The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-05-28
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
Lima Beans.

Lima Beans.
The lima bean now raised may be di-
vided into dwarf, bush, and pole sorts, but
dwarf and bush sorts originated in part from
the pole lima, says bulletin of the Cornell
experiment Station. In lima bean pro-
duetion California leds the world, the out
put being 1900 tons in 1899 and $4,000
in 1895. In the East lima beans are much
raised in New jersey. The natural home OF
the lima bean is in warm countries. and thew
require long season to mature. In the
North the season should be shortened by
the selection of earlier varieties and of soil
and giving more attention to cultivation
Light, quick soils are best. Soils naturally
sandy and loose, but enriched with manure
IN previous years. are excellent, especially
IT they have a warm exposure.
The soil should also be dry. Coarse, raw
manure should be avoided as it tends to
make too rank and too late q growth II
fertilizer is applied the year in which beans
are planted it should be such as will become
availa be very quickly and tend to hasten
maturity of the crop. Concentrated fertil-
phosphoric acid, AMI with a low per cent. of
nitrogen, are best suited. Plant an inch
deep IN hills about three feet apart. and the
rows about four feet apart. dropping seven
or eight beans in each hill.
When well up, and danger from bad
weather and eutworms is past, pull out all
but three or four. Poles should not be over
six feet high, as on longer poles the vines
run too high and grow too late. Clipping
back the vines is unnecessary when strong
fertilizers are withhold. The California
practice of bean-growing varies greatly in
ina the crop is not infrequently raised from
planting to harvesting without a shower.
Maehine-p planters plant two to four rows at
a time, 40 inches apart. Instead of setting
poles, the plants grow over aud completely
cover the ground.
The plants are cut in late September inst
below the surface of the ground. are forked
into piles, and allowed to dry fortnight
A piece of ground so to 30 feet is hardened
and two or three big wagon-loads are placed
IN ring. Horses attached to light WAGONS
are driven over them, the beans thrashed,
and the vines forked off and more similarly
thrashed. The process of thrashing by large
steam machines, which clean up from 80 to
10 acres OF beans per day, has more recently
been adopted by most of the large growers
in the West. Such machinery has been on
tie market but few seasons, and is there
fore quite expensive. While all consumers
welcome cheap methods of production, the
average farmer should continue to plant q
gOod-sized family garden.
Harvesting Rhubarb.
In picking rhHbard care should be taken
to select the stalks which have attained their
growth. These are mostly on the outside of
the hill, and can be detected by the smooth
ness and dull color of the leaf, and by the
greenness of the stalk. The stalks which are
still red, and which have small, crumpled
leaves, should be left to grow.
The cutter should keep watch for blossom
stems, and pull them out or cut them off
near the ground as soon as seen. Not seed
should be allowed to form during the entire
season. In gathering the stalks take them
away with straight, quick pull, whip-off
the leaf, and serape the root and stem, and
leave the stalks in small heaps, all pointed
in one direction ready for the man who
comes after to gather into baskets or boxes.
The leaves should be spread over the weeds
near the plants. Rhubarb leaves viii
smother all weeds and grass.
Variety in Feed.
Good results are secured by a mixture of
grain when the uss of one kind may not be
Variety in feed, especially in
the Summer season, enables the farmer to
produce meat, milk and butter at the lowest
cost, because the condition of the animals is
always better when they receive variety.
1t is not advisable to change from one kind
Of food to another, but to reduce the one and
add something else. During the Summer it
IS more essential to supply a full ration of
green food than to allow grain, as cOncen-
rated food is heating and may cause disease
in the flock or herd.
Farm Notes.
Thoroughly wash the buttermilk out Of
the butter as it comes into the ehurn and
the butter will not become rancid so soon.
large cow on the dairy farm is more
expensive to feed and adds to the cost of the
butter
Kind treatment, regularity of milking and
feeding, exercise a marked effect on the yield
and quality of the produce of dairy cow.
Harsh treatment dsturbs the nervous sys-
tenn, irregular feeding disturbs digestion,
while irregular milking causes unnecessary
suffering.
As an application to trees after trimming,
or when the lark has been brOkensuse coal
tar, residue from the gas-house. It is
purely an antiseptic dressing, is waterproof,
heat from the sun does not melt nor frost
crack 1T; neither can insects deposit their
eggs i'll the wounds of the tree.
Do not neglect to grow a crop of carrots.
There is nothing more highly relished by
COWS and horses than carrots, and they can
be kept over Winter with less difficulty
than is required for potatoes. They can be-
fed raw or cooked and are considered whole
some at any season of the year. Their deep
color is regarded by some farmers as of adj
vantage in deepening the color of milk when
they are fed to cows.
The Ayrshire's average weight of about
900 pounds is the fayOrite size for the
LARRY and for market cows, and her red, and
white spotted color gives her an attractive
ook that is pleasing to the eye. Her large,
,hapely udder and deep, wedge shape both
impress the beholder with her great milk
ng capacity, and give her the ideal form
or q dairy cow.
Something can be gained with a small
trawberry patch by turning the runners
nto rows instead of allowing them to grow
,ut into the paths. When the young plants
If this year are kept clean aud the soil loose
lie runners will quickly take root, and.
renee, plenty of fertilizer should be given,
10 as to enable the runners to grow rapidly
vi hout depending upon the parent plants