Year: 1879

the termination of seeds, says the Conn.
try Gentleman, are heat, mir and moist
ure. but not light. In cold soil they
remain dormant; ii too dry, they will
not sprout, and if buried deep and COM
pactly beyond the action of the air, no
movement toward growth takes place.
The small seeds of weeds often remain in
the soil for years when turned under
deep by the plow; when brought again
to the surface, the new and copious
growth which at once takes place has led
superficial observers to the erroneous no
ton that they have sprung up spontan-
eously. Nurserymen sometimes keep
peach stones dormant a year when they
happen to have surplus, by placing
them two feet under the soil until need
ed. The depth for planting must depend
largely on the size of the seed; and the
general rule has been given to bury
them from three to five times as deep as
their diameter. This rule will vary
somewhat with t1e nature and condition
of the soil. If heavy and moist, the
depth should be less than in light, dry
and porous soil. In moist, well-pul-
verized soil. most seeds, whether large
or small, will grow if merely covered
and kept moist; but this condition can
not be commonly continued, as few dry
and warm days will dry the surface Of
the soil and prevent the examination of
tine seed Hence the common practice
to vary this rule with circumstances.
Corn, planted early in the season when
the ground is moist, will grow freely if
buried only an inch deep; but under or
dinary circumstances two inches will be
better. 1t will find its way freely to the
surface after many days when buried six
inches below. Early in autumn, when
winter wheat is sown or drilled in, the
soil is usually much drier than in corn
planting time, and for this reason, al
though the seeds are smaller than grains
of corn, it should be placed ut depth of
two inches. ms dry spring corn should
be planted deeper than in wet one, and
the old practice of pressing each hill with
the hoe, when the work was done by
hand. was useful when the soil was dry.
When planting is done with machine,
q roller to follow the tube would be USE
full in dry weather.


Ina dry season, rs the present has been
in many places, much care is required to
impart sufficient moisture to seeds when
planted. If the particles of soil are dry.
the small grains or Jumps which COM
pose it will touch the seed only Mt n few
points, and the chances for it's germina-
tion will be small. Even if moistened
by n shower, the water will be conveyed
| to the seed only at the few points OF con-
t;tct. tits better, therefore, to plant seed
after n shower than before it, rs the soil
is rendered moist and yielding, and,
pressing the whole surface of the seed
causes termination Mt once. On this
principle, experience has shown that un-
der common conditions seeds grow
much better If planted after than before
the rain. The exceptions are, when the
soil has been so finely pulverized that it
eases the seed well on all sides while yet
dry; and when the rain is so copious
that it fills with water for q sufficient
time the interstices which surround the
seed.


The Rose Bug Pest.


Another bug has strangely increased
in numbers, in the past two years, and 1t
promises to be more troublesome than
the enemy of the potato. The rose bug
has come upon us in swarms, and il de-
stroys not only our grape and peach
crops, but our apples and plums. if un
checked. The best method of checking
them it is desirable to learn, if there be
any method. We have tried hand pick
ing, whale oil soap, and variety 0
agents. but our efforts have been only
partially successful. The white helle-
bore dust is the most effective destroyer,
but it is expensive and troublesome to
apply. It occurred to lis this year to
take our grapevines from their supports
and lay them close upon the ground
when in blossom. This course saved
our crop so far as the experiment was
tried, and we present the plan for the
benefit of grape growers everywhere.
| The insect cannot or does not reach the
blossom when the vines are in this posi-
ton, and no injury results to the vines
during inhorescence. AS soon as the
fruit is formed, the danger is over, and
the vines may be raised and secured to
the supports. This we regard as i'm
portant information, and it should be
remembered. Our peach crop we saved
this year by passing through the orchard
and Earring the trees by blow with the
hand once or twice Il day. The insects
are detached from the fruit and fall upon
the ground, and do not return to the
ruit until after considerable period of
| tim". The better way is. to place q
sheet under the trees, catch the bugs and


cstroy them in pan of whale oil soap
suds.-BCSton Journal of Chemistry.
Household Hints.


Glass held level under water NAV be
easily cut with pair of shears OF strong
scissors. Cut little at time.


Never wash raisins that are to be used
in sweet dishes. 1t will make the pud-
ding heavy. TO clean them wipe them
on dry towel.


In boiling eggs hard put them in boil
| ing water ten minutes and then put them
in cold water; it will prevent the yolks
from coloring black.


To make macaroni tender. put it m
cold water and bring it to u boi il. II
will then he much more tender than if
put into hot water or stewcd in milk.


All milk vessels should, in their last
rinsingS. h;lre boiling water or hot super
heated steam applied, rs nothing short
will DESTROY the putrefaction which is
abundant in milk vessels not thoroughly
cleansed.


To take out tea stains, put the linen
in kettle of cold water; rub the. stains
we'll with common CASTLE soap; put the
kettle on the side of the stove, to let the
water get gradually warm; wash it
thoroughly in warm soap suds; then rub
the stain again with soap, and boil; then
rinse.


Single cream is cream that has stood
on the milk twelve hours. 1t is best for
tea or coffee. Double cream stands on
its milk twcnty-four hours, and cream
for butter frequently stands forty.eightt
hours. Cream that is to be whipped
should not be butter cream. lest in
whipping it change to butter.