The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-04-13

I
| Those who profess to have tried the ex-
pertinent claim that the harness is su-
/ perior to the yoke for an OK. In the south
/ ern states the harness is often used by
! some.
The too's on the farm should all be
sharpened now No good workman uses
dull tools. and the farmer Is no exception,
as he cannot afford TO lose time at this sea-
son OF the year.
II fertilizer is to be applied to the straw
| berry bed 1t should be done without de-
lay. before the plants come up, so as to
! allow the rains 10 dissolve the fertilizer
before the plants start in growth.
1t is useless TO attempt 10 have sweet
/ corn early and have it of the best variety.
/ The Cory corn is perhaps the earliest, be-
! ing OF the dwarf growth, but not equaling
/ some OF the later varieties in quality.
Experiments made for The purpose show
| that the copper SUI phate does not inJure
| the soil when it is used for spraying, as
/ plants grew vigorously in soil containing
! ] per cent. OF copper sulphate, in solution,
/ the experiments being on small plots.
Plenty of manure is essential to all crops,
/ but there never was q time on any farm
! when it did not pay, and paw well, to use
I fertilizers also. Fertilizers that are pur-
/ chased bring something to the farm and
/ add 10 its fertility. They also hasten crops,
owing to the greater solubility OF the diff
| ferent elements composing them.
For early beets plant the seed in the
! ground as soon as it can be done, on light
soil which is deep and rich. The drills
! should not be over an inch deep, as the
/ seed is slow to terminate, and requires
! only slight covering. Soaking the seed
/ twenty-four hours, and then rolling in
plaster. will hasten termination.
a variety OF stock calls for variety of
! food Feeding corn exclusively TO all
! classes OF stock is eXtravaGant, even when
/ corn is cheap, as it may not satisfy the re-
4 quirements of the animals. The best
/ results are obtained from the variety OF
/ food, as it supplies all the necessities, and
| as a cosequence. cheapens the cost.
Weeds should be fought from the start.
] Do not wait until they are we'll under
/ waY. but Kill them when they are Young.
/ The cultivatOr will kill the weeds and
! benefit the crop at the same time If it is
used moro frequently. 1t is safe to assert
that the harrow and cultivator are not
/ used as much as should be done. They are
really labr saving implements.
1t is doubtful if there is any variety OF
] cantelOupe that equals the Emerald Gem in
/ quality. 1t comes early. and does not re-
main late in the season, which is a fault,
unless a later variety is planted with it.
! The Emerald Gem melon detaches itself
! from the vine as soon rs it ripens, and the
novices have no difficulty in selecting
/ those that are ripe IRON those that are
| green.
Do not be tempted to get seed in the
ground too soon. When the warm spring
days come. and the opportunity Tor work
IS inviting, patience must be exercised.
In this climate we NAV have frost at any
time until May and to get seed in too
early, unless of the hardy plants, may en-
tail loss. When the ground is not well
warmed plants will not make any head
way, even if they escape frost.
An inquirer desires to know the best
method tor destroying grape vines and
small fruits without digging uD the roots,
which cannot be done without breaking
up concrete walks. BY frequently saturat-
ing the plants with kerosene they will be
destroyed, even if lighted match must be
applied, but if the new shoots are pinched
Off as fact as they appear the vines will
soon die without the necessity OF using
| kerosene.
Disease is not always avoided. and it
sometimes appears when least expected.
| ruin 10 the source OF disease IN q majority
Of cases, To keep hog on fermentlng
slop and to compel it to eat the vilest food
that can be procured is to subject the
animal to cholera. Another source of dis
ease is in-breeding. When farmers learn
that by procuringlmales OF different blood
from their stock, they will also learn that
hardness and vigor have also been
gained.
Parsley makes q pretty edging for bor-
ders and can be made both ornamental
and useful. The seed is so slow in germi-
mating that the grass takes possession OF
the ground before the young parsley
plants appear. Sow the seed in a row
and keep the grass out until the plants
get well started. In the fail or succeeding
spring transplant portions OF the parsley
bed 10 the desired location, as the plants
Will soon spread and protect themselves.
For many years it was unsettled
whether plants derived nitrogen from the
atmosphere through the agency of the
leaves or from the soil entirely. Scientists
/ have, however, by growing plants in
sterilized soil, fully demonstrated as a
fact that the air provides a portion OF the
taken by the leaves, but some plants have
greater capacity for appropriating nitro
gen than others. Clover, being a plant
that draws upon the atmosphere for
nitrogen, consequently enriches the soil
by leaving q large proportion OF its nitro
gen in the roots of the plants,