The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-03-21

part OIL tne garden, anu you may IalSe
fine radishes. If your garden is too
heavy or wet, draw on plenty of coal
ashes or clear sand, mixing well with
surface soil.
The old. fashioned idea that bed of
loose stones should be laid under new
asparagus bed has its basis in the fact
that this vegetable is very impatient of
stagnant water. The bed of stones will
do little good if no outlet is provided fol-
the water, and an underdrain of any kind
will answer every purpose.
The New York Times suggests that
farmers steep their seed wheat in some
caustic solution that will destroy the
germs of rust and smut These sub
stances destroy the spores of seeds of the
minute plants that produce the dis
eases. Smut is rapidly increasing, and
precautions should be taken to prevent
it.
Drainage not only deepens the soil but
improves its texture and quality. The
roots of crops will penetrate only to the
depth at which the soil is drained. The
land that is well drained can be worked
sooner after rains and cndurcs the drought
better, while the ground warns earlier in
spring and permits of more abundant
crops and better tillage.
In the .1merieon Farmer Mr.. d. Carter,
in giving an account of the growth of a
tomato on pile of slaked shell lime,
states that it was four feet long and
abounded with tomatoes. lie was sur
prscd at its growth and fruitfulness UNI
der the conditions, and considered it
demonstrated that saked shell lime was
the fertilizer for that plant, when heavily
applied, it seeming to answer all pur-
poses.
There is a point to be noticed in regard
to the introduction of new varieties of
strawberries. which is that when grown
in localities different from that in which
they originated they sometimes disap-
point the buyer. Very often an origi-
nator manurcs highly, mutches well, keeps
down suplT blossoms and runners, and
cultivates carefully before displaying his
crop, while the variety may be really no
better than some other well-knOwn
variety if given the same good treatment.
Salt has been greatly recommended as
a specific manure for the ounce. 1t is
undoubtedly helpful, but it owes its
good effect moro to its influence in keep
ing the soil moist and preventing its
freezing, than to any inherent manurial
properties There are undoubtedly times
when salt is absolutely hurtful 20 ounce
trees, applied in large quantities after
deep cultivation which has broken, torn
and bruised the slender roots. OF the
mineral manurcs, potash in the form OF
wood ashes, lcachcd or unleachcd, We
have found most beneficial.
One of the most successful persons in
raising peaches is Mr.. Andrew Swccten,
of New jersey. according to the Farm
Joulndl. 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, cultivatcs we'll and raises truck
on the land until the trees are large. lie
removes the surface earth around the
trees for two or three feet when manur-
ing, making the depth about three inches,
and after filling the manure in covers il
with earth.
In well planned system of farming
the subject OF crop rotations should be
carefully considered, as one of the essen
tial elements of success in its highest anC
best sense. Early writers on agriculture
even from the times of the Greeks anC
Romans, have quite uniformly urged the
advantages of a succession of crops from
the teachings of experience. That thcst
practical rules of alternating crops o
/ different habits and modes of growth arr
based on correct but not fully explained
/ principles has been shown by direct eX.
pertinent. At Rothamstcd, England, Drs
Lawes and Gilbert obtained nearly a
much wheat in eight crops, attended will
eight crops of beans, as in sixteen crop
of wheat grown cOnsecutivcly withou
manure in another field; and also nearly
as much wheat rs in eight crops alter
mated with ba refallov.