Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-02-28
AGRICULTURE,

In Is time to begin preparations for LIN
bot beds, for not only are the frames ant
sashes TO be made ready and put ID plac'
but the manure should be carefully pre-
pared. The object of not bed is to pro
tect the seeds and plants from exposrr,
from cold. and also to retain sufficient hea
for their termination and growth. Ii ho
beds could be SO arranged as to permit o
the use of a regulator attachment. where
by uniform tenn erature might be naIn
tanned at the will of the gardener, th,
plan would save much valuable time anC
loss. The manure for hot beds should b,
as fresh as possible, for IT is used for pur
poses of heating more than for the nutri
ton afforded, and any previous fermenta
ton or decomposition Is the loss of hea
that may be needed. 1t should also b,
free from coarse material, In order tina
the contents of the hot bed may be in a
fine condition as the objects demand, an(
il should be kept under cover and spar
from that which is to be hauled to thu
fields until needed for use. After tht
frame Is made and put in position plact
the manure In, pressing 1t down firmly un
I'll 1t Is high enough to permit sufficien
space between it and the sash for growth
of the particular plant required. The up
per part of the manrre-about two inche:
of it-should consist of well-rotted mater
ial, thoroughly mixed into fine condition
with twice Its bulk of dry earth. Ther
sprinkle half an inch of pure, dry, rici
earth over this and SOW the seed, GOVERNS
lightly. If sweet potatoes are planted pu
layer OF one inch of sand between thu
seed and the manure, filling the spaces
and covering with an inch more of sand
The seed potatoes should be placed in tht
beds whole, and it is best that they should
not touch each otner.
1t reqnires careful attention on the par
of the grower to get the plants in propel
condition for transplanting. for keeping
up the heat to proper temperature is no
all. The plants should be watered sys
tematlcally and also ventilated ut certain
times If by the gradual exposure of tht
plants to the influences Of the outer atmos
phere they can be made accustomed to &
lower temperature they will be harder
and better enabled to endure transplanting,
If they grow up very thlckly in the BED
the surplus plants should be transplanteG
TO another frame, and by taking advantage
OF the warmer days during the cold season
the plants can bs so managed as to suffer
but very little from change of location.
Buy SMALL TREEs.-The average Amer.
lcan is III great bury to realize on bis
investments. If he orders few seeds in
January, he is anxious to have them sent
Immediately, and if he forwards SIX cents
for copy of some paper which contains a
story of which he has read or heard he does
not forget to request the publisher to send
1t ''by return mail" Patience, which
takes the form of quiet waiting. is virtue
Of which he seems TO be totally ignorant.
He cannot wait the progress of events. Srt
must constantly hurry and fret in order 10
make nature move q little faster than her
wonted pace.
This tendency crops out very plainly
when he purchases trees He finds them
described in the catalogue as second
class, medium, first -class'' and sex
ira" These difference in these classes Is
principally. if not wholly; In the size and
height Of the trees. The larger the tree
the higher the price; but the farmer don't
care anything about that" he wants
good trees or none, and gives order for
those OF extra size. and which are four or
five years old. In doing this he thinks
he is acting wisely, but tie nurseryman
krows and the farmer VIII find before long
tnat, with equal care, the small tree will
grow faster and (t a fruit tree) come
into bearing condition sooner than the
large one.
In half dozen wears the tree that was
small when planted will be larger and fin
er than the other. The reason for tins Is
obvious. The larger the Tree the larger
the roots which it has, and the larger the
roots the less fibres there Will be upon
them, A tree that has plenty of fibrous
roots viii grow readily if proper care is
used in transplanting; but no amount OF
skill can coax tree to live and flourish
which Is destitute of these little fbres.
The roots of large trees are always more
or less muiilated IN the process OF taking
up, while the small trees sustain little in
jury from this source. Dealers in treee
assert that experienced men buy small
thrifty trees, while those who are Just
starting are anxious fer the largest to be
had. Those who are TO set trees the com.
ing season will Go well to learn from the
experience of those who, at considerable
loss to themselves, have demonstrated that
small trees are the ones to buy,