The National tribune., 1891-04-16
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions Tor Our
Agricultural Readers
SPRING REMINDERS.


leached wood ashes.
Apply TO every hill Of raspberries, black
berries, currdnts, gooseberries. etc, one or two
shoyelfuls OF welI-Iotted manure or compost.
Where stalking is praeticed tic up tie canes
early, before the buds start.
In matted beds Of strawberries. make paths
for picl,ers, turning the plants uadcr and leav-
ing wide rows for picking. Do this early in
the season.
Never disturb strawberry roots by digging
late in the season.
When the Spring rains have come and the
ground is moist. mulch arouad all smail-fFuit
plants with salt hay, straw or other similar
material
Especially do gooseberries need mulching to
keep soil moist and prevent miIdew. FcrtiIize
them with COW manure. In the absence OF
anything better mulch them with stOues.-
Orchard and GARDEN.
POTATOES.
One Of the earliest and most profitable crops
for this section is the potato. Let the ground
be rich and plow deep-the Oliver Chilled
Plow. tho patent on which has expired and
which can now be had at a very reasonable
price, will do the work. Use in the rows hard
wood ashes, either quick or lcached, we'll
mingled in the soil. Gu, the seed from rather
large potatoes aud about two strong eyes 20 the
piece. Plant four or FIVE inches deep. Once a
week harrow the ground until the plants are
wei! uP. then use tho cultiyatOF. Keep free
from all weeds. Knock of tine beetles every
morning by hand and destroy them. If too
much work to do this, spray the vines but tho
former method is the best. Harvest before the
mud OF Fail rains comes. Put in n cool but
frOst-prOof potato eliar. Keep posted on the
market and take advantage Of it.-MIrgldnd
Farmer.
WATERMELON CULTURE.
L. NJ. H. RusselIviIIe. Ark, writes to the
Orange Jtid Farmer: | have been growing
watermelons for II years, and fiud that to DO
successful one must have good fresh land, and
iatbreak it well. Then check it of both ways
tlG feet apart, and put a heapng shoyelful
of wcll-rotted manure in the CHECK fuTFOw each
way from the cross, leaving a space Of three
inches between the cross points open. Fill this
unmanured space with dirt, plant five six
seeds TO a hill, cover one and Oue-half inches
deep, then dig 2 little dirt up over the manure
to prevent the sun from killing it. When the
seeds come up and get three leaves to each
plant, pull out all but the best looking one;
good stand Of vines is thus secured, aud all will
come on alike. Be sure to plow and hoe the
vines as long az possible the last time, when
the vines are two to three feet long, run your
harrow both ways and make the land as level
as possible. After this keep the soil we'll
cleaned with the hoe and let the vines run at
will. 1t is best to have as much old trash on
the ground as possible 20 prevent the wind from
rolling the vines about. If the season suits,
yOu viii have WateTmelOns Uighing from 40
30 20 pounds each. In case OF drouth, punch
three holes IN the bottom Of old tomato cans,
sink them IN the ground within six inches Of
tap root and ill with water. One filling will
last { sa days aud then If il does not rain I'll
again. by my method, as here given, you can
not help having fine melons.
MOTIFS.
TIE Cider and Cider Vinegar Makers Asso-
citation Of the Northwest IS making laudable
effort to get the Illinois Legislature to pass a
much-needed law TO stop tho authorization Of
VINEGAR and allow nothing but pure cider vine
gar to be labeled and sold as such.
Experiments in Nebraska show that the cost
Of raising sugar-beets aud hauling them one
mile 10 factory ranges from So 50 TO S6I. 80
per acre. This was where they were cultivated
in the best manner and with all the modern
appliances OF machinery. The average pro-
duction is stated at 10 tons per acre, with an
average price Of 81 a ton at the factory. This
leaves little or no profit to the farmer. If the
factory gets one ton Of sugar from 10 tons of
beets, and can get an average of four cents a
pound-it gets, first, $50; then one cent pound
bounty from the Stato-S2O; and two cents
bounty from the Government-$iO or $40 in
all. The factory at Grand Island is reported
to have made 200 tons Of sugar last year, for
which it is claimed it received as follows:
10000 pounds Of sugar at 5 cents....... $1,000
cents per pound bounty ....'..'...-. 25,O0O
..-.---.-. e9UOO
The Nebraska farmersare entirely willing to
raise sugar beets, but they want fair diyyy on
the profits.
The scale of prices for sugar bCets at the
Grand Island (Neb.) factory last year was So
per ton for IL per cent sugar, and . cents per
ton for every additional per cent. This made
81 for IS per cent. and $3.50 for l9 per cent.
Experiments in sugar-beet culture in Wis
cousin have resulted very successfully. Six
varieties yielded from l4Sl 10 1873 per cent.