66 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[March, 
feed for young swine, horses, neat cattle of 
all kinds, and sheep, than peas and oats. Seed 
may be obtained by the barrel or sacli of seed 
dealers in most cities and large towns. 
Ibtatoee.— Assort potatoes and feed out the small 
ones to stock ; lay the best aside for seed. See 
some hints on how to raise early potatoes under 
the Kitchen Garden Calendar. 
Jiools. — Every animal should be fed a few roots 
daily. Save a few of the best to be planted out 
for seed. If you have never yet raised roots, pro- 
cure seed and make arrangements for an experi- 
ment with a crop of them the coming season. 
Stmies.— Both large and small ones may be hauled 
off the field as soon as thawed loose, before the soil 
has become soft. If the ground is soft, pry up the 
large stones on meadows and place billets of wood 
or small stones beneath them so that they may be 
hauled off as soon as snow has fallen, or the ground 
will bear up a team. Remoye brush, logs, and 
other rubbish from fields, if likely to be in the way 
of the plow. 
;Swi)ie.— Separate sows that will farrow this 
month, from other swine. At least two weeks be- 
fore their time prepare a warm and clean sleeping 
apartment, and make the bed of cut straw, in the 
middle of the floor, to prevent overlying of the 
young pigs. Do not feed too high before the young 
pigs are ten days old, but give a few feeds of raw 
roots of some kind before and after farrowing. 
scabies. — As the warm weather comes on, see that 
"itables are thoroughly cleaned out and well littered 
and ventilated, but horses should not be exposed 
to cold air currents, especially at night. 
Sheep. — Take extra care of sheep during this 
month. Separate all feeble ones from the main 
flock, so that every one may receive a little grain 
and roots daily in connection with other food. 
See article on page 75. Remember that every early 
lamb is worth raising even at some extra care. 
Trees. — As soon as the frost is out of the ground, 
ornamental trees may be transplanted, and if the 
soil is in order, fruit trees also. Drain the soil 
thoroughly, and pulverize deeply for all kinds of 
trees and shrubbery, manure will usually be needed. 
Water. — Look carefully over the farm when there 
is a great amount of surface water, and see that it 
does not run across recently plowed fields, and 
wash away the soil. Turn small streams of muddy 
water from highways upon meadows and pastures ; 
they carry with them much fertilizing matter, aud 
will increase the crop of grass for years. 
TVTi^ai.— Procure in time good seed of spring wheat, 
of the best farmers. Get the last year's wheat flour- 
ed in order to have bran for feeding. 
Wood. — Improve every stormy and leisure day in 
preparing fire wood for next summer. See page 75. 
Weeih. — Rally all the available force of the farm, 
and with sharp hoes cut all the bull thistles, tea- 
sels, mullein, and other biennial plants that will 
mature the seeds the coming season. Cut them 
about two inches below the surface of the soil ; the 
surface water will stand in the little excavations 
and enter the roots and destroy them. 
Work in the Orchard and Nursery. 
— Trees at planting time excite our li-veliest sympa- 
thies, for between the hard usage they get in being 
taken np in the nursery and the neglect they re- 
ceive at the hands of many planters, they often 
have a hard struggle for existence. At the ordina- 
ry prices for trees, we can hardly expect of the nur- 
seryman more than ordinary care, and under the 
best circumstauces a tree comes out of the ground 
with much fewer roots than it had while it stood in 
the nursery row. This root pruning would not be 
of so much consequence if the majority of people 
did not set it out just as it is received and leave it 
to survive or perish. When it is considered that in 
the growing tree the absorbing surface of the roots 
is in exact relation to the evaporating surface of 
the leaves, it will be seen that, when in taking 
trees up we cut a part of the roots, this balance is 
destroyed. When such trees are planted out, the 
the roots are unable to supply the demand of the 
leaves produced from the numerous buds upon the 
branches. The consequence is, each bud puts out 
a few leaves, and though the tree may retain its 
vitality through the season, no vigorous growth is 
made, and it is often some years before the tree 
recovers from the shock of removal. While we do 
not mean to say that nurserymen never send out 
worthless stock, we believe that much of the poor 
growth of young orchards is due to want of care 
and knowledge on the part of the planter. Those 
who buy trees are apt to look more to that which 
is above ground than to that which goes below the 
surface, and are more taken with quantity of 
branches than quantity and quality of roots. It is 
difficult to convince such persons that the tree will 
be all the better at the end of the season if it is 
made to show less of branches at planting time. 
