1867.] 
AMERICAN AGRICl'LTUPJST. 
S03 
Tobacco. — Select the largest plants from the seed 
beds. and,on a rainy day, transplant them to the field, 
so as to make the general planting about the 20th. 
The land should be very rich and mellow, warm, 
and well tilled. The plants may suffer from attacks 
of cut worms and grubs, and all missing ones must 
be reset, as fast as vacancies occur. 
Animals of all kinds must have clean airy quarters, 
or in hot weather they will be exposed to lung dis- 
eases from exhalations of fermenting manure, etc. 
Use plaster freely in stables and fowl houses to 
arrest ammonia; dry soil is almost equally as good. 
F'nrU, if confined, should have fresh water and 
fresh sods daily, and every few days their scratching 
ground should be forked up and freshened. Especi- 
ally provide good dusting boxes, and fresh water. 
Cattle. — In providing for au increase of stock in 
the natural way, let no penny-wise policy interfere 
with the employment of the very best male animals. 
Use only well-bred bulls of one of the approved 
breeds, Shorthorn, Devon, Ayrshire, Alderney, etc., 
if they can be fjund within a reasonable distance. 
Sheep. — We approve of early shearing, without 
washing, as explained last month. Tub washing 
has fewer objections than stream washing, and one 
important recommendation of it, to us, is, that tbe 
greater part of the yolk, or grease, may be saved for 
mauurial purposes. This advantage is, however, 
we believe, generally overlooked. " Beware of 
dogs." Seenre tbrough legislation on the subject, 
if possible, and the carrying out of good laws. Dip 
the entire flock in some approved dip. as soon as 
the sores caused by shearing are entirely well, and 
there are no sun scalds or other open or tender 
spots on the sheep. The dips all have some very 
active poison, arsenic, tobacco, etc., as their bases, 
and must be used with great care. 
Orchard and Nursery. 
If the often repeated injunctions to make war on 
Insect* have been followed, the orchard will be 
nearly free from these pests. If a nest or cluster of 
i «rs has escaped, tbe insects' will be the more 
readily seen on account of their rarity. 
Moths may lie killed in great numbers by keep- 
ing Arcs or pulling lanterns iu the orchard at night. 
The Slack-knot, which superficial observers ascribe 
to Curculio, but which might as well lie charged to 
lobsters, will appear on cherries and plums, burst- 
ing up through the bark. Cut and burn at its first ap- 
pearance, and don't wait until it gets old and black. 
Pruning is best done this month, if trees have 
beeu so neglect d as to need it. Make an open and 
well balanced head, and remove ail limbs that crowd 
and chafe others. If melted grafting wax be 
brushed over tbe wounds, it will facilitate their 
healing. The rubbiug off of superfluous shoots, as 
they start on young trees, will save much cutting 
next year. Remove suckers. 
Grafts will need looking to, and will lie making a 
vigorous growth. If some of the shoots get the 
lead of others, pinch their growing points. A 
graft should bo treated Justus if it were a young 
tree — indeed it is a young tfeo planted in 
another instead of being planted iu the soil. Where 
two grafts have been set, and only one is needed, 
tilt out the weaker one of the two. 
,'.-■ a buds or stock grafts will ol'teu be so 
vigorou- and succulent a- to be easily broken by 
the wind, all such should !"•. properly staked until 
the stem becomes strong and woody. 
Borers. —June is the time when mosl of the eggs 
are laid, especially of the peach-tn IT it 
were generally uudei o hat tho egg of the 
was laid on the outside of the trunk, there lull 
and that the maggot worked it? way into the tree, 
the remedies would be more intelligently applied. 
Any impediment will preveut the insect from de- 
positing it- eggs, and (be various remedies of grow- 
ing tanzy close to the tree, piling stones around it, 
Leaping t ibacco stems, earth, orn hi j, oronnd it, all 
uet upon the same principle— that of imposing an 
obstacle to the parent Insect. The simplest way i- 
to wrap the base of the tree with brown paper for 
a foot or so above the grouud, letting the lower 
edge of tbe paper go below the surface of tbe soil. 
Of course all borers already in the tree must be 
probed out. A wound or depression in the bark 
will show where they have entered ; one who has 
a proper regard for his trees will examine them 
frequently, and if there are any signs of the borer, 
not rest content until it has been killed. The point 
of a knife will frequently do the work, but if the 
grub has penetrated deeply, cut ahole with a gouge 
and follow him up with a wire or flexible strip of 
whalebone. Don't leave the tree until you are 
sure that every grub in it is dead. 
The Curculio will now need attention if one 
would have plums or cherries. All " applications" 
have so far been found useless. Nothing serves 
save jarring the trees and catching and killing the 
insect This should be done every morning, early. 
Various contrivances for catcliiug the insect have 
been proposed, but auy one with a little ingenuity 
can arrange a convenient cloth fur the purpose. A 
sudden jar is needed to throw the insect down, and 
it is a good plan to saw off a useless limb and leave 
a but against which to strike with a wooden mallet. 
The Slug, a green slimy and disgusting thing, now 
appears on the leaves of cherry and pear trees. It 
is soft, and seems to be easily killed by auy dry 
powder. Dustiug lime over the trees is the old 
and effectual remedy, and Thomas, who is good 
authority, says that dry road dust will answer as 
well. We sometime ago suggested the use of white 
hellebore, but have not heard of its trial. 
Aphides, or plant lice, often gather iu such quan- 
tities on the young growth of fruit trees as to 
blacken them. They of course do much injury, 
and should be treated to an infusion of tobacco 
mixed with soft soap, which is readily applied by 
means of a syringe or garden engine. 
Mulch newly transplanted trees before the 
drouth comes on, it will often save those that 
would otherwise perish, especially stone fruits. 
