The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-04-19
HOME, FARM AND RANCH.

Strawberries.-A writing treating
of strawberry culture says that the
plant in question is ''a gross feeder,
and without well-prepraed soil and
abundant supply of proper food, and
at the proper time, no great success
can be anticipated. We should plant
on land which has not been for some
years occupied with strawberries, and
manure and prepare thoroughly, and
give good top-dreSsing Immediately
after the fruiting season, and repeat
this in the spring, being very careful
not to disturb the roots. Well-rotted
| stable manure is good; aShes-or, as a
substitute, muriate of potaSh-and
bone are excellent fertilizers, and these
ar the better il composted with soil
or manure and allowed to heat before
using"
Corn Fodder-A correspondent of
the Rural New orker discusses corn
fodder. Il fnd," says he, this is
much better for cattle than fodder
corn. By the latter l mean corn
which has been Sown or drilled thick
| ~ for fodder alone. l find that the
stock never appear to relish it as well
or eat it as clean as they do from corn
which has produced ears. Think the
mistake Is made of sowing too thick
by most persons who grow fodder
corn. Some years since, when visit
ing one Of our most prominent Short
horn breeders, he told me that his
most profitable crop was corn planted
about twice as thick as in ordinary
field culture and thoroughly cultiYat-
| ed. In this way most of the stalks
made small ears, just suitable for cat
tie, and the yield of fodder and corn
| combined made the crop worth more
than when grown for grain alone"
Seed Corn-A writer for the Farm
ing World treats of seed corn. y
See," he remarks, 'many farmers tell
ing how to improve corn by selecting
seed. My plan is to select one ear Of
corn that exactly suits my fancy.
Prepare rich spot of land off some
distance from any growing corn; lay
off the rows four feet apart and plant
two grains in every hill. Shell first
| from the butt end of the ear and be-
gin to PLAN DIS you shell off, and keep
on until the ear is all planted. By
this process you will be able to tell
| what part of the ear will mature first
and the part that will make the best
corn with very little trouble, and in a
| few years you will have pure seed
corn. In cllltivating | thin every
hill down to one stalk, keep the
ground mellow, keep off all suckers
and shoots except one to the stalk"
Irish Potatoes.-Dr. Standiford has
become famous as grower Of Irish
potatoes. He cultiVateS the great
Hibernian standby extensively on his
splendid farms in the vicinity of
Louisville, and his investments on
this order are of course profitable.
There is nothing peculiar about his
treatment Of the tuber. The seed
he uses is of the second crop sort, and
in the main it is of his own raising.
The soil for the potato should be in
good heart, as the farmers say. DR..
Standiford sees toiit that it is thus, and
the further orders are for thorough
tillage. About Louisville man is
behind the times who does not use
fertilizers. The chief demand is for
stable manure; there is nothing bet
ter than this after 1t has undergone
the rotting process. A correspondent
("Inquirer'0 of the Courier-Journala at
DanVille, Kentucky, will understand
that this paragraph is for his benefit.
The excellent lands of Boyle county
should grow the Irish potato in per-
lection; and if now there is any
trouble about a market, soon, when
DR.. Standiford completes the new
road he now has On hand, there will
be none.