Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-03-16
AGRICULTURAL.
RonOvating Old Gardens.

Ronovating Old Gardens.
Correspondence American Gardener.
After garden has been maintained in
the same place for many years it some
times loses its productive power, in spite
of repeated and heavy manuring. Many
kinds OF vegetables refuse to thrive, and
it becomes necessary to change the gar
den plot, or infuse new life into the cloy-
cd soil by period of rest and partial
return to state of nature.
The location of the vegetable garden is
not always matter of choice, and fire.
quently there is but one place which
unites the different requirements of soil,
exposure and convenience, and after this
has been permanently inclosed it is an
noying to arrive at period when the gar
den becomes unable to meet promptly
the demands upon it.
1t has long been known that heavily
stocking an old garden with red clover,
and allowing it to remain two years with
out ploughing, will bring the soil back
to its fertility and vigor This is some
times done by farmers, but 1t is hard to
persuade n village resident to adopt \
remedy so far outsi1c of his usual course
As a substitute which, under certain con-
ditions, is even better than clover,
would recommend planting strawberries.
One half Of TIE garden may be planted at
time, leaving the other half for the rails
ing of such vegetables ns still continue to
| flourish
Plough at the usual time, and i'll April
plant strong plants of any very vigorous
variety, with perfect blossoms and desira.
bic fruit, in rows thirty inches apart and
fifteen inches in the row. Keep clean and
allow the runners to cover nil the ground.
Late in the Fall mulch lightly with chop
ped straw, and in the following Spring
pull up any weeds that show themselves
Under anything but extraordinary cir
cumstances-such as very late frost or
peculiarly unfavorable weather at bloom
ing time-you will i'll June pick n large
crop of berries, which will he tritie
more difficult to pick than if they were in
separate rows. After picking remove all
large or tall growing weeds that may have
grown and leave the plantation for an.
other years fruiting, mulching again in
Winter. The result will be crop OF Der.
ries nearly as large as the first.
Immediately after bearing, the heavy
crop of old and new plants which covers
the land should be ploughed under and
the ground planted to late cabbages OIL
Swedish turnips. The following Spring
ii will be in condition to grow n very
large crop Of early potatoes, followed by
celery. After this the ground will be ii
for any garden crop, and the other hal
OF the garden can be subjected to thu
same rotation. The result of treating
garden once in ten or twelve years to
change of this kind will be sninently sat
isfactory and profitable.
Starting up the Hens.
Now is the time when the faithful an,
industrious hen smoothes out her feather
and prepares for the Spring campaign
r Her one idea at this season is to &c
squarely down to business, and keep at il
3 that is provided she has had any kind O
, decent treatment during the precedin
' months. Recognizing, therefore, that til
a hen is willing and ready to go to work,
t becomes the poultry keeper to do his pai
e in the matter of food.
Hens, like other farm stock, respond I
care, attention and comfort, and the rel
ponse is not doubtful one either. Froi
. % to 81 cents per iozen is now being pal
~ in this city for eggs, and Spring chicken
will at very early day sell for ut least
u cents head.
u With these facts and figures i'll mind,
1t not evident to every farmer and to ever
n farmers wife tnat it pays to keep and cal
& for poultri ms well If not better than +,
n any other kind of farm stock when the Ii
d Dor involved and capital invested are coi
= sidered
o Just now the iiocks may he fed all IL
l. scraps from the kitchen, all livers, lung
and other oilnl from slaughtered animals
j. Indeed pretty much anything that wi
4 take the place of the insccts they gath,
,e in Summer. Many such things mny
il cooked indeed the bulk of them ought
al be to avoid securing, which is pretty su
N to ensuc II too mucn raw meat is fed
,e the mess may he judiciously added col
meal, bran, middings, peppers md vel
-. little salt
70 The dust bath may he made for the
a now to considerable advantage, for thu
w can not find it III their pens or houses.
= may be made of coal or wood ashes, plac,
~ , in box near to their houses or haunt
~ but where it will be ont of the reach
10 rain or SNOW. Scraps Of vegetables, coo
~ ~ ed or raw, are useful, and will be devon
u, ed greedily particularly onions, leeks
!" such like stimulating food.
Breeding stock should now be mat
anu kept htpitIUtt from tnt Tcinuluucr
no the flock. Fine birds will come only frc
u. fine stock well fed and cared for. Il
De earliest chicks are generally the fin,
ne and best, and have the greatest vital.
d. hence are utilized for breeding stock
tc coming year.
st various Mnnures.
-. or manures, that of the COW is
Ia poorest, that of the horse being double
value, and tlat of the hog five times that
the horse. Hen manure, mixed with t.
ms or three times its own bulk Of muck,
ne even loan, is as good as most guano ks
al for sale, Ashes, leached or unleach,
RAJ are excellent. The contents of the clos
10 may be kept inodorous, and in an eas
10 workable condition. by casting plaster
'nr them frequently until removed and I'll
lo' by adding four times as much more
ea' muck or loan, you will have fertili
'ur equal to poudrette Bones, old boots O
as shoes, hogs bristles and all old scra