1805.J 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
187 
are to be set, the labor may be divided with ad- 
vantage ; let one baud make tbe holes, another 
take up and drop the plants, and one or two 
others cover them. Before taking up the plants, 
give the seed bed a good watering, then mix up 
some soil with water, to the consistence of a 
batter, and draw the roots through it in a man- 
ner to completely coat them. If the plants arc 
put in convenient sized bunches, and the roots 
thns covered are pressed close together, they 
will remain fresh for a long time. It is the 
custom of some to set out their plants just be- 
fore or during a shower, and of others to pro- 
vide some kind of shade for the newly-set plants, 
but we have set out the plants whenever it was 
found most convenient, without regard to sun 
or shower. By preparing the roots as above 
mentioned, filling the holes with water, and 
allowing it to soak away, and then filling in 
around the plant with moist soil, taken from 
just below the surface, there is no need of losing 
a plant. lu removing the plants from the seed 
bed, all the unhealthy looking ones should be 
rejected, as well as those, which will sometimes 
be found, in which the bud or growing point, 
has been destroyed by insects ; such will never 
head. The cut-worm is the great enemy to 
the cultivator, and to guard against it requires 
some trouble. A piece of paper wrapped 
around the stem, so as to reach just below the 
surface of the earth, is an effectual safe-guard. 
One of our correspondents uses a maple leaf 
for the same purpose, and finds it perfectly suc- 
cessful. The crop can hardly be hoed too often, 
ana in the garden rapid developement may be 
much aided by the use of liquid manure. The 
same treatment is to be followed in setting out 
Cauliflower, Broccoli, etc. 
Sow for a Succession. 
In the monthly calendar it is often recom- 
mended to sow certain things for a succession. 
Some observation has shown us that the major- 
ity of farmers make but one job of planting 
the garden, and content themselves witli the 
products as they come along in the course of 
the season. A little care and forethought 
would prolong the season at both ends. At 
this time it is too late to think about forwarding 
plants, but it is^well to consider if more enjoy- 
ment may not be had out of the garden, by 
continuing the sowing of seeds much later than 
most people are accustomed to do. An enu- 
meration of some of the things which may be 
sown late will also be advantageous to those 
who, for some reason, were prevented from 
" making garden," at the usual time, as well as 
to those whose crops have failed from the use 
of poor seed, or other cause. Bush beans may 
be sown at any time during the summer, or 
even into August, and give a supply of late 
string beans, and a plenty for salting. The 
Refugee is considered one of the best for late 
planting. Lima beans, sown this month, will 
give fair returns, unless there are early frosts. 
For beets, June is the best month to sow for 
the winter crop, but the early, or turnip varie- 
ties, may be put in as late as the middle of 
July. The main crop of all the cabbage tribe 
is to be set out this month, and if one has 
neglected to sow seed to provide the plants, he 
can readily purchase them. The early varieties 
of cabbage may be sown as late as the middle 
of June, and form heads; Brussels S]ironts, 
Early Cauliflower, and Broccoli, may also be 
sown, with a fair prospect of a crop, and Kale 
and Kohl Rabi will do as late as July. Carrots 
may be sown in the garden until the latter part 
of July. Sweet Com may be had until frost 
comes, by planting at intervals of two weeks 
until July. Cucumbers may be planted until 
August; the pickle crop is put in the last of this 
month. Other materials for pickles, such as 
Nasturtiums, Martynias, and Melons for man- 
goes, may be sown at once. Okra is a sub- 
tropical plant, and does quite well if the seed 
is put in in June. By making a succession of 
sowings, peas may be had all summer. If the 
weather is dry, soak the peas before planting, 
and water the rows. Salsify is best when sown 
quite early, but even now it will give a good 
crop. Spinach and Swiss Chard may be sown, 
wjiich will give greens all summer, and 
"Herbs" of all kinds maybe put in. Salads 
may be had all the season, by sowing Endive 
now. Lettuce after the summer heat is over, 
and Corn Salad from July until September. 
About Tastes— A Frequent Mistake, 
Several years ago, a party of travelers in the 
Rocky Mountains, foot-sore, weary, and hungry, 
came upon a wild grape vine, loaded with clus- 
ters. They stopped and feasted, and all de- 
clared the grapes to be the best they had evei' 
tasted. Late in the fall, on their return east- 
ward, they brought home several packages of 
cuttings for the propagation of this new and 
superior grape. But when it came into bearing, 
all were disappointed ; the fruit was tough, lack- 
ing in flavor, and every way inferior to the ordi- 
nary grapes of Eastern gardens. Whence came 
their disappointment ? Simply from the fact 
that they ate the Western grapes when they 
were tired and. hungry, and had not seen any 
fruit for many days, and had nothing better at 
hand as a standard of comparison. 
