162 



THE ILLINOIS FAKMEE. 



May 



Sewing Machines, — The sewing machine has 

 now become a permanent article of household 

 economy in thousands of families, and it should 

 be found in all, and most especially in the West, 

 where there is a scarcity of female help. By 

 turning to the advertising department it will be 

 seen that a great variety are offered lor sale and 

 at prices that cannot fail to pleabe. 'J'here can 

 be a no more acceptable present to wife or daugh- 

 ter than a good sewing machinE. If you want 

 your clothes made in time, and well made ; if 

 you like to see your children neatly dressed look 

 to it that you gat one of these labor saving and 

 anti seam ripping institutions. 



-••>- 



PraNCE & Co.'s Melodeons. — These instru- 

 ments have become a national institution and 

 highly prized by all who have the pleasure of 

 hearing them. AVe have had one for nearly two 

 years, and upon which some half a dazen of the 

 juniors have gone through the training process 

 without damage to its tone. We may therefore 

 safely say that it is at least well mad<» and rea- 

 sonably dural le. .)ne had ought to be satisfied 

 with an instrument that would stand that amount 

 of thumbing. See card. 



To Frcit Dealers. — Tree pedlarshave no small 

 hand, in the way of fruit pictures, to increase 

 their sales. We have found them valuable in aid- 

 ing parties to make sush a selection of fruit as 

 would suit them, and for that reason would com- 

 mend their use. We have a book of some one 

 hundred plates got up by E. Darrow & Brother, 

 whose card can be seen in the Fabmeii, and to 

 whom we would commpnd parties in want of the 

 paintings. They will be found very faithful 

 copies of the originals. 



The St. Clair Nurseries. — In the last number 

 the printers located these nurseries at Smithfield, 

 instead of Summerfie'd, where they belong We 

 now pi ice them back in their old quiirters and 

 hope they will long remain prosperous and use- 

 ful. Messrs. Babcock & Brother are enterpris~ 

 ing men. They have a fine stock of the Nanse 

 mond sweet potato plant for sale. 



men and amateurs should take the colored edi- 

 tion by all means. It is trne that it will cost 

 them an additional three dollars, but what is 

 three dollars as an offset for twelve superbly coIm 

 ored plates. C. M. Sexton & Barker, New York, 

 $2; either the publisher or editor will soad for- 

 ward your subscription, or you can club the two 

 at $2 50. 



The Horticulturist, for April, is on our ta- 

 ble, and contains a large amount of valuable 

 information. Mr. Mead is making a sensible pa- 

 per ; we have more practical every day talk and 

 less of the intensely ornamental. Our nursery- 



Pruning. 



The first of May is a good time to prune, 

 just as the trees are coming into leaf ; it is 

 too late for the sap to flow and the wounds 

 will heal over. If you cut off large branches 

 put grafting wax, a coating of gum shellac, 

 or white lead in oil, on to the wounded part. 

 The best time for pruning is yet a mooted 

 point; it is probably after the falling of the 

 leaf and before cold weather. We do not 

 prune when there is frost in the tree, or in 

 the spring when the sap will flow, but more 

 or less at other times. In the summer we 

 can hardly be said to prune, for then we cut 

 hack : that is, shortening the too luxurious 

 branches. In the nursery we aim to prune 

 after the fall of the leaf, and again at their 

 opening, or when the le?f is less than half 

 grown; to prune after the leaf is fully ex- 

 panded has a tendency to, and docs seriously 

 retard the growth. If any one doubts this, 

 let him trim a lot of tlirifty young stocks and 

 attempt to bud them three or four days af- 

 terwards. Pruning when the wood is frozen 

 will discolor the bark. Old trees need cut- 

 ting back so that they will send out young 

 and vigorous shoots, for it is these that pro- 

 duce fine fruit ; for this reason we are in fa- 

 vor of close planting, and when the trees get 

 too close, shorten them in, and we will have 

 an abundance of new wood upon which to 

 produce a good crop of fine healthy fruit, 

 instead of that before grown on the old rigid 

 fruit spurs and twigs. A severe heading 

 back of all trees that have not made a thrifty 

 growth is of no small value, and we cannot 

 too strongly urge its importance, not only to 

 the fruit grower, but to'the nurserymen, and 

 at this time this cutting back should be at- 

 tended to. Roses and many of our garden 



