THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



175 



toy a harrow or cultivator — the former is 

 preferable on light lands. The plants 

 should not be much thinned till they have 

 got into the fourth leaf, and appear to be 

 pretty we'll out of the way of the fty. 



LIME AROUND APPLE TREES. 



The Editor of the Maine Cultivator, after 

 recommending lime to the amount of a peck 

 or half a bushel applied annually around 

 peach trees, says: 



An old farmer of much discrimination 

 observed to us recently that he had made 

 it a regular practice, for several years, to 

 sow caustic lime around his apple trees 

 in the spring. He had noticed that a 

 tree standing in the immediate vicinity of 

 his dwelling had all at once put forth 

 with renewed energy, and he was at a 

 loss, for some time, to define the cause. 

 On inquiry, he found that a quantity of 

 lime, which had accidentally been spilled, 

 and rendered worthless by becoming mixed 

 with the refuse on the stable floor, had 

 been thrown at the foot of the tree, and 

 to this, as the principal cause, he imme- 

 diately assigned the reviviscence and re- 

 newed fructification of the tree. Taking 

 the hint from this accident, he purchased 

 twelve casks of lime, and applied half a 

 bushel to each tree, and found that it pro- 

 duced immediate beneficial effects. Not 

 the health of the trees only, but the qua- 

 lity of the fruit also, was greatly im- 

 proved. We would advise our readers 

 to make trial of this experiment and see 

 whether it is deserving of the high recom- 

 mendations it secures. 



From the Farmer and Mechanic. 



DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING A HAND- 

 SOME CARPET. 



Sir,— In your paper of April 1st, I no- 

 ticed a letter from " Rosella," asking in- 

 formation about coloring, &c; and the 

 thought just entered my mind, that our 

 sister Rosella, (whom we suppose is by 

 this time married and pleasantly settled 



in a neat white cottage of her own,) might 

 be wishing to make a carpet for her best 

 chamber, hall or dining room, and feeling 

 willing to grant all the assistance in my 

 power, to aid a young and inexperienced 

 "farmer's wife," in the discharge of her 

 arduous duties, I here present the follow- 

 ing directions for making a cheap, hand- 

 some and durable carpet. 



Take of the coarsest wool, (that which 

 is often thrown away by improvident far- 

 mers will do,) cleanse it thoroughly, pick, 

 and prepare for the machine, in the usual 

 way. When carded, out of fifteen pounds 

 of rolls spin as many runs -of yarn ; this 

 will be sufficient to make twenty-four 

 yards of good broad •carpeting. The me- 

 thod of spinning is to cross the band of 

 the wheel and spin two rolls at a time 

 instead of one in the usual manner. This 

 makes a very strong yarn and saves the 

 trouble of doubling and twisting. After 

 the yarn is spun, great pains should be 

 taken in washing, and rinsing it, so that 

 it may take a good color. 



For dark green take two runs of yarn 

 and place in a common indigo dye, care- 

 fully wringing and shaking it at least 

 three times in a day (to prevent spotting) 

 until it becomes a good deep blue. Then 

 rinse and dry it. Then prepare a strong 

 yellow die, made by boiling the leaves of 

 the peach tree in soft water, for three, or 

 four hours at least ; and after soaking the 

 blue yarn in a strong alum water for five 

 or six hours, place it in the yellow dye, 

 frequently raising it to the air; continue 

 this process for four hours, and you have 

 a beautiful dark green which will never 

 fade. 



For light green ; take the same amount 

 of yarn and reverse the order of coloring, 

 making it first a bright yellow, and then 

 giving it but a light shade of blue. These 

 two colors will make a beautiful shaded 

 stripe of green. 



For red, make a strong madder dye 

 prepared in the following manner: Soak 

 two and a half pounds of good madder 

 in vinegar and water for twelve hours ; 

 then place it in a large brass kettle with 

 at least two and a half pails of soft water. 

 When boiled (but not boiling) dip in it 



