1867.] 
AMERICAN AGEICl'LTURIST. 
133 
easionally worked over with the addition of muck 
or any vegetable mold, and thus the quantity avail- 
able for corn may be greatly increased. 
Liquid Manure has great effect upon grass, and 
no better application can be made upon winter 
grain, though the labor attending its application is 
considerable. A liquid mauure distributor is a rare, 
but needed, article on American farms. In buying 
Concentrated Manures do not purchase any be- 
cause Ihey are cheap. The adulteration of guano 
is notorious. The farmer can much better afford 
to mix in the sand on his own farm than to pay $65 
in gold a ton for sand, and cart it a dozen miles be- 
sides. The other popular manures, superphos- 
phate, etc., are quite as liable to adulteration, or 
even more so. After all, it is best to make one's 
own fertilizers, or buy only of reliable parties. 
Home-made Fertilizers. — 1st, Poudrette. Mix dry- 
soil, muck or peat with the contents of the privy 
every three days, remove and work over the con- 
tents, once a fortnight adding more. 2d, Guano. 
Sprinkle plaster under the hen-roosts, and also 
earth or muck, cleaning all out once a week. Jibe 
in a dry place, moistening with chamber ley, barn- 
yard leackings, or simplj- water, and cover the heap 
with soil pressed down. Work over, adding more 
soil, or muck and plaster, as often as it heats well. 
Horses. — Feed according to the amount of labor 
required of them. Groom daily and thoroughly. 
Give air and sunlight iu the stables, feed and water 
regularly, blanket only when exposed after labor. 
Oxen. — See hints for March. "Warbles, or grubs 
in the back, often become very obvious at this sea- 
son and later; destroy such as show their heads. 
We have never known of harm to result from kill- 
ing the grubs by pressure or by puncturing the 
skin before their heads protrude. Feed grain if 
hard worked, and do not neglect carding regularly. 
Cows and Calves. — If allowed to run together, it 
is best to put two calves upon one cow, as a rule, 
and to have these of different ages, so that both 
shall not be removed at once when fit for veal. The 
calves should be fed gruel besides, and some veal 
raisers allow them free access to dry corn meal, or 
better, linseed-cake meal, and corn meal mixed. 
Sheet}.— Give ewes and lambs the attention they 
require at lambing time. The flock should have 
the personal supervision of the owner. Give, if 
possible, shelter of some sort, and at least keep the 
flock of ewes as near as possible to the house and 
closely watched. Distribute the lambs among the 
owes having most milk, not necessarily leaving 
twins with their own dams. 
Swim: — See hints in former numbers for treat- 
ment of breeding sows. Employ all hogs in mak- 
ing manure, supplying sods and all vegetable refuse. 
Work in the Horticultural Departments. 
Frequent showers aud the increasing warmth of 
the sun remove the last vestiges of snow and i«e, 
and this is emphatically a working month. As so 
many things have to be hinted at this month, we 
Shall assume that preparatory work is generally 
done or in progress, aud refer the reader to pre- 
ceding mouths for whatever relates to that. 
Orchard and ft'ursery. 
Vssuming that the laud for the new orchard has 
been plowed aud subsoiled, aud if need be, drained, 
aud that the needed trees have been ordered. 
Planting may be done as soon as the trees come 
to hand. ' Do not leave the roots exposed any longer 
than necessary, aud if planting can not be done at 
once, cover the roots with earth. Trim mutilated 
roots, shorten the tops and, at the same time, re- 
move useless branches. Do not plant too deeply; 
make a broad opening for the root:, spread them in 
a natural position, cover with line .-oil, press it 
down firmly with the foot, and the tree will not 
need to be slaked to keep it in position. 
Shrivelled Tries are to bo burled, root and brunch, 
until the bark becomes plump, and those that have 
started in the package, must be cut back severely. 
Old Orchards are often brought in a state of fruit- 
fulness by generous manuring and cultivation. 
