Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-04-13
AGRICULTURAL.
April on tho Farm.
From the Massachusetts Ploughmau.I

from the Massachusetts Ploughmanl
Mich Cows-At no season of the yea1
do mich COWS need more care than dur.
ing this month, especially those that arc
about to come i'll single hours neg
lect sometimes results in the loss of n
valuable animal. Not only should the
food be OF Il healthy character and given
with regularity, but the comfort of the
animal should he carefully looked after.
For several days after the calf is dropped
the cow should be kept from cold drafts
OF air, aud where she will not be annoy
cd by other cattle. Avoid high feeding
Just before and several days after the
cow comes in.
| Seeding Down to Grass. Those who
insist in seeding down to grass in the
spring should do so as early MS possible,
and have tho grounds work well for
grass seed to germinnte well needs fire.
! quont rains without the hot sun of June.
If some crop must be sown with the grass
seed, spring rye makes one of the best,
becIise 1t can he sown early and does not
shade tine land as much as some others ::
1t should not be sown very thick or it
Will inlure the young grass plants. Bar
ley is good crop to SOW with grass seed
ON some soils it is better than rye, but it
will not do well on as great variety of
soils. AS rule it is better to grow some
crop that can be harvested by the Goth of
August, and then seed down to grass.
Early potatoes. The custom of plant
ing potatoes carly is much more prcva-
lent than formerly this change has been
caused probably by the desire to get
them harvested before the third crop of
beetles come. On warm dry land there
is but little danger Of planting too soon,
after the frost is well ont of the ground,
hut on moist or low land there is danger
OF planting SO carly, that the cold wet
weather. may continue so long that the
seed will rot before sprouting whole
fields are sometimes lost i'll this way. The
better way is not to attempt to grow early
potatoes on moist or wet land, but to
plant them on well drained land that is
high enough to he warm in the spring,
and yet not high enough to dry the crop
up IN July.
The Gardcn.-As soon as the frost is
out Of the ground the garden claims our
attention a warm sheltered position
should be- selected for carly peas and if
we desire to have them on the table the
l'th OF June they must be planted early
III the month, and encouraged to grow by
liberal dressing of manure rich in phos-
pilates. Radishes and early turnips
should be planted as soon MS the land is
warm enough and dry enough to pulver-
ize but they should be planted where
soil is light and somewhat sandy or
they will grow strong and be wormy.
Beets should be planted early for sum
mer use, and as they will endure the cold
better than many other garden vegeta-
bloS by sowing as soon as the soil is in
good condition, they can be obtained
large enough for tie table in July.
Early Ploughing. rule early
ploughing is not desirable except for ear
ly crops. Land that is ploughed but
few days before planting is in better con
dltion for growing crops than if ploughed
several weeks before it not having been
beaten down 10y heavy rains, it lays up
much lighter and is therefore in better
condition for plant growth. If plough |
ing be delayed until few days before
planting, crops that are not planted before
the last OF May, give time for n consider
able growth Of grass to plough in, which |
Is IN condition to rapidly decay and fur
nish excellent plant food.
The strawberry Bed.-If new bed is |
to be set it should be done as soon as the-
land Is III good condition to work well
many make mistake by setting plants
after warm weather sets in, it is best to |
set them in April SO ms to get the benefit !
OF the spring rains. Old beds should be |
looked after ; the winter covering taken |
on, ana the paths cleaned out but plants |
that are expected to bear fruit this year
should not be disturbed by the hoe.
Currant and Gooseberry Bushes. II
These should receive our early attention
II the grass was not kept entirely out last |
autumn, 1t should be carefully dug out us |
soon rs the frost leaves the ground, then
it will come easy, but if left to grow few |
weeks, the labor of removing will be very |
much increased, especially among the |
gooseberry bushes. The pruning knife
should be used quite freely if large fruit |
Is expected. The currant must be ell
courHecd by large quantities of manure,
III iuct II mulched with manure it grows
all the better for it.
The Asparagus Bed. This too requires
the early attention of the gardener
while it will bear quite as heavy manur.
ing as the cnrraut, it will grow well with
II moderate dressing, 10 cords to the acre
being sufficient to insure n good crop.
The manure should be well dug in as
soon as tie ground becomes well settled.
The Old practice of sailing has been
abandoned by good cultivators, 1t being
found to be an injury instead of benefit.
A Calf Nursery.
It is not patented, SO We are at liberty
to describe it, To build one, erect a
shelf IN some convenient corner of the