The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-07-11
AGRICULTURAL NOTES .
From the New England Farmer of Recent

From the New England Farmer of Recent
Date.
"He's by far the best men for the pc.
sition, but it can't go to his locality this
year" Such a remark is often heard in
politics, but it is disgusting one, Why
should locality prevent getting the ser
vices of the best man? Too many old
traditions and musty practices prevent
the best results.
Sod land poorly plowed shows the
poor work very plainly and will be an
aggravation all through the season.
Stubble ground, or ''old land, :" as many
term it. may be very poorly plowed and
yet after being narrowed a little will
show the imperfect work less than
would sod, yet it pays to pillow stubble
as well as it does to turn sod thoroughly.
But many farmers slight it, much IL
their disadvantage.
A soil too poor to grow weeds is toe
poor to grow any desired crop, but one
that will produce the thriftiest weed
growth Is often the very best for cult,
walton. No cultivated land looks well
or pays well that is overgrown with
weeds, and yet clean fields are rather
the exception than the rule on many
farms and in many towns. The trouble
is chiefly due to the lack OF proper prep
aration before planting and too much
delay afterward,
Pedigree Nth merit is all right, but
sensible stockbreeders won't pay much
for the former without the latter. NJ
man nowadays gains much credit merely
because he is related to some great Of
noble ancestor. Men must stand OF
their merits-their real worth. So mus
domestic animals. Their value Is baseC
on what they can do and not what some
relative long ago did. 1t is live animals
not dead names that sensible breeders
are willing to pay for.
The grouping of the many objects Of
interest and study in the American agri
cultural department at the Paris Expo
sition involved much patient care anC
discrimination on the part of the cJllec-
tors. The task of the agricultural com
missioner, Professor G. V. Riley, chie
entomologlst to the United States de
partment of agriculture at Washington
has been of no ordinary difficulty, But
he has succeeded well and the display i:
much observed and complimented.
The removal of road side fences is 60
ing on rapidly in the suburbs of Boston
Every year hundreds of old front fences
are removed and the green turf neatly
trimmed to the line of the sidewalk with
nothing to obstruct or mar the view
from the street. There are places where
this course may not be practicable, a:
where droves of cattle are weekly driver
but there are many more where the re-
moval of the fences is both practicable
and advisable. The live stock that is al
present most harmful by running al
large is the village dog and the village
boy. The former should be restrained
as are other domestic animals and the
latter taught to respect the rights Oh
neighbors. Street fences entail toe
great tax upon the community in pro-
portion to the good they do.
If agriculturists would tuIn their at
tention to raising model onion with
the strong scent taken out that taints The
breath so unpleasantly, families will bC
putting their pills" in the cellar by thu
barrel, and the doctors would take t
onion farming. The onions act as d
catbartic aud diuretlc and may help tc
break up cold or lessen the bdC
symptoms. Said doctor, Il always
store barrel of onions in my cellar il
the fall. We have them cooked twice a
week, and whoever of the family i,
threatened with cold eats some onion,
raw. If this vegetable were gen
orally eaten there would be no diph
iberia, rheumatism, govt, kidney OIL
stomach troubles. But bless you thu
young men and women are afraid to ea
them"
A weed that has made only its frs
main root is easily killed by hurying Of
exposure, while if left till the many
fibrous branches are formed, it will Sc
hang to the soil as to retain life ever
when exposed on the surface. IL il
much easier and cheaper to go over I
field several times with harrow or cult
vator when weeds are small and veal
than once with hand hoes after tn,
ground is green with large vigorous
weeds. Weeds are chiefly harmful by
wasting the moisture in the soil which
is needed by the cultivated crop. They
also use up fertility that should go an
other way. But cultivated fields neeC
surface stirring even though no weeds
are present. After storms or showers
that crust the surface or make the sol
too compact, it should be lUosened tC
prevent waste of moisture. The tor
inch should be light and loose at al
times in dry summer weather.
Homework sinks into drudgery OF
rises to profession according as plod
ding domestic or thinking woman
takes hold of il. l am more than evel
hot trAriy har1 n
think too little about their homework
This conclusion has been reached after a
good many years of practice and expert
menting with all sorts of short cuts tc
getting things done and out of the way
in order to get time for something beside
the usual routine. But" a young
housekeeper said to me, II do think
about my homework all the time" Her
thinking may be worrying how she is
ever going to clean those windows, dc
that great ironing, entertain Aunt
Martha, or make the baby g short dresses
She may be even now worrying over
next falls Iickllng and preserving
That is the wrong kind Of thinking. The
thought that will help is that which
plans. Such thought arranges the next
three or six meals, list of the things tC
be bought the next time she goes Ia
town, the work of the week so that there
may be an even amount of standing and
sitting, and an average each of house
work and sewing. There is homely
old saying, LET your head save your
heels" that would make a good text tc
pin over the kitchen sink, aud from il
many sermon on household manage
ment might be preached Mrs 4. E.
Whitaker.