The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-26

Ashes are an excellent fertilizer for apple
and pear trees on all lighto lights soils, and
moderate dressing of salt is at least of some
benefit
Weedy pastures make poor and bitter but
ter. When a pasture is in a very foul con-
dition it should be plowed and planted with
some hoed crop.
One of the best crosses between fowls is the
mating of a Houdan cock and Brahma hen
which produces not only an unusually large
fowl, but also an excellent class of laying
hens The cross also combines hardness,
early maturity and quick featheripg
In the vegetable garden reserve few stout,
healthy plants for seed. Every farmer can
just as well raise great many varieties of
seeds as buy them Gather them in paper
bags, aud label before storing away few
dollars may be saved every year in this way
and fresh seeds be insured.
A very valuable honey plant is alsike clio
yer, and very excellent for hay and pasture
Some farmers think it equal to red. If cut
as soon as it blooms second bloom will
come on just when most needed for the bees
The first crop of the season and not the sec
ond is saved for seed. Alsike does we'll on
low rich land. 1t may be sown with timothy
in the same way and in the same proportions
that red clover is sown.
Careful experiments have shown that corn
which is hilled will blow down more readily
than that which has level culture. This can
be accounted for by the fact that corn roots
run very near the surface, and when hills
are made the plants are confined to the small
space covered by the hill, while in level
culture the roots run from one row to the
other, thus enabling the corn to stand strong
as nature intended, being thus in no way
liable to be blown down except by winds of
unusual violence.
Strawberries raspberries and currants have
been wonderfully improved within the last
five years. and those who have not carefully
watched the progress of improvement in such
fruits are advised to give all the new varie-
ties, at least inspection, If not some of
them trial, as the difference in size and
quality of many of them is very marked.
| The currant is at present receiving careful
attention from nurserymel, and at the rate
of progress lately made, they will, no doubt,
soon be as large as cherries.
bushel of corn. with its corresponding
cobs and stalks, will usually deprive the soil
of about one and a quarter pounds OF nitro
gen, two-thirds OF pound OF phosphoric
acid, and one aud half pounds of potash OF
which the greater proportion of the nitrogen
goes into the grain, the phosphorie acid is
taken up in nearly equal proportions by the
grain and stalk, while much the larger guam
tity of the potash is appropriated by the stalk
The cob contains scarcely trace OF nitrogen,
and but small proportions OF phosphoric acid
and potash.
The National Live Stock Journal says:
| "Ashes leached or unleached makes an ex-
cellent fertilizer for either meadow or pas
lures, sown upon ground which is naturally
dry. They are as valuable for the grain-grow-
err as the dairyman. Leached ashes by the
load are worth about twice as much as barn
yard manure, and unleached twenty-five
cents a bushei The immediate effect of
ashes is not equal to that of manure, but it
continues much longer Coal ashes are
chiefly useful for their mechanical effect in
| oosening compact soil.