The National tribune., 1892-04-07
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
SOME FACTS ABOUT TOMATOES.

Tomatoes average Sc per cent. water, and
while it cannot be said to be nutritious food
it must be valued for its other dietary quail
ties. While the yellow tomato has more dry
matter, the dry substance OF the red tomato
is richer in the more valuable food constitu-
ents.
The application of potash as a fertilizer de-
creases the amount Of dry substances. 1t also
decreases the amount Of sugar, while Its acid
ity is increased. Nitrates apparently increase
the proportions of water and sugar, but the
sweetest tomatoes are grown on plots fertilized
with phosphoric acid.
1t is common remark that tomatoes are
sweet or sour according rs the season has been
a wet Or dry one, and this has been found to be
true. The highest sugar and water contents
follow the greatest rainfall.
AN INQUIRY.
Will some comrade in the State OF Washing
ton, on or near Puget Sound. kindly give me
some information through the columns of THE
NATIONAL TRIBUNE concerning that country
its climate products, Government land, and
any particulars likely to be of service to a
would-be settler of that region, possessed oil
small capital "A SOLDIERS WIFE, Hope. Ark.
SOWING OATS ON wINTER-KILLED WHEAT
FIELDS.
Where oats are sown late they ripen late. and
are almost certain to be seriously affected by
rust which not only greatly injures the straw
but reduces the quantity and affects the quail
ity of tho grain. 1t is for this reason that the
following plan, which has proved to be sue
cessful one in western New York is recon-
mended as being worthy OF immediate trial in
localities where the wheat crop is very liable to
be Winter-killed. Where this happens it is
desirable that some other crop be substituted,
such as oats or corn.
The plan Of sowing oats IN the mud" Is
quito frequent wet land that cannot be
worked early in the Spring. and for the pur-
pose of early seeding. Where black, mucky
soil is common, Fall blowing is frequently
omitted and whenever the surface becomes
thawed to the depth Of two inches, the oats
may be sown broadcast, and narrowed in.
This can be done in many localities as early
rs March Is. and if the season is late, a
later date will answer, provided the soil be
again frozen to the depth of an inch or more,
as this will remedy any damage that may have
accrued from stirring the wet soil. The seed
will then sprout early in April; whereas, if the
seeding is deferred until the soil becomes in a
proper condition for working, it would fire.
quently be as late as May before the oats could
be sowD.
/ am informed that this practice Is common
in the Spring wheat-growing districts OF Min
nesota and Dakota. At all events, the seeding
should be done sufficiently early so that the
subsequent freezing and thawing will render
the surface soil loose and friable. / recon-
mend tho trial of this plan on small scale at
first, with the hope that the result will be pub
lished during the coming Winter, so that your
readers may have the advantage of the expe-
rence of others. 1t is probable that land from
which corn crop had been removed would
answer for seeding with oats. Seeding with
clover or timothy Or other grass seed could fol-
low later in the Spring. If the soil is sufi-
GENTLY dry after sowing the grass seed, the land
should be rolled.-AmericaH Farmer.