Year: 1877

| When should peas De planted


For different soils or situations the
time varies little, but from early to
middle April is the season for this eli
mate.


What soil is required for this vege-
table?


If for general market crops the soil
does not matter much, SO that it is well
dressed. But when early results are
looked for, the pea should have light,
rich soil. pint of seed is sufficient for
row say thirty feet long, and sowing
may be repeated every two or three
weeks in succession.


| What is the best manure for hot-beds?


A mixture of forest leaves and stable
manure is much advised for this pur-
pose. The best way to obtain the same
| is to use the leaves as O litter in the
stables during the winter.


How long can seed corn be kept before
losing its vitality?


Seed corn, as most farmers are aware,
will keep much longer on the cob than if
shelled, being freer in this state from
mold and also the injuries of weevils and
other insects. Sound field corn kept in
dry place on the cob will remain fit for
planting three or four years. Sweet
corn, after year or two, will not germi-
nate freely, as it becomes 80 very hard
and dry. As new seeds invariably come
up sooner than old ones, it is safer not
to use seed corn after it is over year or
two old. Ia


What Kind of soil does the cherry tree
require?


A dry soil for the cherry is the uniFer-
sal opinion, and although hardy tree
will thrive on a variety of soils, yet good
sandy or gravelly loan is its fayorite
place. When forced to grow in wet
places where the roots are all the while
damp, it soon decays and is very short
lived. When grown in warm vallays
liable to spring frosts, Mr.. Downing ed
vises planting cherry trees on the north
side of hills in order to retard them in
the spring. The larger growing sorts of
black cherry are the finest of all fruit
trees for shade, and are therefore gener:
ally the ones chosen by farmers desirous
of combining the useful with the orna-
mental.


Does wool of the same quality Of fine
ness possess always the same degree OF
sottness


By no means, for while, generally
speaking, the softness is the result OF
comparative fneness, it is not always 80.
Two parcels of sorted wool possessing
the same degree of tineness will often
disclose the one as having the soft
quality in an eminent degree and the
other as harsh. l.. A. Morrell explains
this by several causes, one OF which is
the soil, as, for instance, the chalky dis.
tricts of England, which effect the wool
to such an extent as to make it invariably
brittle and harsh This, however, is
only local. The general cause of def
cheney in the softness in woods of the
same breed may be referred directly to
the condition of the sheep. When an
animal is kept in uniform good condition
the necessary quantity of yolk is sup
piled. Now, if there is but little of that
substance, which will follow an abuse in
management, the wool will be less PHI
able and "soft in handle" Therefore,
it may be set down as rule that wool
owes much of it's softness to the presence
of a sufficiency of yolk.


What is this yolk alluded to?


A secretion of fatty or oily matter
from the glands of the skin, which re-
mains attached to the wool, rendering it
glutinous, until subjected to the process
of securing by the manufacturer.


Good Advice TO Farmers.


A gentleman of experience writes:
Perhaps few men have seen the troubles
that farmers have been brought to in
consequence of mortgaging their farms
more than I have, and I warn my read
ers to beware of the pit they would dig
to fall into, by borrowing money to ena-
BILE them to purchase stock, or to culti-
vate their farms better and more extern
sively. There never was time within
the present century when farmers needed
to be so careful not to run in debt as at
the present time. 1t will do for young
men, with but little money, to buy
really good farms, and run in debt for
part of the purchase money; but far
mer who is out of debt-owns his home
stead free OF mortgage-would be very
unwise to put even small mortgage on
it. No matter what his condition is, it
would be better to cut down expenses to
the utmost degree. When farmer is
out of debt he can, on tight pinch, sup !
port his family on very small income.
His COWS, pigs and fowls, with the
breadstuffs he can grow, without any
hired help will supply him with food.
Then by keeping from fifty to one hun
dred hens, he can buy his groceries with
the surplus eggs, and with a few pigs
fattened, few calves; little surplus
hay and grain, he can clothe his family; |
and thus avoid mortgaging his farm
the death knell, in most cases, of far
mer's prosperity and peace of mind.
Every farmer who finds it hard work to |
"make both ends meet" and has girls
and boys growing up, should have a
patch of strawberries, raspberries, or OF
other small fruits, for the children to
weed and pick, and also to sell IN the
village, if not far of. Let the rising |
generation among farmers be utilized,
by being thus employed at times IN some |
profitable and pleasant work. Straw
berries often yield one hundred bushels
per acre, or 5000 quarts, worth any |
where from fifteen to twenty cents o
quart; and many farmer has cleared,
with the help of his children, 500 on a
quarter of an acre. The Wilson, Charles
Downing, Green Prolific, Kentucky,
Champion, Monarch Of the West, Seth
Boyden, and Jucunda are among the
most popular varieties.