DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 



A high, close, board fence answers a good purpose, but a stone or brick wall is 

 preferable ; and, what is better still, in sections where it can be successfully cul- 

 tivated, a living hedge of Osage Orange. 



The surface of the soil cannot be too frequently stirred. " If I had to 

 preach a sermon on horticulture," says Downing, " I should take this for my 

 text : ' Siir the Soil.' " As soon as the plants are well above the ground, they 

 should be thinned out, so as not to interfere with each other's growth. At the 

 same time, the soil may be loosened a little about them, so as to break any crusts 

 that may have formed, without injury to the young plants ; and the weeds may be 

 removed. A little later, stir the soil with a narrow hoe, taking care not to cover 

 the young plants. Every weed should be cut down or pulled up, no matter how 

 small. It is not enough to keep the weeds down ; digging deeply among the 

 plants admits the atmosphere, and actually manures the young plants. In dry- 

 weather it is very essential that the soil be stirred often. The air waters the 

 fresh-dug soil much more effectually than we can do. A man will raise more 

 moisture with a spade and a hoe in a day, than he can pour on the earth out of 

 a watering-pot in a week. If the ground be suffered to become close and com- 

 pact, the cool surface exposed to the air for the reception of moisture is smallei-, 

 and what is deposited does not enter into-the earth far enough to be appropria- 

 ted ; but if the soil be loose and porous, the air enters more deeply, and deposits 

 its moisture beneath the surface. Almost any soil in which a seed will germi- 

 nate, may be made, by continued hoeing, to produce a crop. Above all, ct/f 

 away every weed that appears. " One year's seeding makes seven years' weed- 

 ing." The only use of weeds is to make a necessity of tilling the ground more 

 frequently. Weeds will come up in spite of our care, but much can be done to 

 prevent their spreading or maturing. 



Milliyi^ES 



Anything which being added to the soil, directly or indirectly promotes the 

 growth of the plants, is a manure. Manures directly assist vegetable growth, 

 either by entering into the composition of plants, by absorbing and retaining 

 moisture from the atmosphere, or by absorbing from it nujiritive gases. Manures 

 indirectly assist the growth of plants, either by destroying vermin or weeds, by 

 decomposing in the soil, by protecting plants from sudden changes of temperature, 

 or by improving the texture of the soil. The manure from cows, and all animals 

 that chew the cud, is considered cold, and suited to a light soil ; that of horses, 

 hogs and poultry is hot, and best suited to a cold, heavy soil. All new and 

 fresh manure engenders heat during fermentation, and has a tendency to lighten 

 the soil, while old, rotten manure is thought to render it more compact and firm. 

 The manure of birds is richer than that of any other animals. Three or four 

 hundred weight of the manure of fowls, turkeys, etc., is equal in value to from 

 fourteen to eighteen loads of animal manure. Guano is a manure of this class. 

 It is well to apply about two hundred weight per acre, with one-half the usual 

 quantity of other manure. Guano should never, in a fresh state, come in con- 



