12 
A TRIP ON LONG ISLAND. 
run a plow down each side of the rows turning away 
the soil from them, and then pull out the trees care¬ 
fully by hand; or let two men go down on opposite 
sides of the row, and thrust their spades into the 
ground near it, loosing the soil and somewhat lifting 
it up, while a third person follows and pulls out the 
trees. After this, tie the trees together in moderate 
sized bundles, and put them into a glass-lighted cellar, 
or any place where they will be secure from frost 
or drying up of the roots. The cellar-bottom must 
be of a dry soil. Here dig trenches and place the 
roots of the trees in these, in bundles, and cover up 
till wanted. Or, if the roots can be kept moist by 
wrapping them in moss or any other way, it will 
answer, though covering them with earth is the saf¬ 
est and best method. 
Grafting. —As one has time during the winter, 
these bundles of trees may be taken from the trench¬ 
es and grafted. From one to four roots may be cut 
from each tree, dependent entirely upon its growth, 
and still leave enough for the support of the stock 
taken up. This should be closely trimmed and cut 
off about two feet from the root, to be set out the fol¬ 
lowing spring, to be budded in August. Now cut 
the grafts as wanted, and use ribands made in the 
following manner, for bandages. Take common cot¬ 
ton cloth and cut it crosswise into pieces six in¬ 
ches wide. On one side of these pieces spread graft¬ 
ing-wax, composed of 1 lb. beeswax, 1 lb. rosin, and 
2 lbs tallow. Then cut these pieces parallel with 
their width into ribands half an inch wide. 
The most simple method of grafting, and as sure 
as any, when the roots are so small, is the splice or 
whip method; for a full explanation of which, and 
cuts to illustrate it, see our last volume, page 175. 
Some adopt cleft-grafting, and do not use wax or 
inding ; but as the graft by this method is very apt 
l > get displaced, we cannot recommend it. 
After Management .—Take the trees after they are 
gralfed, and put them into boxes of any convenient 
size six inches deep, and fill the same up with moist 
sand or light loam all around the roots, taking care 
to leave the top of the scion out a little above the 
earth. These boxes should now be taken to the 
green-house, and set in a shady place out of the way 
of the sun. Here let them remain till the graft gets 
well united to the root, which wall take place in a 
week or fortnight, according to circumstances. After 
being united, place the boxes in the cellar, and let 
them remain there till ready to set out in the spring. 
During this time keep the earth in the boxes moist. 
By giving the pieces an opportunity to unite, imme¬ 
diately after grafting, if it comes a dry time in the 
spring subsequent to setting them out, they are not 
so liable to die, and their growth is quicker and bet¬ 
ter. As few farmers have a green-house to start the 
grafts in, they may place the boxes containing them 
in a warm room during the day, and in the cellar 
during the night. Those w T ho are not too busy in the 
spring can do their root-grafting as soon as the frost 
is out of the ground, and set the trees out in rows as 
fast as done. 
Transplanting. —Early in the spring transplant 
the grafted trees from the boxes into rows about 4 
feet apart, and one foot apart in each row. Stir the 
earth occasionally, keep the weeds down between 
the rows, and let the trees grow till they are wanted 
to plant in an orchard. By this method, apples have 
been gathered three years after first saving the seed; 
and if properly attended to, one may always calcu¬ 
late on a little fruit the sixth or seventh year. 
A TRIP ON LONG ISLAND.—No 2. 
Farm of Mr. Mills. —This farm comprises 1200 
acres,.500 of which are under cultivation, and 700 in 
woodland or “ sprouts.” It lies mostly on the ele¬ 
vated sections of Smithtown, a short distance from 
the Sound, and at a height of 100 to 150 feet above 
tide water. Like much of Long Island, it is nearly 
destitute of springs. To obtain water for their stock, 
the farmers here are often obliged to dig w r ells, and 
form rain-water ponds in the same manner as they 
make them in some parts of Kentucky, and other sec¬ 
tions of the west, by scooping out the low places 
in the fields, and then puddling them with clay. The 
soil here is of a fair quality, and very free from stone, 
making it easy to cultivate, an advantage which is 
not as much appreciated by those occupying tillage 
land as it should be. 
Rotation of crops. —Mr. Mills’ course of cropping, 
is to break up the sward ground and put it in corn 
and potatoes, manuring in the hill with a compost 
from the hog-pen and horse manure heap, or about 
a gill of poudrette He prefers the poudrette, as it 
starts the corn quickly and matures it sooner, thus 
placing it out of the reach of early frosts in the fall. 
These crops are followed the second year with oats, 
seeded down with clover, at the rate of eight quarts to 
the acre, and a top-dressing of from 10 to 15 bushels 
of bones or poudrette. After the oats are taken off, 
the clover is pastured. It stands well the first winter, 
the roots being small; but the second winter, when 
full grown, in the heavier loams, it gets hove out. 
The third course, therefore, being the year after the 
clover is sown, is to pasture it till the last of June, 
then let it grow till the last of July or fore part of 
August. By this time, in ordinary seasons, the clover 
will have attained as good a height as can well be 
turned under with Ihe plow, which is then done for 
the wheat crop. A light coat of manure from the 
barn-yard follows, and is then harrowed in. After 
this, 80 to 100 bushels of leached ashes are sown 
upon an acre, and then, from 15th to 30th September, 
the seed wheat with four quarts of timothy, and the fol¬ 
lowing spring, early in March or April, eight quarts of 
clover seed per acre. The fourth course is thus a 
good crop of wheat. The land is then mown from three 
to four years, when the grass gets pretty well run out, 
and the field is broken up again for corn and po¬ 
tatoes as at first, making it a seven or eight years 
course. Sometimes Mr. Mills pastures instead ot 
mows ; the grass will then last longer. He is a great 
advocate for ashes, and says if 200 bushels are put 
on to an acre their good effects will be felt for ten 
years. 
By properly top-dressing the meadows and pastures, 
and not mowing and feeding too close, we are confi¬ 
dent, even on the light soils of Long Island, they may 
be kept in good grass for an indefinite length of time, 
and thus save the unprofitable necessity of breaking 
up the sod for crops, unless particularly desired. The 
farmers there seemed rather incredulous at these asser¬ 
tions; yet, nevertheless, we can give them proofs 
enough that this may be easily accomplished, and 
even show them several tracts on the light soil of 
their own island that have lain in grass from 10 tc 