Grafting may be carried on as soon as the buds 
begin to swell. It is better to wait for the first in- 
dications of life in the tree than to do it earlier. 
Cions may be cut if the buds have not started. 
Soot Grafts should be planted in nursery rows 
as soon as the soil is in proper condition. 
Seeds and Pits, for raising young nursery stock, 
are to be sown as early as possible. Peaches that 
have been buried iu heaps, should be looked to. If 
they were dried too long before they were put with 
earth, they will need to be carefully cracked. 
Insects. — Continue to destroy eggs, and use the 
soap wash lieretofore recommended. When pro- 
tectors are used to stop the ascent of the Canker- 
worm, see that the tar, oil, or other adhesive ma- 
terial is properly renewed. See p. 102, last month. 
Fruit Garden. 
Planting, grafting and general care of trees in the 
fruit garden is the same as for those in the orchard. 
Only dwarf trees are iu place here, and they should 
be models of health and fruitfulness. Those who 
wish to try at the different methods of training, 
should consult Rivers' Miniature Fruit Garden. 
Figs may be ripened in well sheltered gardens, 
but they must be taken up and wintered in the cel- 
lar, or be laid down and well protected with earth. 
Quinces, so beautiful whether in flower or in 
fruit, may be trained to form handsome pyramids, 
if the leading branch be kept tied up to a stake. 
Currants should be in abundance in every family 
garden. They will bear under uegleet.but will amply 
repay manuring and care. The Cherry and White 
Grape are the best; there is a great confusion in 
names, and any of the large fruited sorts are good. 
Gooseberries. — Houghton and the American Seed- 
ling are the common sorts free from mildew, 
and are more valuable green than when ripe. 
Blackberries are now considered necessary in the 
garden. The Kittatiuny and Wilson's Early are 
the newest sorts, and both good. Dorchester and 
New Roehelie are older sorts. 
Raspberries— New varieties are so numerous that 
it is difflenlt to say which is best for general cul- 
tivation. The finest sorts all need covering in win- 
ter. The Black-caps are hardy and popular. 
Grapes. — Plant strong one or two 3-ear old vines 
on well drained soil, and allow only a single cane 
to grow the first year. We have given considerable 
space of late to the discussion of the leading varie- 
ties. A garden of considerable extent should con- 
tain several of the standard sorts. 
Strawberries. — Remove the mulch from over the 
crowns, but leave the ground covered. Set new 
beds as soon as the soil cm be worked. For garden 
culture, beds 4 feet wide are the best; one row of 
plants in the center and a row IS inches from it on 
each side. The plants may be from a foot to IS 
inches in the row, according to their habit of 
growth ; the latter distance is none too much for 
the strong growing kinds that make large stools. 
Kitchen Garden. 
Many of the hiuts of last month will be timely 
now. The care there suggested in the management 
of glass is more necessary now. as the plants are 
more liable to suffer from extremes of heat and cold. 
Asparagus. — Fork over the beds if not already 
done, and if new plantations are needed, make 
early, as directed last month. Treat beds of 
Iihubarb in a similar manner; both do much bet 
ter when planted early before the growth starts. 
Runs may be planted where there is no louger 
danger of frost, but it is generally too early at tho 
North. The Early Valentine is a favorite garden sort. 
/•' -Is.— Sow in rows a foot or 15 inches opart, or, 
if preferred, two feel apart, with radishes between, 
il early kinds are better than the old Bassano, 
t\i«wyt«,— Set out the plants from cold frames. 
Our market gardeners put the rows 24 to 2S inches 
apart, with the plants sixteen inches in the rows, 
and then set lettuce iu rows equi-distant between 
the cabbages, but this economy of land is not 
usually necessary in private gardens. Harden off 
the plants in hot-beds by exposure. Sow seeds in 
open ground in drills 4 inches apart, and sprinkle 
with flour of bone or air slacked lime as soon as up. 
