The American Farmer Volume 4, No. 6; Devoted to Agriculture, Horticulture and Rural Life (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1875 Excerpt: ...to the plants. The soil best adapted to Ruta Bagas is a rich sandy loam thoroughly prepared with plow and harrow. Good fertilizers to be applied, --bone dust, super-phosphates, and ashes. The rows should be about 30 inches apart, and the plants thinned so as to stand about 10 inches in them. Vacant spaces may be filled by transplanting. Sow the seed as soon as may be after the ground is prepared, as it germinates sooner, and is thereby more apt to escape the fly. A hand-drill is the most convenient way of sowing the seed, or it may be dropped at intervals of about a foot in the rows and covered by the hoe. The plants are safe from these insect enemies as soon as they get into rough leaf; hence the importance of stimulat ing their growt h. If the fly does appear, dnst over the plants, when the dew is on them, sifted ashes, plaster, air-slaked lime, &c. Commence to cultivate as soon as the plants appear, and keep the ground light and open, working letween the plants with the hoe until the leaves interfere. Potatoes.--In most cases we think the earlier that fall potatoes are planted after this late the better, but the experience of others is different. All must agree, however, that a good clean soil and careful cultivation have as much to do with the result in many cases as the season. Tohacco.--Upon the destruction of grass and weeds, with thorough and constant cultivation the success of this crop very largely depends. As a rule, we think, the earlier the plants are set out the better. Millet and Hungarian, --May be sown now at any time and will be found convenient either for cutting green or for curing. In either case they should be cut before the seed fully matures. Horses and cows both relish these plants and they seem to agree well with them. Corn for S.