Connecticut western news., 1881-06-01
FARM AND GARDEN.

years ago, says the American Agricul- t,trist, there was much said about grow ing potatoes under straw, and we pub lished at the time several reports from those who had tried the method with success. Interest in the subject ap- pears to be renewed, to judge from inquiries. The method is very simple; the land is prepared in the usual man ner and the rows marked of the sets are dropped along the rows and very slightly, or not at all, covered with soil. The whole field, or bed, is then cover ed with or 10 inches thickness of old straw. Nothing more is required until digging time unless some strong weeds should make their way through the straw, and these may be pulled. It is claimed that the yield is larger and the potatoes are much handsomer than than those treated in the usual man. ner.
 HENS AND CHICKENS IN THE FRUIT YARD.-Poultry get a good part of their living from insects, provided they have the opportunity. The fruit yard, to our sorrow, is often too much frequent ed by noxious insects. By bringing together of the fowls and vermin, double good is accomplished, the for mer are fed and the latter are destroyed. Chickens are very fond of fruit, and will devour it soon after 1t drops from the trees, and in this way both the worthless fruit and the insects usually contained in it will be consumed. One of the most successful fruit growers we are acquainted with keeps poultry under his trees at nearly all times, and feels that they do much to make his fruit what it is-fair to the eye, pleas ing to the taste, and filing to the pocket book.
 WHEN TO Cur HAY.-It will soon be time te cut the early crop of hay. There are number of things to de. termine the proper time to do this work ; first as to the feeding value o1 the hay. For this, as far as quality is concerned, there is no doubt that the grass and clover should be cut trife before the period of full blossom From this time on to near the end ot blossoming, though there may be al increase in the weight of the hay gath cred, it is of much poorer quality the nutrit1ve elements have not increased materially, but there is a much larger per sscent of indigestible woody fibre Secondly, the value of the aftermath is increased by the early cutting, as il has ten or twenty days longer to grow. Thirdly, there is practical advantage in cutting the hay early, as it prolongs the having season and permits of less hurry and therefore more care in gath ering the crop. These points apply equally well to the grain crops, they being too frequently harvested later than is best for the richest fodder and the finest quality of grain.
 A BARREL SoAREcRow.-Mr. Lamar Wood, Bay county, Mich., keeps the crows from pulling his corn by means of "barrel scarecrow, The barrel is suspended by cord from cross-bar, which rests upon the ends of two stakes driven in the ground. The length of the parts in MT. WIS scarecrow are as follows: Upright stakes, six feet high cross-bar, six feet long the barrel being hung so that it will be two feet from the ground. The heads of the barrel are both removed, and by being hung by the cord exactly in the middle of one side, or so, it balances, it turns easily with 8 slight wind; in fact, barrel thus suspended, is seldom still. This constant motion of so large an object as barrel has an alarming effect on the corn-loving crows. One barrel will an- swer for four or five acres. Pieces of tin and other objects, as bright-colored cloth, may be attached to the suspended barrel, but they are not essential to the barrel scarecrow.
 THE ARMY WORM. worm which has made it's appearance this season is the army worm, which appears in the spring and early summer in some locali ties and destroys everything before it, but chiefly grass and grain. It comes in myrisds, from whence and how no one can tell. When ravaging meadows the only method of destruction is to roll the grass, by which they are crushed the roller should be drawn across the mass of the worms as it creeps over the field, and by passing and repassing in 6 narrow strip the movement of the worms may be checked. Last year these worms ravaged Long Island.