62 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
iHoiiU}lt) €fli^nbar. 
Altered from the American Agriculturist' s Almanac for 
1614, and arranged to suit the Southern States. 
C.4 1.IjIVDAEI for APRIL,, 
[The folinwing brief hinis lo the farmer, planter and 
gardener, will be found toapply not only to the month 
under which they are arranged, but, owing to diversity 
of seasons, climate and soils, they may frequently an- 
swer lor other months This precaution the consider- 
ate agriculturist will not fail to notice atid apply in ail 
cases where his judgment and experience may dictate.] 
Plowing may be done on all light sandy or 
gravelly soil, as soon as the Irost is out of the 
giound. But on all clay soils, their exact con- 
ditii'D should be observed, and if not previously 
plowed in the lall, as they always slwuld be, xhef 
must be turned over only when they are compa- 
latively dry. Plowing when wet mixes the soil 
inio a mortar, which subsequently bakes into 
large lumps, in which condition it remains 
th'ough the summer, unless beaten in pieees at 
great tiou le and expense. Deep plowing is 
too much overlooked. It should be t'he object 
of the farmer consianily to deepen his soil by 
cultivation, and in proportion as he enriches it, 
a small quar tiiy i f the subsoil should be 
bionghi up lor imimovement. By this means 
the roots of ihe p'ants will have greater resour- 
ces for lood, and before he is aware ol it, his 
crops vill be doubled by this system. The 
mowins fields should be put in order, by carry- 
ing offany surface uaier there may be upon 
thf'in ; and all ihe stones should be carefully 
col - cte<i, and put into fences or used lor making 
under- Trains to convey the water from springs, or 
such as cannot be o'hert\ise carried away Irom 
sntfclay or bogsy lands. Corn forsoiiing may 
be sown broadcast or closely in drills. All ear- 
ly potatoes and most of the early vegetables in 
the garden may be plan ed. The garden should 
be particularly attended to. As much frequent- 
ly may be raised oh an acre of ground lor the 
support of a family in a garden, as from the 
best five acres ol the farm. Plaster, with which 
anv farmer who can use it to advarfiage, ought 
to be well supplied, may be sown in this and the 
following month. It is t h e cheapest manure he 
can apply, in connection with other manures, 
and it ought to be used liberally wherever it is 
I'ound beneficial. Field peas may now be sown. 
The fences should be thoroughly slaked up on 
every part r,f the farm so as lo prevent waste of 
time and crops from the inroads ot unruly cat- 
tle. 
Animals should not be sufiered to get into the 
fields before a good bite is afforded them, and 
Iheysuould at all times, but es-peeialfy when 
first all owed to run on gras«, be well supplied 
with salt, to correct the frequently too purgative 
eflects nf the fresh teed. Look particularly af- 
ter the young things, and don’t allow them to 
follow their dams uUo the fields till the ground 
becomes dry, warm and firm. 
Sow hemp seed the early part of this month 
whereihei li iiate will answer. [For full particu- 
lars of its cultivation, see vol. HI of the South- 
ern Cubivator] Sow tobacco seed also, and the 
last pan of the month plant castor 'oeans. 
Kitchen Garden . — During this month, early 
cucumbers, melons, cabbages, cauliflowers, let- 
tuce, radishes, &c., which have been brought 
lot ward in the hot-bed, should be transplanted 
into the open ground. Attend to the asparagus 
bed, 11 not prepared betore, according to the di- 
rections of las: month. AIL kinds- of table ve- 
getables and early root crops sow in the open 
ground. Tomatoes, egg plants and peppers 
that have been forwarded in pois, plant out the 
latter part of the month. Draw out the sweet 
potato sprouts and plant them. 
