The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-12-18
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
STRAWBERRY EXPERIENCE.


cent have proved most profitable. Some have
complained for several years about Wilson not
bearing satisfactorily, but ours did well up TO
the past two seasons. At present Crescent
Though by no means a irstclass berry, is the
leading market variety in this section. War
field No seems 10 be the coming new market
berryi the fruit is larger, firmer and more
daIldy oolored than Crescent 1t has some
drawbacks, however, namely: Its fruit stems
are short, and some Of its flowers turn down
under the foliage, aud as il is pistillate it is
thus difficult TO fertilize il perfectly; again,
while II is a vigorous grower IL has not stood
severe drouth so we'll as Crescent has done.
We shall set for market next Spring only
Crescent aud WariiGld No. 2. and shall set
every third row with Wilson aud Mt. Vernon
mixed IN about equal proportions in the row. as
fertilizers Reasons for this are that the Will
son blossoms somewhat earlier than Mt. Yer
non aud viii assist 10 fcrtiize the first and
second blossoms on the Crescent and WaTfied
while the Mt Vernon, which is later, will fur
nish pollen for the later blossoms, and thus
fertilize them more perfectly than it is possible
TO do with a single variety. Those who have
given careful attention have doubtless observed
that IN the first blossoms of the Crescent the
stamens, though imperfect, are sufficiently de-
yel0ped 10 ierlilize the berry. In those little
later they arc still more imperfect and will only
fertilize the seeds near the base OF the berry
and leave hard and undeveloped center
These berries are sometimes called "nubbins"
Silll later, the stamens are almost wholly want
ing, and the results are undeYcloped berries or
buttons" Hence il needs fertilizer little
later than itself for the best results. We plant
IN the Spring. Want good rich ground, well
p0Wcd and perfectly pulveTized then take
single turning-plOw and turn two light fur
rows together so as 10 make the ridges three
feet eight inches apart Then we roll thor
oughly two or three times, and set our plants
from two TO twOand-a half feet apart on the top
Of these fattencd ridges. We find that plants
set this way easier 10 tend aud not so likely
70 get the crowns buried in case Of heavy rains
In the Fall we run a single shovel between
each row and follow IL with a small harrow
This leaves each row on a little bed with a
light iurr0w on each side 10 draw of any extra
surface water and the plants are not so likely
10 freeze rs when the surface is left level. AS
soon rs the ground is frozen hard enough 10
bear q team, we cover the bed with about one
inch Of clean wheat straw. In the Spring after
all severe freezing is over We remove most Of
the straw from the rows and tread 1t down in
the burrows between them. IL the season
should turn Of dry, this will help 10 hold the
moisture aud be q protection against drouth.
ABOUT GoOsEBERRIEs.
While it seems impossible TO grow the finer
foreign gOOsebcTTies ia this country, owing 10
mildew on foliage, we may enjoy such native
varieties as HOughton, Downing etc, with as
little care aud experience as currants. Indeed,
says Josiah Hooper in Men York Tribune, itseems
curious that not more Of the latter are planted,
owing 10 their abundant crops aud culinary
usefulness. il possible for anyone 10 raise the
young plants with little trouble, and without
any previous experience Houghton or Ameri-
can Seeding is usually grown from cuttings Of
mature wood during Autumn, made into lengths
OF about six inches, and either set at once ia
rows or tied in bundles and buried in an up
right position in the soil. Fall planting is
preferable provided il be done early, and the
cuttings protected during Winter by mulching.
FibeFs form whenever the ground is not frozen,
and If set ia Autumn, or even in very early
Spring, they will have obtained very firm hold
before hot, dry weather can hurt them. The
Downing go0scberTy will not readily grow from
cuttings, but IL tho young shoots are bent 10 the
ground, peggcd down, and covered with soil.
roots will start out during Summer, and by 'all
VIII be ready 10 separate FROM the parent plant.
GoOsebernes delight in deep, rich moist soil
no other plant responds more quickly TO gem
erous applications Of manure. IL pays to treat
the go0seberry well IL iue fruit is desired it
is useless TO permit them to grow at will, rs too
many cultlyatOrs do.
AOD MANI BAAh-HANEs
Preparing stove-wood by hand is the most
ck-aching work / know Of never met
man who loved to use a buck saw, except one
old gentleman, who said he always loved TO
saw wood, because he was 50 glad when he got
through. Often this work is Put off longer
than necessary, and the good temper Of the
family injured. / know Of one pucky wife who
smashed sap-bnckets enough 10 cook her dinner
when she was hard up Now have a h orge-power
md nrr 1lur- Nrltf =. Al.
ncighborhood for 20 years, saving the years
supply OF wood FOR p or 80 farmers during the
Winter season. The plan is this: The farmers
on a street get all ready aud then the machine
takes the work by course, the farmers changing
work so as 10 save expense. The circuaT-saw
driven by two horses will easily cut 10 cords Of
hard wood twice in two in day, including
splitting up etc. charge 81 per day for the
man, team and machine the farmer finding
extra help and board. Three men arc required
10 run the machine while another Is often
necessary 10 place the wood near the saw. Ii
is better for one man 10 own aud run a machine
than for neighborhood, for practical expert
ence IS necessary IN order 10 run a horse. power
saw with safety and success. Again, a company
machine Of any kind is seldom kept in good
order by farmers. The drag saw is a great
iayoritc with many farmers who have large
trees 10 make into stove wood as il saves labor
in preparing the wood for the saw The blocks
are cut the desired length from the log, and are
then easily split with an AK. There Is also
q great saving in chips that would be left in
the woods by chopping. St0yc-wOOd cut in this
way is worth 81 per cord more than that made
from cord-wOod as IL packs more closely
aud has no limb wood. good drag-saw can
be run onc-fOurth cheaper than a circular-saw,
Rg the risk, wear and labor arc less Two men
only arc necessary 10 operate IL, aud some
splitting may be done while the saw is ia opera
ton, provided the team is trained TO 20 with
out a driver. in this age of farm machinery a
farmer can no more afford 20 use a buck.saw
than he can afford 10 NOW smooth land with an
old-iashiOrcd scythe. Have the inevitable
annual fire Wood question settled in the cheap
est aud most expeditions manner. Give the
boys q little leisure for social aud mental i'm
pTOycmcnt, aud not forever cOnsign them 10
tho empty wood-shed and dull buck saws, the
use Of which ] believe has driven more BOYS
from the farm than any other farm implement
Farm aud Home.
PROLIFIC BREEDS.
The Wyand0tte seems 20 exceed every other,
as a rule, in the number Of eggs laid. A lady
recently wrote that from Christmas 1883 20
July -, this year, her four Wyaudolte hens had
laid more than 600 eggs, aud had never shown
the least sign Of br0odiness. The breed seems
10 do well in almost every variety OF climate
in this country, and 20 combine in a rare de-
gree the three prime qualities OF useful fowls
hardness, Winter laying aud early maturity Of
chickens The aforementioned breeds are also
good layers, yielding approximately each year
eggs as follows:
Ieghorns..... $50 10 200 Polish ..............- lso