Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1882-02-22
Suggestions of and for the Sea
son.

Manure, the key to successful
farming over the larger part of the
country, demands attention. Per-
haps in no one item of farm practice
has there been a greater change than
in that of of the management of man.
ure. Formerly it was thought that
manure should only be brought to
the field just as it is to be used.
Now it is taken out when cartlng
or Shedding is good, and the hands
and teams are not pressed with 9th
er work. By hauling it in winter,
and placing it in heaps near to
where it will be needed in spring, it
gets the benefit OF an extra turning
and. il desirable, these heaps may
be turned again before they are
spread. Ofconrse some forethought
must be taken to put the manure
in the most convenient place for the
after labor Of distributing it. What
ever else is done with manure let it
be kept in compact heaps; to scat
Ter over the whole barn-yard that
which should only cover an area
of a few square yards is wicked
waste. After the winter rains have
washed ont the soluble matter from
the scattered manure Gotten it runs
TO the nearest creek, what remains
is of little value. 1t would be far
better wee the manure upon the
field where its washing would be
utilized. One fact has been often
repeated in these columns, but our
correspondence shows that it is not
everywhere understood, which is
the quality of the manure depends
upon the quality of the TODD. The
animal adds nothing TO what is fed
to it; it takes out something, but
leaves the refuse, which it does not
want, but the soil does, in an avail
able form. An old. adage 'out OF
nothing nothing comes is common.
ded TO all those who thing they can
make large quantity of rich maui
aie out of little poor food.
FRUIT GARDEN.
If new garden must be made,
or plants added to the old one, the
varieties and the number OF each
should be decided upon, and the or
der sent 10 the nearest reliable nurs-
crymsn at-once. 1t is best TO select
the bulk from well tried kinds,
though the new sorts may be indulg
ed in somewhat. The market and
the home table have both to be
consulted in making the choice. If
the mprket is distant one, then
finn fruit that will reach its desti-
nation in good order must be selec-
ted. The local market and the
home table demand different class
OF fruit. The claims of those hav.
ing new varieties of strawberries,
black berries, rasberries, currants,
ETC., for sale are not to be ignored,
but a good well-tested sort is not
an uncertainty.
There is much work to be done
in the fruit garden that may be pre-
paratory to the busy time of the
spring. AL such work as the get
ting ready OF the trellises and sup.
ports of craps vines, raspberries, etc
may be done now with great advan-
tage. For grape vines in small vine
yards we prefer the upright trellis.
Posts are set s feet apart /: a strip
2 II inches wide is nailed on a foot
from the ground, and another at the
top Of the post (3or 4 feet above
the lower one). The arms for the
vines are fastened on to the lower
strips, and perpendicular wires from
the upper to the lower strips allows
each ascending shoot to be securely
tied. Pruning that has peen neg
lected should be attended TO as soon
as the weather will allow. Grape
vines should be pruned long before
the buds begin to start; the same
holds true Of currants ndraspbenies
in which vegetation begins very
early, hence should be among the
first things transplanted,- --American
Ag'iculturiSt for February.