Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-10-25
POINTS PERTAINING TO FALL
PLANTING.
IMPROVED METHODS OF HAIR
NESTING CORN.
Summary of Onion Shows Il Small
Yield-Alfalfa in States West of
the Missouri-A Good Grass for the
Arid Sections of the Country.

a noted authority on StrdWOerr'
culture, gives the following advice re
garding fall planting:
The soil for strawberries should al
ways be rich, and this is especially he
cessary for fall-set plants, as the.
cannot send their roots to d great dis
lance in search of food in the shor
time in which they have to grow. Old
well decomposed stable manure is eX
cellent, and plenty of it should b.
used. 1t is we'll to apply it after the
! land is ploughed and then harrow i
until the horses have stepped oil
every square foot. If the bed is small
| the manure can be worked in will
the hoe. If commercial fertilizer is tC
be used-I always depend on it
| it may be scattered on the surface
near the plants as soon as they are
! set. If bone dust be used, it may be
Fraked into the surface before planting
! The soil should be made firm before
the plants are set. This will insure
their bearing, and will help them
/ from being thrown out by the frost
IL VIC plSihllIS ill paul., w lii
is seldom done in the fall, it is well
to roll the soil. This not only makes
the bed firm and smooth, but also en-
ables one to see just where the sur
face is, and set the plants at the
proper depth. In planting small bed
my plan is to stretch the line where
the rows to be and Spat it down with
the back of a spade. This gives a
smooth surface with the impression
of the line for a guide. If the soil be
dry, / cover the surface around the
plants with mulch of some kind, and
give enc thorough watering. An eX-
cellent plan is to cut some grass when
it is short and green, and scatter it all
over the plants This gives them
shade just when they need it, and as
the grass dries up they become strong
enough to do without shade. If one is
using potted plants it is a good way to
have the bed prepared some days in
advance, and a hole made for each
plant. The holes may be filed sew
eral times with the liquid manure
which will soak in the soil and leave
it in fine condition for the plants IN
using layers it is a good plan TO set
them temporarily in loamy soil where
they can be watered and shaded for
week. Then after q good watering
they can be taken up with the soil adj
herring These are as good as pOtted
plants. If one wants potted plants
without paying heavy express charges,
he can accomplish it by buying layers
and potting them as soon as received.
They should then be placed where
they can be watered and shaded as
they need, until the roots reach the
pot. Three-inch pots are large enough.
If the roots are too long they may be
shortened. This method insures the
plants against receiving any check in
transplanting, which alone is enough
to commend it. After plants are set
they should be boed so frequently
that no crust can form on the surface
nor any weeds grow 1t is wise pre-
protection. There is so much bare
ground between them that they are
liable to be faved out. On sandy or
gravelly soil where the drainage is
good there'is no danger. Even on clay
soil the danger is diminished by hav-
ing good surface drainage, and the
soil we'll firme5; and also by setting
the plants early enough so that they
may become we'll established before
freezing weather comes.
HARVESTING CORN.
With our improved methods of feed
ing, by which all former wastes on
the farm are utilized in some way, the
question of harvesting the corn crop
becomes an interesting one early in
the season. Corn is now harvested at
nearly all seasons of the year, either
as direct food for the animals, for en-
silage, or for the grain later. When
the old method prevailed Of burning
the stalks right on the field after the
ears were cut off there was only one
season fit for gathering the crop.
But, happily. even in the great corn
belt this practice is no longer followed
as a rule. The springing up of cities
in the west, and the growth of cattle
and hog raising, sheep rearing, and
dairy business have made complete
change in all this wasteful method.
These animals must all be fed, and
sometimes it has been found more re-
munerative to feed the animals the
whole corn crop than to attempt to eX-
port the grain.
Many fields of corn are raised today
to go into the silO, and the grain
growths are not taken so much into
consideration as the green stalks.
Other large tracts of corn are to be
used simply for immediate feeding
while in the green stage. It is IN
doubtedly true that as the demand for
hay and green stalks for feeding pur-
poses increases less corn will be
raised for export than in the past es-
pecially since prices have declined so
greatly. Only by eliminating all Of
the wastes can the corn crop be made
really profitable in the future. The
time for harvesting the crop, either
for the silo, green feeding, or for the
mature grain, is matter Of the gray
est import Many a well-cultivated
field of corn has been badly harvested,
so that the feeding value has been
greatly reduced.
As a rule there is a slight increase
of grain after corn is matured, up to
the time of frost, but after that period
the yield declines unless the stalks are
ont Rut sometimes before that in