The National tribune., 1884-04-03
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
EARLY VEGETABLES.

table vegetables couple of weeks IN advance
of the ordinary crops by having the conyen-
fence of a cold frame. Geld frame is a
technical term, which means frame covered
with glass sash, but without any other con-
trivance to secure heat, and is used to distin-
guish it from hotbed, or hot frame, which is
a frame set upon bed of dceomposing manure,
which i'll this way supplies artificial heat. As
usually managed, even hot frames SOON become
merely cold frames, as the heat from the ma
nure soon fails, unless means are taken by lin
ings Of fresh MANURE at the sides to keep it up.
A cold frame set in sheltered place. having
tightly glazed sash, and furnished with eight
or ten inches OF light sandy SOIL can be used
very adyantageously in the way OF forwarding
early crops.
Among other things, a few potatoes may be
bedded closely together, and covered with an
inch of soil. After they have sprouted young
shoots about three inches in length, they can
be taken up and cut in pieces III the usual
way, leaving one good shoot Sprout to each
cut. Having previously prepared piece of
ground, the sprouted sets, which require to be
carefully handled are planted in the ordinary
way, setting them so that the top of the sprout
will be all but covered up. The green tops
will soon show above ground, and gain of u
couple of weeks III the earliness of the crop
may be expected. Sweet potatoes are sprouted
III the same way. bat they can be put in later.
Tomatoes, eggplant early cabbases, &c, are
commonly forwarded in cold frame, and set
out when the weather becomes warm enough
Although not so important, yet early beets can
be had little earlier, if the seeds are sown in
the cold frame and the plants set out, when
warm enough Just as cabhages are set out.
Much will depend upon the weather IS to the
profit of this trouble with beets, but we have
seen fine early crops produced by this method.
few hills of early sweet corn can readily
be obtained by sowing a few grains in q flower
moi me ulIt aff r.tll
slight frosts has passed. We have seen corn
foot in height set out from pots, and afterwards
grow along undisturbed and unchecked, giving
ears for use three weeksin advance of the ear
lest outdoor paintings.
Bush beans can be treated in similar man
ner as above for corn. One of the most common
points of failure III the management of plants
that have been forwarded under glass protec-
ton is in transferring them from the frame to
the open air. 1t they are removed without
being what is technically known as hardened
off" all previous care will be lost This process
of hardening simply consists in preparing the
plants for the change by gradually inuring
them to the weather-frst, by Increasing the
ventilation, especially during nights and ulti-
mately removing the sash altogether for
week at least before lifting the plants. In TAX
ing plants from pots they should receive good
soaking Of water, which viii probably be al
the watering they will need; and it tends to
make the soil adhere to the roots during the
disturbing process of removal.
FARMERS GARDENS.
The garden of the farm is usually portion
of ground neatly fenced IN, SO as 10 guard it
from the depredations of animals that might
happen to stray into an open field. 1t is gen
orally laid out into beds, with plenty of paths
introduced, which most of the season are
covered with weeds, and during wet weather
are not inviting as promenades The beds or
borders thus defined and appropriated to the
| culture of vegetables are too contracted for
the introduction of the plow consequently, the
| soil is bat imperfectly turned up with spade
! or digging fork. Under these circumstances
! everything depends upon hand labor and the
1 work is not always performed in an effectual
manner. Should there happen to be any of
the more permanent crops, such as currants,
| raspberries or Strawberries, they soon become
| weedy and the ground hard for the want of
culture which is in such cases a laborious
operation, aud, altogether, the glrden IS seldom
| a success, and is a thing of veZation rather
than a thing of beauty.
/ The farmers garden, so far as vegetable eul-
| ture is concerned, should be accessible to the
! plow and the manure wagon. A suitable spot
| of ground-in shape long and narrow rather
/ than square-sho be properly fenced if nee
essary (which is not always the case), and
worked altogether by the plow and horse
/
deeply and efficiently, manure can be con-
yeyed and spread with facility, and all the
necessary operations performed by using the
/ ordinary implements of culture on the farm.
/ At each end of the Enclosure thus appropriated
/ space OF fifteen or twenty feet in width should
/ be sowed in grass and kept for the convenience
| of turning the teams when working the crops.
| All crops should be grown in rows and these
/ placed sufficiently apart to allow for culture.
| Fruit bushes should also be planted so that
| the ploW and cultiyator can be introduced
between the rows if desired. In this way all
kinds of vegetables may be profusely and
economically produced.
GRASSES AND cLovERs.
A Connecticut reader asks US to inform him
| where he can procure seed of the johnson
| grass, Bermuda grass and Japan clover, as, from
| what he reads about them, III Southern farming
they are undoubtedly great acquisitions, and he
likes to give every likely thing trial." He
| further says that syou recently seemed to
throw doubts about the utility of introducing
| the Japan clover in the North, but do you think
| it right to condemn a thing before giving it a
! trialY Our reply to the last remark is. that we
do not speak III positive terms either for or
against any article unless our personal knowI-
| edge warrants US in giving an opinion. As
to Japan clover, it is now at least fifteen years
since we first secured seed and produced plants,
is only fit food for animals where nothing
better can be obtained; as grown in the South
it produces young tender shoots and leaves
rapidly, and these are eaten freely by ami
mails: as grown in the North it is very similar
| to a cranberry vine. The botanical name of the
plant is Lespedeza strata. The lespedezas are
called bush-clovers; they are mostly woody,
shrnbby plants, and some of the species are
| planted in flower gardens for their towering
| qualities. The L. strata is the only one we
ever heard of as being used Us q food plant for
| animals.
Johnson grass is also valuable in the South be-
cause it will stand the climate there better than
| many other grasses which have been tried. The
grasses which do we'll in northern climates
| do not thrive in many of the Southern States !;
consequently, other plants must take their
places. One great drawback to grass culture in
] the South has been the effort 10 cultivate the
| same kinds which are successful at the North
1t would be considered avery unwisc proceeding
| to attempt wheat culture ON the long-staple
cotton fields of South Carolina, but it would not
| be moro so than to introduce northern grasses