The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-09-01
FARM NOTES.
WHEN stock is poorly cared for it al
ways deteriorates.

ways deterlOfaUes.
A CORRESPONDENT says he knows by
two years successful experience that
dash of soapsuds is death to currant
worms.
! A SUCCESSFUL Boston florist says that
he seldom fails to root slips OF the most
tender and rare plants. He credits his
success to layer of oats placed under
the usual layer of sand in which the slips
are planted. When moistened they act
as a stimulant and feeder to the tender
roots of the slip.
GRAPEvINEs, pruned at the proper
time, will send out too many new shoots,
which would grow and make thick
mass OF branches and foliage. Rub of
in time all the needless shoots, leaving
the strongest ones equally distributed
along the vine at distances from eight to
twelve inches.
BEARING the off year may be effected
10y shearing off all theapple blossoms or
small fruit on young trees likely to be
overloaded this abundant year. The
work is comparatively easy on young
trees, which as yet have small crops and
are more accessible, and it is more likely
to produce a permanent change than an
old tree with fixed habit.
GEESE should be piucked twice each
year, say in May and September; and
at each plucking will yield about one
half pound of feathers, which when
carefully cured have market value OF
from 40 to 60 cents per pound. Only
the soft feathers from the breasts and
under the wings are taken, and these
should be carefully dried and kept very
clean.
DISCUSSING the German method of
planting potatoes, with ample distance
and with eyes under, so that the stems
shall grow widely apart, foreign cor
respondent asserts that it not only saves
in seed, but produces more and better
crops. Often in England, he says, a
dozen tubers are used where one only
would be enough, but it is difficult to
make some new gardeners believe it.
THE Massachusetts Agricultural So
ciety has arrived at the conclusion that
salt has tendency to check vegetable
growth, yet thereby increasing the pro-
duct of grain. Therefore, il it checks
the growth of grassy fiber it must hasten
maturity, and wheat sailed will ripen
earlier with sitter straw and, natur-
ally, moro grain. On the other hand,
unsalted wheat would give more straw
and less grain, while ripening later.
cultural College and Experimental Farm,
in his report of 1881 of experiments in
beef making, places the four leading
beef breeds as follows: Hereford, Alb
eraeen Poll, Short Horn and Galloway.
Of the Herefords he says: "Piaced
side by side with their rivals, we find
that, while back somewhat in early ma
turing, and considerably so in weight,
this breed, that has breadth and depth
without height is after all second to
none in view Of the probabilities of onr
Northwest Cravings; they are so strong
in impressive power, in hardness, and
especially in making flesh upon grass,
that 1 am clearly of opinion we should
ask them to lead in this great expert
ment." The above will be cheering
news TO the Hereford breeders, and will
doubtless start a long winded discussion
upon the merits of the different breeds
enumerated by Prof. Brown. The
crucial test as to absolute superiority
will be the slaughter test at the Fat
Stock Show in this city next November.
1t is likely that representatives of all the
beef breeds will be entered for this
prize, and at all events the two great
competitors of former years, the Short
Horns and Herefords, will be in the ring
backed by wealth and all the aggressive
ness possible Chicago Tribune.
The cultivation of celery has until
lately been confined to professional
gardeners. People who cultivated their
own gardens and raised all other varie-
ties of vegetables for their own use, have
supposed that there was something mys-
terious and difficult about raising celery
that placed it beyond the limits Of an
ordinary gardener. This is mistake.
There is no more difficulty in growing
celery than with most garden products.
It's needs are rich, moist soil. 1t will
not do much when it is hot and dry.
Therefore, take pains to provide for it in
this direction and good start is made.
1t has been thought necessary to dig a
trench in which to plant it, but this is
entirely unnecessary and is not now
practiced by gardeners. During this
month is the time to set the plants,
which may he obtained of any gardener,
or if thought best to raise the plants the
seeds should have been sown in April.
Set the plants in rows four feet apart
and six to twelve inches apart in the
row. Keep the soil mellow and free from
weeds by frequent hoeing, and if dry an
occasional irrigation will help it. About
the middle or last of September, when
the weather becomes cool, begin to draw
the earth around the plants for the pur-
pose of bleaching them, and continue at
intervals as the plants grow. Celery for
winter use can stand till freezing weather
without injury. Post.
THE cheapest way to keep up the
fertility of most soils consists in raising
red clover and turning it under while it
is green. The growth of the plants may
be greatly increased by the application
of groundp plaster or gypsum, which costs
very little and is easily applied. The
old practice of blowing under the entire
stalks of clover when at their full size
the year after the seed is sown is not
generally abandoned. The trouble OF
turning them under is great, the time
for doing the work conflicts with press