W5W- 



184: 



THE ILLINOIS rAKMEK. 



JuifE 



seldom rots well ; we say seldom, for if followed 

 by a long continued drouth after breaking between 

 the first of May and Middle of August the roots 

 will die and of course leave the soil in good con- 

 dition, but this is the exception not the rule. 

 Prairie that has been pastured and on which the 

 prairie sod has become partially decomposed, can 

 be broken at almost any season and will do well. 

 On this good crops of corn can be grown the first 

 seasons even if broken in April. We have had 

 excellent success in March, with a double Michi- 

 gan plow ; but in this case the upper plow cut on- 

 ly about one and a half inches deep, curling the 

 turf over like a scroll, leaving a large air space 

 beneath. 



In all cases care should be taken to cut the turf 

 as thin as possible, for on this, success, in a great 

 measure, depends. One of our neighbors broke up 

 ten acres last month for corn, some five inches 

 deep, he wanted loose earth to cover the corn with. 

 Had he plowed thin, say two inches, and with an 

 axe cut through the turf and dropped the corn in 

 the cut, his prospect for a crop of sod corn would 

 have been much better, as it is, we fear he will 

 have little corn from hiS ten acres. 



Three horses or mules make the best breaking 

 team. One man can handle them and hold the 

 plow, and easily average twelve acres a week. A 

 breaking plow should have an extra share, so that 

 the team need not stop to have it sharpened, this 

 will save much time. A very important item in 

 breaking is to keep the plow sharp. A plow cut- 

 ting sixteen inches when sharp will show a draft of 

 about four hundred pounds, when rather dull six 

 hundred, and if very dull eight, a very important 

 difference in horse flesh. No plow should be run 

 over a mile without filing, and always looked after 

 if it should strike a stone or run through a gravel- 

 ly knoll. By having an extra share, much labor 

 can be saved in filing, by passing the work over 

 to the blacksmith. With a good plow and in good 

 order, prairie breaking is no great task. 



Strawberry Beds. — When the season for this 

 fruit is over, the first thing to be done is to spade 

 up alternate strips and to weed out the plants. A 

 good way to do this is to take a board, fourteen to 

 sixteen inches wide, lay it on the edge of the bed, 

 covering the first strip of plants that are to be le- 

 tained ; at the edge of this, turn under two widths 

 of the spade, cutting down close to the edge of the 

 board with the spade, so as to make the lines 

 straight and workmanlike. When this is complete, 

 lay the board on the next strip of plants, and in 

 this Vay until the whole is completed. In the 



next place take a steel rake and thoroughly pul- 

 verize and rake smooth the spaded slips, and take 

 all the weeds out from among the old plants. This 

 is all the culture we give our beds up to this time. 

 We never disturb them after the spring opens, un- 

 til the fruit is ripe, when it is gathered. The 

 weeding of the beds we think injurious to the 

 growing plant. It is seldom that we need to dress 

 over the beds, as the plants take such a possession 

 of the soil that the weeds have little chance to make 

 a lodgment. White clover, blue grast and sorrel 

 are the worst to contend with. After the ground 

 is frozen in the winter a light covering of litter 

 with some well rotted manure completes the sea- 

 son's work. Thus reader you have our secret of 

 strawberry culture, by which we always have an 

 abundant supply of this delicious and healthgiving 

 fruit. 



The whole process is simple, and easy to be per- 

 formed, and will not make the fruit on the vines 

 cost over fifty cents a bushel. The picking is 

 worth two and a hall to three cents a quart addi- 

 tional. This makes the total c.ost less than six 

 cents a quart, leaving a very fair profit at present 

 prices to such of the junior members of the farmer's 

 family who have the enterprise and good taste to 

 attend to it. 



We are surprised as year after year rolls on, that, 

 the farmers' tables are not better supplied with 

 this fruit in its season. The mystery that was sup. 

 posed to surround the culture of the strawberry is 

 now dispelled, and the process so simple that fail- 

 ure is out of the question. Of course the quantity 

 and quality will vary according to the season, but 

 of failure there need be no apprehension. It has 

 not been our aim to grow this fruit for market, but 

 we generally sell enough to pay the expense of the 

 whole crop. The best time to set out new beds is 

 in May, but it can be done during a wet time during 

 July and August. But these new beds must be 

 well protected by a covering of straw or other 

 coarse litter. 



Tree Cotton. — ^We are in receipt of a quan- 

 tity of the seeds of the tree cotton from Lewis 

 Ellsworth, Ex-President of State Agricultural 

 Society, who had it from " a friend of his, who 

 received it from the captain of a vessel who 

 brought it to this country. Thus it will be seen 

 that we may possibly have the- genuine seed. 

 It has been planted a few days, but has not as 

 yet made its appearance above ground. Should 

 it grow we shall give it a good opportunity 

 to become famous, both out of doors and under 

 glass, of the former we have no faith. 



;..J. 



