The National tribune., 1881-08-20
FARM AND GARDEN.

American Agriculturist.
THE EXCELLENT condition of the SOIL and
other work not being pressing, the fall is the
most advantageous time for setting the plants for
a fruit garden. We have often urged that every
farmer should have q fruit garden-one large
enough to furnish all the fruit necessary for q
continuous supply for the table, from the coming
of the earliest strawberries until the latest grapes
are gone. Now is the time for all who lack this
supply to stop and count their loss and take steps
to make that loss good in coming years by plant
ing fruit garden this autumn Those who al
ready have such garden will need to give if
some attention this month. Pinch the ends of
the growing shoots of the blackberry and rasp-
l. Try shoots, that have been left for the bearing
Of fruit the coming year. Six feet is high enough
for blackberries, and four feet for raspberries.
The lateral shoots that put out will need to be
pinched later; this will afford good stocby canes,
that will bear abundantly next year. The old
canes that have borne this year should have been
cleared out as soon as done bearing, and all new
shoots not desired for fruiting should be treated
weeds, and destroyed. Strawberry plants that
have been rooted in pots, if planted in the fall
will bear a fair crop next year. Runners that
have rooted in the usual way, will need years
growth before fruit in quantities may be expect
ed. Plants set this fall will have some advantage
over those set next spring, in more vigorous
growth, and it is a less busy time, it is best to
set them in the fall Growers of plants usually
advise spring planting largely, because the plants
that are sent out in the fall would if kept in the
prOpagating bed, put out runners and produce
other good plants to be used for the spring sales
Grape vines, both old and young, need pinch
ing of the shoots. If mildew occurs as it fire.
quently does after wet spell, followed by bright
hot sun, dust flowers of sulphur upon the leaves
The dealers furnish bellows for the proper appli-
cation of the sulphur.
WHERE OTHER work will permit, it is best to
plow the land for fall sowing soon after the hay
ing and harvesting is over. This avoids the
drouth-dried soil that is frequently found later
In the season, besides turning under the weeds
before they have time to ripen their seeds Thor
ough use of the cultivator will prepare the early
plOwed land for seed when sowing time comes
ONE can form but imperfect estimate of the
value of a field of roots by knowing the weight
of the largest one grown. Very large roots do
not mean very large returns; medium-sized roots
and more of them is more paying crop Other
things remaining the same, the size of the root
depends upon the thinning At this season of the
year, when the roots are growing vigorously, they
should be thinned so that they shall have a space
between them in the rows equal to their own
diameter, and no more. 1t is better for the roots
to be ten than fourteen inches apart in the rows.
If the thinning be carried beyond this, they grow
large and coarse, and will be much less valuable
as food than the smaller ones.
QUACK GRASS is one of the most difficult pests
to eradicate; ordinary cultivation, that which
answers for most weeds, only causes it to grow
with unusual yigor. This comes from the nature
of the plant, it having long underground stems,
with roots and shoots springing from every
joint, or capable of so doing should the stock be
cut in pieces by the passing cultivator The
leading methods of eradication are: TO use a flat
toothed cutivator, one that will share the ground
instead OF running deep, and pass it an inch or
so below the surface; this cuts off all shoots as
they start up, but does not divide the horizontal
running root-stocks. The plant dies of exhaus-
ton in endeayoring to throw up stems TO bear
leaves and seeds. The second method is to use a
grubber, and tear the plants bodily from the soil,
when they are gathered by the of long
tOOthed rake and burned.
THE rough and irregular excresences upon the
plum and cherry trees are fungus grOwths and
should be removed by knife burning the re-
moved parts that the trouble may not spread by
means of the millions of spores which the knots
contain.
THOSE who desire good growth of green fod-
der for early spring soilng should not fail to sow
field of rye during the last of August or early
IN September The soil, if not nat lrally rich,
must be made so by applicati of barn
yard manure, or an equivalent III some good fer
ilizer afterwards plOwed and made line with the
narrow. Such crop after being crf next spring,
will grow up again and give thre or more cut
ngs through the season. Last spring we saw
ield that was pastured off, and It furnished an
abundance of fine food to cattle and sheep; it
vas afterwards plowed and planted to corn. The
We was sOwn on grass land, and was stolen
,rop" as nothing would have naturally come
between the grass and the corn. The crop did so
veil that the farmer has concluded to have such
crop each year. PlOw your corn ground early
he previous autumn, and SOW it to rye; feed this
IF and plOw again-manuring, of course, and
liant the ground to corn.
To MAKE NEW ROPE SOFT AND PLIABLE.-