The Osceola times., 1882-04-15
AGRICULTURAL.
MuIching Working Too Much Land-Csrs
fsecds-Csws and Bsttsr-Tbe Alfalfa
MULCHING.

measure Tor avertlng ulsastfous CohHc'
auences. The importance OF mulching
is not recognized by the farming classes
in the broad and general way which It's
efficiency would warrant. The common
idea confines its application to young
fruit trees, and even then with but
vague notion of reasons or principles IN
the connections.
No better illustration Of the value OF
mulching exists than reference to the
woods. where season after season the
ground is strewn with leaves. II, upon
the hottest dav of the dryest season
these leaves are turned over, the ground
beneath will be found cool and moist.
Leaves thus spread upon the ground
check evaporation, retain the moisture
upon the surface, thus keeping the soil
cool, a condition favorable 10 the growth
of almost all trees, especially TO NUT
trees. These leaves also retain the
moisture which thus falls upon them.
while the trees themselves really form
mulch and prevent rapid evaporation. OF
moisture. Snow acts in the nature OF a
winter mulch, holding a certain amount
of ammonia, which descends from the
atmosphere. The mulch of snow pre-
vents the frost from penetrating deeper
into the ground, and permits the water
TO ascend much higher during the win
ter than would be the case with the
ground frozen deeply.
Covering the ground in this manner
with mulch of some description, has ad-
yantages far superior TO the good effects
of winter covering with snow. Ex-
perienie has demonstrated that the soil,
oh -
in fertility far beyond the result of a
simple application. Through its pres
ence all plant food is held in solution
and by its agency all vegetable life and
growth is maintained. When the soil,
through excessive evaporation, has ex-
pended its moisture, then plants droop,
wither aud die. II this exhaustive evapo.
ration can be prevented, and all the wa
ter that passes into the atmosphere be
first made to enter the structure of
plants, shrubs and trees, stimulating
their growth, then should we have a
practical illustration Of the benefits of a
correct sy stem OF muiohing.
The successful growth Of apple and
pear trees requires a cool, moist soil.
The effect OF a ho., dry summer upon
our orchards is to cause a general drop
ping off ofthe fruit and deterioration
in the quality of that which remains
Oar fruit trees are separated by greater
distances than prevails among forest
trees, yet If nature is TO be taken as a
guide, then forest trees, however large
should be inulched. IL the whsle or
chard would be mulched with leaves and
meadow hay, and thus the moisture re-
tanned, then we could combine the cool,
moist soil of England with the hot,
bright sun of this country, the latter
giving such color and flavor to its native
iruit Us the word cannot equal.
TOO MUCH LAND.
Farmers generally lay out too much
work for the help they employ. The
best rule is not attempt the cultivation
of large areas but to make the land pro-
duce the laryest Yields. If one acre of
ground can be made to produce lifty
bushels of wheat or 100 bushels of corn,
that is far better than to appropriate two
or three or four acres in the production
of the came quantities. Forty acres well
TILED will, in the long run yield better ie-
turns than hundred carelessly man.
aged.
A writer in the Congregotionakst who
thinks farms generally too large says:
High culture and abundant use of fertil-
izers always give the best returns. This
cannot be obtained from homeopathic
applications spread over too large sur
face. Besides, it requires far more time,
labor aud material to traverse and till
land lying remote from the barnvard
The same time aud labor will haul two
loads of manure 80 rods. A friend who
owned 250 acres in Middlesex county
sold one. half, and then applied the man
ure aud less labor to the remaining half.
The result in short time showed larg-
er cut of hay. more stock, and quite an
advance in the profits. The home of our
boyhood numbered little rising 200
acres. We titled large field half a
mile remote. Never did the crops from
this pay one dollar of net profits. Cut
ting off and selling wood was our only
real income. At present, this once re .
mote field is thrifty wood lot, and the
present wise owner fills a larger barn
from % acres about his buildings, with
about one-half the help. IL is not easy
to satisfy the inexperienced of the truth
of the above, and yet fair trial will, in
nearly every case prove the greater pro-
fits from smaller farms.
CARE OF SEEDS.
Those not engaged in the seed busi-
ness know little of The injury done TO
seeds by insects. Frequently bushels of
seeds have to be thrown away, being de-
stroyed by the eating or puncturing Of
insects. To guard peas, beans aud other
SEEDS from the weeyil the following plan
is said TO be effectual; After harvesting,
dry thoroughly in the sun, and after
wards place in jars, cans or barrels that
have been thoroughly heated before the
fire, placing in each vessel bottle of
turpentine, not corking the bottle, but
simply tying piece of cloth over its
mouth. Cover the vessel as air tight as
possible, and afterward expose to the
sun occasionally. The fumes of the tur.
pentine engendered by the heat kill the
weevil deposited in the seed when it is
green. This is an etlectual remedy, and
should be known to all seed growers,
North or South.
cows AND BUTTER.
At recent Imeeting of the Vermont
Dairymen's Association, Mr.. Mead, Of
Rutland, stated that he had sixteen cows,
all natives, from whose milk product he
made fifteen pounds of butter per week,
selling the same 10 regular customers in
Providence, h. l., at forty cents per
pound, put up ia ten pound packages.
lie feeds his cows on corn cob meal and
barley, one bushel OF each. adding TO one
bushsl OF this mixture five bushels of