1 



^ h. G. 



A x\ D G A R D !•: N E R 'S J O U R N A L. 



80^ 



I -efloeting that all this surplus water is a nuisance 



I be land, 

 ■■he practice of ploughing-in seed wheat is of nn- 

 it (late; and though it was superseded By the harrow 



r ly years ago, it is a practice that ought to be icsto • 

 The deterioration of our fields especially re- 

 ■es it. To do it in the best manner, the lands 

 iild not exceed nine feet in breadth, nor the fur- 

 8 more thon three or four inches in depth with half 

 r ordinary width. We know that this is a sloiccr 

 :eEs than many farmers are used to; but let them 

 ember that "once done is twice done" — that is, 

 nee [well] done is [better than] twice done [to 

 halves.]" 



iVe may be expected to say something in regard to 

 benefits of this practice. Inlhe first place. e.\cept- 

 sode, stcnes, and hard lumps of clay, tlie rougher 

 \surface fJtc better it is for tfte young wheat — the 

 "e it is protected from the sweeping winds of win- 



t and spring. In the seeond place, the seed is buried 

 per without the danger of being smothered, as the 

 h lies on it in a narrow ritlgc, and llie roots have a 

 nger hold on the soil. In the third place, the fur- 

 s, at the distance of every eight or nine {eel, serve 

 Irains for the surplus water. This is the theory, 

 experience fully justifies it. In several instances 

 Ich have come to our knowledge, the wheat, which 

 Id land was ploughed-in, has stood the winter well, 

 le that in the same field which was harrowed in, 

 suffered greatly from frecz'ng out. 

 here is another thing, however, that must soon 

 in more of the farmer's attention. Many of our 

 Is have never received any manure from our hands, 

 !pt a little plaster; and yet they produce crops of 

 tat in frequent succession. But the young plants 

 !a feebler hold of the soil; and we shall have to 

 art gi'eatcr vigor that they may resist the heaving 

 Dn of the frost. Our barn yards must supply the 

 ulants; but sowing early in the season so 'that the 

 8 may become strong before winter, will be a wise 

 :aution in this district. t 



Scalding Seeds before Plantiug-. 



rent losses are often sustained by neglecting to 

 i seeds before planting, for some entirely fail to 

 V, and others remain a long time in the ground, 

 nant, when they ought to be up and growing. — 

 ut a fortnight ago, we planted some seeds of the 

 iress Vine, and being in haste, we could not take 

 3 to Ecald them — ihey ought to have remained un- 

 shed. A week after %ve got time to scald some; 

 these are now up, but liie former have not yrt 

 ;ared. 



ut we write kr farmers as well as gardeners. — 

 r days ago, we scalded some seeds of the Sugar 

 t, and let them remain in the water. This morn- 

 we planted them, and many of them were sprout 

 Lnst year we planted jMnngel Wurtzel wi hout 

 ding; but we shall not d» so again: in the wettest 

 and, they germinated freely; but in the driest and 

 est part, they stood far asunder — not half a crop. 

 Ve are not aware that any seeds are injured by 

 ding, though there may be many; and we should 

 gratified to have extensive experiments instituted on 

 subject. Some seeds would probably bear more 

 t than others — we know that some are more bene- 

 id than others. The duration of the heat applied 

 1 be regulated in some measure by the quantity of 

 ;er, and the kind of vessel into which it is poured, 

 le cooling much sooner than others. Several 

 irts of Indian corn may be safely scalded at once. — 

 jer seeds may not need more than a tea-cupful of 

 ter; but let it b? fuming hot. Remember, howev- 

 there is a wide difference between scalding and 

 Kng- : and after tlie water is applied the vessel 



should be set away from the fire. On seeds untried, 

 it would be prudent to use but little water. 



Some years ago, we planted seeds of Cercis cana- 

 densis. Part were scalded and part pinnted without 

 that preparation. A difference in the germination of 

 perhaps twenty to one, was the consequence — very 

 few of the unecalded seeds growing. 



One week in the advancement of a crop of corn or 

 pumpkins is frequently of great account; and farmer 

 maybe prevented from planting at the right time by 

 accidents, or bad weather. In such cases, let them 

 try this remedy. t 



BWef Hints for June. 



Moat of the farmer's crops being now sown Or 

 planted, the chief care is to keep the grotind in good 

 condition and free from weeds. 



Mangel wurtzel crop, planted last month, will now 

 need hoeing and thinning. Muc'i of the success of 

 the crop depends on doing this early, before the young 

 plants are checked in growth by being crowded to- 

 gether, or overshadowed by weeds. 



Corn fields may be kept clean at less expense than 

 usual, by keeping the weeds completely in subjcc 

 lion, cultivating, and hoeing it frequently. Five or 

 six dressings in this way, may be given with lees labor, 

 and with far greater advantage to the crop, than one, 

 when it is done late. 



A great deal of labor may be saved, and hoeing ex- 

 pedited, by keeping '\iocs sharp liy frequent grinding. 



