1881.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
137 
ing, before calving is the best preventive of 
this, followed by a mild laxative after the 
calf is dropped. The udder should be watch¬ 
ed closely, and upon the first appearance of 
hardness and heat, bathe with cold water to 
reduce the inflammation. It is well to let the 
calf suck the cow if there is any trouble with 
the udder. Save the heifers from the best 
cows, and thus constantly improve the stock. 
A poor cow is an unprofitable animal, and 
should be fattened and “ turned off,” leaving 
no progeny in the herd. Calves, with care 
in feeding, may be raised on skim milk by re¬ 
placing the cream with a little oil-cake meal. 
As the days grow warmer the ticks will in¬ 
crease upon the sheep, and become more 
troublesome. A strong decoction of Tobacco 
in water, used as a dip, or poured along the 
back, will destroy them. There are several 
sheep dips advertised in our columns ; these 
are effective and safe, and ready for use. As 
the lambs increase in size the dams suffer, and 
the lambs must either be fed some meal 
daily, or the ewes must be given an abun¬ 
dance of rich food. Lambs can begin to eat at 
four or five weeks, and thus relieve the ewes. 
Pigs need a clean place, and breeding sows 
should be by themselves with an abundance 
of cut straw or chaff for litter. 
Horses that have had good care will come 
out in the spring in good trim for the season’s 
work. As the coat begins to loosen the skin 
is irritated ; an ounce of equal parts each of 
Sulphur and Cream of Tartar, given with 
the food for a few days will correct this. 
Good grooming with a soft brush should not 
be neglected. Ground feed, mixed with 
cut hay, is an excellent food in the spring 
for working horses. Three quarts of equal 
parts of com and rye (or oats), mixed with a 
pailful of moist cut hay, is enough for a 
meal. An occasional feed of cut beets or 
potatoes is useful. With many experienced 
horse-men an occasional feed of half a peck 
of potatoes is regarded as a remedy for 
worms in horses. However this may be, 
they improve the general condition of the 
animal in a most positive manner. The main 
point is, to keep the horses in good health and 
strength, for upon them devolves a great part 
of the spring work. As foaling time ap¬ 
proaches, brood mares should be tinned loose 
in a box stall and receive the most gentle 
treatment, as the temper and disposition of 
the colt is thought ta depend much upon this. 
The poultry will now get much of their 
food by foraging; a feed of grain in the 
morning and at night will be sufficient to 
keep them in a good laying condition. Sit¬ 
ting hens need good, clean and quiet nests. 
Water and food should be near at hand. 
Young fowls need to be fed at frequent in¬ 
tervals, with caution to not over-feed. 
There is a good deal of work comprehend¬ 
ed in the general term of “ clearing up ” that 
must be done. Any accumulation of rubbish, 
ashes, etc., made during the winter should 
be taken away, for sake of both looks and 
health. Rake the yards and make the sur¬ 
roundings of house and out-buildings assume 
a tidy and pleasing appearance. The ramy 
days—and there are a good many in spring— 
may be employed to advantage in cleaning 
and repairing tools and putting all the farm 
machines in good working order. Many of 
the labor-saving devices mentioned from time 
to time in our columns, can be made in the 
workshop while it is storming out-of-doors. 
The fanner who knows how to avail himseS 
of all the odd hours and half hours possesses 
one of the leading essentials of success. 
Orchard and Garden Work for April. 
By the time this number reaches its readers 
spring work will have begun. It is hoped 
that all having orchard and garden work to 
do will have provided for it as suggested in 
our Notes for the previous two months. 
After such severe winters as the last, spring 
work comes in a mass, and it must be done 
quickly, or it will be very soon too late. 
Orchard and Nursery. 
When the trees that were ordered arrive, 
they should be heeled-in —a nursery term for a 
temporary planting to keep the roots from in¬ 
jury until the trees can be planted out. Open 
a trench and place the trees in it at an angle 
of 45° or less, so that the tops may shade one 
another, and fill in with fine earth closely 
around the roots. In this and all other hand¬ 
ling of the trees, look out that the labels do 
not get mixed or lost. In planting put all 
of the same variety as near together as pos¬ 
sible, for convenience in harvesting. After 
the orchard is planted make a map showing 
every tree, its position and variety. This is 
but little work and it preserves the record of 
the trees. Observe what is said in last 
month’s Notes, about cutting back the tops 
of trees at planting. The nurseryman knows 
that the majority of buyers judge of a tree 
by the amount of top it has, and that those 
who look at the roots are few, hence as a rule 
the tops must be cut back more or less. 
