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THE ILLINOIS F^RMEH. 



173 



tufts and running to seed. Every kind of 

 stock I have yet turned upon it in its green 

 state, are fond of it. It is a lasting gras.s, 

 endures the shade well, and is not as exacting 

 upon the soil as either timothy or rye grass. 

 It succeeds best when sown in the spring, 

 about the same time as clover on wheat 

 ground, say four quarts of clover, crossing 

 with one and a half bushels of orchard grass 

 to the acre. It may succeed in the fall on 

 early wheat, harrowed in very lightly after 

 the wheat is covered. For hay, cut it in 

 blossom in June. From the quantity of seed 

 required, it is somewhat expensive at first, 

 but afterwards the farmer should save his 

 seed himself, which is readily done. The 

 seed is very light, weighing about twelve to 

 thirteen lbs. to the bushel. 



In my experience, the merits of orchard 

 grass can thus be summed up; early and 

 rapid growth; resistance to drouth; abun- 

 dance of return in pasturage; endurance of 

 shade; and in affording earlier and later pas- 

 turage than any other grass. 



high wines, and bathed their shoulders three 

 times a day, withoutever stopping them from 

 work, and soon discovered the hair coming 

 out nicely, and have never been troubled 

 with their shoulders since. — Ohio Cultiva- 

 tor. ■ 



••>- 



Make Home and Farming Attrac- 

 tive. — That is the "platform'' for farmers 

 who desire their sons to become contented, 

 successful agriculturalists, instead of leaving 

 the farm for vexatious, hazardous and un- 

 healthy avocations. The best legacy for 

 your sons is a substantial education — moral, 

 mental and physical — including a practical 

 knowledge and love of farnling. They should 

 thoroughly understand some occupation 

 which is both useful and healthy, and there- 

 fore honorable and measurably reliable. This 

 is of far greater consequence and value than 

 a gift of much money or many acres. Make 

 home and farming so pleasant and attractive 

 that they will become so attached to rural 

 life as to resist all temptations to enter into 

 uncertain and speculative pursuits. The 

 financial simoom which has swept over the 

 land the previous year — in numerous instan- 

 ces destroying the accumulations and dissi- 

 pating the hopes of individuals, families and 

 communities engaged in commercial and 

 speculative pursuits — teaches alesson on this 

 subject which should be heeded by all classes, 

 and especially by the ruralists of America. 

 It proves, that agriculture which feeds all 

 and clothes all, though temporarily depres- 

 sed, is the most sure and permanently relia- 

 ble occupation for this life, as well as the 

 best to fit man for that which is to come. 

 Farmers, and farmers' sons, read the lesson 

 aright. :, . 



GrAiiLS ON Horses. — In working horses, 

 especial care should be, given to the collar, 

 that it is in good condition, and frequently 

 washed and oiled, togctherwith an occasional 

 pounding, to keep it soft and in good shape ; 

 but in case any should be troubled with 

 galls on their horses' shoulders, as will be 

 the case sometimes by putting their horses 

 to hard work in the spring, after a winter's 

 rest, or in commencing the working of colts. 

 I will relate my experience. I bought a 

 team of young horses that had never been 

 put to hard work, and, when I commenced 

 my spring plowing, I soon discovered that 

 their shoulders were getting sore, one of 

 them so that hair had come off, and its shoul- 

 der quite raw. I immediately got a quart of 



Trusting to a Single Crop. — There is 

 no crop that does not fail sometimes, though 

 there are a few which are never wholly cut 

 off in any one season. Grass, for example, 

 always yields a partial crop, and a person 

 may, if need be, depend wholly upon this 

 product as a means of subsistence. The 

 same thing, however, can hardly be said of 

 any other staple crop. Innumerable illus- 

 trations might be given of the danger of de- 

 pending upon a single crop. The result in 

 Ireland of relying upon the potatoe crop is 

 patent. The failure of the wheat crop, in 

 many parts of this country, has involved 

 thousands of farmers in debt, which it will 

 take year's of toil and economy to liquidate. 

 A friend at the West had been so successful 

 in raising peaches that he turned his whole 

 attention to that crop. Last year he real- 

 ized a large net profit, and looking for still 

 greater results this year, he laid out his 

 plans accordingly and incurred considerable 

 debts to be paid from the proceeds of his 

 peaches. The result is, that from five or 

 six thousand trees he gathered scarcely two 

 bushels of marketable fruit. 



A mixed cultivation is the safest, in the 

 long run. If the potatoe crop fails, let there 

 be corn, wheat, bai'ley, or other grain to fall 

 back upon. The chances of utter failure 

 are diminished a thousand fold, where there 

 are three or four different crops under cul- 

 ture. A season destructive to one is likely 

 to be just the thing for another. — American 

 Agriculturist. 



