1870.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
203 
fine manure, guano, or superphosphate. They do 
best in drills, but are usually sown broadcast, grow 
rapidly, and if put in as late as July 1st, will make 
.1 heavy crop of hay. Half a bushel of seed (20 to 
24 pounds) of Hungarian grass is enough for an acre. 
Has for Seed. — Sow early in the month in good 
soil not freshly manured; the seed will be less in 
quanlity than if earlier, but free from weevil. 
Clover for Seed. — Cut clean clover early from 
which a crop of seed is desired, and top-dress with 
plaster or superphosphate, which always contains 
plaster. (The seed comes from the second crop.) 
Soots. — Carrots and Parsnips may be sown thus 
late ; the former will make a good crop, the latter a 
fair one. Beets, (Mangels or Sugar) will also give, 
jn rich soil, a remunerative return for labor. Swed- 
ish Turnips for cattle should be sown this month ; 
but if intended for market and the table, it is bet- 
ter to wait until the 1st to 20th of July. A good 
• superphosphate is the best manure for turnips ; it 
may, conveniently, be sowed in the drills, after the 
ground is marked out, with the seed sower, which, 
immediately after, is used for sowing the seed. 
Use as little seed as possible iu sowing Swedes, and 
put the drills 30 inches apart, and thin to a foot. 
Tobacco. — Weed the seed-beds, and 6ec to it that 
you have plants forward enough to commence set- 
ting about the 15th. Plow and harrow the field, 
and kill another crop of weeds just before setting; 
mark off as for corn-planting 3 feet each way ; or, 
the rows 3 feet, and the cross marks for the plants 
30 inches apart. Replace at once plants cut off by 
the worm, or failing from other causes. 
Cattle at pasture must be visited frequently, and 
a lookout kept lest the water fails, or the grass is 
cropped loo close. 
~\Yorkbig Oxen should not be hard pressed during 
the middle of the day when the heat is excessive. 
Cotes should have good upland pasturage, and 
plenty of water. An armful of some green forage 
at noon, eveu when they have an abundance of 
grass, will be eaten with a relish, and if given reg- 
ularly, will considerably increase the flow of milk. 
Calves two or (bree months old may be turned to 
grass, getting a few quarts of skimmed milk daily 
at noon, which will be all the better for them if 
thickened with a little Indian meal. 
Beef Cattle should have the richest clover pastu- 
rage, aud two feeds of meal a day besides, if they 
will cat it. The quicker they fatten the better. 
Mares about to foal, or with foals at foot, should 
have the range of sweet upland pastures, with wa- 
ter and salt. Take a mare which is to breed the com- 
ing year to the stallion on the 9th day after toaling. 
Sheep are generally washed and shorn this month. 
We deprecate washing, though it seems almost nec- 
essary. A little practice and care in tub-washing 
fleeces would, we are confident, do away with objec- 
tions to tub-washed wool; and if washing the sheep 
could be avoided, their health, and of course the 
quality of the wool, would be improved. Grease new- 
ly shorn sheep on the back to prevent Bun-scalding. 
Butter. — The Prize Essay on another page makes 
it unnecessary to drop hints here about butter mak- 
ing. June butter ought to be the best made iu the 
year, as the grass has a higher and better flavor. 
Work iu the Horticultural Departments. 
With so many things calling us outside, we can 
hardly have patience this bright May day to write 
about work, we much prefer to do it. Such a 
rush has been the early part of May. The season 
seems to have forgotten alt moderation, and come 
upon us with a leap. We have had the impression 
that whether spring seemed early or late, every- 
thing came out about the same, the Hr6t of June. 
Oi'cliard ;in<l ;\'nrsery. 
With established trees, the chief things to do are 
to thin the fruit aud keep the huccts in check. 
Thinning is too little practised ; but oue who tries 
it once will be apt to follow it, if lie raises good 
fruit. When the fruit is fairly sot, thiu out ouc- 
third or one-half. The nutriment that would have 
been divided among all, had they rcmaiued, will 
now be appropriated by only half as many, and the 
result will be fine, large specimens. It may be neces- 
sary to make a second thinning, as few have 
courage to thin sufficiently at first. As to 
Insects, do not wait until some of the legion have 
made sad havoc, and then write to us for a remedy 
which shall despatch them at one application. We 
know of no sovereign cure for insects or weeds ex- 
cept work. One should be among his trees fre- 
quently, and note the first inroads. The eye should 
be trained to notice the beginning of trouble. The 
caterpillars that are to-day feeding upon the leaves 
of one twig only, in a week will have scattered over 
the whole tree. Neglect the little web that is just 
observable, and in a short time the tree will look 
as if a blight had fallen upon it. The nests of the 
tent-caterpillar are easily pulled out by a gloved or 
bare hand. Take them early in the morning when 
the inhabitants are at home. 
The Curctdio is only to be caught by jarring the 
tree. It will fall and may be caught on a sheet. 
Let all secret insect remedies alone. 
Borers. — We are accustomed to speak of "the 
borer," when there are several, but they are all 
alike iu being hatched from eggs laid upon the bark 
of the tree by the mother insect. The eggs are 
usually deposited this mouth ; various obstacles to 
the insect have been proposed ; about the simplest 
of them is to wrap the lower part of the trunk of 
the tree with coarse paper, the lower edge of the 
paper going just below the surface of the soil, aud 
the other extending about a foot above it. 
Slugs which attack the leaves of pear and cherry 
trees arc destroyed by a dusting of lime. 
Grafts must he looked after. If two were put iu 
where but one is needed, cut oue out. If the 
growth of the graft is one-sided, or one of its sev- 
eral shoots gets the better of the others, pinch the 
end of the strong grower. 
