The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-02-18
Agriculture.

Rye is a harder plant than wheat,
and will make good growth on a
corn or potato stubble with very lit
tie or no preparation.
If you save your own garden or
field seeds, save only from the best
and healthiest plants you can find.
In grating or budding it is well to
be sure that the plant from which
you propagate is healthy. Careless
ness has doubtless had much to do
with the notable and rapid spread
of plant diseases in recent years.
BY starting the plants in a cold
frame, the chief objections to melon
raising are overcome. Do not trans
plant into the open ground until
danger from the striped bug is past;
these bugs rarely work upon them
after they have developed the rough
leaf. They will be past the danger
point as soon as the weather will
permit them to be set out, and with
this early start theylwill easily fruit
before the fall frosts ruin the vines,
and your hopes at the same time.
If weeds are mown when they are
at all approaching ripeness, the only
safe way to dispose of them VI is to
burn them. If the seeds are at all
we'll formed they will ripen enough
to terminate, and so re-seed them
selves. Examine any patch of weeds
which you have mown down late IN
the summer, and, after they have
lain day or two, you will find ripe
seeds.
If coarse manure is spread on the
Pc alto ground just before blowing,
it will do hurt. 1t will remain
dry under the furrow until mid
summer. When it does ferment it
will breed fungus, and the tubers
will rot. If rotted and spread in the
winter, the fertility will be incor-
porated in the soil, there will be a
vigorous growth and no excessive
heating.
Given two farmers with equal
mental and physical attainments,
and with capital proportioned to the
acres each cultiVates, the man with
small farm will get more comfort
and satisfaction from his work and
quite as much net profit as the one
with the larger farm.
Farmers have long known they
were right in grinding the corn with
the cob for feeding, but they hardly
know why. They are of value be-
cause of their percentage of potash,
and the potash is especially neces-
sary as chemical agent to change
the blood to milk and yet the cObs
hove few special elements of nutri-
ton.
"A good top to the pasture in the
summer protects the plant roots
from the hot sun, and in the winter
prevents injury from thawing and
freezing, especially in that class of
soils which has tendency to spew
up. While some pasturing is of
benefit to the growth, damage is Of
ten done for which the feed OBJ
tanned will not compensate.
On the vigor and perfection of the
germ depends the value of the seed.
The body is the reserve fund of the
germ, which supports the embryo
sprouts, both top and bottom, or
stem and root, until advanced
enough to feed upon the soil, and is
generally absorbed entirely by the
plant. The skin is but a protection
from undue moisture and minor
evils. The healthy germ is of a
cheesy consistency, which it loses
if caught by the frost. An injured
germ will crumble to fine powder
Plants in midsummer suffer more
from want of moisture than from
lack ofplant food Filling the soil
with vegetable matter will greatly
assist in conserving moisture, for il
there be large amount of humus
the water will be given off by evap-
Grafton more slowly. A we'll worn
soil contains much less moisture
than one which is new.