Year: 1872

Farm, Garden, and Household. GRUB IN SHEEP. = Tobacco-smoke blown up the nostrils of the sheep has sometimes been effectual in dislodeing the grubs it is not often that sheep die with grubs, though they are often an noyed by them. To prevent them, keep the sheeps noses smeared with tar dur the the warm summer months, when the fly abounds.

 LIME AND SALT MNTURE.-"D. V. H." Washington Co.,, Ill.,, asks how lime and salt should be mixed for apply ing to wheat, and when it should be ap- piled. Stake the lime with quantity of water in which salt has been dissolved until it can take up no more, sufficient to reduce the lime to fine dry powder. Five or six bushels per acre of this mix ture may be spread early in spring over the wheat. Its effect is generally to stiffen the straw.

 CoRN.-Nothing is more important in raising corn than to secure "good start" It is half the race. A fine, mel 4O" oO4A Ao S4 uA4O 141Ou 1AO best way to secure this depends on cir cumstances. Every farmer must deter mine this matter for himself. As rule, we seldom harrow the land sufficiently. Corn can not thrive among clods. Our own practice, when planted in hills, is to soak the corn from twelve to twenty-four plaster. By exercising due precautions, fhn fhinor ha -1 ing with drill.

 HINTS FOR THE SEASON.

 Sod Land can be plowed after soak ing rain earlier than fall-plowed or stub- bles. And steel blow will make clean furrow slice where cast-iron blow will clog. But 1t is doubtful whether it is or is not advisable to avail ourselves of these facts. Sod land is just as wet as the stubble land, and if one would be injured byplowing, it is not easy to understand why the sod land would not be injured also. It is one of those points, however, on which we need more light.

 Oats can be sown on a great range of soils, from black munk to the heaviest elays.- Of all the small grains they will stand the greatest neglect. but well re- pay good cultivation. They are sown on new-plowed sod land, and occasionally do we'll enough to induce farmers to con tinue the practice, notwithstanding the fact that in nine cases out Of ten the re- suit is anything but satisfactory. Better plant corn on the sod land, and SOW oats after the corn. -.....t .. ...

 Peas in many sections are so much af- fected by the pea-beet1e, or what is i'm properly called "the buzz" that their culture is almost entirely abandoned. There is at present no known remedy. Getting seed entirely free from bugs, or dipping the seed for @ moment in boil ing water, are popular remedies, but are not based on any satisfactory reason. Late sowing is to certain extent a rem edy, but the crop is almost invariably 8 poor one. Better SOW as early as possi- ble, and try to raise 8 great crop, and feed out the crop to pigs before the bug eats out much of the substance of the peas.

 Potatoes do much better on rich clo- yer sod than on rich stubble land. It is time we paid more attention to enriehing the soil for this crop. The labor of dig ging an acre yielding only 90 bushels, is nearly or quite as great as digging an acre that will yield 250 bushels, and if the soil is in good condition, the latter yield can be safely calculated on, with 8 good variety, and good cultivation. Ma nure, If thoroughly routed and well work ed into the soil, does not increase the disease. Planting in hills three feet apart each way, saves seed and labor in planting, hoeing, and digging, and where land is cheap, is undoubtedly the better plan but planting in drills, three feet one way, and sets dropped from 12 to 15 inches in the row, will. provided the land is rich enough, produce a greater crop per acre.

 Clover seed on winter wheat should be sown already. But we have sown it as late as the middle of May, and had a good crop. Much depends on the season and the condition of the land. We prefer to delay sowing until the ground is dry enough to harrow.

 Grass and clover seeds should not be covered more than half an inch deep, Far more seed is lost from covering too deep than from being left wholly ex- posed to the surface. A fine, mellow soil is the great essential condition.

 The roller is not as much used as it should be in the spring, though it is sometimes used where it does more harm than good. It is easier to break clods when wet than when dry, but if you can break them when dry, the pulverizing effect IS far greater. Clayey land rolled when wet, forms hard crust.

 Horses, after their winters rest. should be worked only moderately at first. Look to their shoulders, and wash them ire quently with cold water.

 Working oxen should be well carded every day, and be literally fed. They have much larger stomach than horse, and do not need as concentrated food, but they require more time to eat.

 Cows can hardly secure enough green grass for their support yet, and he is a fortunate farmer who has plenty of man. golds for them. But bran and good hay, with good carding every day, to keep open the pores, will keep milch COW in good condition, and prepare her for giv- ing large mess of milk when grass comes.

 Raise your own calves, and let them have good care, nutritious food, and plenty of it, with the kindest treatment, Cows will be high again in a year or two. Good cows are always scarce.

 Poultry.-Clean the house, sprinkle with crude carbolic acid and water. Car bolic soap, rubbed on to the roots, finds its way to the feathers, and kills the lice.

 Sheep, like COWS, in the northern lati- tudes, will hardly find grass enough yet. Nothing is better for sheep than clover hay. Let the breeding ewes have all they can eat And those with lamb at their side should have pound of bran