*•• ■ 



From the Valley Farmer. 



Gardening Operations for October. 



BY CAKEW SANDERS. 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN, 



The late crops will be fast approaching 

 maturity. Some of them, as the turnip, may 

 yet be assisted in their growth by frequent 

 hoelngs. Thin out spinage and kale, to a 



moderate distance apart. It will enable the 

 plants to become large and strong, and stand 

 the winter better. 



Continue to earth up celery, in dry weather, 

 as fast as it progresses in growth j and before 

 severe frosts set in, be prepared to store it 

 away in winter quarters, or else cover it all 

 over with soil in the row where it grew ; 

 round it off and pat it down to make it smooth 

 and turn the rain, then cover the top with 

 Stable litter. 



Lifting and storing away the winter root 

 crops, will require attention by the end of 

 the month. Beets and carrots should be 

 dug first; they keep best in sand, in a dry 

 cellar. If kept in soil they will be sure to 

 absorb moisture and the roots will be apt to 

 decay, while they will wither and shrivel if 

 not mixed with something. Parsnips and 

 salsify continue to grow and increase in size 

 till very late, and being very hardy, may be 

 left in the ground all winter, and be the 

 better for it. Sufficient should be taken up 

 to last while the ground remains frozen. 



Transplant cabbage, cauliflower, and let- 

 tuce sown last month, into cold frames, to be 

 covered during winter. 



Any leisure time may now be employed in 

 manuring and trenching up vacant ground, 

 ready for spring. Lay it up in ridges if 

 very stiff and clayey, or at least let it be 

 thrown up as roughly as possible, so as to 

 present as much surface to the action of the 

 frost and atmosphere as possible. . 



FRUIT GARDEN AND ORCHARD. 



The principal work in the orchard will be 

 gathering and storing away the winter fruit 

 — apples and pears. Those intended for 

 long-keeping must have care and pains be- 

 stowed on them. Apples are most easily 

 blemished, and must be collected as if they 

 were eggs; when the baskets are emptied 

 let the fruit fall or roll, as it were, over the 

 arm. Have each sort distinctly marked and 

 laid out neatly in single layers ; none but 

 those of superior quality and free of taint or 

 speck, should be retained. The early sorts, 

 or such as are being used, may be laid thick- 

 er. The fruit room should be so situated 

 that it can be kept cool, airy and dry. A 

 few degrees above freezing, in winter, is all 

 that is required. ; . • "" -^ 



The period for trasplantlng has again ar- 

 rived. As a general rule we are most in fa- 

 vor of spring planting, though all deciduous 

 trees and shrubs can be moved in the fall 

 with perfect safety, if done early and well. 

 As soon as the trees have shed their leaves 

 or turned yellow, is the time to commence, 

 and the sooner fall planting is done after 

 that, the better ; because if done early, the 

 wounded roots have time to heal over, to 

 callose or to exude their rooty matter, and 

 even to grow; the rains settle the soil firmly 

 about their roots, and the whole tree becomes 

 established and prepared to withstand the 

 effects of winter; whereas, if planted just 

 before winter sets in, none of this can take 

 place. The soil will be loose, the tree will 

 be rocked about by the wind, its roots torn, 

 a large hole made by the trunk in its mo- 

 tions, where water will get in and stand, to 

 the great injury of the roots, and lastly, it 

 will be more likely to be heaved and lifted 

 by frostj than if planted early. 



FLOWER GARDEN AND SHRUBBERY. 



If the frosts hold off, dahlias will still be 

 in all their glory, crysanthemums will be 

 just beginning to display their beauty; while 

 a few straggling roses and many other things, 

 will keep the garden gay the greater part, 

 perhaps all of this month. Provision should 

 be made to lift the most tender of the bed- 

 ding plants before we get a killing fros*. 

 Dig round them carefully with a trowel or 

 hand-fork and secure as many'fibrons roots 

 as possible; pot into as small pots as the 

 roots can be got into ; reduce the tops pro- 

 portionately, and place them in a cold frame 

 under glass; shade from the mid-day sun, 

 and water moderately, and they will soon be- 

 gin to root afresh, and grow and become es- 

 tablished, either for the window, greenhouse 

 or cold pit, or wherever you design to win- 

 ter them. This practice applies' to hilio- 

 trope, lantana, scarlet geranium, cuphea, sal- 

 via, &c. Herbaceous plants of all kinds 

 maybe divided and re-set this month. Plant 

 bulbs as advised in another place, under the 



