growing some other crop that will
smother it. Ii the ground is too wet to
grow grass and clover it should be
drained. AS the ground is probably
well seeded with the sorrel, it will be
necessary to persevere for some time
before it can be wholly cleared of it,
When the ground is well drained a good
application of lime would be useful.
REMEDY FOR LICE ON CATTLE. The
mixture of oil and kerosene will GER
tainly kill the lice if it is properly APP
piled. 1t should be rubbed well into
the skin and hair. and wherever lice are
found. The lice wander all over the
bodies of the cattle and are in the wood
work and on the ground, and il is,
therefore, necessary to repeat the APP
piication for two or three weeks, until
the whole stock Is killed off. Give the
steers one tablespoonful of sulphur
each daily tor a week until it can be
smelled through the skin. This will
help to drive off the lice.
LIME. Conrad Wilson, New York.
approves of the use of lime on heavy,
clay land for corn. He says if one adds
also either SCOT and salt or plaster and
hen manure, not forgetting to supple
ment with yard manure, and give thor
ough tillage and clean cultivation. they
can hardly fail to get a good yield
SWEET Com FODDER. method
of growing sweet corn fodder is as
follows: The ground is prepared in the
usual manner, the corn is either planted
by common wheat drill through the
middle and end spouts, all the rest
being stopped, or by corn planter, or
by opening furrow with light pillow
and dropping the seed either three
inches apart singly, or four seeds one
foot apart IN the row. The rows should
be about thirty to thirty-six inches
apart. Evergreen sweet corn makes the
best fodder. When the corn is formed
on the cob, and before the blades turn.
the crop is cut in the usual way. and
when cured is put up in the field in
large shocks, bound very firmly at the
top and halfway down with straw
bands. The fodder keeps better in this
way than in stacks or in the tarn, where
it would mold. There will be many
ears on the stalks, but all is cut up
together.
CULTURE OF Onions. kinds of
onions usually grown are the Red
Wethersfeld and the Yellow Danvers.
About twelve pounds of seed are used
to the acre. Any scotsman can sup
ply the seed. The seed Is sown early
III the spring as soon as the soil can be
prepared. The rows are made nine
inches apart. The soil is prepared by
thorough blowing and narrowing, and
should be richly manured with old
manure. The labor consists chiefly in
wedding, and this is indispensable. The
cost of labor depends upon the clean
ness or weakness of the ground; if
there are many weeds much hand
wedding will be required, but labor is
economical by keeping the weeds from
growing by frequent stirring of the
ground. This work is usually done by
children, who get through the narrow
rows easily. An average yield is from
400 to GOO bushels per acre. The
amount of profit depends altogether
upon the skill and experience of the
grower.
PREPARING PLANT BEDS. Hot beds
are usually employed for starting early
vegetable plants, but beds in the open
air answer well for late kinds, as well as
for tobacco. In preparing such beds
plenty of fine, rich old manure should
be used, thoroughly mixed with the
surface soil. When the bed is complet-
ed cover the entire surface with dry
straw, hay, brush, or some similar ma
terial, and set it on fire. The burning
OF these materials on the bed will
warm the ground, destroy insects and
weed seeds, besides adding fine coat
ing of ashes and coal to the surface.
both of which will increase the fertility
of the bed, aud act rs preventive
against the attacks of many plant-eat.
ing insects. Where the common flea
beetles are troublesome to tobacco.
cabbage, and similar plants, this firing
of the bed previous to sowing the seed
will Ornvn varv bnuaf;ciat if nof N M.