Fruit Ga.rden and Orchard .. — All kinds of 
Irult and lorest trees and shrubs, should be 
transplanted betuie the leaf-buds- shall have 
come out. All grafting and spring innocula- 
ting perlormed. Jitrawberry beds dressed and 
cleare.;. Currants, raspberry and gooseberries 
that have not before received attention, can now 
be pruned p the latter should be pruned to open 
heads for me admissisn of sun andmir, be w'ell 
manured about the roots, and the soil made 
loose and mellow with the spade; the roots ol 
peach trees be examined, and the worm cutout 
with a Unite. Scions may be set this month, 
and all the exposed wood should be carefully 
protected by wax. Several compositions may 
be used lor this purpose, but perhaps as good a 
one as can be made consists of three parts of 
beeswax, three parts rosin, and one part tal'ow, 
which is best secured by pulling on bandages 
ol new-, strong, cotton cloth. 
Flower Gar den and Pleasure Grounds . — Bulbs 
that have not yet started ought now lo have the 
earth about them stirred to the depth of three or 
four inches. The borders of the flower garden 
be made up, and perennial herbaceous plants 
transplanted. Seeds ot annuals should not be 
sown until next month. Hedges and shrubs 
may he trimmed, and box-edging set out. Put 
in order Ihe gravel walks and pleaso-re grounds, 
and, if necessaiy, give the lawn a top dressing 
of ashes. Deciduous trees should be transplant- 
ed this month it not done before, and shrubbery 
lor the door-yards and gardens. Too little at- 
tention is paid to these last in our country. 
Many a farmer will spend ^ year lo pro- 
cure ribbons, gauzes, and artificial flowers, lor 
his wife and daughters, when one-fith ol the mo- 
ney would furnish him ornamental grounds 
throughout the year. Fruit trees are ornament- 
al as well as useful, and are perhaps the most 
profitable use to w'hich he can put a few acres. 
The choicest kinds of every species should he 
selected, for it costs but little mote to raise the 
best kinds than the poorest, and they Irequently 
produce him five times as much in value. A 
large hole. should be dug for the leeeption ol the 
roots, which should be filled with loose tnoulil, 
and when thetiee has a large top, some branch- 
es should be lopped, and the extremities ol the 
twigs cut ofl. 
Plantalum.—Al the beginning of this month 
attend to the planting ol cotton as directed in 
March. Continue its culture as recommended 
bv Dr. Philips in the American Agriculturist, 
Vol 2. 
Plant upland rice in drills about 18 inches 
apart, or sow broadcast, and harrow in the seed 
as is directed for low laud rice. Cover the 
ground two inches thick with old rice straw, in 
order to keep down grass and weeds, and to 
nourish the crop. Irrigation is unnecessary in 
the culture ol this varietv office. It will gfow 
on poor sandy ridges and also on wetlands. 
Continue sowing lowland rice. 
Attend to the cstie fields, keep the earth loose 
and clear of weeds. 
Occasionally stir the earth around the tobac- 
co plants both v/ith the band and the hoe. At 
first, shave the surface, and after the plants in- 
crease in size, gradually draw a slight bed to- 
ward them. Closely examine the plants every 
night and morning, and destroy the numerous 
worms which feed upon them. Fiist look fora 
small grub about the roots under ground, and 
afterw ards a large ugly worm which feeds upon 
the leaf. There is also a small worm which 
attacks the buds of the plant, and if not killed, 
will prove a sure destruction to its further 
growth. Another worm of a smaller size may 
be found within the two coats of the leaves, 
which feeds on the juice alone. All ot this 
work can be done by boys and girls from 10 to 
14 yearS'Of age. 
Prepare your ground tor sweet potatoes by 
ridg.ing up rows about four feet apart. Set out 
your drawings similar to cabbages, eight orten 
inches asunder in the ridges, as last as they 
rise, and the season will permit. Some prefer 
large round hills four feet apart each way to 
drills. Hoe and plow your Irish potatoes ana 
Indian corn. Sow cabbage, savory and cauli- 
flower seeds for next winter, but let them re- 
main in the nursery bed until August. Sow 
carrots and parsnips. Plant young orange 
trees and water them until they take root. 
