64 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
nrticultural lepitmeut* 
WOEK FOR THE MONTH. 
[February (Latin, Februarius) received its name from 
Februalia, a feast of sacrifices and purifications held by 
the Romans in this month, by which the people were sup- 
posed to be cleansed from the sins of the whole year. Jt 
corresponds to Adar, (Ezra vi. 15,) the sixth civil and 
tvjelfth sacred month of the Jews. By the Saxons, it was 
called Sol-monath, i. e. the Swn-month, from the evident 
increase in the length of the days ] 
THE PLANTATION. 
Go on vigorously with your plowing for Com and 
Cotton. Sow Spring Oats and plant Irish Potatoes . — 
Prepare your ground well for Corn — plow deep, manure 
heavily, and plant the letter part of this month, or early 
in March. Haul out and distribute manure over your 
fields — fill up all old galls or gullies — plow your hill-sides 
horizontally, and as deep as possible, to prevent washing. 
Begin to prepare for Cotton planting. 
Do not fail to put in a full crop of Corn, on your best 
lands, even if you raise a little less cotton. 
Hedges . — Set out boundary and dividing hedges of the 
Osage Orange, the Cherokee Rose, the Cratagus Pyra- 
cantha, or Evergreen Thorn, the Honey Locust, the Span- 
ish Bayonet, or any other plant that has been proved to 
succeed well in this climate, 
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 
The operations of the Gardener may now be said to 
commence in good earnest. In order to secure a regular 
and abundant supply of good vegetables, the garden must 
be put in thorough condition at once — (see remarks under 
this head last month.) 
Cabbage and Lettuce may now be transplanted safely, 
provided some means are adopted to protect them from 
the frost. Sow Pens, Radishes, Cabbage, Beets, Carrots, 
Lettuce, Salsafy, Spinaue,, Parsley, Poxsnips, Pot Herbs, 
(pc. Plant a full crop of Irish Potatoes, early Corn, 
&c. Prepare Hot Beds for the propagation of Tomatoes, 
Pepper, Egg Plants, (pc. ■ Dress Asparagus beds, using 
salt liberally on the surface. 
THE ORCHARD AND FEUir GARDEN. 
Set out the Peach, the Plum, the Apple, the Pear, the 
Q^idnce, the Phg, the Pomegranate, the Grape, the Straw- 
berry, the Raspberry, and all other desirable kinds of fruit 
and ornamental trees and shrubs. Examine Peach trees 
for the worm and Apple trees for the borer, and dig those 
depredators from their hiding places with the sharp end of 
your knife. Heap leached ashes around your Peach trees 
from the “collar” to the height of 3 or 4 inches above the , 
surface of the. ground. Work around your fruit trees, stir ' 
ring the ground well as far as the branches extend, and 
applying a good top dressing of manure. Cover the sur- 
face with leaves, pine straw or loose manure, to the depth 
of four or five inches, so that the roots may be protected 
from drouth, and nourishment imparted to them during 
the growing season. 
Graft choice varieties of the Plum upon wild Chicka- 
saw stock; “whip-graft.” the Peach, the Apricot and the 
Nectarine upon the same, inserting the scion near the 
ground. The Peach may also be successfully cleft-grafted 
on its own root, by digging it up and cutting in the 
tap root freely. Use as ligatures, strips of cloth, dip- 
ped in grafting wax, and in planting, place the insertion of 
the graft an inch or two below the surface. 
Cuttings . — Many plants and fruit trees grow readily 
from cuttings, and this is by far the simplest and easiest 
jaetbod of propagation. Among fruit trees peculiarly 
adapted to this climate, which strike freely from cuttings, 
the Fhg, the Quince and the Pomegranate are deserving of 
especial-attention. N mo is the time io put them into the 
ground, and the following method will in most cases suc- 
ceed, perfectly ; Take your cuttings off just between the 
young wood of 1854 and the old wood of 1853, or if, you 
use young side shoots, preserve the collar of the shoot 
when you cut them off close to the branch. Let your cut- 
tings be from 12 to 1 8 inches long, and at least half an inch 
in diameter — plant in 3 feet rows, 1 foot apart, in rich moist 
soil, leaving but one or two buds above the surface — or 
bend your cutting in the form of a half circle, and insert 
both ends deeply, leaving only one bud in the middle ex- 
posed — press the earth firmly around all parts of the cut- 
tings, and as warm weather approaches, mulch around 
them heavily with straw, dead leaves, or other litter. As 
soon as the new buds begin to start on your cuttings, rub 
off all but the strongest, which must be reserved to form 
the future tree, and let this fcud or shoot remain during the 
first year without pruning. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Plant-, at onee, all Bulbs, such as Hyacinths, Tulips, 
Crown Imperials, Dahlias, &c., &e. Sow tender Annu- 
als in hot beds, and prick ©ut into ground as soon as all 
danger of frost is over. Dress Oind Ve\m borders ; plant 
edgings of Box ; spread gravel on garden walks, and roll 
the surface firmly ; pkmt ornamental Hedges or screens 
of Arbor Titss, "VTiid Olive, Holly, Privet, (Ste. Prune 
Roses and other ornamental shrubs. Set out rooted plants 
and cuttings of tire Rose, Cape Jessamine and other flow- 
ering plants. Stake all newly planted and pliant shrubs. 
Clear up all weeds and foul trash, and prepare your flow- 
ers to “see company.” Prepare ground for lavms, by 
plowing very deep (subsoiling 18 inches), manure highly 
and sow a liberal allov/ance of mixed seed, such as Ken- 
tucky Blue Grass, White Clover, Herds Grass, Texas Mus- 
quit, Italian Ray, &c., &-c. When sown, roll smoothly 
with a heavy cast iron or stone roller, and keep off all 
fowls, pigs, cattle, (&c. 
Ti'ansplant Evergresns, by digging a deep trench 
around them, (if large trees,) and lifting a kirge ball of 
earth with the roots. Prepare a wide and deep hole to 
receive them — cut off smoothly with a sharp knife, all 
broken or bruised roots ; use an abundance of water ; fill 
in with fine, rich soil, pressed firmly around the roots 
with the foot ; leave u shallow basin or cavity around the 
trunk t« hold water hereafter, and finish by staking se- 
curely and mulching with a thick layer of leaves or straw, 
over which sprinkle a few shovelsful of earth, to keep the 
wind from blowing it away. 
PRESERVING SV/EET POTATOES. 
Messrs. Editors— A convenient mode of preserving 
small quantities of Sweet Potatoes for family use is to 
pack them in hogsheads or boxes with dry leaves, straw or 
pine trash. They keep better if dug before the vines are 
killed by frost. Those which are injured in digging by be- 
ing bruised or cut should be used up first, as they will not 
keep. Let the others dry a week in small piles under cov- 
er, then put a layer of leaves at the bottom of your box, 
then a layer of potatoes, and so on, alternately, until your 
box is full, closing with a good coat of leaves. Keep the 
boxes in a dry place and free from frost. In this manner 
they keep perfectly well and are always accessible whe« 
wanted. Wm. N. White. 
Athens, Ga., Jan., 1866. 