The planting of a tree and the setting of a 
post are done for very different purposes, and 
should not be done alike. If thrifty trees 
are set in a hole cut in a wet meadow and the 
sods put back, except for a foot or so about 
the tree, as we have seen done, such trees 
can not thrive, and many will not sur¬ 
vive the first season. Such orchard planting 
is a waste of money, and if no other land 
can be used, wait until the land can be 
drained and made fit for planting. Having 
the land in proper condition for producing a 
good crop of wheat or corn, and having laid 
out the orchard (see last month), marking the 
place for each tree with a small stake, open 
a broad, shallow hole, and, with the tree in 
the center, spread the roots in all directions ; 
sprinkle in the soil upon, and work it in 
among, the roots, leaving no masses of roots 
or large hollow spaces about them. Set each 
tree carefully, as it is a matter of a lifetime, 
and on it depends largely the success or fail¬ 
ure of the orchard. While the trees are 
small they need special care. The ground 
should be well tilled and thoroughly manured. 
Hoed crops may be grown between the rows, 
but the very act of planting an orchard in¬ 
dicates that the land is devoted to the pro¬ 
duction of fruit. If another crop interferes 
in any way with the best growth of the trees, 
that crop is out of place. It is sometimes 
said “ the orchard has lain out,” but it is only 
another way for saying that the trees are 
crying for manure. The earlier this manure 
is applied the better ; it ought to have been 
given last month, but it is better now than 
not at all. Good, well rotted stable manure is 
the best, but should there be an abundance of 
vegetable matter in the soil, a dressing of lime 
will often produce gratifying results. Wood 
ashes or bones, will not come amiss upon an 
old “ worn-out ” orchard. Pruning may be 
done until the buds begin to start, after which 
this work should be deferred until late mid¬ 
summer. Grafting of old trees to convert 
poor kinds into good ones should be done just 
as the buds swell. This by no means difficult 
operation was described in full in the Ameri¬ 
can Agriculturist for April 1877 and February 
1880. In most localities it is now too late to 
prevent mischief from the canker-worm. 
Tine Fruit Garden. 
If every family, especially every fanner’s 
family, has not an abundance of small fruits 
it is not the fault of the American Agricul¬ 
turist, for we have pleaded for them year 
after year. It is better to have them in a 
plot by themselves, with a fence to keep out 
intruders, but this is not absolutely necessary. 
If it must be, grow them in the vegetable 
garden rather than not have them. Do not 
put it off. Whenever the start is made it 
must be a whole year before any fruit can be 
gathered. Begin now, and next year the 
family will rejoice. The earlier the planting 
is done, the better will be the crop. 
As soon as the leaves of the currant 
and gooseberry are fairly expanded, the 
“worm” maybe looked for. The eggs are 
laid upon the under side of the lower leaves, 
and if these are removed and destroyed much 
trouble is averted. If any ragged leaves are 
seen the worms are at work. Apply powdered 
white hellebore stirred in water, a tablespoon¬ 
ful to the pailful. Grapes may still be set 
and there is always a place for a grape vine 
upon the smallest place. With young vines 
only one strong shoot should be allowed to • 
grow; rub off other buds as they start. If 
tender kinds of raspberries were covered last 
fall they should be taken up at once and 
the canes tied to stakes or trellises. 
Kitchen and. Market Garden. 
The plants of cabbage, cauliflower, and 
lettuce from the cold frames are to be 
set out so soon as the soil is ready, and 
the frames used to push forward a crop of 
lettuce, to be followed by cucumbers— 
thus making the most out of the invest¬ 
ment in glass. As a general thing, the 
sashes may be entirely removed from the 
frames containing wintered plants. Seedling 
plants, either in hot-beds or window boxes 
must not become slender and weak ; prevent 
it by early transplanting and giving more 
room. Window boxes may be set out of 
doors in a sheltered place during mild days, 
but taken in before the air gets chilly, unless 
it is warm and no danger of a sudden cold turn. 
As the heat of the sun increases the hot¬ 
beds will need careful ventilating. As far as 
may be maintain a uniform temperature for 
the plants, avoiding both chilling and burn¬ 
ing. The distinctions so often pointed out 
by us in our Notes, of Hardy and Tender 
vegetables, should be kept in mind. Hardy 
vegetables should be sown so soon as the soil 
is dry enough to work and heavy frosts are 
over. Tender vegetables should wait until 
the soil is warm as well as dry. This is, in 
the familiar expression, about “ corn-planting 
time.” That ieading crop being one of the 
tender class, it makes a safe guide for the 
others. In the Northern States generally, it 
is rare that any seeds can be sown in the open 
ground before this month. Those to go m 
first are . Beets, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, 
Cress, Leek, Lettuce, Onions, Parsley, Pars¬ 
nip, Peas, Potatoes, Radish, Spinach, early 
