Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-02-09
FARM AND GARDEN.
Season n bic Notes and Suggestions.

- Do not let any Of your Implements remain
exposed to the weather. When not In use keep
them housedby all means. BY letting farm ma
chinery stay in the field exposed to rain, dews,
wind and the hot sun, 1t receives more injury
han from careful usage.
- The Anae,icda Cu,tiuator suggests that one
great reason why so much diapidated wire fence
Is seen is because the wires are stretched too
tightly. Cold contracts iron making the wire
shorter in winter than when the fence was built
at miider temperature, and something has to
give way.
Prof Budd Is Of the opinion that cellars in
which fruit is stored between picking time and
the setting in Of winter should be opened at
night, instead of the daytime, as is usually done
The reason assigned is that at night the air is
cooler. while the warmer air of the day time
has its moisture preclpitated by the cool temper
allure of the cellar.
A writer in the Prairie Farmer relates
that drain put down in 1885, of common fence
boards. is still in good condition. and that if he
had to make short. deep drains, with plenty of
fall and thorough compact or yellow clay. he
should certainly use six-inch fence-board be-
lievin4 1t would answer every purpose OF q
three or fOur-inch drain tile.
A correspondent Of the Ohio Farmer ad-
vises the placing Of old tin cans on the fire until
the solder melts and they can be pulled apart.
Then take the large pieces of the can and wrap
around the fruit trees it is desired to protect
from mice. pressing the edge of the tin firmly
into the ground. The mice will be discouraged
by the tins. and will turn in another direction.
- In the american Farmer Mr.. D. Carter, in
giving an account Of the growth of tomato on
pile of slaked shell lime, states that 1t was
four feet long and abounded with tomatoes He
was surprised at its growth and fruitfulness
under the conditions. and considered 1t demon
strated that slaked shell lime was the fertilizer
for that plant when heavily applied, it seeming
to answer all purposes.
If you are going to set new orchard this
spring remember that it is an excellent way to
prepare plan of the orchard, showing the posi-
tlOn of each tree. its variety, ETC. II a tree dies
1t can he replaced by one OF the same sort. Some
fruit raisers keep book in which they register
the age and variety Of every tree in their ORCH
| ard together with any items in regard to its
grating, productiveness. treatment, etc, which
are thought to be desirable.
Mr.. Charles Lauppe, Urbana, O., keeps the
birds from his grapes with scarecrow "cat"
This ''Gnimai Is made of canton flannel of the
color of a Maltese cat. stuffed with curled hair
Hair is better than wool or cotton as it soon
dries out after rain. "cat" of this kind will
effectually protect the grapes from the birds for
twenty feet on all sides. Mr.. Lauppe sets his
be secure and in full sight of birds wishing to
plumber.
- The first thing to be aimed at in getting
| together herd for the dairy is to secure good
milkers-cOws that can make good record in
both quantity and quality. For this purpose
each animal should be tested separately. and
disposed OF if it does not reach satisfactory
standard; once done thoroughly it will do for
the lifetime OF the herd To neglect this work
is to imperil the enterprise. for several COWS of
low standard are a constant drain on profits
Ii costs as much to keep poor COW as good
one.
- The Floral Cabinet gives the following d.
rectlOns for managing plant cuttings: "If the
slip is too young and full OF fresh sap it will fade
away from too much evaporation; if too old
hard and wOOdy-it will take great while to
strike root. The cutting must be perfectly
ripened and from vigorous shoot, yet a little
hardened at the base. 1t is also essential to
have bud or Joint at OR near the end Of the cut
ting. az all roots strike from it. and the nearer
it is to the base the greater the chance of sue
cess.
The blood is three-fOurths water. and is the
vehicle for the distribution of nutrment and
heat to all parts Of the system as we'll as for
carrying off the waste matters taken in. When
water in insufficient quantities is furnished, all
the functions or the animal economy is inter
fered with. Young animals stop growing cows
shrink In milk and fattening animals cease to
increase in weight. Water in sufficient quantity
and of good quality is quite as important as
food. and deprivation Of it will destroy life
sooner than hunger.
One OF the most successful persons in
raising peaches Is Mr.. Andrew Sweeten. of New
Jersey, according t" the Farm Journal. The
land is sandy. but he plants the trees deeper
than they were in the nursery. At time Of
planting he places two quarts of lime and
small quantity Of manure on the surface about
each tree, cultivates we'll and raises truck on
the land until the trees are large He removes
hn fronS font
three feet when manuring. making the depth
about three inches, and after filling the manure
III covers it with earth.
"A correspondent of the Husbanllnaan saws
that sulphur is a preventive of potato rot, and
this is confirmed by the experience of Vermont
farmer. VINO rolled his cut potatoes in fine sui
phur at planting and busted the plants as they an
peared above the ground. Neither rot, worm nor
insect touched them, though potatoes on neigh
boring farms were badly damaged His DOta.
toes were excellent and the crop yielded we'll
There is no doubt that sulphur will assist
materially in preventing fungus growth in other
plants as well as potatoes, and it would lie well
If farmers give it trial for such purposes the
Coming season.
DO what fencing you can at once. saws the
Maryland Farmer, and prepare the fencing stuff
during bad weather, that 1t may be ready for
use when wanted If you intend to use wire.
get it home at once. and get the posts ready, 80
IL Oou oC pul up SpccuilN Us soon us the ground
permits 1t to be done well and soldy We should
put four wires and plant post every rod apart
see that the starting. end and corner posts are
We'll rammed. secured tight and properly braced
Remember wire is only cheap and durable
fence when properly built. Once well done it
Will give no trouble for many years. Plant
locust or pear trees every IS or 90 feet along
the line TO furnish living posts for the fence as
the posts now planted may decay or want re-
neWal.
- Pines, hemOcks, and other evergreen
trees which grow the margins Of muck
swamps and in the borders of woods and which
are usually regarded as difficult to transplant.
may be removed with safety, The Country Gem
te"9dh SAYS by carrying enough soil on the
roots to hold the tree in an upright position by
Its weight; the taller the tree the larger must
be the weight OF the circle of soil We have
never succeeded better than when the work
was done In winter. If the soil is frozen only
few inches down, good sized circular trench
is cut around the tree and the cake of frozen
soil lite d out. If large, the tree'may be drawn
In an upright position up an inclined plank way
to sled. Trees of white pine twelve or fifteen
feet high have been thus removed without
losing single one among many.
TO form line or grove of future nut bear
ing trees. says the New York Tribune get the
largest chestnuts, walnuts. hickOres, etc. to be
had, and either plant in the fall five or six in a
hi. in each place where a tree Is wanted--the
best only to be finally retained-or spread all on
the ground near the house where mice, pigs.
etc. are kept at effectual bay by the cats and
dogs, ana plant out as soon as sprOuted in tine