250 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



stint its growth, render it unhealthy, and cause light 

 crops in future, particularly in the next season. 



Experience in tliis business is necessary, for but 

 very few persons can be taught, by precepts, the great 

 importance of thinning fruit ; so they will go on al- 

 lowing too much to remain on the trees, till they 

 gradually learn, from practice, the good eifects of 

 thinning. 



♦ 



WEEDS. 



As soon as the haying season is over, or in dull 

 weather, every opportunity should be improved for 

 the destruction of weeds before they go to seed. A 

 single stroke of the hoe will destroy a weed that 

 would prodvice seed for hundreds, if neglected, which 

 would require a long time for their destruction. How 

 often do we see, early in the fall, a crop of weeds, 

 fully equalling, in amount of produce, the cultivated 

 crop ! In this case, and in all cases Avhere there is 

 only a moderate crop of weeds, the cultivated crop is 

 reduced in value, besides the serious injury from 

 propagating a great pest. 



Some weeds are succulent, and when dug up they 

 may be turned to some small account by throwing 

 them into the hog-pen. When this is not convenient, 

 and there are many weeds, it is best to jiilc them into 

 heaps, that they may decompose and form manure. 

 When allowed to remain scattered on the ground, 

 they become wasted in decomposing. The gases are 

 scattered to the winds, and a small amount of almost 

 useless fibrous matter remains. To save all the fer- 

 tilizing matter of weeds, throw earth over the heaps, 

 or bury the weeds in the soil. 



SUMMER PRUNING OF GRAPE-VINES. 



Grape-vines are generally poorly managed. The 

 trimming late in fall or early in spring is insufficient ; 

 consequently by midsummer the vines become a 

 dense mass, and then the wood and foliage are reduced 

 in the most injudicious manner, without any regard 

 to the peculiar nature of the plant ; and in this way 

 the crop is frequently nearly destroyed. 



The main vine, or laterals, running from the fruit, 

 should be allowed to extend until August, and gen- 

 erally it would better grow until the middle of that 

 month, and then it should be only pinched off at the 

 end, — not cut back, as many practise. Some im- 

 prudently cut back to the fruit, others almost to it, 

 which will check the growth of the fruit, and retard 

 or prevent its ripening. If this is done early, say in 

 July, nature makes an effort to repair the injury by 

 throwing out lateral branches ; and this often increases 

 the evil which it was intended to remove, as the lat- 

 erals make the dense mass of vines still greater. 



Lot the shoots extend from the fruit in every way, 

 and direct them separately, so as not to form a mass 

 of vines ; and when the vines are too thick, cut out 

 branches that have no fruit on them, and lateral 

 shoots, extending the vines far in every direction, 

 and keeping them open to the sun ; but do not remove 

 1p-,„o^ „^v t^i-^o f-i-.o— --".^ .-r, .,-,oi. :t;oii astoi -^ 



the sun shine on the fruit, as this injures it. Ex- 

 pose the leaves to the sun, and let them protect the 

 fruit from his powerful rays. 



We are sorry to say that some professional horti- 

 culturists manage grape-vines no better than the veri- 

 est novice, and the management of both is much worse 

 than no management, or entire neglect. In numerous 

 cases we have seen the crop ruined by cutting back 

 close to the fruit, by those whose whole life has been 

 passed in the garden. One gentleman has just re- 

 marked that he paid a gardener six dollars for spoiling 

 his vines. 



BUDDING. 



August is the month in which the greater part 

 of budding is done in this part of the country. 

 Plums, cherries, and pears, that are several years 

 old, or of moderate growth, are usually in condition 

 for budding about the first of the month ; but in 

 some seasons these species of trees, when young and 

 vigorous, and the season favors a late growth, will 

 answer to bud the last of August, and even in the 

 first week in September. Much depends on the 

 weather, the soil, and various other circumstances 

 that affect the growth. The middle of September is 

 a good time to bud peaches of one season's growth. 

 The operator must depend on his judgment as to the 

 proper time, as it varies with seasons and other con- 

 ditions. 



GRAIN CROP. 



From numerous accounts from different sections 

 of the country, it is evident that the crop of wheat, 

 in most regions, will be remarkably good. In foreign 

 countries the crops arc also very good. Hence we 

 may suppose that there will bo a good supply of 

 wheat and flour, and at moderate prices. The crops 

 of rye and other small grain are good, or very prom- 

 ising. In the west the crop of wheat is unusually 

 large, notwithstanding the very severe drought in 

 May. 



TO GUARD THE LUNGS WHILE THRESH- 

 ING. 



The following may be depended upon as a perfectly 

 safe and convenient mode of guarding the lungs 

 while threshing, as I have tested it for several years, 

 and never knew it to fail : Take a piece of fine sponge, 

 about two inches thick in the centre, and about four 

 inches broad ; cut out a little in the centre, so that 

 it will fit the nose and mouth, leaving it about three 

 fourths of an inch thick over the end of the nose 

 and mouth ; moisten it well, and squeeze it out, so 

 as to prevent its dripping ; fasten a string to the 

 outer edge of the sponge, on each side of the face, 

 and tie it back of the head, and one can worlt in a 

 perfect smother for hours — I might say days — with- 

 out any of those disagreeable sensations that arc 

 always experienced without such precaution. This 

 Avill not obstruct the breath one tenth part so much 

 as a piece of gauze will when drawn over the face. 

 I would rather give one dollar per day for a good 

 sponge, than to tend a threshing-machine Avithout 

 it. AN EXPERIENCED TIlKESIIEli. 



— Amerir"^' * ■'riculturist. 



