AGRICULTURE.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 735, 4 October 1870, Page 4

AGRICULTURE.

In October, continue the sowing of flowering broccoli. Early in the month, make a final sowing of Seymour's superb white or Manchester red celery, and also sowings of curled parsley, globe savoys, Brussels sprouts, curled greens, and cauliflowers. Make successional sowings of early white stone turnips, spinach, cress, mustard, radish, lettuce, endive, and red beet. Onions may still be sown, for the purpose of drawing green throughout the summer and autumn. Varieties of eaWy and late cabbages may be sown, and during showery weather the early spriugsown plants of each may be advantageously transplanted. Carrots, parsnips, salsafy, and scorzonera may still be sown ; and now is a suitable time to commence first small sowings of scarlet runners and dwarf French beans. Towards the end of this month the out-of-doors hardy ridge cucumbers, water melons, pie pumpkins, gourds, vegetable marrows, and late tomatoes may be sown within any sheltered enclosure. All of these Ere very tender, and, where proper conveniences exist, it is the safest plan to sow them in flower pots, placed either in a glass frame or within the window of a dwelling house until the seeds have germinated, and the . plants are about an inch in height. Now is a suitable time to commence sowing convolvolus major, tropsaolum canariense, petunias, nasturtiums, and out-of-door balsams. Hyacinths, anemones, ranunculuses, and other bulbs now in flower •wiii have their bloosnmg period greatly prolonged by frequent watering and shading from the overpowering brightness of the mid-day sun. Vines under glass, aided with a moderate amount of fireheat, will now be bm-sting into foliage, and will, at this stage of their growth, require constant attention in the displacement of irregular growths, the reduction of all side shoots to one only on each spur, and fie stopping of these, one joiut before the bunch, by pinching out the top with the finger and thumb. Badly-drained land will absorb manure to any extent without showing any satisfactory return, particularly the heavier soils. In France salt is used freely as nob only one of the manures, when establishing an asparagus bed, but invariably applied in the spring as a top-dressing at the rate of a pound to a square yard. Dr Powell, writing to Dr Barker, denie? that the fibre of Manilla hemp can bo distinguished, either with the naked eye or by the aid of a microscope, from that of New Zealand flax. He thinks it possible to clean the fibre too well. It is stated Ilnt no fewer than 100 machines are on their way to India to compete for the reward of LSOO offered by the Government for a machine for cleaninsr the Rhea fibre. There are 400,000 seres of land in the Yassoo Basin, Mississippi, liable to overflow, which, if properly protected, is capable of prodncing more cotton than has been raised in the United States in any one year since the war. A man that clears and stumps a farm, fences it well, puts decjnt buildings upon it, and brings up and educates a family from the proceeds, must sound all the depths of true economy to enable him to do it. There is no royal road to wealth with farmers. Do you understand the nature and value of ammonia ; can you tell the use 3 of phosphate of lime, nitrate? If you cannot, yon should lose no time in learning ; for if you make any pretensions to agricultural knowledge you should not be ignorant of such things. Bone ashes are not so stroug as ground bone by a good deal. Raw bone — that is, bone that has neither been boiled in lye, or burned, or bleached — is nearly half animal, or jelly-like matter. This is rich in ammonia, the moat pungent and active :of fertilisers. Raw bone ground into flour is not surpassed by any guano as a fertiliser. It is good on all crops, and its effects are lasting. In rich land there may be an excess of ammonia in proportion to the mineral elements of plant food. When this is the case, the green parts of the plants will have a rapid growth ; but when the plant begins to ripen, a greater proportion of phospheric acid is needed for the kernels, together with potash and soluble silica to give stiffness to the straw. The silica is seen in ripe straw in the glistening coating. Probably the use of ashes and mineral super-phosatas would remedy the difficnlty in such cases. Much has been said of late years of a very prolific breed of sheep coming, some from Russia, and others from China. There are several specimens at present in the Zoological Garden in Bois de Boulogne — notably two Chinese sheep (one of which has already produced nine lambs in the course of one year) having one four and the other three young one 3at its side. Many diseases and unlooked for results

<• ra occasioned through planting fruit j Iree3 too deeply. The trees gvow badly too, and are never so fruitful. Nature plants her trees so that the upper portion of the roots radiate from the surface of the ground, both in a lateral and in a downward direction. It cannot be too often urged upon farmers that when they sell hay or corn, and make no attempt to replace their I chemical constituents by manure, they are selling the land from under their feet, and putting their home into their pockets, on their backs, or down their throats ; but while they convert the products of their farm into flesh on the spot the value of their land is always increasing. I It is a mistako to suppose thai land | worn out with too much cropping caw be ' profitably U3ed for grazing purposes. The truth is that land too often planted with grain gives up to the grain so much of the element of bone beef, and tallow, that the grass is destitute of nutriment, and cattle will not fatten upon it without the help of artificial food, although they may live in a healthy condition and increase in number. A Marysville despatch states that a farmer at Knight's Landing reaps this year a crop of seventy tons of wheat from twenty-one acres. This will be at least 110 bushels to the acre, and if correctly reported is worthy of note. It is added that very heavy crops have been raised upon this land for six or seven years successfully. There are probably few farms where such an immense yield as this can be secured, and perhaps fewer still where the land ought to be worked at such a rate, without change of crops. In planting an orchard, the low grounds are better occupied with pears, quinces, and medlars : all these will do best in such spots. Do not plant apples in such low grounds, as they are far too subject to the American blight. As the ground rises presuming the plot varies in altitude, plant apples, plums, and cherries ; and on the highest ground place the peach and apricot trees ; the latter two varieties need a dry, healthy subsoil. The same may be said of raspberries and gooseberries. As to the aspect, due east is the best, and if the prevailing summer winds can be avoided it will be better still. How to keep bacon.— The following is from the correspondence of an American periodical :— Mix equal parts of slackened lime and wood ashes ; spread three inches ot the mixture on the bottom of a box, then a layer of bacon ; cover with lime and ashes, a layer of bacon, and continue until the boxes are full. Set in a dry cool place. All ashes will answer, if no lime nearby. For a few pieces for a family, cover each piece of bacon or ham with paper, and pack in a salt barrel, with ashes between each piece, and fill the barrel up with ashes. The meat will be as good at the end of a year as when put in. I have tried it thirty years, and never failed. Do not pack ii down in anything but take each piece and hang in it a loose bag ; stuff the bag tight with cut hay, and your hams will keep sound and fresh for an indefinite time. I have ham two and three year 3 old, perfectly sound, and retaining their juices, and they improve in quality like old wine. If one will pack his hams, shoulders, and dried beef, in barrels, and cover them with powdered charcoal, his meat will keep sweet, and will not be touched by flie3, mice or rats. Malt screenings will keep bacon better than brou. — "Kircudbrightslure Advertiser."