313 



years old may be brought into fruit by 

 this means as soon as the} 7 are of proper 

 size." As to the best time for pruning, 

 he thinks that a fortnight before 'midsum- 

 mer is by far the best season, on the whole, 

 for branch pruning in the Northern and 

 Middle States." For he very justly sup- 

 poses that " wounds made at this season 

 heal over freely and rapidly ; it is the 

 most favorable time to judge of the shape 

 and balance of the head, and to see at a 

 glance which branches require removal, 

 and all the stock of organized matter in 

 the tree is directed to the branches that 

 remain." W. 



POWDERED CHARCOAL. 



As charcoal is a great absorbent of ammo- 

 nia it is an excellent thing to sprinkle (in a 

 powdered state) over all manure heaps, and 

 particularly over those places where animal 

 filth is allowed to accumulate. It destroys the 

 odor and renders it better for manure. It is 

 also said to prevent the larvse of insects from 

 becoming flies or moths. A writer in the 

 American Agriculturist states that pigs eat 

 charcoal and are thought to fatten on it, and 

 that in the course of the summer months he 

 frequently throws a bushel or so at a lime into 

 his pen. He says he finds it makes the ma- 

 nure so much more valuable that he finds it 

 worth while to buy charcoal for the purpose, 

 and that by using it his pens are never offensive. 



TO PREVENT WOOD DECAYING. 



Take twelve ounces of rosin and eight 

 ounces of roll brimstone, each coarsely 

 powdered, and three gallons of train oil. 

 Heat them slowty, gradually adding four 

 ounces of beeswax, cut in small bits. — 

 Frequently stir the liquor, which as soon 

 as the solid ingredients are dissolved, will 

 be fit for use. What remains unused 

 will become solid on cooling, and may be 

 re-melted on subsequent occasions. When 

 it is fit for use, add as much Spanish 

 brown, or red or yellow ochre, or any co- 

 lor you want, first ground fine in some of 



the oil, as will give the shade you want ; 

 then lay it on with a brush as hot and 

 thick as you can ; some days after the 

 first coat is dried give it a second. It 

 will preserve plank for ages, and keep 

 the weather from driving through brick 

 work. Common white paint may be used 

 on top of it, if required, for the sake of 

 appearance. Two coats should always 

 be given and in compound machinery, 

 the separate parts should be varnished be- 

 fore they are put together, after which it 

 will be prudent to give a third coating to 

 the joints or to any other part which is 

 peculiarly exposed to the action of mois- 

 ture, such as water-shoots, flood-gates, 

 the beds of carts, the tops of posts, and 

 all the timber which is near or within the 

 ground. Each coat should be dry before 

 the parts are joined or the last coat ap- 

 plied. The composition should be applied 

 when the wood is perfectly dry. It is 

 necessary to mention that compositions 

 made of hot oil, should, for the sake of 

 security, be heated in metallic vessels, in 

 the open air, for when the oil is brought 

 to the boiling point, or six hundred of 

 Fahrenheit, the vapor catches fire, and 

 though a lower degree of temperature 

 should be used in this process, it is not 

 always possible to regulate the heat, or 

 to prevent the overflowing of the mate- 

 rials ; in either of which cases, were the 

 melting performed in a house, fatal acci- 

 dents might happen. — Archives of Useful 

 Knowledge. 



CATERPILLARS. 



An English Agricultural paper gives 

 the following method of destroying cater- 

 pillars, which was accidentally discovered, 

 and is practised by a gardener near Glas- 

 gow. A piece of woollen rag had been 

 blown by the wind into a currant bush, 

 and when taken out was found covered 

 by the leaf-devouring insects. He imme- 

 diately placed pieces of woollen cloth in 

 every bush in his garden, and found next 

 day that the caterpillars had universally 

 taken to them for shelter. In this way he 

 destroys many thousands every morning. 



