The National tribune., 1888-09-06
OUR RUR4L TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
DON'T FORGET THE COMPOST HEAP.

DON'T FORGET THE COMPOST HEAP.
The season is at hand when we should again
say that all farmers know the value of com
post and how to prepare it. Many farmers
manufacture hundreds of loads of the best
manure in this way. They gather together on
the premises forest leaves cornstalks, including
the roots, weeds vines, and offal from fence-cor-
ners, muck from ponds and bitches, occasional
sprinklings of lime through the mass, layers of
barnyard manure, aud thus build up obOng
squares and let remain over Winter. When
April arrives the mass has gone through fer
mentation and communion and presents a
mound offertilizing matter better than small
! gold-mine would be to the proprietor of the
farm. But we want to see these compost heaps
in the garden, and there is no reason why they
! should not be there as we'll as upon the farm.
| There is rubbish enough in the garden, with
| the assistance of leaves, some mold from the
woods if attainable if not, from portions of
! the premises where it can be spared scrapings
! from the turnpike, manure from the stable, and
every attainable substance that will decay
| through the Winter. little sIaked lime will
! be good assistance. A half-dozen loads of
| excellent manure will be manufactured by the
! time it is wanted in the Spring, without in
! curing a cent of actual expense, and at the
! same time the garden viii be cleared of lis
vines, stalks, weeds and all otherwise worthless
! trash GeTm0atogn Telegraph.
SAVING CARRIAGES TILL SPRING.
! We know Of no better way to preserve cab
! bages through the Winter than that which we
| have recommended for d number of years. 1t
! is to plant or set them up in rows rs they grow
Is vi hp n soil
! pretty freely, then make a covering by plant
! ing two posts where there is fence to rest on
/ or four where there is not, allowing for a
| pitch to carry off the water; lay bCan-poleS
/ opposite the way Of the pitch and cover with
| cornf0dder or straw or boards. In using through
! the Winter avoid as much as possible the sun
! ny side and close up again. We have not found
/ that setting the cabbages upside-down in the
! rows, as many do of any advantage, as We have
! kept ours for more than % years in the way
VIC mention in a sound, perfect condition,
| through the Winter into the Spring, and could
| even up to the 1st OF May if desirable. We
see other methods recommended and they may
answer just as well, but as to our own we
| speakfrom long experience.
LOOK AFTER THE CELERY.
! As the celery crop is one of the most desira-
bic raised in the garden, and at tile same time
! one of the most difficult to obtain il perfec-
! ton, 1t cannot be referred TO too frequently.
! Before the time arrives when banking COM
/ mences, the soil along the rows should be fire.
/ quently stirred, inasmuch is the daily water
! ing OF The plants creates a crust which shuts
! out the air aud seriously interfcres with the
! growth Of the plants at a time when they are
/ too young aud weak to take care Of them
I selves. Twice q week, until they are we'll
/ established and are well on the way to make
| steady Roadway, they should be well soaked
/ with manuro-watcr; but at other times with
! plain water only. When the plants have grown
eight OF nine inches the adjoining soil should
! be gradually drawn 10 them, and tie quantity
/ increased as their growth progresses, always
! being very careful to remove all clOds or
ground from the top of the leader Of each
/ plant so as there shall be 40 obstruction to its
/ free growth; ana this work should always be
/ done by The hand.
NUTRITIvE RATIOS.
The farmers at times have occasion to become
Disguised with scientific teachings for the rea-
/ son that scientific teachers disagree in their
/ conclusions relative TO the results of purely
! scientific Investigation. Quite a large proper
! ton OF the agricultural scientists OF this coun-
/ try, following in the line Of the German iuvcs-
/ tigatOrs, have been recommending the adoption
( Of systematic feeding by the use Of such food
! products as will form when combined fixed
proportion between the nitroeenous and non
heterogeneous elements Of the food. The idea
has grown TO be very popular aud is generally
supposed 10 have a substantial foundation, but
| recently Prot. Manley Miles, in a discussion Of
4 the subject, calls somewhat in question some Of
/ tho conclusions resulting from recent expert
mcnts. This collision between scientific in
vg5tigator5 is not calculated to inspire conf
deuCc with those who feed and are governed by
practical results.
The great English eXperimentor Sir John b.
I LaWer, with many years of experimenting in
the various fields Of farm practice, recently cx-
/ pressed himself in a manner that would indi-
cate doubt regarding the attempt to follow any
fixed rule or nUJritiyo ratio in feeding when
he states that he pays little regard to any
nutritive ratios. 1t may yet be found that con
dtiou Of feed and lis assinilabuity has all to
DO with its feeding value.
Farmers should hail with delight all infor-
nation that will lead to or assist in the deter
mination Of the questions OF the most ec0noni-
Cal feeding, but they are left at sea where one
class recommends course that is condemned
| or at least questioned by another class. Science
must 10 surc.-EEchaaJe.
CLUB ROOT IN CABBAGE.
At one of the meetings Of the Massachusetts,
State Board of Agriculture the question was
asked, WhGt causes the club root in cabbages,
and what is the remedy?" To the first part
OF the inquiry no satisfactory answer was given,
and experiences that Lad any bearing upon a
supposed cause were so varied and contradic-
tory tuab no satisfactory conclusion could be
reached. One suggested that it was the use OF
highly heterogeneous manure, and recommended
that mo green stable manure should ever be
used III growing cabbages, while another stated
that he always had the best success in the use
Of green stable manure. Another also stated
that he made use Of salt upon the soil where
cabbages were to grow, and always had good
crop. This was Contradicted III another in.
stance, where salt was applied and the cabbages
We're killed Thus there was conflicting testi-
mony But in one direction the evidence was
one way. Several speakers mentioned the
planting of cabbages upon old pasture land, OF
upon q sod that has not been cultivated for
few years. where there was no trouble in secur
ing a nice crop. This is point worthy of re-
membrauce by cabbage growers who have ex
perienced the same difficulty that has troubled
the Massachusetts, farmers.
NOTES.
"A young son of Calvin Selby, of Fair
mount, Ill, recently died from blood poisoning
that was caused by killing potato bugs with hi
bare hands, on which were several cuts.
- Many farmers let fruits and vegetables q
to waste because OF the absurd idea that it il
cheaper to buy them dried canned in Win
ter than to preserve them at home while they
are plenty and right at hand.
- The best place fors0apsuds from the wasi
kitchen at this season is the cucumber anl
melon match. Saturate the ground around tht