Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1889-08-16
1.RR CITIZEN
MISCELLANEOUS.
Agricultural.

from going TO seed. Under no circum
stances allow a single weed to seed.
Although il is late for sowing seed t.
produce crops, sorghum, miliet and buck
wheat should be grown and plowed under
as remedy for weeds, and also to manure
the soil
Leskr roofs in Summer do damage a'
I reu as IN winter. II is important that
t..at TIE crop stored in the barn be kept
absolutely dry. j single leak viii caus'
enough damage to pay for new roof.
In making cider for vinegar it is mis-
take to use the partially rotten or inferior
apples for that purpose. Good vinegar car
only be made from ripe and sound apples
| and where it is difficult to ship apples to
market it will pay to convert them into
vinegar.
1t has been demonstrated that the straw
from a wheat crop can be made to take the
place of hay if cut and fed in connection
with grain. This should encourage farmers
to give more attention to the storage oi
the straw, and 70 keep il in a clean, bright
condition.
Late cabbsge requires good cultivation
/ 4 ,ilot Of cabbage that have been worked
win grow .s,e.. and produce better heads,
than VIII those that have received larger
supply OF manure and the cultivation
neglected. The ground around cabbages
| should never be hard and baked.
Keep something growing on the land
and yon viii then keep down the weeds.
1t does no: pay to take off crop and then
! allow the lard to grow up in weeds. 1t is
! better to plow the land frequently if no
crop is on it. The aim should Ire not to
allow a single weed to grow.
If scrub stock does not pay try something
better The success of stock raising de-
ponds on the breed. 4 steer of a beef pro-
duc;ng breed viii weigh 1000 pounds,
while scrub steer OF the same age viii not
reacr one half that weight. The large diff
ference shows where the loss occurs from
the use Of the scrub.
Weeds make valuable food for hogs. 1t
is much better to feed the young and ten
der weeds to stock than to allow them to
waste. On some fields the weeds are thick
enough to NOW. The pigweed and rag
weed make excellent hog food. Purslaine
and crabgrass are highly relished by cattle
and swine
The application Of potash salts to fruit
trees and vines seem to give better results
than ashes The question to be considered
in This connection is whether the potash
| Of the acids first forms salt with Che acid
Of the soil before being utilized by plants.
The potash salts usually give immediate
results, which is not always the ease with
ashes.
LINE AVID ASHES FOR RESovATISG SOIL.
No fertilizer Is more highly valued than
lime. for the reason that it is cheap, easily
applied, and it effects are lasting. Lime
exists il all soils, bat more in some than in
others. As O carbonate it Is iDsoluabie,
| but is subject 60 chemical changes by the
action Of nitric acid and other substances
brought down by rains- When lime is
freshly made (by burning limestone or
oyster sAells) 1t is in very csustic state,
and easily combines with water, the water
cTystalzing and forming q hydrate-when
il sho!ld be applied to soils, Us its affinity
for cegbonic acid causes many reactions 90
occur in the soil, tie result being the for
nation Of substances that can be rendered
soluble in water.
Ashes are composed largely of lime and
contain small proportions of phosphates
and other mineral matter, their compost
ton depending on the kind of wood from
which they were procured. Their chief
value is due to the potash they contain,
the potash not only serving as valuable
plant food but a!so assisting 10 render
available many other substances IN the
soil that ore ing0luble. 1t is the chemical
action induced by lime and ashes that
ena.les them 10 improve the soil in many
ways ether than that uf simply adding lime
and poiasb as plant food. 70 soil is fitted
20 produce perfect plants unless it contains
all the clements OF plant food necessary for
the sullln.ont Of the object Of the plants,
bat Soils may abound largely in plant food
that cannot be appropriated by crops. 1t
is this inert, unavailable plant food that is
attacked by lime and ashes, its parts torn
asanier by chemical action, and new com
pounds formed that are entirely unlike the
original substances. The action Of lime on
plants aud soIi varies according to the
character Of the sDils. II makes heavy
soils lighter ond lighter soils heavier, and
greater proportion Of organic and mineral
matter IS annually delivered to the crops
ns food. Ashes serve as plant food 10 o
greater o4te4t. and its ELECTS are more I'm
mediate.
A. limo Gnd Gshc9 add no organic matter
to tue soil, bat can only reduce the com
pouuds already existing as possible plant
food, the rlnner can secure better results
from the application Of limo and ashes by
growing some crop 10 be plowcd under
The effects Of the mineral and vegetable
other hy Fastening chemical action.
Every crop grown derives a certain propor-
zion Of nitrogen from the atmosphere,
| either through .Ae agency Of rains, OF, as
nome claim, &c. leaYCs, ard while occupy
| ING tho a1i. tie roots serve To reduce the
matter OF thc soil which IS stored up in the
plants. 20 bc again subjected TO the inhu-
eucc ni limo and ashes.
/
| T. bat - 7Weetor than roses
That bloom IN The beauty Of Junef
or the stately and fragrant lilies
Whose bells r.ug q summer tune5
Al, swecter the roses blowing
On the checks Of those we love,
And the lily fhoalth limits glowing