The National tribune., 1883-10-18
OUR RUR4L TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
BRIEF sEAsoNABLE HINTS.


biting trosts occur. Beets, being more suscepti-
bic 20 frost than other roots, should be first
secured. ParsnipS are very hardy and are fre-
queutly left in the ground until required for
/ use, under the suppOsiti0n that they improve
in flavor after frost, but where the winters are
long and severe they should be lifted and stored
! where they can be easily reached 1t any time.
Carrots, turnips, and other vegetable roots keep
| well in pits Outdoors when covered so as to
/ protect them from frost: trench four feet
/ wide aad six or eight inches in depth may be
| formed, in which the roots are placed and piled
| up in cOnieal fashion; then q sprinkiing of
| straw or leaves is thrown over them, which
! will be sufficient covering until cold weather;
then foot or more of soil should be thrown
over them, digging out the soil alongside the
mound pit, so that water will not lodge
! about the roots An outside layer of coarse
manure, leaves, or trash of any kind VIII be of
| great assistance in keeping out frost If roots
are stored in cellars, they should be packed in
/ dry sand, to keep them from the air.
S,ceet potatoes should be taken up as soon as
their tops are killed by frost. After lifting let
| them be well dried in the sun; they should be
| handled carefully, so as not to bruise them, and
| packed in chaff, cut straw, or dry sand; and
/ keep them in a cellar where the temperature
will not reach lower than forty degrees at the
least; II ten degrees higher, so much the better.
A fresh, crisp lettuce is a desirable acquisition
{
amount of foresight and care will provide it.
To have it in its best condition it will be nee
I essary to provide q few saShes and box frame,
which may be simply few boards about ten
/ inches wide upon which to lay the sashes. The
seeds should be sown at once in corner OF the
] frame, and as soon as the plants make four
leaves plant them about foot apart u good
! soil The sashes may be kept shut TO-. few
days, until the plants become established; after
wards they should be pT0pped up IN fine weather,
/ and only completely closed IN severe weather.
| \ variety known as the Deacon is q good fast
heading lettuce.
H0rssrGdish.-This condiment is easily grown
and is much rel5hed by most persons. In lift
! ing the roots, trim off all the small side root
pieces and preserve them in sand in q cool cell
lar or cover them well with earth in the open
ground for planting next spring. This plant
requires deep, rich soil, and young plantations
should be made yearly to procure the best
quality.
A3pdragus beds in very cold locations should
{ receive a covering of stTaTy manure to prevent
frost from penetrating deeply; this protection
will induce an earlier apd stronger growth In
/ spring. As soon as the tops become yellow
they should be removed. The best results from
manuring this crop are from spring appliea-
! tioDs. The winter ma1uring Is mainly Tor
protection and need not be applied where the
winters are mild. Two or three inches Of well
prepared manure should be applied early in
spring. a1d In localities removed from sea
coasts ~ application of salt viii be found use
ful as a spring dressing.
Fruit Trees, Ge.--ExCept in the extreme
North this is q good time to transplant fruit
trees of all kinds, except peaches, (which we have
always found to do best when planted in spring
Go0Seberry and currant bushes can also be set
any time this month, and the sooner the
better, so that young roots may be formed be-
! a hpTa1ppS an
ing has been condemned mainly by those who
have delayed planting until the end OF NOyem-
Der IN cold districts, and IN consequence OF
such late planting root growth is feeble, and
the plants may perish during winter. To IN
sure the best results planting should follow i'm
mediately upon the fall of the leaves, or even
before, if the leaves are artifeiaIly removed,
which is a commendable procedure. In the
case of removing large trees. In planting fruit
trees or trees of any kind, at this season, 1t is
= c0mmendable practice to throw up slight
mound OF soil around the stem. This viii pre-
vent too much water from finding It's way 10
the roots, and help to steady the tree during
winter; in spring this mound is to DC leyelled
down.
Strale5eYTy plants should be encouraged to
grow By frequently stirring the soil around
them, ana with plants intended solely for fruit
ing all the runners should be removed when
ever they make their appearance. Now is the
nish the crop next summer.
Rgsp5errieS.-These can also be transplanted
this month for the formation of young planta-
tiols. Plenty Of youRg plants viii usually be
found surrounding the older ciumpS, aud these
may be lifted, planted firmly, but not too deep
and the stem or cane cut of an inch above the
roots.
Cuttings of scarlet geraniums, heliotrope, pc
tunias, veTbenas, salYias, eoleus, &c, should be
planted as early as practicable to form young
plants for next years planting. Where there
are no eonYenienc5S In the line of EOt-beds or
small c0nservatories, or even whore these exist
a good plan is to ELL small shallow boxes OF
flower pots with cuttings, setting them in the
shade Tor several weeks, ald protecting them In
some way from the rains. 4 sandy soil, or al
all events top surface of sInd IS u good me-
dunn IN which 20 insert the cuttings. One
good watering will probably be all that they
will need until they root. Before freezing
weather reaches them they should be brought
indoors and placed near a window for tight
they viii keep better III che same soil all win
ter than if p0tted singly in small pots, and take
up much less room. 1t Is better TO keep them
as dry Us they viii bear without shriveiing z
than to keep them wet unless they are IN q
warm greenhouse, where they can grow al
, winter Coleus are dilieult 70 keep during
: winter unless kept in a growing temperature
We have seen them keep well in a light celial
| their sides, so THAI they could not receive any
| water.
MigBopette-Ifa a few pots OF q box fitted fol
the window sill be sown at once with seeds o
mign0nette, plants will be produced for early
spring towering. After sowing, set the boxe:
], out III the open air until the seeds vegetate
and keep them out until frosty weather. d.
l not cover the seeds deeply-a frequent error
G and press them firmly into the soil. 1t is
!. tolerably hardy plant, and is aYerse TO to-
much coddling in warm rooms.
Ft0,Ceriag plants which have been blooming
all summer are seldom worth caring for after
| wards,-we allude To such plants as mentioned
above; but if lifted and placed in pots, thl
, branches cut down. or shortened within q few
! inches OF the roots, and placed in q protected
shady place, they will afford some bloom dur
ing late winter or early spring Tea roses MAJ
3 also be treated in like manner where they
: will net stand out all winter, and some bios
4 SONS may be expected next spring. Much de
ponds upon the size of the plants and the
r amount of roots which can be secured. In ligh
T sandy soils the roots are less fibry than they
: are in stronger or clayey soils; sometimes
good ball of earth can be lifted with the roots
e and when this happens, the plants viii no
& need to be pruncd so severely, and viii SOoI
d recover the operation OF removal.
: FII piOgiag of land has become a common
: practice with many farmers while others u
# strongly protest against it as being, if not in
furious, ut least of but little value. This diver
!, sity of opinion is traceabc TO the kind of soil
e operated upon. With clayey lands il is of mucl
| frnstS of ,vipter uytlye-iy