Pruning is done this mouth by many, as the 
wounds heal most readily. Others object to any 
other than winter pruning, on account of the check 
to the tree by removing so much foliage. 
Toung Trees. — Attention to young trees will 
avoid the necessity of pruning large limbs hereaf- 
ter. Shoots will become branches ; if they grow 
where branches are not needed, remove them while 
young; better to have done it when the bud was 
first pushing, but if doue while the wood is still 
tender, it will save much cutting. It will be a great 
help to youug trees to mulch them with litter of 
some kind. 
Pinching. — The nipping of the growing point of 
a tender shoot, of course stops it from prolonging. 
One of its upper buds will probably push again ; but 
the growth will be checked, neighboring and weak- 
er shoots will have a chance to grow, and thus con- 
trol the growth and shape of the young tree. 
Seedlings. — Keep young seedling trees well weed- 
ed aud cultivated. Shade young evergreens and 
deciduous forest trees. 
Fruit Cisirtlen. 
Grape - Tines. — Vines planted this spring should 
have but one shoot allowed to grow. Tie up the 
young shoots, handling carefully to avoid breaking. 
If too much fruit is left upon the vines, thin earl}-. 
As the laterals push, pinch back to one leaf. Lay- 
ers may be made of the present season's growth. — 
Use the hoe around the vines, and hand-pick bee- 
tles and caterpillars. Use sulphur, applied by a 
bellows, ou the first appeai-auce of mildew. 
Strawberries. — Upon beds not covered, put on a 
mulch to keep the fruit clean, unless the vines arc 
grown in matted beds, when it is not necessary ; 
straw, hay, or corn-stalks are used. In marketing 
berries give full measure, and let the flaskets run of 
even quality throughout. Reject all sandy or ovor- 
ripe berries. Make pot-layers which may be planted 
as soon as well rooted ; they will bear next year. 
Currants. — Use powdered white hellebore for in- 
sects which attack the leaves. Mulching will in- 
crease the size of the fruit. Remove superfluous 
shoots and thus 6ave pruning. 
Gooseberries are usually marketed green. They are 
most expeditiously cleaned from leaves and sticks 
by allowing them to roll dowu au inclined trough. 
Raspberries. — Tie up the new growth, three or 
four canes to a stool, and remove all others. 
Blackberries. — Stop the growth of new canes 
when 4 or 5 feet high. Tie up fruiting canes.- Hoe 
up all suckers not needed for planting. 
Dioarf Fruit Trees will need the attention in thin- 
ning, pinching, aud keeping free of insects as noted 
for trees iu the orchard. 
Kitchen Garden. 
The contest with weeds must be kept up. It 
makes a great difference which gets the advantage 
of the start. The ease with which weeds can be 
destroyed in their young state, is in marked con- 
trast with their persistence when of larger size.— 
Much weed killing can be done with a rake. Have 
one with sharp, steel teeth, and use it frequently. 
We use Comstock's hand cultivator with much 
satisfaction. 
Asparagus. — Many forget that next season's crop 
depends upon a good growth of tops after cutting 
stops. Do not cut too late. Hoe over the bed and 
it will be all the better if a dressing of bone or 
phosphate can be given. 
Beans. — Bush and runuing varieties may still be 
planted. For Limas, set poles 6 or 8 feet high, 4 
feet each way, and make a rich spot to receive the 
beans. Plant 5 or 6 beans, by pushing them into 
the ground eye downward, and covering about an 
inch. Leave 4 plants to a pole, aud twine them 
about it if they do not climb of their own accord. 
Beets. — Weed and thin. We always sow rather 
thickly in order to have a plenty of youug beets to 
use as spinach. 
Cabbages and Cauliflowers. — Early sorts will now 
be ready for the table or market. Transplant sec- 
ond early, aud sow late varieties. 
Carrots. — Keep well cultivated. Sow seed. 
Celery. — Take good care of the plants in seed-bed 
and keep free from weeds. See article on page 221. 
Com. — Sow every week or two for succession. — 
The late sowings should be of early kinds. 
Capsicums or Peppers.— Give a warm rich place, 
and cultivate frequently. 
Cucumbers. — Sow seed in rich hills 4 feet apart, 
using plenty of seed to guard against loss by bugs. 
When past danger take out all the plants but two. 
Egg-Planls. — These need all the encouragement 
that frequent hoeiug and liquid manure can give 
them. The Tomato-worm is fond of them. 
Lettuce. — Sow for late supply, selecting a some- 
what shaded and moist spot. See article on cul- 
ture, last month. 
Melons need the 6ame care as cucumbers. 
Onions. — Thorough weeding and frequent culti- 
vation between the rows are essential to success. — 
Salt sown broadcast at the rate of 2 or 3 bushels to 
the acre is beneficial, as are dressings of wood-ashes. 
Parsnips need working until the leaves prevent. 
Ihts. — Plant for late crop if you choose to run 
the risk of mildew. 
Radishes.— Sow now and then for succession. 
Rhubarb. — Keep the flower-stalks cut off, as they 
needlessly exhaust the plants. 
Rutabagas. — The variety known as the Long 
White French cannot be too highly commended 
for family use. Sow the latter part of the month; 
and if insects trouble the young plants, dust with 
asties or plaster. 
Spinach. — Sow the New-Zealand for summer use, 
three or four plants to a hill, which should be rich, 
aud about G feet apart, as the plant spreads.- 
Salsify. — Sow if not already done, and cultivate 
the same as parsnips. 
Squashes. — Sec last month's notes for directions. 
Sweet Potatoes. — In most northern localities the 