You may set out all kinds oi evergreens suc- 
cesslully. 
Persevere in agricultural improvement. 
Judge Rost on Hie Progress of Agricultu- 
ral improvement^ 
From the Farmer’s Library, October No. 
We have much pleasure in giving extracts 
from a letter of Judge Rost, though not quite 
sure that it was written lor publication. We 
deem it fortunate to have so soon attracted the 
regards and good will of correspondents so well 
qualified, notwithstanding their self-distrust, to 
take a leading pari in the accomplishment ol the 
objects wc have in view, as are those who have 
already come, kindly, to our assistance. 
St. Charles, Aug. 23, 1815. 
Dear Sir : — I received, long after its date, your 
kind letter, and the first number of the Farmer’s 
to which I request to be considered a 
subscriber. Ihaveno doubt that under your 
superintendance, that publication will be use- 
ful, and it will afford me pleasure lo promote 
its circulation. I have no copies of my pre- 
vious communications lo the Agricultural As- 
sociation ol Louisiana, and its records being 
kept at Baton Rouge, 1 cannot, at present, pro- 
cure them. 
Your wish that I should occasionally contri- 
bute to the pages ol your periodical, pre-sup- 
poses in me abilities which I do not possess. 
The more I feel the importance t f communica- 
ting to the Agriculturist the knuwledge that 
s hould guide his art, the greater the difficulty 
appears lo me of impaiting that knowledge in 
t he simple, c.mcise and exclusively practical 
mode suited to his usual educaiion, his habits 
of thought, and his limited leisure. If it be 
gratilyinglo know that, in the study of Agricnl- 
lure, the Schoolmaster is abroad, we must not 
forget that nrien cannot be lauitht laster than 
they can learn, and that the besetting sin of 
schoolmasters is leaching too much. 
Mr. Peizholdi’s observation about iheEnglish 
Agriculturists— that to do as their lalners have 
done, is deemed by them an unquestionable 
prool ol wisdom — is incorrect, and casts un- 
merited censure on that sterling class of good 
men and true. To learn al. that their fathers 
knew, has been their constant practice, and 
that is an unquestionable proof of wisdom. 
But they have ma ie, from time to time, impor- 
tant additions to that knowledge. If they have 
not oftener availed themselves of the aid of 
Science, it is because the votaries ol Science 
have not, until lately, applied it with success to 
objects of rural pursuit. 
Agriculture, left, in a great measure, to its 
own resources, has continued lo improve, and 
has obtained great results. Whoevercompares 
with the England of the present day that which 
Cresar invaded — a country covered with forests 
and marshes, where the inhabitants sowed no 
corn, and princes dressed with skins— will 
scarcely deny that Mind has had something to 
do with the change. The facts and the rulesof 
action by which the change has been effected, 
form an important part of human knowledge;, 
it is that knowledge which the agriculturist ac- 
quires from his ancestors. Learned piolessors 
may not call it science, because it is not taught 
in Universities; it includes, notwithstanding, 
not only the art, but also the science of Agricul- 
ture; and it is vain lo deny that both have, of 
late, advanced rapidly. The system ol inter- 
change ot crops — ’.he use of green crops — the 
improvement in the breeds ot all domestic ani- 
mals — thorough draining — subsoil plowing — the 
u.seof many new manures— are all recent and 
valuable improvements. At this stage of pro- 
gress, experiments Were being made in various 
places, to discover the best mode of applying 
manure, and the kind ot manure best suited to 
each particular plant. Gypsum had already 
been found to be the food of clover — bone-dust 
that of turnips; and there is no reason to doubt 
that European agriculinrists would, without as- 
sistance, ultimately have acquired the know- 
ledge, which the Chinese are said to possess, ot 
feeding planis with the various substances they 
require at the different stages ol their growth. 
Liebig came, and gave directions to their re- 
searches; he told them what each plant is made 
