The National tribune., 1889-04-11
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
suRFAcE cuLT1YATToN.

SURFACE CULTIVATION.
It is now nearly the time of the year when
the cultivation of the crops will be an i'm
portant demand upon the time of the farmer.
At the Institute meetings this Winter the sub
iect of deep VS.. Shallow Cultivation has
been widely discussed The preponderance of
the testimony has been in favor of the shallow
cultivation especially in the case of Indian corn
Why? This rank-growing grass lit is a true
grass quickly fills the soil with mass of roots.
If the roots are continually broken, the inevi-
table result is that the plant is seriously weak
ened in the effort to replace these mouths of
the plant. 1t Is undoubtedly true, as rule,
that level cultivation is better than killing.
The principal objects in cultivation are to
kill the weeds and to keep the soil in proper
filth as to its surface. The preparation of the
soil for the ramification of the roots must
necessarily precede planting. The extension
of roots is not by forcing their way through
the soil. The roots enter between the particles
of SOIL however fine. Then, as the roots
thicken, there is side pressure, and this in
creases with the growth of the roots. Soil to
promote growth must be firm enough to pre-
serve capillarity. One object in cultivation is
to keep the surface loose and friable Thus the
sun penetrates more easily, the rain and dew
also are better held, and in times of drouth the
moisture of the subsoil rising constantly is
arrested as the point of surface cultivation is
reached and so the roots are enabled to con-
serve moisture that would otherwise be lost.
The science of cultivation, therefore, is to keep
the surface mellow above the point where the
roots ramfy, and roots will always be found ex-
tan1 linn fn m
depth is sufficient therefore for the Summer
cultivation, though when the crop is young
and the root growth correspondingly small, cul-
tiyation may extend to four inches.
The editor of the Prairie Farmer, some years
ago, when carrying on 2,400-acre farm in
Livingston County, ILL.,, had one year over 200
acres IN corn. TWenty-one cGltivators were
| employed. The season was dry one, yet
! prolific season for yield of crops. To test the
question of deep VS. shallow cultivation, five
| were arranged to work shallow, after the first
cultivation. 1t was estimated that the land so
worke had five bushels per acre more than the
! land deeply worked, and the experiment was,
/ of course, satisfactory. We have since then
| been firmly -of opinion that, as a rule, two in
| ches is deep enough for the cultivation after
| the plants are five inches high,-Prairie
Farmer.
SHEEP FOR SOLID BASIS
Day by day it is manifest that flock of
| sheep is of very great value to farm and its
/ occupant. 4 late instance is that of man
| who owns 40 acres, originally of medium fer
! tility or under A few years ago he changed
from grain raising to the sheep business keep
| ing between 100 and 200 His soil gradually
improved until it has reached very high point
| Last season he raised over so tons of excellent
| clover hay, about 800 bushels of oats and bar
10y, 1000 bushels ears OF corn, and 1000 bushels
of turnips and beets. His orchard increased
| largely in pr0ductiveness and quality of fruit
and he gathered several hundred barrels of
apples. He grows hothouse lambs, and from
the wool and lambs of 100 ewes he realizes
| $1,000, besides the increase of considerable
| Hook of keeping sheep. Last season he added
! pig raising, having as many as 80 on hand at
! time which he sold to his neighbors or faJtened
He grows only wheat enough for his own use,
keeps three horses, and OF bovine kind only
! two cows.
He raises fat turnips on clover sod, and
some of them are nearly as large around as a
dinner-plate. Turnip seed is sown with a
| grain-drili, three-fourths of a pound of seed be-
! ing mixed with 100 pounds of commercial fer
| tilizer, and the drill set to SOW 100 pounds TO
| the acre. Sheep are at the bottom of these ex-
cellent results, and he has two neighbors farm
| ing on about the same line and with gratifying
success. His sheepfold is in the basement of a
barn. where there is q, pump, root-cutter and
| every desired convenience tor supplying the
| sheep with water, roots, hay and grain. The
| rockefeller opens into the sheepfold without q
partition, and the warmth of the sheep keeps
| the roots from freezing. Vegetables designed
for family use are, also, stored here, thus obyi
ating all malodors from decaying vegetables
in the dWelling-heuse cellar. The surface of
the farm is very undulating, but the knobs
produce as great crops as the valleys aud de-
pressions.-Galen Wilson, in New York Tribune.
CARE OF FRUIT TREES.
Fruit trees to do Wall should be kept in a
vigorous condition. Il is an easy matter to
judge of the condition. of trees by looking at
the terminal shoots and see how much growth
they have made the past year. Bearing trees
should make at least six inches growth, and
young trees a foot If trees are doing less than
that, there is need of better cultivation and
more fertilizers. The time to apply fertilizers
or to cultivate is III the Spring and early part of
the growing season. Ii applied later in the
| season. they are liable to stimulate late growth
of wood, which will not fully ripen before
frosts come, and may be killed If fruit trees
are kept iii thrifty, vigorous condition and
frequently fertIllzed, crop OF fruit viii be Sc
cured every year. Even trees whose natural
habit is to bear only every other year, can often
be brought, by free fertilization and cultiva-
ton, to bear good crop yearly. Generally fer
tilizaton in liberal manner will secure crop
every year, without cultivation.
| THE RADIsH FLY.
The radish fly, as usual, will be on hand
early to do business for itself and against us.
The eggs are laid on the stem close to the
ground and the maggots feed on the roots. In
June they transform to pup@ and make a new
deposit of eggs Hot water has been recon-
mended as remedy, but it does not always
work with entire satisfaction. The following
has been tried with success: Mix one quart of
soft soap and a gallant of water. Bring the
mixture to boil and then add one pint of crude
carboiic acid. Dilute with 40 to 80 parts of
water. This may be sprinkled on the radishes.
Some radish growers turn the mixture into a
trench that is run close alongside of the row.
We have never tried this remedy, but some of
our correspondents recommend it highly
american StOckman.
NOTES.
- The management of seed potatoes is one of
| the most important arts of the potato-grower.
The chief point is to prevent them from sprout-
ing, and for this purpose low temperature as
near to the freezing point as is possible with
out touching it is desirable. Nearly every.
where farmers find that the late varieties of po-
tatoes are more productive than the early ones.
Is not this partly due to the fact that early va
rieties have been injured by sprouting. while
late varieties are less liable to this injury?
Lime is good disinfectant. tits especially
valuable to place in cellars where vegetables
] hoyy han -f, h,,,ra