The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-05-16
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers


HINTS FOR THE MARKET GARDEN.
After the first complete planting of garien
crops and when the ground has once been fully
occupied, the careful gardener will plan for
succession crops to occupy each place as it be-
comes vacant The ground having been well
enriched in the beginning, and well cultivated
subsequently, it will pay better to work it for
second, and even third crops, than to manure
and break up new ground. As to the best meth
DDS of continuously occupying the land, each
gardener must be guided somewhat by the needs
of his market The first ground to become
vacant will be that upon which were grown
onions. beets and radshes As the onions and
beets will be thinned, instead of being pulled
regularly (the largest being picked out as they
become ready for market), vacant places will
be made in the rows. In these may be put
cabbage plants "a second early kind, filling
ouly alternate rows so that by the time the
first crop is of the ground will be fully occu-
pied again and ready for the continued use OF
the cultivator
The smaller plant is when set out. the bet
ter it is, providing it has a stem stout and
stOcky enough to be handled without damag
ing it. four-inch cabbage or sweet potato
plant is better than larger one, more sure to
requisite for success with such crops, especially
with celery is to have good plants. Plump.
stocky punches of celery will bring two or
three times as much in the market as thin, i'll
shaped ones To produce these to the fullest
extent the plants must be transplanted at least
once twice is BETTER before being finally set in
the rows. The first transplanting should be as
soon as the plants are large enough to handle;
the second, when they are four to six inches
high, and they should then be cut back one
third their hight. This can be done easily and
quickly by taking them up in punches and
clipping the tops with large shears.
The tomato plant will also repay any especial
care given in transpanting. This plant should
never be forcibly pulled out from the seed bed,
but compact ball of earth should remain about
the roots and be kept there intact until the
plant is reset An implement especially made
for such purpose may be had at the seedstores
for small sum, or garden trowel carefully
handled will do the work very well.-American
AgrieultlriSt.
LAMBS IN MAY.
If lamb secures plenty of milk he is the
happiest little fellow in the world, and the man
who does not forget his cares for a moment as
he watches dozen strong, vigorous lambs frisk-
ing down a hillside. only to scamper up again,
must be cold-hearted indeed If lamb tags
along behind the eve with his back up and
head down he is certainly hungry, and the
reason must be discovered at once. Possibly
he has not been able to start the milk, or there
is not sufficient quantity, or the eve will not
stand. In the first case the eve must be caught,
and the milk forced through the orifice so the
lamb can secure supply. If the quantity IS
small, the eve must receive special attention in
the way of better food, 1ith an allowance of
bran and corn and little oil-meal. run by
herself in the orchard for few days usually
makes her lamb happy. Some young ewes are
so over-anxious about their lambs that they
will not give them time to fill themselves, but
keep moving about. Such should beplaeed in a
small pen in the shed, where everything is quiet,
we'll fed and watered, until the lamb is strong
enough to obtain readily its needed support.
If small opening is made into the pen on the
end of the shed the lambs will run in away from
the older sheep In this little room they can
be fed meal and bran and also salted, aud will
grow rapidly under this extra attention. If a
eve loses her lamb remove the pelt and place
it on some other lamb tone of pair of twins),
and if shut up together the eve will soon own
it and raise it finely.
After shearing the sheep, the ticks accumu-
Nate on the lambs To remove these pests, dip
| the lambs in any good approved preparation.
; Tobacco stems, which cost % cents for two
bushels, may be stepped in hot water for the
purpose. Two weeks after shearing is the
proper time. If 10 other dip is at hand use lard
oil, two parts; kerosene oil, two parts; linseed
oil, one part, Apply with a sponge or rag to
every lamb.-An1erican Agricidtarist
MORTALITY AMONG YOUNG CHICKENS.
1t would be very foolish idea to hold in
ones mind that the culture of poultry could
be carried on without sickness, death or acct
dental losses The mortality among young
chickens is mainly due to one or the other of
the following causes: Hereditary faint, alb
sence of warmth while in the downy state,
Cd nod ofFsa If fRfr
from constitutionaly weak and diseased parents
will sooner or later affect the offspring when
their vital functions are pnduly exposed or
taxed. Bad cases Of diptheretic Group tnbercu-
lous affections of the lungs or liver scrofula
may be transmitted through several genera
tions.
POOR OR NO FENCES.
ga poor fence is rather more troublesome
than no fence. because it becomes means of
educating cattle in vicious ways-a temptation
to which they yield readily and soon become
| proficient III breaking or leaping barriers"
| This is one of the strongest arguments against
| poor fences that can be urged; otherwise or
| derby cattle, by the temptation of a faulty
| fence, are induced to leave an Enclosure, and
! having taken one step, the next follows more
/ easily, and but little time is required to make
an animal one of the most disorderly, and such
that even good fence will present no barrier
| against. The better time to lock the stable is
before the horse is stolen, not afterwards.
THE RADIsH FLY.
| The radish fly, as usual, will be on hand
| early to do business for itself and against as
/ The eggs are laid on the stem close to the
| ground, and the maggots feed on the roots. In
| June they transform to pupR and make new
! deposit of eggs. Hot water has been recon-
mended as remedy, but it does not always
work with entire satisfaction. Thefollowing has
| been tried with success: Mix one quart of soft
soap and gallon of water. Bring the mixture
to boil and then add one pint of crude car
| bolic acid. Dilute with 40 to so parts of water
This may be sprinkled on the radishes Some
radlsh growers turn the mixture into trench
that is run close alongside of the row. We
| have never tried this remedy, but some of ouI
correspondents recommend it highly.
NOTES
A handful of linseed meal fed to horses
| two or three times a week is recommended tC
| regulate the system and promote health.
| The more wrinkled the pea seed the better
| the quality, but the kinds that are of the
wrinkled varieties are not usually the earliest
| and also require supports.
There IS plenty Of room for fruit on every
| farm. Farmers give special attention to apples
but not one-tenth of them grew strawberries
| raspberries or currants even for home use.
! The city of New York consumed last year
about 100000 barrels of poultry and 100000
| dozen eggs. The city of Philadelphia used
about half that quantity. The State of Ohio
raised about Sl,000O00 worth of eggs in one