Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1882-02-09
HOUSE AND FARM.
Items for Farmer.


Strawberry plants should be set out early
in the spring and kept we'll cultivated and
the runners cut of, SO as to cause the
plants to make good stools. A full crop
cannot be had until the next year. But if
the ground is planted to early potatoes in
the spring strawberry plants may be set
out as soon as the potatoes are gathered, and
will yield full crop as soon as the spring
planted ones.
For shade trees about house there is no
tree that surpasses the sugar maple. The
red maple grows faster and is handsome
tree, but the limbs are weak and are easily
broken by storms. These trees can be set
out in the spring before the buds swell.
Norway spruce is very desirable ever
green, and so is arbor vitae, but they will
grow much better and faster if protected by
board fence on the north side or by q
row of Austrian pines. which grow thickly
and fast and are exceedingly hardy. A
handsome grove may be made of spruces
and arbor vites mixed with some Austrian
pine outside.
If your ground is poor, lay good mulch
ing of rotted manure around your ever
green's, as pines and spruces, and let it lie
there till spring, when you may fork it over
into the soil very lightly, or, if not insight
~, let it remain on the surface during sum-
mer At any rate, do not dig it in. The
best feeding roots are near the surface of
the ground, and if you dig them up you de-
stroy them and materially hurt your trees.
Pines and the like. like something good to
eat, and in vigorous condition will repay
such care.
Raspberry plants may be set out at any
time when the ground is free from frost.
Spring is good time for this work, and as
early as possible is the best time. The
same rule applies to blackberries.
Coarse litter from horse stables is excel
lent mulch for strawberries. The purpose
Of mulching is not to keep the plants from
being frozen, but to keep them frozen and
avoid the danger of alternate thawlng and
freezing; at the same time, the air must be
admitted to the plants. Coarse mulch is,
therefore, better than finer stuff, which
packs upon the plants and is apt to smother
them. Horse manure is good for straw
berries on clay land, but for sandy land it
is too hot and dry, and COW manure is bet
ter.
Willow cuttings sho lid be set out in the
Spring, early. They may be made now by
cutting the branch twigs into lengths of
foot, tying them in bundles and burying
them in the earth. In the Spring set them
out in the following manner: Push spade
into the soil, press it forward so as to open
space, press in the cutting in slanting
dire ction, take out the spade and tread the
opening close.
weakness of the sinews and muscles
which control the movements Of the stiff
joint OF horse sometimes permits the pa
tella or knee cap, the small loose bone at
the point of the stifs, to slip Fl ON its place.
When this happens the horse cannot lift
the foot forward. This inability to put the
foot forward is symptom of this trouble,
which is remedied by lifting the foot and
forcing it forward while an assistant presses
the bone into its place, whereupon it goes
into its proper position with snap. To
prevent its displacement the joint should
be 5athed with strong decoction Of white
oak bark or willow bark made with hot water
but used cold. This weakness is some-
times constitutional in young horses, and
is sometimes the result of a sprain.