News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-09-10
FARM AND GARDEN.
The Month of August on the Farm.

While very large majority of farm
ers destroy June weeds, when July weeds
come many farmers only partially de-
stroy them, and August weeds are per-
mitted to grow unmolested by most OF
farmers, except among fall crops, like
turnips and cabbage. So few attempt
to destroy August weeds among the
earlier crops that not a half dozen will
be seen at it in days ride through
farming district. This should not be so,
for the destruction of weeds In August
pays as well as any operation performed
on the farm. 1t is true, their destruc-
tion so late In the season will not very
much increase the early crops; but 1t
will rid the land of weed seeds, and
thus save great amount of labor next
year. It is said, with much truth, that
zone years seeding makes seven years
wedding" We often hear intelligent
farmers say it is impossible to kill weeds
In August in a wet season, even though
the land be hoed twice a week. This
is true if the weeds have been permitted
to get large and are not removed from
the field. We have for many years
made it practice to carry all weeds OF
much size from the field after the first
of July. In this way, if the work be
continued during the growing season,
most of the weeds will be destroyed.
When the weeds on farm are once de-
stroyed the work of cultivation is very
much reduced. The only weeds that
cannot be easily conquered are sorrel
and purslane. On rich, well-pulverized
land the sorrel may be conquered in
few years, but purslane will try the pa
tience of very persevering man; it is
so prolific of seed and requires so very
short time to mature its seed, that it is
only by constant watchfulness and dill
gent labor until the growing season is
over, that IL can be prevented from
ripening its seed. This is a weed that
must be destroyed when very small, or
it must be carried from the field to
prevent it from growing; the same is
true of sorrel Either of these weeds
left on the surface of the soil, even in
a dry time, unless frequently disturbed,
will send out numerous roots from the
branches while the old roots are getting
the full benefit of the hot sun. Farm
ers should keep up the battle with the
weeds in their gardens to the end of the
growing season, and thus keep the land
free from weed seeds, that all future
cultivation shall be comparatively easy.
After the first crop of hay is all har-
vested, the bushes in the pastures should
be looked after. When there are no
stones or rocks to interfere, the bushes
can be cut on quite large field in a day,
with good scythe; but to simply NOW
the bushes once a year, as is the common
practice of farmers, is not all that is
needed. 1t is true by one yearly cutting
the bushes may be prevented from be-
coming surplanted with trees, but it will
not kill the bushes and bring in crop
of grass, which is what is most desired.
When bushes have got into pasture it
is better to go over less amount of land
and do it well; it pays to cut the bushes
very near the ground, and then to go
over the land with a very heavy harrow,
narrowing it both ways; but before har-
rowing it more than one way, apply a
liberal dressing of manure and then sow
grass seed. If this work be done the
last of August just before good shower,
the grass will come up and do much to
kill out the bushes another year, and
thus improve the pasture and at the
same time save the trouble of moving
every year to keep the bushes down.
AS rule before the end of the month
of August many pastures will become
dry and the feed get so short that unless
the cows are fed at the barn night and
morning the flow of milk will fall below
what is desirable. just how much to
feed each COW is sometimes very diff
cult question to decide; the farmer will
exercise his best Judgment and feed to
each animal the amount he thinks will be
| the most profit. An intelligent farmer
| who has had practical experience can
judge very nearly what extra food is ne
cessary to give his COWS to keep them
well filled, but he cannot always decide
| correctly what particular food 1t is best
to give; animals differ so much that
1 what may be best for one is NOT always
best for another. One COW may require
food that will produce principally flesh,
| while another may require that which
! will produce less flesh and more milk.
| The Intelligent successful farmer will
carefully consider the particular wants
| of each COW, and will give her as nearly
as possible the food that is best adapted
to supply her wants.
Those who keep sheep will not fail to
sow field with English turnips. 1t is
the custom of some to SOW turnips in the
cornfeld about the 1st of August.
Sometimes good crops are thus obtained,
but there is a more certainty of getting
a good crop by sowing land from which
early potatoes have been dug. When
the land is cleared by the middle of
August, there is ample time to get good
crop of flat turnips Before the seed is
sown, the land should be well narrowed.
and if one or two hundred pounds of
superphosphate be spread on each acre,
q 90 ! 4l,,
the land is made level and smooth, sow
the turnips in drills far enough apart to
insure good-sized turnips; run the wheel
hoe between the rows few times, and
if the land is of fair quality, large
crop of turnips may be expected. A
small feed of turnips each day during
the winter is very beneficial to cattle as
well as sheep, and as they can
be grown at trihing cost, farmers
should not neglect to SOW field of tur-
nips every year, and they should not let
other business crowd them so as to de-
lay sowing the seed at the proper time.
August is the month to bud fruit
trees. This is a process so simple that
every one who has even a small garden
should learn to bud his own trees. If
the bud should fail to live, it does not
iniure the tree so much as it does when
a graft fails to live. The bud heals bet
ter than a graft, leaving the tree in a
condition less liable to decay; and bud
sends up better shaped stem than
graft. On large trees budding is not as
desirable 1t is much more labor to
change tree by grating, and when
changed it is more difficult to prevent
shoots growing from the original stock.
Massachusetts PIOughHGR.
They Couldn't Dance.
A curious cOlple caught nv eve down