Get all the roots possible from^the nurseryman, cut 
off all the bruised ones and smoothly cut the ends 
of those severed in taking up. Then after remov- 
ing any useless branches, cut back all of last year's 
growth, leaving only one-half to one-third. It 
will come hard to do this, but it is necessary to get 
a good growth. In cutting, have reference to the 
future shape of the tree, and cut to a bud pointing 
in the direction where a branch will be most desir- 
able. Don't bay cheap trees; it is poor economy 
to save a few dollars on an orchard by getting poor- 
ly grown trees to start with. Don't believe the 
large stories told of new varieties by glib-tongued 
tree peddlers who showa collection of highly color- 
ed plates and talk fruits wisely, though they may 
have never planted a tree in their lives. 
Cherry Trees. — Plant early if the soil is open, and 
attend to any grafting the last of this month or early 
in next month. The cions should be freshly cut. 
Cuttings from currants and shrubs, started thus, 
must be made before the buds start. Plant out those 
made last autumn as early as a place can be prepared. 
Oirdled Trees. — These may often be saved by the 
use of a piaster ofcowdnng and clay or loam bound 
on with a cloth. Put on a pleuty to retain moisture. 
Grafting. — Root grafting should be got out of the 
way as soon as possible, and preparations made for 
grafting trees in the ground. Cut cions, and see 
note on cions and grafting clay given on page SI. 
Insects. — If any of the twigs appear as if they had 
a swollen place upon them, an examination will 
probably show that the apparent swelling is a clus- 
ter of the eggs of the tent caterpillar. This insect 
glues its eggs to the twigs, in a broad ring. If these 
are found, remove at any cost of time and trouble. 
Manure. — Surface manuring is now practised by 
our best orchardists. The manure may be carted 
out and applied while the ground is frozen. 
Orchards. — Wash the trees, if the weather is suit- 
able, as recommended last month. If pruning must 
be done before summer, do it now. The weight of 
authority is in favor of summer pruning. 
Planting. — The trees should h.ave been ordered by 
this time, but if postponed until now, do it at once. 
In ordering apple trees it is well to recollect th^ 
value of sweet varieties as food for stock. Drain- 
ing will always pay in the orchard, and the drains 
should be made before planting. The land may be 
staked out aud the holes made at any time when 
the season is mild enough. 
Seeds.— Or&er tree seeds for planting this spring. 
Those kept over winter in boxes of earth should 
not be sown until the soil is warm. 
Stocks. — Those budded last year may be cut back 
to within three inches of the bud where the bud re- 
mains bright and appears to have united or "taken." 
Transplanting of all hardy shrubs and trees may 
be done as soon as the soil is in working order. 
Kitchen Garden. — As we write the 
calendar for March, there seems but little prospect 
that gardening operations will commence early, as 
the weather is that of mid-winter, and we have let- 
ters before us from places where snow is five feet 
on the level. Our directions are made to be in or- 
der whenever winter breaks up and the ground 
opens, and it is not to be supposed that the calen- 
dar will be followed blindly for out-of-door work. 
Usually there is little gained by too great a hurry. 
Artichoke.— 'Rem.oyn winter protection and fo."k 
in manure. If more plants are wanted, remove off- 
sets and set in rich soil, 4 feet apart each way. 
Asparagus. — Rake the coarser part of the cover- 
ing from old beds and carefully fork in the finer 
portion. In making new ones it is best to plant in 
narrow beds 5 feet wide with two feet alleys be- 
tween. This enables the crop to be taken and the 
beds to be cared for without trampling on them. 
