News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-05-14
FARM AND GARDEN.
.nrICE ABOUT CORN PLANTING
LIVE STOCK NOTES, ETC.
A Few seasonabIe Hints from the "Ameri-
can AgrfcuItnrist'' for Mny.

This to the majority of our readers, is
The corn. planting month. No other crop
! 90 demands that "we make haste
SLOWLY" as this. Corn being tropical,
or at least a subtropical, plant, it re-
quires higher temperature for Its ger.
mination and growth than do natives of
temperate regions. The Indians rule
for planting, when "the young oak leaves
are as large as squirrels ear, and the
rule of the New England farmers, to
| plant when the shad-hower bush Is In
/ bloom, are only different ways OF saying,
"wait until the ground is warm. by
whatever natural sign the time may be
fixed. it will be found that the season IS
so far advanced that the thermometer
averages sixty degrees in the shade:
Corn is a rapid grower, and demands
large amount of plant food, and some
quick. acting fertilizer may be probably
sown with the seed, to give the young
plants a good start. The manure from
the poultry house may be best disposed
of here. Whether to plant IN nils or
drills, should be determined by the CON
dition of the soil. Planting IN drills
gives more plants, and consequently
greater yield to the acre, and Is best on
clean land; hill planting allows the crop
to be worked both ways, and Is prefer
able on weedy soils. The chief enemies
to sprouting corn are various cut-Worms
and grubs below ground, and crows and
black birds after it is up. Earring the
seeds will keep off insects. A pint OF
warm tar is stirred with peck of seed,
until every kernel is evenly coated, then
roll in plaster. Birds are kept off by
scalecrow of some kind; Gathering wind
mills being among the most effective.
Grass lands should be put in order for
the mower by rolling; pick up fallen
branches and whatever rubbish will OBJ
struct the machine. No sensible farmer
will pasture his meadows in spring. A
hundred pounds of nitrate of soda to the
acre will be profitable application. as
will a bushel or two of plaster to clover.
As soon as the soil is ready, plant
potatoes. Early planting of early vari-
cites is advisable where the beetle is
troublesome. If 'the bug" attacks the
crops, do not delay the use of Paris
green.
If root crops are not grown on the
farm, try few mangels this year; next
year there will be a field of them. Mark
off rich, well-mellowed soil in fifteen-inch
rows, and drop few seeds at every foot;
cover an inch deep, and make the soil
firm over them. When well up, remove
all but the strongest plants. Some OF
the globe varieties are to be preferred to
the long kinds.
Fodder crops to follow the rye must
be provided. AS soon as strip OF rye
is cut off, pillow, and SOW early sweet corn
or oats, for succession of fodder.
LIVE STOCK NOTES.
Horses and oxen are the motive power
of the farm. If we ever have steam
power instead, we shall be obliged to use
fuel. If we do not give these living en-
gines the fuel, or food they need, it is
folly to expect work. The steam engines
need care and oil, the animal engines
must have the card and brush to lubri-
cate the moving parts. An occasional
feed of green rye will be relshed by
horses. On all but stony land, they will
work with more comfort if unshod.
Oxen. though slow, are often better on
small farms than horses; if given time
at their work, and while feeding, they
will accomplish more than if hurried.
Make the change of COWS from dry feed
to pasture very gradual. Give salt to
prevent injury from over-eating of sue
culent grass. Bring up early, and feed
hay with roots, and give hay in the
morning, before they go to pasture.
Calves, when they are first pastured,
are often attacked by "black quarter"
and other diseases due to a sudden
change of food. An ounce of EPSON
salts given when first turned out, will
do much to prevent trouble. Ewes
from which lambs have been taken,
often suffer unless their distended I'D
ders are relieved. Tag the sheep before
they go to pasture. After sheep are
shorn, the ticks collect upon the lambs,
which will need dip of tobacco water.
If the oS<sss.sa.s1s is not in clover, it is not
at its best Tor both fruit and pigs. Pork
can be made very cheaply on clover, to
be finished on grain. Young pigs at
pasture should have coop which they
can enter, but which excludes the older
ones; keep q dish of milk or Stops in the
coop. Profit in poultry keeping de-
ponds on having eggs when they are
scarce, and sell at high prices. To have
such eggs, we must have early layers
next fall, and these are secured by
early hatchings now. Coops to confne
the hen and allow the chicks to run,
may be proftably placed here and there
in the garden.