228 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[J UNE, 
is regarded as the best late variety, especially 
for pickling. The early crop of cabbages 
should have frequent hoeings. If the cab¬ 
bage worm appears remove them by picking, 
or the use of water heated to 160 degrees. 
A garden is not complete without sweet corn, 
which should be sown at frequent intervals, 
that there may be a long season of fresh 
ears. Cucumber vines are frequently troubled 
by insects ; dust the young plants with a 
mixture of ashes and plaster. Sow for 
pickles the last of this month, and in well 
manured rows. Put in a plenty of seed to 
allow some for the bugs. Egg plants need 
very rich soil. The potato bug will destroy 
the plants if not watched. The remedy is 
the same as when on potato vines. 
Squashes are subject to several enemies 
which work, some on the leaves, and others 
bore into the stems. Hand-pick the first, 
and cover the stems with earth near the 
roots, to prevent the others. Tomatoes will 
need trellises by means of which the fruit 
can be kept from the ground. Fruit ripened 
in the free air is much better than that which 
has matured in contact with the ground. A 
.simple framework of poles is quickly and 
■easily made. 
Flower Gardeu and Lawn, 
The lawn to be orderly and fine, requires to 
be mowed at least once a week. The sickle 
should be used wherever the lawn mower can 
not go. It looks even worse than to not mow 
at all to neglect the portions near the shrubs, 
etc. The paths will need occasional raking 
to keep out the weeds. The edges should be 
trimmed at frequent intervals. Bedding 
plants should be out now, and if ornamental 
designs are attempted, they will need much 
attention from the start that the lines may 
be kept distinct. Neatness is the test of a 
good flower garden. A little well kept is 
much more satisfactory than a large place, 
but half way neat and clean, and a slovenly 
garden is worse than none at all. 
A Aovelty in Pea Brush. —A cor¬ 
respondent of the venerable “Providence 
Journal,” in giving an account of the exten¬ 
sive truck farms near Charleston, S. C., men¬ 
tions a 30-acre field of peas, the crop intended 
for the northern markets, treated as follows: 
The field was last year in cotton, and after 
picking, the stalks were allowed to remain. 
Early this season the field was devoted to 
peas, which were planted close to the cotton 
stalks, so that the vines could run upon and 
be supported by them. This shows excellent 
management in more ways than one ; Cotton 
is a crop which should be highly manured, 
while the Pea crop does all the better upon 
land that was well enriched the year before ; 
besides this, the utilizing the cotton-stalks as 
pea-brusli is clear gain. That peas will yield 
more if brushed, is well known, but the 
difference is not enough to pay the cost, 
hence in market gardens, around New York, 
they are allowed to fall down upon the 
ground without any support. In this clever 
method the cotton-stalks afford pea-brusli 
without any cost, and we have no doubt that 
the yield is considerably increased. In this 
method the cultivator reverses the usual way, 
he does not stick his peas, but peas his sticks. 
Our northern pea-growers, taking a hint 
from this, should look out for some crop that 
will furnish them sticks in a similar manner. 
How to get rid of Prairie Dogs. 
As the “ Course of Empire ”—which means 
Agriculture, “westward takes its way,” the 
farmer finds that the Red Man’s is not the 
only claim upon the land that must be satis¬ 
fied. He finds insects and quadrupeds that 
hold possession, and even welcome his com¬ 
ing. The succulent herbage of his thick¬ 
growing crops are in marked contrast to the 
scanty natural vegetation, and upon this 
these creatures thrive and multiply to a de¬ 
gree before unknown. Take the Colorado 
Potato Beetle as an example : this formerly 
fed upon a few scattered native Solanums, 
and was barely known save by a few speci¬ 
mens in the cabinets of entomologists. The 
new settler came with his potato-fields, and 
—we know the rest. The Atlantic Ocean did 
far more than Paris Green to prevent it from 
over-running the world. Rabbits in Austra¬ 
lia, and squirrels in California are examples 
of the wonderful multiplication of mammals 
which has accompanied the progress of agri¬ 
culture, and the Pouched Gopher has given 
an example of the same thing to the farmer 
of what was not long ago the Far West. 
Some 30 years ago the writer crossed those 
broad stretches known as “ the plains,” where 
the Prairie Wolf, or Coyote, roamed, and the 
Prairie Dog had sub-soiled the country ; these 
two, with the tenants of the last named, an 
Owl and a Rattlesnake, had possession of the 
land. In travelling—(on one occasion, for 
two whole days through a continuous “ Dog- 
town ”)—no thought that agriculture would 
ever need these plains occurred to us. But 
the plow has come, and the Prairie Dog has 
not gone. During the past spring a num¬ 
ber of letters have come to us, the last from 
New Mexico, complaining of the injury-done 
to crops by Prairie Dogs, and asking for a 
remedy. The matter must be taken up in 
earnest, for it will be hardly possible for far¬ 
mers and Prairie Dogs to occupy the same 
district. It is very likely that, with the abun¬ 
dance of food that cultivation supplies, will 
cause these animals to increase. One, in the 
country referred to, hears many stories about 
Prairie Dogs, which may be true or false. 