Wheat fiel Is should be. weeded. Rye, which is of- 

 ten scattered through them, may now be readily seen; 

 and cockle and mustard when in flower, are easily dis- 

 tinguished and extirpated. Portions of fields, intend- 

 ed for seed, should be also cleared of chess. Red 

 root, if in small quantities, should be very carefully 

 eradicated before it spreads aity further; the work 

 should be done immediately, care being taken not to let 

 the seed fall, if any have ripened; and the plants 

 should be collected in a basket, as when thrown upon 

 the ground, the moisture from the earth will cause th 

 seeds to ripen and grow. 



Canada thistles should be mowed,to prevent seeding. 

 This formidable weed is most easily disposed of by ut- 

 ter extirpation. Never allow them to put their lieads 

 above ground, and they will die. Tiie leaves are the 

 lungs of the plants, and if they are not permitted to 

 breathe, they cannot live. A good way to destroy a 

 patch, is to let it grow till about the time of flowering, 

 that the roots may become somewhat exhausted, then 

 turn the whole under by deep ploughing, subsequently 

 harrowing, and never allow the thistles again to peep 

 above ground. This will be effecluol the second, if 

 not the first year. 



Ruta bagas should be sown in the early part of the 

 month. 



The curculio will soon commence its operations on 

 smooth etone fruit, and if bogs have no", been permit- 

 ted to run under the trees the past sea.ion, the fruit 

 must be constantly examined, or it may be lost. — 

 Spread white sheets under the trees, and by striking 

 or jarring them, the insects will fall, and are destroyed 

 atono*. Thisoperation will be efiectual if peiformed 

 twice a day for a month, or less. * 



Washing Sheep, 



la deferred by mnuy farmers, advantageously, till 

 the early part of this month. A very good way of 

 performing the operation, is to provide a large plank 

 box, not quite breast high, and allow a brook of water 

 to run in at one end, and out again at a hole through 

 the bottom of the other, to carry off the dirt.. This 

 hole should be just so larg.^ that a small part may run 

 over the top, in order to keep the box full. The work- 

 men stand, dry, by the side of this box, and wash the 

 sheep in the water within. A large bt.iad sugar higs- I 



head, is much cheoper than a plank box, and m ny be 

 made to answer the same end. 



Bittersweet Ointment for Cows' Udders «nd 

 Teats. 



The best and most efficacious remedy which I hav«r 

 ever found for caked bags and sore teats of cows, iji 

 the following : — Take the roots of bittersweet aUtd 

 seethe them in hot water till the strength is extracted, 

 add hogs lard to the extract, and simmer together till 

 the water is evajiorated, then let it cool and it is G\ ^or 



use. ^^____ Canfies d. 



Inquiry. 



Messrs. Editors, can you or your correspon dcnta 

 inform me of the best method of extracting oil from 

 6un flower seeds ? C. 



liemarhs. — The letter from C. was received just as 

 our paper was ready for the press and we had mn lime 

 to attend to several inquiries which it contoincd.— -/■'rfs. 



4 5 JL) 



For the yiw Genecae Firmer. 

 View of the Gr.isses.~Xo, 2. 



4. Sweet V,rnal Grass. Anthoxnntum erratum, 

 of the botanists, and Spring-Grass, of the Kuglish. 

 As it is an early grass in England, and has the fine 

 odor of the so called Spanish bean, the reasons for the 

 English name are obvious. The botanists hove named 

 it from the yellowish appeaiance of the spikes of flow- 

 ers. Soon after it is cut, and even before, it diffuses 

 its fine odor far around, giving to the new made hay 

 that delicious flavor for which it is famed. In Eng- 

 land it is said to be one of the earliest grasses to blos- 

 som, and to delight in a rather diy but rich soil. In 

 our meadows it is rether rare; its culture ought to be 

 encouraged, if only its fine odor ie respected. It is 

 a tall, erect grass, rather stiff, and should be mowtd 

 early for hay. This grass seems to have been intro- 

 duced from England among other seeds. It is not a 



vr.'ii.bh grass for hay. 



5. Von pratcnsis, L. Smooth-stalked Meadoic grass. 

 of the English, and Jrne. Grass, of our farmers. — 

 This has rather n poor reputation in England, and is 

 condemned also here. It has considerable foliage to- 

 wards the root, and springs up early in the season. It 

 is better adapted, therefore, to early pasturage, and the 

 more so, as it sends up but few culms, and those rath- 

 er sli'nder. When mixed with other grasses for raow- 

 ng. it comes t^ maturity so much earlier as to he in- 

 jurious to the hay. Its fluwers are borne on a loose, 

 spreading panicle, on an «reet stem. Its roots are 

 creeping, and not fibrous, and therefore it binds the 

 soil and exhausts the nutriment, and it becomes rather 

 difficult of eradication. Its later foliage iS much less 

 than the early. This grass seems fitted for rfry.'oiis: 

 probably on account of its creeping roots. It often 

 grows to the height of two feet; but a smaller variety, 

 with thicker spikes and flowers, is more common in 

 open roads and about fields. The smoothn.'sri of its 

 sheaths and stems, and the form of the root, make i t 

 pretty easy to be distinguished. It is generally con - 

 sidered more detrimental than beneficial by our (orni- 

 ers. 



This Pjb Is now (May 20th) in a very flourishing 



