55* 



FARM, ORCHARD, DAIRY AND GARDEN. 



SLUGS and SNAILS, To Destroy.— 

 These are great enemies to every kind of 

 garden plant, whether flower or vegeta- 

 ble; they wander in the night to feed, 

 and return at daylight to their haunts ; 

 the shortest and surest direction is : "Rise 

 early, catch them, and kill them." If 

 you are an early riser, you may cut them 

 off from their day retreats, or you may 

 lay cabbage leaves about the ground, 

 especially on the beds which they fre- 

 quent. Every morning examine these 

 leaves, and you will find a great many 

 taking refuge beneath ; if they plague you 

 very much, search for their retreat, which 

 you can find by their slimy track, and 

 hunt there for them day by day. Lime 

 and salt are very annoying to snails and 

 slugs; a pinch of salt kills fhem, and 

 they will not touch fresh lime; it is a 

 common practice to sprinkle lime over 

 young crops, and along the edges of beds, 

 about rows of peas and beans, lettuces 

 and other vegetables; but when it has 

 .been on the ground some days, or has 

 been moistened by rain, it loses its 

 .strength. 



SMUT IN WHEAT, Kemedy for.— Soak 

 the seed wheat in brine, and then dust it 

 with unslacked lime. This will prove a 

 perfect prevention. 



SORGHUM CULTURE.— The soil and 

 climate suitable for the cultivation of 

 corn is well adapted to the growth of sor- 

 ghum, but a rich upland loam will yield 

 the richest juice. The land should be 

 well worked, and kept clean, it requiring 

 about the same treatment as corn. It 

 may be either planted in hills or drills. 

 As the cane is a very deep-rooted plant, 

 it is very essential that the land should be 

 made mellow to a good depth, but the 

 seed should be covered shallow, not more 

 than half an inch deep. It should be 

 planted about the same time as corn. 

 The young plants when they first come 

 up look like blades of fall grass; they are 

 of slow growth and feeble appearance 

 for some time, or until the hot weather of 

 July and August, when the plants will go 

 far ahead of corn in a rank and healthy 

 growth. It appears to delight in hot, dry 

 weather, as its roots penetrate deep. 

 Drouth does not affect it as it does corn ; 

 it is surprising to see at what a rate it 

 will develop itself after the hot weather 

 .has come. It is also very hardy, and 



may be transplanted with entire safety. 

 There is a difference of opinion in regard 

 to keeping the suckers pulled off. Ex- 

 perience shows that, although we may 

 lose a little in quantity, it is more than 

 made up in the quality of the syrup; 

 therefore have a deep, mellow soil for the 

 roots to penetrate in search of food by 

 thoroughly cultivating it during the early 

 stage of its growth ; but avoid deep plow- 

 ing after the cane has once acquired con- 

 siderable size, as the roots then fill the 

 ground, and if severed the plants are 

 greatly dwarfed; keep the suckers off, 

 and be sure and not let a weed show its 

 head. 



SORREL, To Remove.— This field pest 

 may be eradicated by the judicious appli- 

 cation of either lime or ashes. The sour- 

 ing principle of sorrel is oxalic acid ; if 

 this be removed from the soil, sorrel can- 

 not grow. Lime or potash unite with 

 the oxalic acid, forming oxalate of lime 

 or potash. These substances are some- 

 times called sweeteners of the soil, from 

 their ability to remove acids from it. 

 Sorrel will never grow on lime soil. 



SPINACH, Culture of. —Spinach is best 

 developed and most tender when grown 

 in rich soil. It should be heavily man- 

 ured and deeply trenched. Sow early in 

 March for summer crop, in drills, which 

 method renders the cultivation and gath- 

 ering of the produce more convenient. 

 Encourage the growth with frequent hoe- 

 ing, which draws the moisture to the 

 roots. For a succession a few seeds of 

 the summer varieties may be known, at 

 intervals of a fortnight, from April. 



SQUASH, Cultivation of.— The squash, 

 being a tropical vegetable, requires much 

 care and attention in northern latitudes, 

 in order to be cultivated with success. 

 Of all the varieties tested, the " Hubbard" 

 has proved to be the very best for win- 

 ter. The planting should be done as 

 early in the spring as possible after the 

 weather becomes sufficiently warm, so, 

 that there will be no danger of frost nip- 

 ping the young plants, as they are very 

 tender. A few hills can be planted 

 earlier, and covered with hay or straw 

 when there is danger of frost ; in fact, if 

 the season is late, it will pay well to plant 

 a goodly patch and protect them in that 

 way, for a very few young plants will 

 cover a wide space of ground when c!:!. 



