The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-19
THE FARM.


TO the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal
They who labor In the earth are the CHOSEN
people of God.-Thomas Jefferson.
4 1t causes the heart of the Granger to re-
joice to see nature again arraying herself in
her livery of green. and to ride over the coun-
try and see the noble army of producers
making energetic preparations for an active
and aggressive campaign, determined to
\ fight it out upon the line upon which they
| have entered, expecting it to take all sum-
mer. I4et the readers supply the quotation
marks.) 1t seems so short time since the
gittering snow lay upon the ground, but
now as if by magic, the scence is changed,
and good Mother Earth is again gay in rich
dress of emerald green. 1t is very common
among farmers to delay blowing their lands
Il TO be sowed to mllet or buckwheat until just
before the time for sowing, which is some
time in June, when the weather is hot and
the ground baked, or tramped by stock, when
it breaks up in clods. Sometimes, heavy
rains occurring, farmers leave their corn
fields and break ground for niIlet, or buck
wheat Such treatment of the ground is
imply barbarous, as nothing can be worse
Than to turn up the ground in such condi-
ton. and have the sun bake it. 1t is sure to
spoil the land and often it hurts the crop.
4 In the irst-named case it is little better, for
the clods cannot be reduced to mellowness,
and even if rains come to soften them and
assist in the work of pulverization it cannot
be done satisfactorily. The wiser way is to
pillow only when the ground is in good
condition, and if it is too early to SOW a
good seed bed is at least secured, and
a.. 10 49, ,.rxtxt
condition for sowing by second blowing, or
by the use of a harrow or cultiyatOr.
| recently set out strawberry bed. /
heartily indorse a sentiment sometimes ac-
credited to Beecher, sometimes to Gail Ham
ilton, and sometimes to almost anybody else,
but which, upon the authority of Isaac Wal
ton, 1 accredit to DR.. Boteler, as follows;
Doubtless God might have made better
berry, but doubtless God never did" My
plan is to select the best piece of ground in the
garden, and put it in the best possible oondi-
ton, as IL it were for onions or cabbages
Mark out the rows two feet apart, and set the
plants eighteen inches apart in the rows,
using a wooden paddle with an edge and
handle to open the ground. When the plant
is put in the soil should be pressed down
firmly with the feet, or both hands
After while the plants send out runners
which are cut off. The second year the run
ners are allowed TO take root and grow, when
the original plants are taken up and thrown
away, and there is a new bed without the
trouble OF TRANSFORMING. Different varieties
are tried, but the trials end in my getting
back TO Wilson's Albany. This spring the
earth abounds with our friends, the earth
worms. and it causes a pang of regret when
one of them is mangled or hurt by the spade
or hoe. If anyone desires to know why they
are called our friends, he is referred to Mr.
Darwin's recent book, Vegetable Mould and
Earth Worms" In this connection a cues,
ton comes up and violently clamors for an
answer. LII is adjudged that wheat plants
cannot live under ice for lack of air for a
short part of the period of suspended ANNA
ton called by botanists the crest period"
how much more air does it require to sub
sist them than is required to subsist these
earthworns that upon the approach of cold
weather plug up tightly the mouths of their
burrows against rain aud frost, and go an in
credible depth into the earth, out of the
wait for spring, beneath the mass of solid
earth and superintendent ice? If there is
among the readers of the Journal practical
genius with an exceptional turn for investi-
CATION, it 10 to him l appeal. In the mean
time | shall be torn with doubt whether, if
the wheat plants were endowed with motion
and instict that would lead them to get away
from the cruel blasts OF clustering boreas
ana come to the outer world only in the
genial warmth of gentle spring. the mourners
would now be going about the fields, and re-
fusng to be comforted, because the wheat is
not-so hard is it to dislodge an error when
once it has gained position in the human
Uranium. JMc.
Ron Roy, Ind
"
Ann Eorx