The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-06-24
Agriculture.

The best time to kill a weed is be-
fore it is seen by throwing the sprout-
ing seed to the surface and exposing
it to the drying influence of the sun
and air.
1t is hardly possible to pillow too
early for wheat, and the sooner this
is done after the field to be sown is
ready for the pillow the better for the
crop. II proper attention is given to
1T afterward.
The farmer should be more care
full about the seeds he sOws; he takes
too much for granted. The average
dealer knows nothing about it. Buy
only from responsible men, and with
guaranty. 1t is not too much to
insist on your having microscope,
that you may examine it for your
self. All this is especially needful
in buying clover seed.
The farmers lexicon must not be
without the words thorough" and
continuous" Let him add % per
cent. to his next years crop of corn
by blowing two or three inches
deeper than ever before; and then
get as much more of an increase by
thoroughly narrowing at once and
by continuous cultivation during the
summer.
The countries of Europe do no.
stop because of the expense of the
construction of good roads, for it was
long ago proved that they pay. When
two horses can do the work of three,
the subject is worthy of considera-
ton, surely. Good roads would save
the expense of thousand upon thous-
ands of horses to US on this side OF
the water.
fyou have sOwn clover on wet
land this spring it will be the part OF
wisdom to drain it before winter
One of the chief causes why clover
Is so often winter killed is that it il
on undrained land. The seed will
catch and grow all right until cold
weather comes, but when the lane
is filled with water the plants will
soon be thrown out by the freezing
and thawing.
The ugly toad is the watch dog o.
our fields and gardens. He lives OF
red ants which infest houses anC
lawns, on the perniciOus cut worm
on the devastating army worm, oil
the white grub which plays havoc
with our potato crop, on weevils anC
beetles, on the curculio which de
stroys our plums, and on the cater
pillar of the dreaded gypsy moth
Welcome the toad, no matter how
large his family.
Sometimes we find stalks of corr
with imperfect ears; perhaps two O.
three have started out and formed
bunch of half grown ears which
never matuTed. This is caused b.
deep and late cultivation. Th,
growth of the stalk is checked ant
the germ dwarfed; perhaps anothe
starts, and then no ear is produced
at all, or an imperfect one at best.
Although tilling the soil is one o
the most certain means of obtaining
a livelihood, it is one of the Stoves
of methods of amassing fortune
Farmers are zoo often of croakinl
nature, ever presenting the darke
side of the business, and it Is no won
der their children are getting ava,
from the farm. The drouth or tn
cut worm or the low prices are tn
constant notes in their song; the fl,
or the dry weather or the frequen
rains are the subjects of their medi
tation and the sweet morsel whicl
they will not let go. How can tn
children be expected to embark i
any such business? The brighte
side is far the larger. The delight
of so free life are unquestionablt
and living secure. Our city neigh
bors have not one-half so man
privileges, and most of them nc
half so much to eat as the farme
who grows it all. Every mortal ha
his reverses. Let the farmer carr
bright face always, and be thank
full that he does not have TO look il
to the future as into dark hole.