News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-12-25
FARM AND GARDEN.

STARTING A FARM GARDEN "A prop
erly worked and manured fl IN garden
improves every year. Sta1 ing with
ordinary farm land, it is almost impossi-
ble to get it In the best and highest con-
ditiot1 the first season. The chief reason
for this is probably because, no matter
now much manure we may use, it is
difficult to get it thoroughly mixed with
the soil. An eminent chemist, the late
Professor Way, once said manure needed
to be digested by the soil before it was
in the right condition to be assimilated
by the roots of plants. This may be
somewhat fanciful, but at any rate,
every gardener must have observed that
raw land, even though it may be heavily
manured, seldom gives the best results
the first year. To avoid disappointment
the first season, therefore, we would
earnestly recommend those who are
about to start a new garden next spring,
to cemmence preparation this autumn.
If there is time for nothing more, remove
all the rubbish and weeds and large
stones. Plow it deep and well, and if
the soil is dry enough to pulverize, put
on the harrow and roller, and reduce it
to the finest tilth.
The CULTIVATION OF ONIONS. Onion
growing is a speciality in certain sections
principally on black, mucky land.
The onions are grown year after year on
the same land. In many localities,
where onions were once largely grown,
the crop has been abandoned, owing to
the ravages of the onion maggot. This
gives farmers, in places where the crop is
not extensively grown, decided advan-
tage. The maggots are not likely to be
very troublesome for few years. To
those proposing to grow onions for the
first time we desire to offer some sug-
gestions: Get the land ready for SOW
ing in the fall. PIow it, harrow it, pick
off the stones and rubbish and work in
all the manure you can. Act exactly as
though you were going to SOW the seed.
but do not SOW it until spring. Drill in
the onion seed in the spring the first
moment the land is dry enough to work.
There are dozen other little matters OF
more or less Importance, but these
points, properly observed, will do moro
to insure success than the whole dozen.
As to the best land to select for sowing
ouions, we may say that we have had
good crops on light sand, and on heavy
clay, and ON black muck, and on soil
possessing a greater or less degree of all
these characteristics. Success depends
more on the man than on the soil.
SEAsoNABLE HINTS. Boiled small po-
tatoes, mixed with meal, will cause pigs
to grow and fatten. Give horses cut
feed in the winter. Cut the hay and
oat straw together, and sprinkle on the
meal; it saves the hay, utilizes the
straw, and the meal itself does better
service. Corn stalks should be cut fol
cattle. If you own an old horse, tina
has barely lived through the summer, i
would be act of mercy to put him out o
the way now. He would otherwise ea
l.stef-or aaeFe of y-RefeFe-sprihg opens
and then be worthless. Keep salt be
fore the cattle, or at least so convenien
to them, that regular 'fsalting" will no
be forgotten. Farmers should make
careful study of the feeding of store cat
tie, They make mistake who feet
simply to keep the animal alive throHgl
the, winter. 1t requires two-thirds of
full ration to sustain life without growth
whereas the other third will produc
growth, and yield profit on all th'
feed. The animal, which comes out il
good condition in the spring, has lone
way the start of one that, from INSULT
cient food, must take month on gras
to get thrifty again. Do not delay fill
ing the ice-house, for single day, afte
the ice is six inches thick and of gooC
quality. Get ont the years supply o
fire wood, and any logs needed for tim
ber, lumber, etc. american Agric,'l
'-IriSt for December.