1869. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



2yd 



in which marl exists ; or, indeed, in any form 

 in which it exists, and can, without too much 

 expense, be obtained, and thoroughly incor- 

 porated with the soil to be ameliorated or im- 

 proved. • 



As sulphate of lime, or gypsum — known 

 commonly as plaster of Paris — the "Alabaster 

 of the arts." 



Sir Humphrey Da\t, whose opinions on 

 most subjects connected with agriculture are 

 eminently deserving of respect, asserts that, 

 "when lime is mixed with any moist, fibrous 

 vegetable matter, whether freshly burned or 

 slaked, there is a poweiful action produced; 

 the two forming a kind of compost together, 

 a part of which, at least, is soluble in water." 



Ho'v much lime may be necessary to effect 

 a thorough and permanent improvement of the 

 soil, is a question to be determined only by 

 careful experiment. In some cases the quan- 

 tity will be lar^e, but in all its action will be 

 beneficial and perceptible in the crop. 



CHINESE CLOVE K, 

 We have noticed several statements of late 

 in respect to the appearance of clover and 

 other grasses at the South, which some have 

 supposed were introduced in the hay fed to 

 the horses of the Northern troops during the 

 late war. The following notice of a new 

 clover is from the Dixie Farmer : — 



The Chinese clover, which is also called 

 *'Japan Clover," "Little Wild Clover," and 

 "Secession Clover," first attracted attention 

 in 1862 on the Saluda river, near old "96," 

 in South Carolina. 



It now overruns all the old fields in the 

 northern portion of this State, and grows to 

 some extent in the oak and hickory forests. 

 It is rapidly spreading in the middle section 

 of the State, and I have been informed, flour- 

 ishes luxuriantly, on the sea coast, i efore it 

 has fully taken possession of the land, it is a 

 creeping plant, and subsequently assumes an 

 upri<;ht form. It makes its appearance and 

 blooms early in the spring, remaining green 

 till late in the fall. Seed very minute and ap- 

 parently extremely difficut to gather. Flow- 

 ers white and red, and quite small. When it 

 begins to appear in any region, it is first ob- 

 served along the public roads, and afterwards 

 along those less travelled. On ordinary lands, 

 if undisturbed, will grow. from eight to ten 

 inches high. It will "eat out" broom sedge 

 in an old field, and will, it is claimed, "eat 

 out" and replace Bermuda grass. It is read- 

 ily destroyed by the plough, and thertfore. 

 does not interfere with tillage. Stock of all 



kinds eat it, and when ploughing, are ex- 

 tremely fond of it. The appearance of this 

 clover in South Carolina is spontaneous, and 

 no satisfactory theory as to its origin has been 

 advanced. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 THE GARDEN IN MAY. 



May brings with it a pressure of work. Oc- 

 casionally the chilling winds and abundance of 

 rain and frosts (f a la'e season cause impa- 

 tience in the delay; or, if the season is fr- 

 ward, we are pressed with work, and the 

 question is, not what needs doing, but what 

 shall be done first? In our own experience 

 of some twtnty-five )ears since commencing 

 for ourselves in t'je garden and on the fann, 

 we have found that nothing is gained in doing 

 planting ancl such work in advance of its sea- 

 son. After a long cold winter and repeated 

 cold spring rains, it takes a certain space of 

 time for the ground to come into a suitable 

 condition to work, or for the seeds to be de- 

 posited therein. It must settle, drain and 

 warm up to a suitable degree before most 

 seeds will germinate in the soil. We recollect 

 many a time, in the enthusiasm of our younger 

 inexperience, of having to do our work over 

 in the garden from having planted so early 

 that imtimely frosts cut off our plants after 

 they had come up finely. A warm spell occur- 

 ring in April, or eatly in IMay, makes us im- 

 patient to get the seed into the ground, that 

 we may have a garden a little ahead of any of 

 our neighbors ; but In our variable New Eng- 

 land climate, it is an unsafe operation to plant 

 any, except the more hardy varieties, till set- 

 tled warm weather in INIay, which varies in 

 date with different seasons. A good shel- 

 tered location for a garden, with previous 

 preparation of undei draining, trenching, and 

 high enrichment, which promotes eailitiess, 

 will be appreciated now in warding off frosts, 

 cold winds, &c., during spring. 



Asparagus. — The beds will now begin to 

 afford us a supply for the table or market. 

 Care is needed in cutting, not to injure the 

 starting buds or crowns of the plants. How 

 few, comparatively, f f our farmers raise this 

 most delicious vegetable, even for their own 

 table. It is very easily raised, and furnishes 

 a dish for the table much relished by all, and 

 would be more generally raised were its merits 

 better known. 



Beans. — There is a difference in the hardi- 

 ness of garden beans ; and only the more 

 hardy kinds should be planted till the middle 

 or latter part of the month. Lima and the 

 more tender pole beans, succomb to a light 

 frost, and then the plintingmust be done over. 

 Dwaif or bush varieties may be planted a 

 little earlier, and if frost is threatened, a board 

 may be laid over the row, resting on bricks or 

 blocks to avoid cru!<hing the plants. Plant 

 out pole beans after frosts are past ; set the 



