The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-04-04
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
rHE REgr usE or cLovER.

No matter what is done with it, the growing
of clover can hardly fail to be beneficial to the
farm. Those who SOW clover.sced literally can
hardly fail to find it profitable. Even when
the field is to be plowed next Spring, what
growth the plant viii make in single season
will pay the cost Of the seed and putting it on.
We have more than once seen clover in blossom
before frost cut it, from an early Spring seeding,
and with foliage enough to make ton of hay
per acre, and that of the best quality for cows
or sheep This from seed that cost say $3.50
per acre is a pretty good return for crop that
only costs the labor ofharyesting it. The roots
Of such crop are the cheapest manure that
the farmer can get.
But there is no further expense except the
use of the land, if the clover is allowed to grow
the second season. In this time two crops may
be cut, the first for hay and the second for seed.
1t is during this second growth of clover that
most remarkable increase in available nitro
gen occurs in the soil. But for the fact that
the ground is very hard and dry after taking
off the seed clover crop it would be good plan
to pillow Immediately and sow wheat, with
dressing of superphospate to supply the mineral
fertility. 1t may seem like hard cropping to
take of two clover crops and then SOW wheat
but the land is doubtless in as good if not better
condition than it would be if plowed in the
Spring, and bearing one grain crop during the
Summer There is besides large amount OF
valuable hay saved, and this is worth more
than any other hay both for nutrition and for
the resultant manure heap.
Almost any kind of crop succeeds well on
! clover lay. 1t has fewer weeds than any other
sod, and its own roots do not sprout and grow
upward, as a June grass sod viii persist In
doing. Not only does it decay rapidly, but as
! it penetrates the subsoil it leads the roots OF
| corn and potatoes downward, so that they
are not so likely to be injured by the drought.
| Where clover has grown the soil is more porous.
| 1t absorbs moisture from the air, as the latter
is cooled by touching it. To plow under for
| green manure the large or pea-vine clover is
! preferable But little is now used in this way,
and for making hay the medium red is the best,
and is, in fact, good enough for any other pur-
pose.-BoStoR Caitiuator.
ASPARAGUS.
THERE'S probably no vegetable that is so abso-
lutely superb to the delicate appetite of the
| epicure as the first delicious cuttings of early
asparagus. Although a native of Europe and
Asia, it has become so common in this country
as to be almost naturaliZed in many places,
| having found its way into the fields aud some
times being seen on beeches and marhsy places
or the seacoast. Soil and location have prob
ably more to do with the raising of fine aspara-
gus than anything else, and of the many differ
ent varieties introduced into cultivation al
different times few of them have differed
greatly from the original.
Although asparagus grows very readily from
seeds, we have found that the special charac-
tcristics of improved strains are not so certain
of reproduction as when the propagation is
effected by planting the roots. Most Of our
prominent growers, prefer to plant one-year- old
roots, although two yeaFand three year old arI
often used. The asparagus bed should be five
feet wide, and any desirable ZENITH, according tC
the size of the family. 1t should be well cult
waited, one foot apart in the row. and the crowns
should be we'll covered four inches deep; {
good deep soil with sandy bottom will bt
| found most suitable rs the plants do not thrive
well in wet. stiff soil. As soon as the top
are cut down in the Fall cover with top dress
ing of coarse manure which may be forked il
early in the Spring. a partial cutting may b.
made the third year but it will add materiall.
to the yigor of the plants if none be got unit
the fourth year In locations away from TIN
seashore top dressing of two pounds of coars
salt to the square yard will be found beneficial
; The asparagus is naturally maritime plant
this being the reason why salt acts so bene
! icially.-SoHiheFR Planter.
: KEEPING sUPERFLUoUs HORSES.
1t is comparatively few farmers who can &C
complish all that they expect. They lay on
plans that require more men and team hel
than they can command. OF late years it
increasingly difficult TO hire reliable farm help
but horses are always to be had for the money
if the farmer wants to purchase them. 1t is il
this way that many overstock themselves wit
horses. The evil is the worst for the fact tina
| on In in he fal, is a tor tat IN I
the owner or to his family to drive around tn
q country instead of attending strictly to thei
business. We believe that farmers do we'll
visit each other and learn different and in
proved methods of farming; but the season 70
f this is mainly in Winter when farm work
not pressing. 1t is hardly possible for farme
: to leave work for anything in the CROWN
r season without loss.
To KILL POTATO BEETLES.
d The last brood of the potato beetle, whic
3t usually appears late in Summer, crawl into th
!, ground or under old rubbish and remain ther
!. in semi torpid state through the Winter a
e soon as the ground becomes warmed by the su
}, in Spring these torpid beetles revive and com
/ out in search of food, and the females lay the
!, eggs upon the first potato leaf appearing aboy
# ground BY gathering the beetles as they al
If pear and destroying them we are enabled
t. check the increase in numbers of the first {
u new brand of the season, for every one of th
, old female beetles that escapes destruction wi
:. lay from 800 TO 1900 eggs. Unless you al
IS very watehful some of the old beetles will e
4 cape, and their eggs and the young grnbs wi
: be found few weeks later on the potato plant
N and then should commence the usual mode
J., destroying them by busting the potatoes wit
d Paris green mixed with plaster of Paris or con
a mon -four. One pound of the poison mike
:, with 80 of flour will be sufficiently strong
h. kill either the grubs or full grown beetles fec
Of ing upon the plants. Should another or late
s brood of beetles appear, apply more poison, an
- continue to use it on the plants as long as an
N insects are found on them. If your neighbo
B. will practice the same warfare on this inse
J. few or none at all will be seen the folowiI
p year But in almost every neighbOrhood the
nf will be one or more farmers who will negle
4; applying poisons to their potatoes, and as r
F. suit thousands of these insects escape and il
IN fest the grounds of the most vgilant and pain
Ia taking cultivators of the soil.-NeU York Sum-
Of NOTES.
J, Good soil makes good cattle; poor so
10 poor cattle.
y, - Feed your horse three times daily, b
in never oyerfeed.
= y Never wash horse with cold water VIII,
:, he is heated.
=, - Water before feeding, but not while Il
%. horse is hot from work
e, Those farmers who are resolved to stit