Secretary's Budget. 287 



flourish ; care for them and feed them and they fatten. — Montgom- 

 ery County, Ohio, Society. 



SHEEP IN THE OECHAKD. 



The Country Gentleman recommends the pasturing of orchards 

 with sheep, insisting that they are better than swine for picking up 

 fallen fruit, etc., as the latter sleep so soundly that they do not 

 hear the fruit drop, and advises that the tree trunks be washed 

 once a month with a mixture of soap-suds, whale-oil soap and sheep 

 manure, in order to keep the sheep from gnawing the bark. It is 

 very seldom we find occasion to criticise the advice given by the 

 Country Gentleman, especially in horticultural matters ; but on 

 this point we most decidedly condemn the advice given. After 

 many bitter experiences we have learned that sheep or young calves 

 are quite as much to be feared in an orchard as rabbits ; and our 

 experience of farm life teaches us that the washing of the trees, if 

 etfectual, is sure to be neglected just one day too long. We have 

 never known swine to do any injury to an orchard, and we have 

 found them' always active and efficient in taking care of the wormy 

 fruit. 



SMALL FRUITS. 



We clip from Oltio Far'mer the following : 



SUMMER PRUJSflNG. 



Mr. Tryon, of Lake county, after practicing the pinching-back 

 process for several years, has " gone back" on it. He says the pinch- 

 ing off of bearing shoots develops buds that should remain dormant 

 till the next year, causing young shoots to grow and blossom dur- 

 ing the summer, so that at time of ripening there would be green 

 A\ ood and grapes in different stages of growth, when all should be 

 maturing at the same time. For eight or ten years past he has 

 allowed the canes to grow right along, ripening its wood with the 

 fruit, and the result is most satisfactory. 



BERRY NOTES FROM MICHIGAN. 



I think more of the Ohio Black-cap than ever ; it is of such 

 excellent quality, besides all the other good things I have said 

 about it. The Souhegan disappoints me. I had quite a lot of them 

 ripe before any of the other Black-caps, and we could hardly eat 



