ABOUT FRUITS, FLOWERS AND FARMING. 13 



Your first crop , generally, will tell you so. But if the sub- 

 soil is such that the first crop is rather poor, a year's expo- 

 sure of the land will ameliorate it so that your second 

 crop will remunerate all expenses of time and labor laid out 

 in deep plowing. No farmer should be without a sub- 

 soil plow who has got his lands clear of stumps and 

 roots. 



Take especial care of cows now just coming in with calf. 

 See that those which are heavy are carefully handled, well 

 fed, and warmly sheltered. Mares with foal should be ten- 

 derly used, exercised a little, but not put to hard or strain- 

 ing work. The condition of the mother will to a great 

 extent determine the condition of the offspring. Cows, 

 mares, sows, ewes, etc. etc., should be kept in a hearty con- 

 dition, without being fat. 



ORCHARD. Do not trouble your trees with premature 

 pruning. Let the axe, and knife, and saw alone. Loosen 

 the dirt or sod around and beneath your trees. The best 

 manure for your trees is fresh mold, or forest soil and lime 

 in the proportion of about one part to ten. Take soft soap, 

 dilute it with urine, scrub your trees with it plentifully, 

 having first scraped off all rough bark. If you would work 

 easily always, never let your work drive you. 



4. WORK FOR APRIL. Gather from your barn the loose 

 hay seed, and sow it upon your wheat fields ; it will give 

 good pasturage after harvest, and make fine stuff for plow- 

 ing under. Push forward your plowing, but look well to 

 the teams; as cattle and horses are like men, unable in 

 early spring to endure severe labor all at once. Your 

 spring wheat should be got in ; barley is a better crop, usu- 

 ally, than rye. The middle and last of the month will keep 

 you in the corn-field. Plow deep plow thoroughly; 

 and after planting, give the plow no rest, if you wish 

 good corn. 



YOUNG ANIMALS. You will now begin to have plenty of 

 calves, colts, pigs, and lambs. If you mean to have pro- 



