Connecticut western news., 1886-06-02
COR THE FARM AND HOME.
Save Your Ashes.

COR THE FARM AND HOME.
 Save Your Ashes.
 An Indiana farmer says: A ton of wood ashes contains larger proportion of mineral matter than many may suppose. Every 100 pounds of wood ashes contain at least seven pounds of pure potash and thirty-two pounds of lime in the very best possible condition for the soil. It is deficient in nothing but nitrogen, which substance is lost during the combustion. There are about two pounds of phospho- ric ashes in wood ashes, in the shape of finely powdered phosphate of lime, and soda is also present, as we'll as over four pounds of magnesia. In making this estimate, will state that the correctness of the figures depends partly upon the kind of wood from which the ashes are derived, but are as near the exact pro portions as can be estimated. If esti- mate for ton, l find GAO pounds of lime, 40 pounds of potash, 80 pounds mag nesia, and 40 pounds phosphoric acid, making the ashes far more valuable than some commercial fertilizers. Corn cobs contain about 25 per cent of potash, or 500 pounds of potash per ton of ash, and they should, threfore, be carefully saved.
 Maturing Vines in the Hill.
 There is sound reason in the old prac- tice of putting shovelful of manure in the hills for melons and cucumbers. The manure should be finely routed and thoroughly mixed with the soil. If left in heap it will firefang in dry season and do more harm than good. If it is to be mixed with the soil why not have the manure distributed through the whole surface2 One reason against this is not generally appreciated. What we want on vines is not merely exuberant foliage but fruit. If length of vine only were desired, make all the ground bed of manure. When the manure is concen- trated in hill, as soon as vine roots reach poorer soil outside their growth is checked and the energies of the vine are turned to producing fruit. This is one reason why the best and earliest melons are grown on sandy soil, which is nearly always sterile unless recently manured. In very dry season lack of moisture checks the exuberance of the vines, so that good crops are grown on the richest land. But with plenty of moisture vines often grow and grow, without propor- tionate show of fruit, and the better the soil the greater danger from this evil.- Cultiuator.
 Improve the Quality Of Seed Corn.
 A bulletin from Dr. Sturtevant reports that trials made with the kiln drying o1 seed corn resulted, as similar trials have previously done, in increasing greatly it's value and certainty for seed purposes. These trials have also indicated the greater vigor of the plant which is growr from the kiln dried seed. Dr. Sturtevant feels, therefore, justified in advising farmers to select their seed corn by talk ing the best ears, and, after smelling it. to put it in warm place and allow it te thoroughly dry before using. Seed corn when planted too early is of tea destroyed in the ground. This des truction does not come from the cold, as often assumed, but from other condi tions, the most important of which is tn, slow germination of the seed and a vi tality which cannot endure this circum stance, and also the action of mould which grows rapidly at lower tempera ture than will suffice for the corn. It. therefore, holds good in practice that te those who plant early and the very bes of seed is of great importance, and wha adds value to this reflection is that early planted corn will usually yield larger crop than will the same variety planted at late period.-Nep Fork World. Paris Green for.CodlinR Worm. 1t has now been several years since wt have used Paris green for spraying bear ing apple trees early in summer for de- stroying the codling worm with marked success. The last report of the New York Experiment Station reports, with the additional accuracy of counting the trials made with this poison on several trees, alternate trees being left unsprayed to observe the difference. Some thou 1 sands in all of the apples were counted, and it was found that on the sprayed trees the average per cent. of wormy specimens was thirteen and half, and on the unsprayed trees .thirty-fve pel cent. It appears that only one effective spraying was given, the first having been done with an imperfect instrument. The fruit was about the size of cherries when the work was performed. We prefer at least three good sprayings. The ope- ration may have deterred to some extent the moths from laying their eggs, and, being used on adjacent trees, may have driven them from all alike to other orchards. Whatever may have been the cause, we have found a much larger pro- portion of wormy specimens in orchards where no spraying was given. Spraying with kerosene emulsion did no good. At