Work the soil 18 or 20 inches deep and put in an 
abundance of manure. Set one or two-year-old 
roots one foot apart each way, making three rows 
to a bed. Set crowns 4 inches below the surface. 
Beets. — Sow EarlyTurnip or Bassano in a warm rich 
spot, as soon as the season allows, in rows 1 foot 
apart. It is best to sprout the seed before sowing. 
CaMctsre.— Sow in hot-bed. The Early York is 
the common market sort, but the Cannon Ball is 
highly recommended. Winningstadt is fine for a 
succession. Give young plants a dressing of ashes 
and plaster. Set out cabbage stumps for greens. 
Carrots.— ?>ow Early Horn, as directed for beets. 
If some are wanted extra early, sow under glass. 
Cauliflower. — Sow Early Paris and Early Erfurt in 
hot-bed to furnish plants for the first or early crop. 
Cefer!/.— Plants for the first crop should be start- 
ed in a gentle heat or under a cold frame, in light 
rich soil. Early White Solid is the best early. 
Cold i''mmes.— Give air on warm days and cover 
securely on cold nights. See article on page 83. 
Compost.— "Yhs heap of refuse accumulated last 
season will need turning over and to be made uni- 
form. Pick out sticks and other rubbish, and if not 
well decomposed, mix with manure to ferment. 
Cress. — Sow and cover lightly. 
Cucumbers. — Sow under glass. If intended for 
transplanting, sow on the under side of pieces of sod 
about 3 inches square, and set in hot bed or room. 
Drains. — Most gardens will be all the sooner ready 
to work if drained. Drain the wettest places first. 
Ikjg PlanX.—1\as needs more heat than cabbages 
and lettuce, and should go in a hot-bed with pep- 
pers. The Long Purple is earliest. The N. Y. Pur- 
ple largest and best for main crop. 
Fences. — Put in condition to keep out all animals, 
and hang gates so that they cannot be left open. 
fforseradish. — Make beds in rich soil and plant 
pieces of root an inch long in holes made a foot 
deep with a dibble. 
Mot-beds. — Brief directions for making these are 
given in last month's calendar, and an account of 
cheap turf frames will be found on page 83. In the 
management, avoid sudden alternations of tempera- 
ture. Remove the mats or other covering some- 
time before giving air, in order not to cool the 
plants too suddenly. Where many sorts are sown 
in a bed, the seed must be in rows, but when a 
whole bed or a division is given to one kind it may 
be sown broadcast, and thinned out afterwards. 
Leeks. — Sow in rich soil, in rows a foot apart. 
Lettuce. — Sow under glass. The Silesian is best to 
sow thickly and pull when young. Butter lettuce, 
and other sorts are best to transplant for heading. 
It needs plenty of light if grown with bottom heat. 
Manure. — Secure a good stock for the garden, 
and for later hot-beds. Spent hops from the brew- 
ers are very valuable, either when allowed to ferment 
alone or made into compost with stable manure. 
Cart out manure while the ground is frozen. Save 
hch and pigeon droppings .as something precious. 
Melons. — Treat like cucumbers. 
Onions. — The potato variety is useful in the gar- 
den. The sets may be put out 4 inches apart, in 15 
inch rows, as soon the frost is out. Cover with litter. 
Parsley. — Plant seed in a cold frame. 
Parsnips.— Dig wherever the ground is open. Save 
the finest for seed. 
Peas. — The early sorts may go in soon. A row or 
two which can be covered with a board or other 
cover at night may be coaxed for extra early. 
Potatoes. — Get in some early sort as soon as the 
ground serves, but plant deep. Have some litter 
to cover over the rows if it comes on cold weather. 
Badishes. — Sow in hot-bed, and in a warm light 
spot in open ground. Early Turnip is one of the best. 
Elivbarb. — Fork in the manure on the beds. Set 
crowns with a piece of root in well manured soil. 
