486 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



died and the stems are dry. It is very important that hops be well dried. They should not 

 be left exposed to the air after being cured, as the volatile principle will thus be lost. When 

 properly dried, they should be packed closely aad put in a dry place. 



MUSTARD. 



THE mustard family includes many valuable plants, such as the cabbage, turnip, rad 

 ish, horse-radish, water-cress, nasturtium, etc. The varieties of mustard cultivated 

 as a field crop and garden plant for the seed are two, the white and the black or 

 brown. The black or brown mustard has a small globular seed of a dark brown color, and 

 light yellow within. The white variety has large seed of a light color. The flour mustard 

 of commerce consists of the mixed ground seed of both varieties. The black variety is the 

 strongest. The ground mustard is a popular condiment for table use, and was known to the 

 ancients. It is also of great value for medicinal purposes, and is used in cases of poisoning. 

 A heaped teaspoonful or . more of the ground mustard, mixed with a tumbler of water 

 and drank, acts as a prompt non-nauseating emetic, and may be used with the greatest suc 

 cess and safety in cases of poisoning. This is a fact that every adult member of the house 

 hold should know, as cases of accidental poisoning are liable to occur in any family, and it is 

 something that is always at hand ; and may be used promptly in time to save life in such cases, 

 when waiting for a physician might prove fatal. &quot;We once witnessed its wonderful efficacy 

 in saving life when a person was apparently in a dying condition from the effects of an over 

 dose of veratrum viride. It cannot be too highly recommended in such cases. When 

 moistened with vinegar or water (the former is best), and applied to the skin, it is a most 

 powerful counter-irritant, and will relieve internal pains and sprains. 



The mustard plant furnishes a valuable crop for green food for cattle or sheep. It is 

 also used for plowing under as a green manure. In England from twenty to thirty bushels 

 of seed per acre are frequently grown. The principal objection to its growth is, that it is 

 difficult to eradicate from a soil where it has once been cultivated, the seed that is self-sown 

 in harvesting, producing troublesome weeds for future crops. The wild mustard is an 

 exceedingly noxious weed in some portions of the West. The best means of ridding a soil 

 from mustard where it has been previously cultivated, is to permit the plants to grow until 

 they are in blossom, and then plow them under. 



Cultivation. A rich, loamy, moist soil, reduced to a fine tilth, is the most desirable 

 for mustard, although it will grow well on any soil of medium fertility, if it is not too wet 

 or cold. A warm soil is essential. It may be sown either broadcast or in drills. The latter 

 method admits of after-culture, which is an advantage over the former. When the latter is 

 practiced, the drills should be about two feet apart, for convenience in cultivation. Care 

 should be taken not to sow the seed too thickly. A peck to the acre is required for broad 

 cast sowing; for drills, about six quarts is sufficient. The ground should be kept free from 

 weeds and frequently stirred. When a majority of the plants have ripened their seed, 

 which may be indicated by the pods turning brown or yellow, the crop should be carefully 

 cut with a reaper or scythe. It may be set in small stacks for a day or two in the field to 

 dry, or, if so ripe when cut that the seeds shell out in handling, it should be taken at once to 

 the store-house. It should always, when taken from the field, be carefully laid in a cart 

 with a light covering of cloth over the bottom and sides to prevent the seed from wasting. 

 It should be taken to a store-room, where it may remain until ready to be threshed. It 

 should be handled with the greatest care, as it is very liable to shell out and a good share of 

 the crop will thus be wasted. 



The quality of the seed is liable to be injured by wet weather about the time of harvest 

 ing. As soon as it is perfectly dry, it may be threshed and cleaned ready for market. 



