Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-08-20

WOQlQ De QeIlgHt6Q TO see q OOz6Q OlQ W0-
men from the mountains in North Carolina
come to have a talk with the finance COM
mittee as to the duty on their tin cups.
He would then say to the members of that
committee: "May the Lord have mercy
on youP' [Laugater.1
Paragraphs for the Farm and Garden.
Cut away the asparagus growth not later
than September, spade over the whole sur
face, and cover. deeply with manure.
Undertaking must be the foundation
for all improvements toward increasing the
productiveness of lands resting upon clay
subsoil.
The bulbs of dahlias and gladolus should
be taken up as soon as the plants arc
through towering, thoroughly dried of,
and then stored in warm, dry cellar.
This is the proper time to cut out old
canes of the raspberries; also cut off the
tips as soon as the canes have grown as
high as desired, to encourage the growth of
side branches.
A great many lambs are lost every year
simply because the ewes are not properly
fed; again they are fed corn, which induces
garget and hardness, SO that the lambs
actually starve.
The practice of putting paper bags over
the punches has been found generally sue
cessful in preventing grape rot. The oov-
erings should be put over as soon as the
berries are formed.
A Louisiana farmer sold $75 worth of
potatoes from single acre of land, and
then planted the acre with cotton and sold
the product for $50. The total he natural
ly regards as good result from one acre.
Alaska may yet become of some import
ance to us agriculturally. The cranberry
is reported to be growing there in. wild
state, and bearing well. Its bogs may yet
rival those of Cape Cod and Wisconsin.
The season of fairs is upon us again, and
it is encumbent upon farmers who have to
do with their management to sec that they
are not SO largely given over to horse rae
ing that the agricultural features are lost
sight of.
The best time for pruning grape vinss is
soon after the leaves have fallen, and the
sooner the better, for the reason that the
buds will push with more vigor in the
spring, will produce better fruit, and the
fruit will ripen somewhat earlier.
Light Brahmas are a desirable breed of
poultry 10 have where one wishes to con.
fine them in yards or keep them to small
range. They are heavy and awkward in
their movements, and four foot fence will
usually keep them within its bounds.
The general testimony regarding Mann
moth clover is that for pasturing 1t is more
valuable than the ordinary red clover, but
is too rank and coarse to make good hay.
For manurial purposes also it is better, as
i; will furnish greater amount of haulm
to turn under.
AS an instance of the capacity of some |
weeds for reproducing thems slves, it is |
stated that so, 900 seeds have been counted |
upon single plant of wild carrot. Bear |
in mind that it will oe easier to eradicate |
the parent plant than it will be 20 hunt up
and destroy its multitudinous progeny.
Grape vines may be trained about the
fence of the poultry yard, affording both |
wholesome shade and fruit; but if you de-
eire to gather any of be latter for the table
tho fruit bearing wood must be trained
high, else the chickens will take the berries
as soou as they begin to ripsn.
The trouble of keeping the poultry house
clean may be greatly lessened by sprinkling
dry clay or dry land plaster over the drop
pings every two or three days. This will
absorb the moisture and prevent the es.
cape of injurious gasses. The chicken
house should be always dry and we'll venti-
lated.
The almost complete failure of the fruit
crop in the United States this season is
very largely due to the preceding open win
ter. 1t was so continuously warm that the
trees had no definite or decided period of
rest. This continued activity of growth
prevented the formation OF flower buds and
the growth of shoots.
10 making a lawn it is pernicous prac-
tice to SOW oats, rye, barley or other grains
with the grass seed. These strong grow
ing plants rob the soil and injure the growth
of the slower grasses. They d. not require
any protection of this kind, and many fail
ures in lawn making can be traced to SOW.
ing these with the grass seeds.
The Miami Valley Farmer thinks that
the blackberry should be more widely cul.
tivated tdan it now is, aud that it is a more
profitable fruit than the raspberry, because:
First, it will produce more bushels per
acre; second, 1t is more cheaply and easily
thir', it will command better
prices in the market; and we might add
that it will stand shipment better.
The continued warm, dry weather has
been severe upon trees and vines that were
planted last spring. Where water can not |
be readily applied frequent stirring of
the soil will check evaporation and aid in
keeping them thrifty. A mulch spread
about them is also of value. This may be
of almost any substancs-grasa, straw,
or chip dirt from the woodward.
A Tasmanian dairyman has adopted a
novel method of cooling his dairy house.
A stream of cold water is run on the house
By means of pipe, which disperses it over
the roof. Thence it runs off into the gut
terss keeping low temperature in the
hottest days. This system might be adapt
ed to any dairy house where there is q
upring of sufficient head or windmill and
pump.
1t is a mistake to suppose that the
Capada thistle multiplies itself rapidly by
seeding. IL spreads chiefly by the running
Sc that it is not very rapidly
Where the land is compact,
if only few plants appear, they may often
be eradicated by pulling them up few
times. Larger patches should be plowed
fIequeutly dur4g the growing season, each
time before the plants have appeared
above the surface.
MANcHAcA, Tex, Jan. 20, 1890. e
Radau's Microbe Killer, Co., Austin, Tex.
Altar anendinp JarCa s,rno of unopav for |