46 



Che mxkmt's Ponthlg. 



sift a heavy coat of dry sand or light loam , — cover 

 with six inches of straw, 12 inches of earth, and, 

 when settled, sod the surface, and form drains 12 

 inches deep around the pits, with an opening for 

 the water to pass off. The same object m.ay be ac- 

 complished by packing the Potatoes in dry sand, 

 and stowing them in a dry, cool cellar. 



By excluding air, heat, frost and dampness, I be- 

 lieve Potatoes may be kept in their fresh, original 

 state, either during the summer or winter months, 

 or for an indefinite time. My theory is, if we ex- 

 clude the elements from the Potatoes dormancy 

 results. 



For convenience of transportation during spring 

 and summer, pack in tight barrels with cut straw, 

 saw dust, bran, &c. 



Were I a northern or Canadian farmer I would not 

 hesitate (if necessity required it) to cover potatoes 

 under a snow drift. Let one of your sharp yankee 

 boys tie up in a coarse bag a half peck of sound dry 

 potatoes (globular form), then when the snow is in 

 a fit state let him roll it over the snow (as boys are 

 wont to do) till it becomes too large for his strength, 

 then let him place the ball under a northern aspect 

 on the approach of spring cover the ball with straw 

 and over it a triitugular chicken-coop, the closed side 

 facing the south, or cover with pine boughs or brush 

 to keep the straw in place and to exclude the ele- 

 ments. I will wager high that the said boy will have 

 the pride to present his mamma with half peck sound 

 potato for her 4th. of J uly dinner. If boys south of 

 the State of Maine wish to try the experiment I 

 advise them to ' 'break cargo' ' on next Easter Sunday. 



My object is to induce my brother farmers to 

 think more ; experiment, and with practice unite 

 science. It will be noticed that all I have said is 

 speculative. 



PREPARING GRAPE CUTTINGS. 



BY M. B. BATEHAM. 



The No-patent rnethod of Making Rootlings. 



Among the letters read at the recent meetings of 

 Ohio Pomological Society at Zanesville, was the 

 following from William Patrick, of Indiana, a very 

 successful propagator of grape vines from short cut- 

 tings without the aid of glass or artificial heat; with 

 a little variation, the same method has been prac- 

 tised for ten years or more by some of the nursery- 

 men at Rochester N. Y., and at Columbus 0., and 

 perhaps by many others. 



" Dr. J. A. Warder : Sir. — My plan of growing 

 vines from cuttings is this : I make my cuttings in 

 December, cut them from 4 to 6 inches long with 1, 



2, or 3 buds each, according to the length of the 

 joints or the scarcity of the variety ; tie them in 

 bundles of about 50 cuttings each, for convenience of 

 handling ; then dip the lower half in a thin puddle 

 of clay and sand mixed. 



Prepare a cold frame in a dry and sheltered place, 

 a foot or so lower than the surface earth, and in this 

 stand the bundles of cuttings, the bottom ends up- 

 wards ; fill the interstices with fine soil, if clear sand 

 all the better ; cover with earth or sand 4 or 5 inches 

 deep, and leave till there is danger of frost reaching 

 the cuttings, then cover with litter or mulch to 

 keep out the frost, and board or sash to keep off the 

 wet, till warm weather in March, then remove the 

 covering and let the sun shine on the surface soil 

 this is my "bottom heat." 



If sash are used the process will be more speedy, 

 and the cuttings will need transplanting quite early, 

 which cannot always be done where there is no 

 sandy soil. 



By this process the young roots start before the 

 buds open ; I have planted them successfully with 

 rootlets 3 inches long ; and can strike all varieties 

 by this process. ' ' 



SOWING OATS IN FEBRUARY. 



BY RIALCNIS, MARYLAND. 



Knowing your admirably conducted Journal is 

 patronized by farmers as well as gardeners, I will 

 give you the following on the subject of Oats. 



By reference to books on the subject of Agricul- 

 ture, and the Monthlies, I have yet to learn that 

 Oats have been sown in February ; neither have I 

 heard the practice verbally suggested. Believing 

 the object could be profitably accomplished I pre- 

 pared, in the Autumn of '65, a small strip of tolera- 

 bly rich clay loam, having an easterly exposure ; and 

 on the last snow in February I sowed it down in 

 Oats. At the same time the land was top-dressed 

 at the rate of twenty 2-horse cart loads of barn-yard 

 compost per acre. If there is a sufficiency of vege- 

 table or animal matter on the land, and manure 

 made on the farm is not sufficient for the crops, 

 guano and other fertilizers may be resorted to, and 

 with a saving of 100 or 200 per cent, over and above 

 the cost of carting manure from the city. 



For the process of covering the seed I relied on 

 the honey-comb state of the land aided by the melt- 

 ing snow and spring rains. As I anticipated, the 

 seed germs started vigorously and promised success. 

 When the plants were sufficiently grown, and the 

 land dry, I passed a common drag-harrow over it 

 followed by the roller. 



I plowed, manured and managed three acres 



