News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-08-21
FARM AND GARDEN.
SeasonnbIe Notes from the "Amer1can
AgricuIturist'' for August.

MEAL AND WATER.-Meal and water
is good for man and beast, easily made,
and it is surprising that every farmer
does not use it. Oatmeal is better, but
for horses, COWS and sheep, we use corn
meal. All we do is to stir in some meal
in the water in the trough where the
horses drink. If it gets sour, empty the
trough and let the pigs have it. At first
the horses do not like it, and it is better
to give them little in pail, until used
to it, when they will drink it as readily as
pure water. When the horses come
home tired and thirsty, at noon or night,
nothing can be better for them. Or at
any time when they have to work longer
than usual, drink of meal and water
puts new life and vigor into them. By
stirring up the meal from the bottom
Just before the horse drinks, or even
while he is drinking, he will get more
meal.
KILL THE LATE WEEDS The fight
with the weeds in the corn-feld should
not stop with the cultivator. We have
frequently seen farmers strive manfully
against the pests until midsummer, and
then, through negligence, subject them
selves to annoyance through the next
season. Some weeis have limited sea-
son of growth, and if kept rooted out
until midsummer, will rarely come up
again; others continue growing until
severe frosts come. An old Illinois
farmer said cockleburr would come up
in the morning, grow until four in the
afternoon, and mature seeds before the
frost could kill it that night. This is an
exaggeration, yet the cockleburr must
be fought until there are heavy frosts.
The velvet-leaf, Jimson, and rag-weeds,
will commence growth almost as late.
Weeds are very prolific, and an occa-
sional one gone to seed in the corn-feld,
will insure good crop the next season.
Corn should not be cultivated after it is
tasseled, but the weeds can be cut out
without disturbing the soil. For this pur-
pose we have seen a short scythe used,
but we much prefer hoe with q sharp
edge.
MARKET AND KITCHEN GARDEN.--The
hotter and drier the weather, the faster
the "pussley" grows. Hoe up and feed
it to the pigs. Vegetables for. market
should be put up neatly. Beets and
other roots must be washed and tied in
punches. Plant bush-beans for late
crops. Pinch off the ends of the vines
of Iimas when they reach the tops OF
the poles. Beets, carrots, and other
roots should be hoed until the tops pre-
vent. The fodder from sweet-corn may
be greatly increased by cutting up the
stalks as soon as the ears are gathered.
Cultivate well. Gather cucumbers for
pickles at soon as they are of the de-
sired size. Keep the fruit of egg plants
from the ground with wisp of straw or
hay. As melons approach maturity,
turn to secure even ripening. Do not
allow sweet-potato vines to take root at
the joints; move them at each hoeing.
Onions are known to be ripe when
large share of the tops fall over. Pull,
dry thoroughly, cut off the tops, and
sell. Cultivate and hoe among the
squashes as long as the vines will allow.
Permit the vines to take root at the
joints. Late cabbages and caulifiowers
need to be kept free from weeds. Tur-
nips are to be sown; the ground from
which the early potatoes were removed
is excellent for them. Sow rutabagas
early this month, and the Aberdeen and
Yellowstone any time before September
first. Tomatoes, foliage stems, and
fruit are devoured by a large green
worm or caterpillar, which can neither
bite nor sting, despite its horn. Wher-
ever its abundant droppings are seen on
the ground, hunt on the vine for the
worm. Keep the vines tied up to the
trellis, and cut away all badly shaped
fruit.
SAvr rur PorArorc The method of
applying Paris Green or London Purple
to potato vines infested with the Colo
RADIO beetles or ''potato bugs" says
Joseph Harris, is of comparatively little
consequence. The important point is to
apply 1t early enough, and often enough,
and late enough. Halfway meas
ures do not answer. 1t is folly to talk
about Manipulating. 1t is fool hardy to
sit still and hope that the bugs will leave
of their own accord, or do little damage.
they will almost certainly ruin your crop.
And mark you, the injury done, whether
it is to the extent of one-eighth, one
quarter, or one-haIf the crop, is so much
deducted from your profits. The inter-
est ON the land, the cost of manures,
the labor of blowing, narrowing, rolling,
marking, planting seed, cultivating,
hoeing, and to a great extent digging
the crop, is the same for good yield as
a bad one.
Potatoes will probably be potatoes
next spring. 1t is seldom they are so
cheap as they were this spring two
Years in succession But whether they
are cheap or dear, provided We grow
them at all, it is very unwise to let the
bugs eat up the vines and our profits at
the same time, all for the want of little
energy, and the prompt and repeated
application of little Paris Green or
London Purple.
Two years ago, we knew man who
had two fields of potatoes. One he
"greened" in good season, and the other
he thought would get along without it.
About three weeks afterward he found
that the potatoes where no Paris
Green was used were covered with the
bugs. He then applied the poison, and
at the same time repeated the appllca-
ton on the first field. On the first field
he had two hundred bushels per acre,
on the other not fifty bushels, and part
were SO poor that he did not dig them at
all. He lost not less than five hundred
dollars worth of potatoes for the want of
three or four dollars worth of labor and
Paris Green.