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HOBTICULTUEAL. 



The Orehard. 

 Now is the time to plant oat jonr joang 

 Orchard; The ground is in good order to 

 r^ceire the trees. See that 70a plant them 

 out well, and where <;attle will not get hold 

 of them, or careless working hands, who 

 let the plow and harrow braise them. As a 

 general fact, not one half of the trees plant- 

 ed ever amount to any thing. They are 

 ■offered to die by neglect, choked with turf 

 or weeds, or killed by cattle, saffered to be 

 blown down, or dragged over by the plow 

 or harrow. Good fruit is one of the great- 

 est blessings giren to us, either as a source 

 of pleasure, profit or health; it is one of 

 those things, which to succeed, must be taken 

 care of. The orchard will reward this care. 



Pbach TiiEia.— The terrible winter of 

 1855-6 killed nearly all the peach trees in 

 this country, young and old. The fall of 

 1855 was peculiar, and kept the trees in a 

 growing state till winter; and, in this state, 

 the cold destroyed them. Bat this is a cap- 

 ital peach country, and as we may not have 

 another such season for many years, we 

 would do well to put out new peach or- 

 chards. The sprouts from the old stamps 

 will neither make good trees or good fruit. 

 We suppose trees will be found this spring 

 at the nurseries, although they may not be 

 plentiful. Every farmer should provide him- 

 self with a few, and those of good varieties. 

 The tresis subject tomjury by the grub, 

 which can be found now in the body near 

 the earth, and its locEftion is generally shown 

 by the gum which oozes from the tree. 

 Search for him with a sharp knife and kill 

 him when you find him. Yalnable trees 

 are destroyed by this worm. 



Dwarf Fka.rs seem to be in fashion at 

 the present time. In good soil, well taken 

 care of, they will bear, usually, the second 

 year from planting them out. 



Plums— Ah, if we could kill off the cur- 

 culio, wonld'nt we 'have fine plums in this 

 country? We trust a remedy will yet be 

 found for preventing injury by this villain- 

 onsinsect. ns^: "lu^ ■ 



Cherkixs — ^The Dokes do well in many 



localities— the Morellos in all. Heart cher- 

 ries OQght to be planted outgin poor soil, 

 and limbs encouraged to grow near the 

 ground, so as to protect the body of the 

 tree from the sun. 



Gooseberries. — It is an idle tale that 

 English Gooseberries cannot be successfully 

 cultivated in Central Illinois. There is no 

 difficulty at all in doing this. We have 

 grown the larger kinds of English goose- 

 berries BuccessfuUy; but we do not regard 

 them as profitable plants as Houghton's 

 Seedling, which is a hybrid, and wonder- 

 fully prolific. 



Raspberries can be put out now; but 

 those who do this, if they expect crops, 

 must protect them in winter. j 



Currants. — There are now a great va- 

 riety of these; but for general crops the 

 Dutch White and Dutch Red are the best. 



Fir Plant. — If you have not the roots 

 of some of the new varieties, you had bet- 

 ter get them if you can; and if you cannot, 

 you can find seed at the seed stores. 



Farmers and Gardners must be busy now. 

 You have not a moment to lose. Those 

 who are opening new farms, should put out 

 an orchard without fail. A year lost in do- 

 ing this, is an essential loss in Illinois. 



The Grape. 



Hovey's Magazine of Horticulture for 

 January, contains a valuable article on the 

 progress of Horticulture for the present 

 year. In reference to the grape, and the 

 new hardy American varieties, introduced 

 the present and last year, the writer says: 



"The grape, that most delicious of fruits, 

 so abundant in France as to be within the 

 reach of every peasant, has for a long time, 

 owing to the unfavorableness of our climate, 

 been confined chiefly to the gardens of the 

 wealthy, where it could alone be produced 

 by artificial means. But, thanks to our en- 

 terjjfising cultivators, the time is coming 

 when we may have them in as great abund- 

 ance, and of as fine quality, as the inhabit- 

 ants of Southern Europe. Oar native grape, 

 alone adapted to our variable climate, is, 

 after a while, yielding to the ameliorating 

 influence of cultivation through the seed, 

 and we are no longer compelled to eat the 

 half-matured Isabellas, so long the only var- 



