106 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



such case potatoes may be planted quite early, and 

 thus, perhaps, escape the rot. Sward ground, in- 

 tended for corn, it is better to plow with a good coat of 

 grass on it ; this affords a very considerable nour- 

 ishment to the crop planted and facilitates the de- 

 composition of the turf. 



Implements. — Evei'y farmer should,, have some 

 place which he calls a shop where he can repair 

 and perhaps make some of his coarse, cheap imple- 

 ments. But his plows may be purchased cheaper, 

 and will be altogether better made by exact pat- 

 terns in the hands of skilful workmen, where the 

 true pitch, line of draft and all other things will 

 be right. So of his harrows, cultivators, and most 

 large implements. Are all your implements in 

 good order for use 1 



Foul in the Foot in Cattle. — This is one of the 

 worst diseases to which our neat stock is subject. 

 Attacking a single animal, it sometimes spreads to 

 the whole herd, occasioning great loss, inconven- 

 ience and trouble to the owner, and much suffer- 

 ing to the poor animals themselves. The disease 

 is undoubtedly occasioned by the animals travel- 

 ling through the mud, urine, and manure of the 

 yard ; this collects between the claws and gathers 

 about the foot and leg until this obstinate and 

 sometimes fatal disease is generated, and it is le 

 gitimately in the farmer's work for March to pre 

 vent it. Keep the feet of your animals clean, and 

 there will be little danger of the disease. Its first 

 appearance is generally between the claws in the 

 form of a crack; this is followed .by inflammation 

 and the discharge of a yellowish matter or pus. 

 "Sometime a little swelling appears on the coronet 

 between the hair and hoof, which discharges offen- 

 sive matter." Foul in the foot is a most serious 

 disease, and demands immediate attention when the 

 first symptoms are discovered. Attacked in March, 

 oxen are sometimes rendered unfit for any spring- 

 work, and cows shrink rapidly in milk and flesh. 

 If not checked early the foot becomes greatly 

 swollen, intensely sore, and the hoof in bad cases 

 drops off. It may all be prevented by care and 

 cleanliness. 



Fences. — Where the frost is out, build up gaps 

 in the wall where it has been thrown down by its 

 action or other causes — repair the board or rail- 

 fences now before the seed-time demands your at- 

 tention. If by plowing and sowing early you lose 

 a little seed, it is better than to postpone all your 

 work until the soil is in the most fitting condition. 

 Early crops cover the ground and get established 

 before our usual summer drouths come on. They 

 thus prevent excessive evaporation, and hold in 

 reserve the moisture which would otherwise es- 

 cape during the long, hot dry days of midsummer. 

 Stock. — Look well to the stock and guard against 

 disease of every kind. A few roots fed to the 

 sheep will prove of great service, after feeding up- 

 on dry hay for months. Where evergreens arc 



convenient, scatter them about their yard. They 

 will show you at once how they appreciate them. 



Do not feed cows too highly, either immediately 

 before or after calving. It is a practice with some 

 persons to feed meal to the cow just before calv- 

 ing. Instead of this it would be better to with- 

 hold a small portion of the usual food. Sprinkle a 

 little yellow snuff or ashes over the backs of both 

 cattle and swine — judiciously applied, it will do no 

 harm, and will prove inconvenient to any vermin 

 who may make a call there. 



System. — Plan all your spring operations this 

 month and it will save you a deal of vexation. 



For the New England Farmer. 



GRAFTING THE SIBERIAN CRAB 

 APPLE. 



BY A YOUNG DIGGER'S COUSIN. 



Mr. Brown : — Having noticed an article in the 

 N. E. Fanner of Jan. 3d, signed "A Young Dig- 

 ger," in regard to the Siberian crab apple, 1 take 

 this opportunity to give the result of my experi- 

 ments. 



About twenty-five years since my father bought 

 six Siberian apple trees, which were set out and 

 cultivated, not simply as ornamental, but with the 

 hope of deriving a profit ; but after waiting about 

 sixteen years with no income from them, in 1843, 

 instead of laying the "axe at the root," I had the 

 saw put at the top of four out of the six, and sci- 

 ons of the Red Baldwin and Red Shropshirevine in- 

 serted, and the growth of the scions far exceeded 

 my most sanguine expectations, being in two years 

 equal to that on any of the common apple trees. 

 These four stood on the east side of a stone wall 

 running north and south, and being in a rather 

 warm situation, the two grafted with Shropshire- 

 vines were sun-struck, and died, the fifth year 

 from grafting — which is not unusual with this va- 

 riety, as the bark of the Shropshirevine tree is very 

 thin and is more liable to be sun-struck than any 

 variety with which I am acquainted. I should 

 recommend to those grafting the Shropshirevine, 

 to insert their scions in trees standing on the north 

 of buildings, or on the north side of trees, so that 

 the limbs may be screened from the scorching 

 rays of the sun, as this variety flourishes better in 

 a colder or more northern latitude. The two-graft- 

 ed with Baldwins did well, and bore a handsome 

 crop the third year from grafting, and have borne 

 two crops since, the three crops being worth i^'23 

 from trees which had not borne a crop before worth 

 one dollar. The apples were as large and fair on 

 these trees as those grown on other trees, keep 

 well, and not a little pains is taken to obtain sci- 

 ons from the trees. The result of grafting the four 

 out of six Siberian apple trees was so satisfactory 

 that it was thought best in 1848 to graft the two 

 remaining. I selected scions of six varieties of ap- 

 ples, and two or more of pears, and had them in- 

 serted the last of May, 1848. The growth of the 

 scions was rapid, and the next year the grafts of 

 the Bartlett pear blossomed and bore several as 

 large Bartlett pears as I ever saw. The next year 

 the pear scions broke out, and I have satisfied my- 

 self by experiments tried for the last ten years, that 

 you can calculate with no certainty upon pear sci- 

 ons inserted in apple stocks, the nature of the two 



