The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-09
THE FARM AND THE GARDEN.
MAT'TERS OF INTEREST TO ACRE
CULTURIST AND HOUSEWIFE.

Great and Growing Demand-sun-
dry Matters of Fnrm Interest.
plant so useful as celery should be
grown in every home garden where the
soil is at all suitable. 1t Is not the cas-
lest crop TO grow under our Southern sun,
70 be sure. but it is much easier grown
than many seem to think. For asoninS
purposes it is very handy to have il ready
at hand, even though not of the finest
quality.
The old time way Of growing celery was
to set the plants in deep trenches, and the
tall growing sorts was used almost ex-
ciusively Celery growing has been gre L
~ modified ana improved in recent years
and the tall, coarse varieties entirely dis
carded as also the deep trenches.
Since the discovery of the White PLUMB,
Golden Dwarf and similar kinds. celery
growing has been much simplifed, and it
is not difficult for the average amateur or
home gardener to grow all the celery that
may be needed for his own table.
The bed plan has become popular in al
small gardens where it has been trieI.
Beds are made three or four feet wide,
and any length, and the plants are set in
these beds al a dis lance of 6xS inches and
after good growth has been started the
beds are well muched between the plants.
Those who have a supply of water that
can be used for irrigating the beds can
make a better success of celery growing
than those who have no water But II
managed right very coed celery can be
made with only the water OF rains. Inc
beds should be made very rich with good,
old compost forked in to a depth of or 10
inches, the soil well pulverized with rake
on a four-foot bed there can be five rows
Of plants set, and the pants should be
eight inches apart The plants can be set
closer than this if one can irrigate III not
they must have the greater distance Afler
the plants are set out they should be cult
waited thoroughly for month or 50 before
the mulch is put on. This should be put
on after heavy. saturating rain. The
mulch should be thick enough to prevent
the evaporation of water from the pea.
Settle the mulch firmly down and draw
il close UP about each plant. When the
plants are first set out they should be
Clipped so as. to encourage the multiplied
ton of stocks.
When the plants become full grown they
can be blanched by covering with straw
or old newspapers. can. be used for TINS
purpose A piece of paper can be wrap
placed over them also Blanching is really
not necessary for home celery. 1t Is just
about as good green as bleached.
Few people know that celery can he
stewed Just like asparagus. 1t is a NICE
dish.
Improving the Farm.
The number of rundown farms are In
creasing in this country at rapid rate,
and the West will soon have its share of
these farms along with the East. SAYS
@ w Jones' The cause of this Us that
there are so many engaged in farming
who do not understand the primary prln-
ciples of good farming that the land De-
terjorates without attracting their atten-
ton. This deterioration goes on slowly
and gradually, and year by year the soil
nroduces a smaller crop. After matters
become considerably demoraiized some
body wakes up to the fact that the land
is exhausted and rundown, and the farm
gets a name that practically makes 1t
unsuitable Good money that was orgi-
nallv put in the land as an investment is
thus lost Hundreds of thousands OF
dollars are lost in this country through
this deterioration of soil because of iguo-
rance and neglect on the part of so-called
farmers. In the same way, l suppose, a
similar depreciation of other business
property goes on in towns and villages
through lack of good management. The
farmers are not alone in having among
their number poor members who fail TO
hold their own and keep their property
from degenerating. 1t is the price that
incaDacity or shiftesSness must pay.
A good farm needs much systematic
attention as any business or city proper
ty In order to keep up its renting or
paying value the soil must not be allow
ed 20 degenerate or its buildings and other
appurtenances to go to pieces. good
farmer will not allow this The fertility
Iii coil fas %
immediate gain unless it is restored right
away again by some return. Continual
cropping without adding anything in
turn Is never practiced. But the most
difficult thing in farming is to take hold
of a rundown farm and restore it to its
former standard of fertility. This is dis
couraging work and often drives the best
of farmers to despair. 1t is like taking
hold of a rundown business in a city and
trying to build ii up. Business men say
that II is easier to start an entirely new
business than to attempt to inject new
life into one that has been run into the
ground So 1t is much more satisfactory
10 take a farm that Is in fair condition
and run it than to purchase rundown
one at half the price and strive 20 improve
it. But the latter can be done. and there
are cases where il is necessary FOR a
farmer to do this. To do this he must
make up his mind TO make haste slowly
and to make every step that he takes a
progressive one. Grass must be made the
foundation crop of the land and green
and barnyard manure must be contin-
uolly added every year in excess of the
amount taken from the soil BY proper
crop rotation, plenty of animals which
can add fertility to the soil, the farm can
in the course of years be returned to its
fertile condition. A man who can do this
however is farmer who is capable OF
making anything on the farm succeed.
The long course of discipline he must 90
through will also prove of help to him
because he will learn more about intensive
farming than the man who starts with
a rich soil
The Russian Olive.
Last winter committee was appointed
by the Nebraska Horticultural Society to
select n list of the hardest trees for gen.
eral and forest planting, and on compar-
ing notes, to the surprise of all they found
this tree worthy to head the list, says an
exchange.
While I had charge of an experiment
station in Western Nebraska, about IF
teen years ago, l planted some of these
trees with a large variety Of rOpiarc aims