Not long since, we heard of a Fifth Avenue 
merchant, who, after spending his boyhood and 
youth in New Euglaud, came to New-York and 
acquired great wealth. But before the prime of 
life, his appetite and health began to fail, and 
he thought his food would taste better and that 
he should regain his health, if only his food 
could be cooked as it was in the old country 
farm-house. So possessed with this idea was 
he, that he threw out of his kitchen his patent 
coal-cooking stoves and improved ranges, and 
tore down one or two partitions in order to build 
in his mansion an old-fashioned brick oven, to 
be heated with fine maple wood. This was 
done as commanded, but alas ! did not bring 
back his youthful relish. Late hours, irregulari- 
ty in meals, close confinement and a burden of 
care, had begotten dyspepsia, and " things didn't 
taste now as they used to, when he was a boy !" 
Probably if he spent his whole life on the 
farm, this j'outhful relish would have been par- 
tially lost ; but simplicity in diet, exercise in the 
ojien air, and regular hours for eating and sleep- 
ing, will do much toward preserving it. 
Propagation by Layers. 
Many plants which do not readily start from 
cuttings are propagated with ease by layering 
The cutting has to throw out roots from the 
limited stock of nourishment contained within 
itself, -while the layer, retaining more or less 
perfect connection with the parent root, is sup- 
plied with nutriment from that som'ce. The 
readiness with which ditTcrcnt plants strike 
root varies greatly, some will throw out roots if 
a branch merely comes in contact with the soil, 
as is the case with the Verbena, while others 
require considerable care to induce them to 
form roots. The grape vine, currant, and many 
others, will root if simply buried in well pre- 
pared soil, but the Rose, AVeigela, Carnation, 
and many other shrubs and herbaceous plants 
need to have the buried portion wounded before 
it will strike root. Layers from last summer's 
growth are made early in spring, and that of 
the present season as soon as it becomes parti}' 
ripened and firm. The soil to receive the layer 
should be well prepared, and an opening made 
to receive the branch, which should be buried 
three or four inches deep, and pegged there by 
means of wooden pins. The extreme end of 
the shoot should be turned up out of the ground, 
and kept in that position by tying it to a stake, 
and the leaves can be removed fi-om the buried 
portion. With those things which do not strike 
root readily, it is necessary to cut a notch just 
below a bud, upon the buried portion, or a 
tongue, by placing the knife just below a bud 
and cutting a slit upwards, an inch or two in 
length, and about half through the stem ; a 
sliver of wood, or small i^ebble, is placed in the 
slit, to keep the wound from uniting. After 
the stem is cut, it must be handled with care, 
else there is danger of breaking it off in placing 
it in the ground. It is usuallj' recommended to 
make the slit on the lower side of the stem, but 
it answers just as well to make it on the upper 
side, and there is less risk of breaking. In the 
present month, Carnations are to be la3'cred, 
and choice Pansies may also be propagated in 
this way. In layering tlie Carnation, select the 
strongest shoots which proceed from the base 
of the plant, remove a few of the lower leaves, 
and shorten the top ones by cutting them ott 
eyenly with a knife. Then slit the stem at a 
joint, as above directed, and lay down the slit 
portion of the stem in a cavity, one or two 
inches deep, peg it in place, and cover with fine 
earth, keeping the head of the layer upright. 
Convenient hooked pegs may be cut from the 
stems of Asparagus, or the common Brake. 
The Currant Worm— Save the Bushes. 
For several years past the currant bushes have 
been nearly destroyed by numerous small worms 
which divest them of their foliage. As the eggs 
from which these worms spring are deposited 
on the underside of the leaves, the first indica- 
tion of their ravages will be observed by n)any 
small holes eaten through, and the minute worms 
may be seen making the holes larger. 
The writer has been accustomed to sprinkle 
powdered white hellebore on the bushes, which 
is an infallible remedy, as it destroys the worms 
in a few minutes, and will not injure the cur- 
rant bushes in the least. White hellebore can 
be obtained at most drug stores, in a powdered 
state, at a few cents per ounce. To sprinkle it 
on bushes, put about two tablespoonfiils into a 
pepper or flour box, and sprinkle it lightly all 
over the outside leaves. Then turn up the bush- 
es and scatter a small quantity in the middle of 
them. Let it be spread as thinly as prac- 
ticable, as a quantity so small that it can not be 
perceived with the naked eye, will check the 
ravages. In the spring of 1864 our gooseberry 
bushes were stripped of every leaf, and all the 
branches were literally covered with full-sized 
worms. We sprinkled them lightly with white 
hellebore ; and in less than two liouis every 
worm fell to the ground dead. Great care must 
be exercised in handling the hellebore, as a small 
quantity will produce violent sneezing. 