Layers should be made as noted on page 2-2:2. 
. Seed beds of fruit and ornamental trees will need 
special care this month. Thin where the plants are 
too much crowded, and shade by means of a lattice 
of lath. If evergreen seedlings show signs of 
" damping off," as the gardeners call it, or rotting, 
sprinkle au inch or so of fine dry sand over the bed. 
Evergreens may be removed this mouth if sufficient 
care be taken to keep the roots from drying. Single 
tree-, hedges, or screens may be trimmed, always 
keeping the upper branches shorter than tbe lower 
ones. Have the tree "furnished" to the ground. 
Thinning of fruit may lie commenced as soon as 
it is seen what the " set" is. There is but little 
danger of removing too much. Most of our careful 
cultivators find it necessary to thin two or three 
times. There is no danger of taking off" too much. 
i 'uttivatioii. — That is a frequent stirring of the soil, 
around newly planted trees, is of the greatest im- 
portance. It is now conceded thai 7o 9 earth is 
ouc of (he most valuable kinds of mulch. Besides, 
it is of importance to keep down 
Weeds, which should never be seen in a well i 
Nursery or Orchard. As to whether lie should grow 
' 'rops in the Orchard, see our notes last month. 
Fruit Garden. 
'I'lii' uotee in iv gard to pruning, insects, thinning 
fruit, and cultivation, given under Orchard, apply 
with even more force to the Fruit garden, where n e 
suppose the highest culture i- practised. 
l> • ■}' trees will need to be formed by pinching, 
and whatever system is followed should he faith- 
fully carried int. Every grower of dwarf ti 
which he means to keep as dwarfs, should 
Rivers' Miniature Fruit Garden'. If one wishes to 
Ediibitjruit at any of the co ?. he should 
1 1 prepare hi- ■ The tine s 
mi of large rrnitarc produced by severe thinning 
and high feeding and mulching. We havi 
much - nlturc, but it' >w 
lit, It is 1 I to D 
Currants will now be making many usi 
shoots, which should be rubbed out as they start. 
Mulching the soil will increase the size of the fruit. 
On the first appearance of tbe currant worm, dust 
the bushes with white hellebore. The same re- 
marks as to general treatment, apply to 
Gooseberries, which, if marketed, as well as cur- 
rants, bring better prices when green than when ripe. 
If mildew appears on the bushes, use sulphur freely. 
Raspberries and Blackberries of those varieties dis- 
posed to make suckers, should have all removed 
that are not needed for new plants. Tie up the 
new growth to stakes or trellises, or in field culture 
stop the canes at the hight of four or five feet, 
and make them self-supporting. 
Grapes should have all superfluous shoots rubbed 
off. Do not let young vines overbear. One bunch 
to the shoot is enough for the first year. More 
failure of varieties is due to over fruitim:, when 
the vine is young, than to any real fault of the 
variety. On old vines pinch off the fruiting shoot 
at three leaves beyond the last cluster. Never re- 
move loaves to expose the fruit to the sun. The 
leaves do the work, and the berries develop best 
when shaded. Keep young vines to a single eaue. 
Use sulphur freely on the first appearance of mil- 
dew. For the larger insect pests, such as beetles 
and caterpillars, hand packing is the only remedy. 
Strawberries must be mulched before tbe fruit 
gets largs. Use straw, dry hay, com stalks, or 
similar material. Saw-dust is bad, as it soils the 
fruit almost as much as earth. In hill or row cul- 
ture, keep the runners off and keep all plantations 
free of weeds. See article on picking on page 220. 
Kisclien Garden. 
The most important crop to be looked after this 
month is weeds. A sharp steel rake or a hoe-rake 
should be kept in constaut use, and in a properly 
managed garden no weed will get so large that it 
cannot be demolished by the use of oue of these. 
It takes but little time to go over the garden with . 
a rake, and if it be frequently doue, it will save • 
much subsequeut digging with the hoe. Very few \ 
people have au idea of how a garden should be 
kept, and they would get a good lesson if they 
could but see some of the market gardens around 
New York City, where gardening is not pursued 
for pleasure, but on high priced lands and for the 
money that is to be made out of it. 
Seplanting^will be necessary when late cold rains 
have caused the early sowing to rot, or where late 
frosts have destroyed tbe crop. M ist things, iu 
northern climates, sown the first Oi June, will in 
tbe end do as well as if put iu earlier. 
Asparagus should not be cut too late. When 
peas are ready, slop cutting, hoe over the bed, and 
if there is auy good compost at hand, give il a top 
dressing, and then let the tops have their own 
w ay, and grow to give strength to the roots. 
Beans may still be planted for snaps or dried 
beans. Lunas iu cold localities may st ill be plan: ed. 
The best for late plantings is the small lima. See 
notes under this head last month. 
Qafibages, Cauliflowers, Broccoli, and Bru 
Sprouts. — The early cabbages and cauliflowers from 
cold frames will be ready for use or market, and 
the ground may be cleared for other crops. In 
whatever condition the crops may be, they -bould 
be kept well hoed until they get too large to work 
S ■; out plants for late crops, and look 
out f>r tie- cut worm. lis holes are ca-" 
and when its retreat is discovered, dig out aud de- 
stroy. In small plantings i; maybe well to wrap 
the stem of the plan*, with a leaf or bit of pa] 
a prevention, but ou a large scale this is not I 
ticable. See article on transplanting on pagi 221. 
Beets.— Keep down the weeds and thin ft 
Four to six inches is the proper distance. The 
early sorts will now be ready for use. The thin- 
nings of the beet crop make excellent greens. Sow 
of the Long Blood for a late crop. 
Carrots may still be sown. The early om a must 
1)0 thinned and weeded. Early carrots, even if not 
larger than a lluger.bringa good price in the market. 
