302 



NEW ENGLAND FARI^IER. 



July 



circumstances would vary on every farm. 

 Sometimes by adding new force for a day or 

 two, or pressing on with the usual force for 

 two or three days, the hoein>r may be brought 

 up, so that the crops may then be attended to 

 as their condition requires. The farmer will 

 remember, in the case of hoeing, that a year's 

 seeding will make many years of weeding, and 

 this fact must be taken into consideration, as 

 well as that of loss of crop. 



Culture of Roots. — We still advocate 

 the c 'Iture of roots for winter food for stock. 

 We have recently seen two herds of cows, 

 which are fed much alike, with the exception 

 that in one herd each cow has had a peck of 

 mangold wurzels daily since the first of March, 

 and the cows of the other herd had none. 

 Those having the roots have continued in yield- 

 ing large messes of milk now, at the end of 

 nine months, while the others have fallen oil' 

 to one-half that amount. 



We cannot judge of the value of roots for 

 stock by the mere amount of nutritive matter 

 which they are found to contain by an analysis. 

 They have a value entirely beyond that. It 

 is probable that men, or the bovine race, 

 would live for a long time on boiled potatoes, 

 and yet by the analysis, the potato has only 

 seventeen 'psLTts of nutritive matter, and eighty- 

 three parts of water ! 



The use of roots for stock undoubtedly has 

 a decided influence in the stomach upon other 

 articles of food, and conduces to the most 

 perfect digestion and assimilation. 



There is no food in which cattle delight so 

 much, and on which they thrive so well, as 

 short, sweet, succulent grass. This is as full 

 of juices as a nut is of meat. We cannot 

 have this the year through, but are obliged to 

 feed them upon long grass, in a dry form, and 

 too often upon that which had exhausted its 

 juices before it was cut. This is their princi- 

 pal food, week after week, and month after 

 month, in this climate, during a considerable 

 portion of the year. Can there be a doubt, 

 then, that fresh, juicy roots are not only 

 grateful to the beasts, but that they are actu- 

 ally very important in point of health, thrift 

 and profit ? We do not believe that there can 

 be a reasonable doubt about it. 



With the tools at hand to aid in their cul- 

 ture, and the enlightened modes of doing so, 

 which have been introduced, we have no doubt 



but that they can projitahly be raised by most 

 farmers. 



It is not too late to put in any crop of the 

 turnip family in the early part of July, and 

 we hope these suggestions will induce many 

 to try the experiment. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 THE GAKDEM" IN JULY. 



During the month of July, when haying and 

 harvesting seem to demand the entire energies 

 of the farmer and his help, it will require no 

 little appreciation of the value and usefulness 

 of a good garden to induce him to pay any 

 attention to it ; and, consequently, there is 

 danger of its being neglected. July, in our 

 New England climate, is a growing month for 

 vegetation, and especially for weeds. They 

 grow, if nothing else does; and every day that 

 they are suffered to occupy the soil, the more 

 difficult it is to exterminate them, and the 

 more they steal from desirable crops. It is 

 better to employ an extra hand than to leave 

 the garden and its productions, on which we 

 have expended two or three months' labor, to 

 neglect and loss. 



If the garden has been well cared for up to 

 the present time, a few moments in the early 

 morning or at the close of the day will be suf- 

 ficient to keep the weeds down and the plants 

 vigorous. Most plants are better for having 

 the soil stirred around them while the dew is 

 on, provided care is used in not getting dirt 

 on the foliage. The morning is also the most 

 favorable time to destroy many kinds of in- 

 sects and worms. As cur mowing is now done 

 by the machine, there is not that need of com- 

 mencing so early in the morning that there 

 was when only the hand scythe was used. Be- 

 sides, grass cut after the dew is off will cure 

 quicker, and be ready sooner for the barn, 

 than that cut wet with dew. Encourage the 

 boys to work in the garden, — errcourage them 

 to cultivate a taste for gardening and rural 

 pursuits, by giving them a portion of the gar- 

 den for their own use, or a portion of the 

 products of the garden, provided they tend it 

 well, and pay them a fair market price for all 

 they raise, and not, as is sometimes done, 

 offset it against some former favor, or forget 

 to pay them at all. 



Asparagus. — The season for cutting is now 

 over, and the bed, very likely, is coveied with 

 grass and weeds. A little time now devoted 

 to clearing it and applying a dressing of some 

 suitable fertilizer, and working it in lightly 

 and carefully will be richly repaid next spring 

 in increased productiveness and freedom from 

 weeds. 



Beans. — The first crop of Dwarfs will now 

 be in their prime, and the succession coming 

 forward, more may be planted, if desirable, 

 for late fall use and for canning. See to 

 and train the running sorts to the poles. 



