Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-08-12
FARM AND GARDEN.


member of the State Board, gives In his
latest essay on fruit culture some useful
hints and instructions in reference to
propagating, planting, pruning, train
ing, varieties, diseases, insect enemies,
hybridizine, gathering and keeping the
grape. We make room for what he
says about the vine in by-places:
Almost any man can find spots on his
farm that are practically hundred
miles north or south of bis dwelling
house. For the grape, choose the spot
furthest south; warm sandy loan,
with a gentle slope and southern ex-
posure. If protected by hills or belts
of timber, all the better: if not, artifi.
cial protection may be furnished by
planting evergreens at intervals to break
the force of winds and storms. Vines
may be planted in various localities on
the farm, where they will occupy little
or no valuable space; and, often, such
spots will be peculiarly adapted to THEN
wants. l have known of instances where
the soil on the south side of lodges, in
the open field, has been prepared, and
along the sides of stone walls forming
division fences, and grapes grown in
great abundance. The sides of unsightly
farm buildings may often be utilized fo1
this purpose. True, the clusters and
berries thus grown will not compare
favorably in size with those produced
on a carefully trained vine, and their
market value would be less, but for
home use such fruit is of considerable
value. The radiation of heat from such
a ledge, fence, or building, will
effectually protect a vine from early
frosts. While nothing less than freeze
will injure the fruit, yet repeated dew
frosts will affect the foliage so as to
check the process of ripening; and, as
We often have one or two frosty nights
followed by weeks of fine Indian-summer
weather, any available means by which
we can bridge over these cold waves
becomes of vital importance. When q
vine is planted by the side of ledge,
any rude trellis that will hold the fruit
q few inches above the rocks is all that
will be required. OF course, no skillful
promologist would think of growing
grapes for the market IN the way here
indicated but / want to encourage
every farmer to grow at least few
grapes in some way; his sons will soon
learn and adopt the best methods"
Our CISTERS. water runs into
cistern through the conductors while
the cistern is full, the same water. or
nearly so, flows at once out of the ex-
haust pipe into the drain, leaving the
old water in the bottom of the cistern
to remain there indefinitely. With a
view to change this arrangement, and
let the old water out as fast as its place
could be occupied by the new I attached
to the inner end of the exhaust pipe,
which was laid in the brick Just at the
top of the cistern wall, close-fttine
pipe extending down to within a few
inches of the bottom of the cistern. SO
that all the water that ran out must
pass through said pipe, and must of ne
cessity come from the bottom, thus dis
charging the old water as fast as any
new comes in, and constantly renewing
the whole. After this was tried, and
the water thus renewed at every rain,
there was less necessity for resorting to
the other method, that of lifting the
pipe, as lately advised by "Sanitas. -
In fact, it was not at all necessary in a
rainy season, but in q very dry one
have found it of inestimable value. In
using the pipe alone, one must keep the
end of it near the surface Of the water.
and to do this must be careful to observe
the rise and fall of the water, for if the
pipe is lifted to a proper position, say
when the cistern is half full. and the els
tern is then filled with rain, the depth
will often be too great, so that the
water will be offensive, and, should the
water fall below the end of the pipe, of
course the pump would yield no water
until the pipe was again let down below
the surface of the water. This constant
trouble of watching and changing can
IN great measure be avoided by caus-
ing the Oldest water in the cistern to
run out first whenever the cistern is full,
as above directed that is, merely to
place a pipe inside of the cistern
through which all water must flow when
the cistern is full, and the lower stratum
first.-J. HAYDEN, Sagadanoc Co., Mo.
A WASH FOR FRUIT TREES. For the
past twenty years [ have used mix
ture of lime and sulphur as a wash for
the prevention and destruction of fun
gold growths on all kinds of fruit trees.
and with decidedly beneficial effects. 1t
is now well ascertained that many OF
the diseases of both vegetables and ami
mails are due to fungoid growths, and
sulphur is the best known and one of
the most potent antidotes for the myce-
lium and spores of microscropical fungi,
and the NEST practical mode of using it
Is as an ingredient in the ordinary lime
wash applied TO fences and external
rough woodwork. AS sanitary auxili-
airy in cities, its employment will be-
come general as its usefulness in the
prevention of zymotic diseases becomes
known. If every fence, tree box, out
building, or rough wooden structure in
any city could at once receive coating
of this wash, it would greatly check the
spread of malalial disorders. It is not
costly and the sulphur imparts add.
tional adhesive qualities to the mixture.
The wash is prepared by placing hall
bushel of fresh burned lime and eight
pounds of powdered sulphur in a tight
barrel, Stacking the lime with nearly
boiling water, the mouth of the barre
being covered with a cloth. When COO
it is ready for use as ordinary white
wash. WILLIAM SAUNDERS.