The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-06-09
RALEIGH. N. C., TUESDAY. JUNE 9, 1903.

1t VIII heat more and be a browner color,
but VIII smell well and be eaten greediy.
II, however, it be stored in the barn with
rain or dew upon 1t Will neat and spoil
and may burn up from spontaneous Com
bustIon. We have know this to happen
and have seen many stacks and mows al
most black when cut into after cooling
II the crops is to be stacked out of doors
put up IN a large stack, rather than in a
number of small ones. There is much less
waste from weathering and the hay viii be
much better in quality.
When shipping fruit or vegetables to
market, see that care Is taken to have
them cooled off before Grating and Gull
them closely that the crop may be
credltable to the grower. Keep the diff
terent grades of fruit and products sep
, arate, and mark each shipment first,
second or 'culls," as the case calls for
In this way much better prices can be
realized See that all baskets, crates and
packages are clean and the products pack
ed III them attractively. More than one
! half of the profit may be easily lost by
negecting these points.
Successonal crops of beans, peas, corn
{ melons, canteloupes, cucumbers, squashes
peppers tomatoes and egg plants should
be set out and the earliest planted ones
should have frequent cultivation to
stimulate their growth and keep down
weeds. The hot, dry weather we have had
IN May has largely hindered growth, and
only repeated cultivation can save the
crops unless we have rain. Keep the
ground covered with mulch of some
kind. A dry dust mulch is as effective as
any. AS soon as we have rain a dressing
| of nitrate of soda, say $50 pounds to the
acre. will infuse into the crop again, and
| set it to growing Apply when the plants
| are dry broadcast. A vigorous, quick
growth will tend to prevent damage by in
, sects, and IN this way nitrate of soda acts
! as an insecticide.
Look out for potato bugs, and see tha t
| they have a good dressing of Paris green
| before they have injured the crop If
| there are many indications of blight the
Irish potatoes give them a spraying or
two with Bordeaux mixture. Even if no
| blight be seen, the spraying will be of
| advantage. In an experiment made last
year in New York, spraying seven times
l
per acre, gave an increased yield Of 1851
| bushels of potatoes, and three sprays in
creased the yield 9SH bushels. Where
both the carly and late blight were alb
sent from the crops on Long Island, spray
| ing seven times gave a gain OF 45 bush
els per acre, and spraying three times, a
] gain of 2-3 bushels
1 n n
d hill OF corn every few yards. The worms
| will take the corn before the tomatoes
and when on the corn it can be pulled and
| fed to stock, and thus the tomatoes be
| saved from injury. Mustard sowed be-
tween the rows of cabbage and other plants
of the same family will save them from
the attacks of terrapin bugs. These vii
| crowd on the mustard, which then be
] destroyed by sprinl1ling with kerosene
| Melons and cantaloupes can be largely
saved from the attacks OF the melon louise
, bv dusting them when wet with bone
meal
Cucumbers for pickles should now be
set out There is a large demand for this
crop, and it is usually a profitable one
plant them in hills or feet apart, anc
fertilize literally with a fertilizer having
about per cent ammonia, per cent,
phosphate acid, and S per cent potash
The cucumbers can be put up III brine as
picked and then be sold when all the
crop is gathered if not near enough to
market to sell as picked.
Harvest the fall planted onions as soor
rs they ripen. Pull and leave on tho
ground until dry then cut off tops anC
sell at once. They do not keep well, bu
usually sell we'll before the spring planted
crop comes on the market
Old strawberry beds, if not intended tc
be plowed UP and new ones planted, Whlcf
i best after the second year, may be rem
ovatcd by moving off the foliage ant
buring it. thus destroying all insects ant
, blight. The rows should then be barred
off with the plow, and the plants bt
thnned out with the hoe. and all weeds
be destroyed Then plow back the sol
and curtivate the middles.
Celery seed may be sown during thl
month for plants to set out IN July ant
/ August Make the bed fine and rich, anC
let it be in a moist, cool location. Sow th
seed thinly. rake IN and water, and theI
) cover with brush or mats to keep IN th'
moisture 1t is slow to germlnatc usual,
and often fails altogether unless KEEP
: shaded and moist When terminated re
move the shading.
New Bern Truck Items.
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