The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-06-26
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
CLOSE PLANTING.

CLOSE PLANTING.
ALL observed facts go to prove that close
planting of crops is wrong but just how far
apart plants should be from each other to pro-
duce the best results is yet undecided. Grape
vines planted twenty feet apart have given
heavy crops of fine fruit, where those planted
six feet apart have dwindled to a few punches
of imperfect fruit.
The orange growers of Florida are now set
ting their trees thirty-fve, and some prefer
forty feet apart. Some twenty-year old groves,
where the trees are twenty-five feet apart, are
found to be entirely too close, the roots having
overrun and occupied every part of the soil,
and the trees can only be kept in profitable
condition by abundant manuring and watering.
We have advised planting apple orchards in
double rows, thirty feet apart, across fields,
leaving spaces three or four hundred feet be-
tween The rows of planting, SO that the roots
would have ample room to extend before meet
ing those of the nearest rows.
We notice in an exchange the result of wide
planting of corn for ensilage. The land was
plowed about seven inches in depth twenty
five one-horse loads of barnyard manure were
applied per acre-not a very heavy dressing.
The manure was narrowed in, and the land
well narrowed and dragged until the surface
was smooth and fine The rows were marked
five feet apart Three to four kernels were
dropped together every eighteen inches in the
row and covered with a hoe About half
bushel of seed was used per acre. The field
was well hoed with horse cultivator, and
yielded 100 tons on five acres. Some of the
largest stalks were fifteen feet high, and
weighed at the rate of thirty-fve tons to the
acre. This method of planting in wide rows
and hills saves Seed permits the air and sun to
penetrate, and makes thrifty, stout growth.
Too close seeding makes dense growth that
smothers itself to a considerable extent.
SELECTING VEGETABLE SEED.
A correspondent of the Farmers World says:
/ have been experimenting for three years in
the selection of seed. / have saved for seed
the early pods of peas and planted the peas for
three years. This year, the fourth one, had
peas ten days and two weeks earlier than the
same variety (seed not selected) matured. /
have also gained similar results from corn,
tomatoes and cucumbers. i may also add that
the quality certainly has improved with the
selection of the fine early specimens for seed"
The above is the true method of saving seed
for the purpose stated-that is, to increase the
tendency to early maturity. Any other desired
quality may be similarly attained, such as the
number of peas in a pod the size of the pea,
prolific bearing, &C., simply by always select
ing the sample which comes nearest possessing
the qualities desired; but the selection may
have to be continued for several years before
race having fxity of type can be secured
and even then the selection must be kept up,
otherwise degeneration will result. We think
that the time will come when there will be
recognized growers of certain kinds of seeds,
and these will be OF more marked character
than those who are at present engaged in this
industry. They will first secure improved
varieties by careful selection as indicated
above, and then by continued careful selection
maintain the integrity Of their improvements,
and thus keep their productions up to their
,ier5s. c+a or1c IF
then not hear so much about varieties " run
ming out and being abandoned as no longer of
any particular value.
ENUMERATION OF THE SOIL
The late improvements in farm machinery
and implements enable farmers to harvest their
crops at less cost, and in less, time than ever
before. This is a factor Of the utmost impor-
lance, because it enables the farmer to secure
his crops in the best possible condition at har-
vesting. But, as we have had occasion fire.
quently TO remark, not much has been gained
in facilitating the preparation of the land for
crops. True, great improvements have been
| made in plows and harrows, particularly the
| latter, so that thorough pulyerization of the
surface may readily be attained but deep pull
yerization is still dependent mainly upon the
plow, and frequent blowing of the soil is a
question involving much force of horse power,
and the consequence usually is, that the work
observing that in France, where much atten-
| ton is given TO sugar-beet culture they are
| finding out that too much attention has been
| given to the study of manures for this crop,
and too little to the mechanical preparation of
the SOIL 1t is now seen that land quite deeply
and finely pulverized prevents the roots from
| forking, encourages greater development of
sugar and heavier yield of roots, and that
| these results follow Independent of any partic-
ular kind of manuring; and that high manur-
ing, in the absence of making the soil fine, will
not yield so good results as can be secured by
pulyerization even on land not so highly ma
| nured. This is point which should not be
overlooked by farmers and gardeners.
WATER IN FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CULTURE
Complaints are heard from Florida about
the injury resulting to orange groves from
want of rainfall. 1t is stated that the leaves
are drying up on the trees and the young fruit
dropping off; all of which is very discouraging.
The Floridans are so sensitive about the cli-
mate of their State that they are afraid to in
suit it by adopting precautionary measures
such as are found essential to success all the
world over. In the matter of water which
orange trees need III profusion at certain sea-
sons of their growth, perfect supply can be
obtained by digging or boring wells and lift
ing and distributing water by windmills.
Every four acres of grove should have wind
iulli dDu distributing cOnVcitituCSS lOE llitlDg
and conveying water to each tree. If one-half
of the money now spent for manures for orange
trees could be used in supplying water, the re-
suit would be, we have no doubt, perfectly
astounding; and it is safe to presume that at no
distant day irrigation will be very generally
provided for by all orange growers in Florida.
a thorough supply and command of water is
equally valuable to vegetable and small-fruit
growers all over the country and it is rather
surprising, seeing how much is lost by dry
weather and short supply of water, that means
for irrigation have not been more generally
adopted.
CURING HAY.
Overdrying kills the hay beyond recovery
Hay requires but little drying. 1t requires
curing. Its living principles should be pre-
served. We once cut a large quantity of clover
hay when the bulk of the blossoms were fully
open, but good part of them were just open
ing. The clover lay from 10 in the morning
| to in the afternoon, when it was raked and
| gathered into cocks containing about 200 or
300 pounds. In that state it remained nearly
week. 1t soon grew warm, but in such small
! bulk it could take no harm. 1t simply cured;
the moisture escaped slowly, and, when the
cocks were thrown open few hours before the
| hay was drawn to the barn, the unopened
| blooms were gradually unfolding. Thus it
went into the barn. There it again became
warm, but only very moderately. In the win
| ter the hay was green and the blossoms re-
| tanned their natural color. The immature ones
had fully opened and were messed onf in tbe cir