The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-05-26
Working the Soil Wet.
From the Kansas Farmer.

From the Kansas Farmer.
50 far as it is possible to avoid, it is
not good economy to work the soil wet.
This is especially the case in preparing
the soil for planting a crop Generally
it will be better to be q little late in
planting the crop rather than to work
the soil wet, portant as it is general
ly to get nearly or quite all OF the
planting done early. But in some cases
in cuItivating it will become necessary
to either cultivate wet Or let the crop go
Weeds, If allowed to grow, damage the
crop quite seriously, and If not kept
down wll.kiIl or choke out the plants en-
trely; and as a choice between letting
the crop go and cultivat;ng wet, it will
Of couse be best to cultivate. My plan
of cuitivating, when it can be done, is to
use the narrower or weeder as soon as
possible after planting, ard then follow
this up with tie cultiyator, keeping the
surface in good filth from the start.
But in wet season sometimes neither
the harrow nor cultivator can be used
to good advantage, the weeds and grass
get vigorous start, the soil is wet and
tough, and the diamond pillow must be
used to turn them under and kill them
out. If plowed wet the civilizations
must be kept up; and especially If the
sun comes out hot and dry, as the soil
will bake into hard Jumps, that will res
quire the rest OF the season to get into
III. - 4f,c
the crop, to plow wet, then keep stirring
as frequently as possible, until the soil
is in good filth. Last year we had
very wet June. 1t was nearly impossi
bic to cultivate all through the month,
and, of course, the weeds made a good
growth, while the fox tail and crab grass
got well started. | tried both the
spring tooth and diamond shovel cult
vators, but they would not cover up tie
weeds and grass. The one horse dia
mond pillow did the work, and then the
cultivators were used in finishing up.
Several years ago we had wet season.
/ got my corn in early and it made
good start, but wet weather set in and
kept the ground so wet that it seemed
impossible to cultivate. In short time
it was either cultivate Or let the weeds
and grass take the crop. ] used the dia-
mond plow, throwing the dirt from the
corn each way, which not only destroy
ell the weeds, but also afforded good
drainage. The cultiyator was used at
ter this to level down and fine the SOIL
and I raised a very good crop of corn,
when 1 am reasonably certain that if
had let the crop grow until sufficiently
dry there would have been no corn.
Lillian Russell! can earn 5000 a week
by singing sweetly and looking charming
ly, while less fortunate sister women are
glad to earn SO cents per dozen by MAX
ing vests for dainty dudes.
Archbishop Vaughan of Westminster
is sure to become the most popular prel
ate in England. He is in favor of giving
lager beer to the working people. He
draws the line at stout, haIf>and half
and xxx beer.
Charles Gayarre, the venerable histo>
rian of Louisiana, is living in New Or
leans in a state of extreme poverty and
restitution. Had he turned his hand
to the composition OF trashy novels he
might have been better off.
Queen Victoria has pious horror of
war, but if the Shah Of Persia persists
in his determination to pay her another
friendly visit it is more than probable
that she will whisper to old Dob" Ce-
Gil to pick a quarrel with him and then
go in for whaling him out of his boots
The best spring medicine is a dose or
two of st. Patrick's Pills. They not |
only physic but cleanse the whole sys-
TEN and purify the blood. For sale by |
FARRAR & WILLIAMSON.