No. 2. 



Saving Clover Seed — Preserving Potatoes. 



63 



SPIRIT OF THE AGRICULTURAL PRESS, 



BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD. 



Saving Clover Seed. 



The difficulties of saving the seed are 

 imaginary ; the process is simple and easy. 

 After the clover field has been cut or grazed, 

 let the second growth come on. When about 

 two-thirds of the heads have turned brown, 

 cut with a cradle, throwing the grass into 

 double swarths, and cure. When cured, rake 

 up in the morning while the dew is on, into 

 convenient parcels tor loading with a pitch- 

 fork, and, as soon as all danger from heating 

 is obviaied, get it under shelter, either in the 

 barn, or protected in the field. Be careful 

 not to put it away while any moisture re- 

 mains in the plants ; and on the other hand, 

 don't handle it rudely when very dry, where 

 you don't want the seeds to fall, for in that 

 condition the heads spend freely. Having 

 sheltered, it, you may wait, if you choose, till 

 winter affords leisure for threshing or tread- 

 ing out. Sow in the chaft", as it is more cer- 

 tam than the cleaned seed. A bushel in the 

 chaff will abundantly seed an acre; but we 

 would advise the mixture of blue grass, timo- 

 tliy and orchard grass with it. We shall say 

 more of sowing, however, at more seasonable 

 date. 



The second crop produces more seed than 

 the first, and hence the economy of first cut- 

 ting or grazing the field ; though from that 

 cut for hay, a prudent, careful husbandman 

 might easily save enough seed for his own 

 use. ft is believed that more seed may be 

 saved by mowing when about two-thirds of 

 the heads have turned brown than at any 

 other period, because, if cut sooner, too many 

 seeds are unripe, and if later, too many f^hat- 

 ter out of the heads in cradling and handling. 

 If the heads break off and fall through the 

 fingers in cradling, cover with cotton or linen 

 cloth. Every farmer may easily save his 

 own seed. There is abundant time for clover 

 to make good heads, well filled with seed, 

 after the hogs have been turned upon the rye, 

 or after the first crop of hay has been taken, 

 and it would surely be economical to preserve 

 a small portion of a field for saving seed. If 

 all who raise clover would save the seed from 

 their own fields, we estimate it would be an 

 annual saving of $ 200,000 to this State— a 

 pretty round sum expended abroad in one 

 item which we can save for ourselves, with 

 less labor and vexation, we verily believe, 

 than we had last year finding it, for sale, and 

 carrying it home. One man can cut enough 

 in one day to seed twenty acres. — Franklin 

 Farmer. 



Preserving Potatoes* 



Wherever practicable, potatoes should be 

 dug during dry weather, as the earth is then 

 less liable to adhere to them, and tliey soon 

 become dry. They shoidd be exposed as 

 short a time as possible to the light, as it al- 

 ways injures their quality for whatever use 

 they are intended. Hence a coarse blanket 

 or boards should be employed to cover them 

 in the heap or wagon, during the time that 

 they necessarily remam in the field. Ex- 

 posure to the light for any length of time, 

 even in a cellar, greatly mjures potatoes 

 the bins therefore in which they are kept, 

 should be so constructed as to exclude it en- 

 tirely ; in sliort, they should be kept in a 

 state similar to that before they are dug, — 

 that is, secure from air and light, with a 

 slight degree of moisture to prevent wither- 

 ing, and a temperature so low as to keep 

 them from vegetating. The difference m 

 the quality caused by good and bad keeping 

 is very rarely appreciated. 



One of the best methods of keeping them 

 in cellars, is to construct a bin, put sand in 

 the bottom, line the sides and ends with 

 smooth and handsomely cut sods, and when 

 the potatoes are put in, cover them with sods 

 and beat them clown closely. In this way, 

 all the above requisites may be obtained. 

 Potatoes intended for constant family use, 

 may be kept temporarily in barrels, and co- 

 vered with sand. 



When they are buried in the field, a dry 

 piece of ground should be selected, winch shall 

 be at all times entirely free from surface water. 

 They are to be covered, first, thickly with 

 straw, and afterwards with several inches of 

 compact earth. A second thick coat of straw, 

 and another of earth, is then to be applied. 

 The straw for the other, or second coat, 

 should be long and straight, such as has been 

 thrashed with a flail, and placed in a position 

 so as to throw the moisture and wet fi-om the 

 peak down the side, like the thatching of a 

 roof This keeps the inner coat of earth dry, 

 and effectually prevents the water from pene- 

 trating the heap. The earth for the outer 

 coat, should be fine and compact, so as to 

 throw off the rain. If these directions are 

 carefully attended to, there will be no dan- 

 ger of losing potatoes by freezing and rotting, 

 and they will keep in the best condition till 

 spring. — Genesee Farmer. 



First understand what you have to do, and 

 then fall to work. 



