The Mineral argus., 1885-02-05

than good.
wheat Growing.
Exhaustive tillage is working mischief
with western wheat growers; they are
drawing recklessly on their soil depos.
its; sterility will soon relieve Chicago
elevators of their plcthoric supplies;
there is limit TO the fertility of virgin
soil, and when it is reached, wheat and
other grains will command higher
prices. Till then, New York and other
Eastern farmers will find il for their
interest to grow wheat very moderately.
When spring crops have introduced
thistles and weeds. = we'll worked sum-
mer.fallow is the best means Of purifi-
cation and the best preparation for fall
seeding with Red Top and Timothy !;
either wheat or rye should be sown
with grass seed. The only condition
on which Eastern farmers can raise
wheat ut present prices is that they
work their land so thoroughly, and ma
nure it SO highly, that their average yield
sl.all not fall below 30 bushels to the
acre.-Rural New Yorker.
How to Plant Tree Claims.
At the solicitation of some Of my
friends. who know Of my experience in
handling forest trees. I have been in
duced to give few practical ideas as
to the way tree claims ought to be
planted. Most planters npnn antering
their claims have not the remotest idea
Of what kind Of trees they ought to
plant or how they had best set to work
to perform the operation Of planting to
the best advantage. This article may
he the means of helping some one to u
proper and practical solution Of what
to them has been quite problem, and
if 80 will he glad.
The law requires that ten acres on
each quarter section must he set with
trees, and the distance is to be four by
four feet apart. This makes the num-
ber of trees necessary to each claim
amount to 27,WO. or 2,7OO to each
acre. The land should he broken up
at least one year before the time
the trees are to be set out, and il
two years before, and crop taken of,
it would he much better for the trees
and greatly lessen the labor of both
planting and culture. After the ground
is all freshly ploughed in the spring. it
should be marked of with u four-line
marker, each running to he exactly
four feet from the other. These marks
Il. L., .xr c..1l
as Though they were for corn, and must
he run both ways. Then take q turn
ing plough, drive the team so that the
plough will make fnrrow i'm exact line
with the mark. having the land side
next TO it. as guide for the trees to he
set by. In these burrows the roots of
the trees are t. be set, one being placed
opposite each cross mark made by til.
marker when it went across the field.
Two men. or one man and a boy, is all
the help necessary to set ont tree
claim after the ground is all prepared
and the burrows made. Set IA tree up
straight. with its roots in the bottom of
the furrow, which would make it about
right depth and have man with clean
bright spade, so it will scour
SdSiNs tuIOW ou uut cuOlku I'd
cover the roots: hold the tree
in its place while you pack the earth
above them by stepping on with both
feet. Then pass along to the next
mark and set tree there. and in the
same manner the whole field can be
planted, botn easily and expelitiously.
The next operation, after there are q
number of rows planted. is to run over
the rows with a two-horss cultivator
and ill in the burrows, or if no cnltiva-
tor is at hand. take a double-shovel
plough and one horse, turning back the
loose earth thrown out by the big
plough; or, being careful not to throw
too strong a fnrrow against the trees,
the big plough can he used for fillixg
up.
1t will he necessary. after the burrows
are filled in around the trees. to go over
the rows and tramp around each tree
again and straighten il mp il the dirt
Knocked it over. This constitutes the
planting. and then comes the culture.
which should be begun early; in fact,
the cultivator Ought to he run over the
rows soon after planting: so as to fill in
some loose earth around the trees and