The Wakefield and Early York a-re the most com-' 
mon early sorts, and there are several other and 
newer kinds described in the catalogues. 
Cauliflower is planted and treated same as cabbage. 
Carrots. — Sow Early Horn in 15-iuch drills, using 
plenty of seed to ensure a good start. 
Celery. — Sow seel in a rich, mellow soil, in drills 
8 inches apart — cover lightly with soil. 
Cldves. — Propagate by breaking up the old clumps 
and setting the bulbs 6 inches apart. 
Cress. — Whoever would keep up a supply of this 
pungent salad — well called pepper grass — should 
make a sowing every eight or ten days. 
Cucumbers may be sown in cold frames from 
which other plants have been removed. Next 
month will be early enough to start on sods un- 
der glass those to be planted in the open ground. 
Egg Plant. — Sow in hot-bed and keep warm. 
They are slow to recover if they once get chilled. 
Garlic. — Break up the bnlbs into sets and plant 
6 inches apart in rows a foot apart. 
Horseradish. — See very full article on page 141. 
Herbs. — Have a plenty of these for home use or 
for market. Thyme, Sage, Sweet Marjoram, and 
Summer Savory are the most used. Prepare a bed 
of rich and finely worked soil, and sow seeds in 
rows 4 inches apart, and keep free of weeds. 
Leeks. — Sow in rows a foot apart, in fine rich soil, 
and keep clear of weeds from the start. 
Lettuce. — Set out plants from cold frames one foot 
apart each way, or the same distance between rows 
of early cabbages. Sow in the open ground in 
drills 8 inches apart. The Curled Silesia is most 
commonly used, but many prefer a variety of it, 
the Curled Simpson, as it is rather earlier. 
Mustard. — For salads sow thickly in foot rows. 
Onions. — Sets are put out as early as the ground 
can be worked. If the onions are to be pulled 
green, the rows may be 9 inches apart, but if they 
are to be left to ripen, make them 15 inches. Potato 
and Top Onions are also to be put at this distance. 
Pat the sets 3 or 4 inches apart in the rows, cover, 
and roll. Seeds, or "black seed" as it is often 
called, is sown iu 15-iuch drills in highly manured 
soil. Onion sets are raised by plautiug the seed 
very thickly in rather wide 9-inch rows in poor soil. 
Parsley. — For early, sow iu cold frames between 
the rows of lettuce ; for later, sow iu the opeu 
ground iu rows a foot apart. It germinates slowly. 
Parsnips. — Sow in deep soil in rows 15 inches 
apart Be sure that the seed is of last year's growth. 
Peas. — The early and "extra early" kinds are so 
numerous that one is at loss to choose between 
them. Dan. O'Ronrke is the old standard sort. 
Some of the dwarfs are very convenient for garden 
culture, but the taller kinds arc more prolific. 
Tom Thumb aud other dwarfs may be sown in rows 
a foot apart. The taller growing kinds are usually 
put o or 4 feet apart, and supplied with brush be- 
fore they are tall enough to fall over. 
Tappers. — Sow Squash and Mountain Sweet varie- 
ties in hot-bed, aud treat the same as egg plants. 
Potatoes.— The Early Goodrich is perhaps the best 
for garden culture. Plant this, or other early 
sort, iu well manured soil in drills inches deep 
and 2 feet apart ; drop seed — cut or not, as may be 
preferred — a loot apart in the drills. 
Radishes. — Sow in any spare spaces iu the frames, 
or in light soil in the open ground. .Market grow- 
ers, after sowing their beets, SOW the ground broad- 
east with radish seed. The radishes come off by 
the time the beets are large enough to thin. The 
Scarlet Turnip and the Scarlet Short Top are among 
tho best. The French Breakfast is a new sort. 
S ../';/. — Sow and treat the same as carrots. Tho 
same culture for Scorzoucm, or Black Salsify. 