One is, that their “houses” or burrows are 
connected by underground channels for miles. 
Another is, that each “ town ” has its well, or 
excavation extending downwards until water 
is reached. As one often finds these animals 
living where the nearest known water is 20 
to 40 miles off, and rain rarely falls but once 
a year, this*'stray may have been invented 
from the necessities of the case, and not 
founded upon observation. At any rate, 
more about the real history of the “Dogs” 
must be known before any intelligent action 
can be taken for their destruction. This mat¬ 
ter is now one of great interest to our friends 
in these localities, and will probably year¬ 
ly increase in importance, hence we ask those 
who have any knowledge that will aid in the 
destruction of Prairie Dogs, other than by 
the slow and uncertain method of shooting 
them, to give it for the benefit of others. 
Also, those who have positive knowledge of 
the underground habits of these creatures 
should communicate that. With some bur¬ 
rowing animals, such as gophers and squir¬ 
rels, fumigation with sulphur has been very 
effective. An air-tight furnace is provided, 
in which sulphur is burned, and a large air- 
pump with which to force the fumes into the 
burrows. Whether a similar apparatus will 
answer for the Prairie Dog, will depend upon 
the extent of the runs ; if they have under¬ 
ground galleries of the alleged extent, it is 
doubtful if any apparatus can fumigate a 
whole county. Our friends should experi¬ 
ment as to the favorite food of the animals 
with a view to wholesale poisoning. Let all 
who can throw any light upon the Prairie 
Dog question do so, for their brethren in the 
far west are suffering, and look to us for help. 
Are Your Seeds Good? 
It is discouraging to manure, plow, harrow, 
and so*v or plant, and after all this labor, 
have the crop fail from the lack of good 
seeds. In ordinary seasons and at the 
usual planting time, failures like these may 
be avoided by first testing the seeds. The 
usual course is, to resow with other un¬ 
tested seeds. Over a large portion of the 
country the season has been most unusual, 
and in many cases the planting and sowing 
has been delayed even until now. At this 
late day we can afford to run no risks ; the 
first planting must now be the last, as it will 
be altogether too late to repair failure from 
poor seed by reseeding. While in all cases 
where there is the least doubt as to their 
vitality, it is proper that seeds should be test¬ 
ed m advance; at this particular time this 
precaution becomes imperative. By all means 
see that this source of “ bad luck ” is removed. 
It is an easy matter to test the seeds and 
make sure that they are right. 
A small quantity of the corn or other field 
seed, and even down to packets of flower 
seeds, is to be taken from the mass, so well 
mixed previously as to get an average sample. 
Take from five to a hundred seeds, according 
to the small or large amount of it, and put 
them in a box of moist earth, or even in 
moist cotton. Keep them in a warm place 
in the house at night, and during the day in 
the sun, either in a window or out of doors. 
A very few days, depending upon the kind of 
seed, and the favoring conditions of warmth 
and moisture, will show an expanding germ 
or sprout from the really good seeds. With¬ 
out waiting for the visible germ, one can 
usually tell a live seed by its swelling, and 
find the germ by cutting it open. The num¬ 
ber of active seeds m the whole number tested 
will show the percentage that will be likely 
to grow hi the field or garden. For large 
seeds such as corn, beans, peas, etc., another 
method is to take two squares of sod, scatter 
50 or a hundred seeds upon the earth side of 
one sod, and cover it with the other, putting ; 
the earth side down. Place the sods in a 
warm sunny place near the house, and water 
should it be needed. By carefully lifting an: 
edge of the upper sod, progress can be 
watched, and at the proper time the whole 
can be examined and the failures counted.; 
Less than half an hour’s time and attention, 
all told, will suffice by either method to test 
the seed to be used on ten to a hundred aores.: 
A Use o4‘ Water in Setting' IMants.i 
—“G. B. S.,” Mt. Vernon, Ohio, has our 
thanks for giving us his method of setting 
sweet-potato and other plants, not the less 
because it is one that we have used these 30: 
years or more. In referring to an article on 
sweet-potato planting, we find that we ad¬ 
vised it 13 yfears ago, and it is also given in 
an article on another page. Some of these 
