1881.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
267 
weather favors the growth of vermin, and 
strict cleanliness must be observed about the 
poultry house. It is an advantage to have 
all the hen turkeys come off with their 
young at nearly the same time, that they 
may all go as one flock, thus lessening the 
care of looking after them, especially if they 
are given the whole range of the farm. 
After the broods are large enough to roam, 
feed them enough to make them care for their 
home, and they will return to it at night. 
Notes on Orchard and Garden Work, 
No people need recreation more than the 
farmer and gardener, and none take less. 
They need to go away from their work for a 
double reason; to find the rest that comes 
from change, and get new ideas in regard to 
their own work. Pleasure and instruction 
can be combined in a trip of a few days, dur¬ 
ing the comparative “ Let up ” of the work of 
this month, and visits devoted to the grounds 
of other orchardists and gardeners. Nothing 
so refreshes one and inspires him to new en¬ 
deavors as talking with other successful 
workers in the same field of labor. New ideas 
come in this way quicker and with more force 
than in any other. We say, then, to all who 
can—and most, by proper planning, can—to 
take a run of a few days among the leading 
fruit-growers and gardeners, and see what 
they do, and how they do it; exchange ideas, 
and return refreshed for the work that by this 
time will have accumulated to some extent. 
After rains the weeds will grow vigorously, 
and the horse-cultivator and hand-hoe will 
need to be frequently used. Weeds are easily 
killed if their roots are upturned to the hot sun. 
Orchard and Nursery. 
Though rather late, thinning of fruit can 
still be done with profit. It is better to re¬ 
move the excess, even though the fruit is of 
some size, as the remaining portion will be of 
a better quality. Grafts that are growing too 
vigorously will need to be pinched. Sur¬ 
rounding shoots upon the stock must be kept 
out of the way, as the grafts are of the most 
importance. Pruning can be done this month, 
at times when other work is not pressing. An 
open head to the tree should be aimed at, that 
the air and sunlight may readily reach the in¬ 
terior. So soon as the bark of the stock rises 
readily, and the buds are mature enough, bud¬ 
ding may be done. The methods of budding 
are described at length, with illustrations, in 
the August American Agriculturist, 1877. It 
is impossible for us to repeat matter like this 
every year in our Notes, and we refer those 
who wish to learn with regard to budding to 
that number, which can be sent post-paid for 
15 cents. The nursery rows should be kept 
clear of weeds. This can largely be done by 
frequently running the horse-cultivator be¬ 
tween the rows. The whiffle-tree should be 
wound with cloth at its ends, that it may not 
bark or bruise the young trees. Beds of seed¬ 
lings must receive hand-weeding, and should 
be shaded in hot weather, and watered when 
it is dry. When blight occurs in fruit trees, 
there is no remedy ; the only thing to do, is 
to cut out the blighted part, or to remove the 
whole tree, if necessary. Blight is too sud¬ 
den in its action to be foretold, or precaution¬ 
ary measures taken. 
Some Tent-Caterpillars’ nests will have es¬ 
caped early notice, and they should be cleaned 
out, or the trees will soon be stripped of their 
foliage by the worms. The Codling-Moth is 
best captured under bands of heavy paper or 
cloth tacked about the body of the tree. 
These bands should be removed once a week, 
and the worms killed. The wormy windfalls 
that fall from the trees should either go to 
the pigs, or the pigs come to them. Slugs 
of pear and cherry trees are readily destroyed 
by dusting the leaves and branches with 
lime from a bag tied on a long pole. 
The Fruit Garden. 
The care that the grape vines should re¬ 
ceive during the hight of the growing season 
is of so much importance that a separate ar¬ 
ticle is given on page 286, to which the reader 
is referred for instruction upon vineyard 
work for the month. If jelly is to be made 
from the currants they should be picked 
when well colored and before they are dead 
ripe. Those for the table should remain on 
the bushes until fully mature. For market 
they should be picked a few days earlier, the 
time depending upon the distance to be ship¬ 
ped. If long shoots push up from the middle 
of the bush, break them off while young. 
Keep the interior of the bush open by other 
thinning, if necessary. The blackberry and 
raspberry canes that are to bear the fruit next 
season should be pinched off at six feet for 
the former, and four feet for the latter. All 
other shoots, whenever they may appear, 
should be treated as weeds and cut away 
while they are still growing. The old canes 
may be cleared out so soon as the fruit is off. 
If the strawberries are grown in single rows 
the mulch may be removed after the fruit 
is off ; fork in well-rotted manure and keep 
the beds clear of weeds. When the alternate 
system is followed the “ paths ” are manured 
and forked up, and a rich and mellow bed 
made to receive the runners from the old 
plants. Pot-layering does well for private 
gardens. Pots filled with rich earth are sunk 
in the soil near old plants into which runners 
are made to strike root. These are afterwards 
transferred to a new bed, and if done proper¬ 
ly a good crop is obtained the next season. 
'1'lie Kitchen Garden. 
There is no time in the whole year, when 
the rake and hoe are of more importance in 
the Kitchen Garden, than now. Planting is 
mainly over for the season, and the weeds are 
ready to take possession of the ground to the 
injury of the crops. The Asparagus bed 
should now appear as a deep mass of green. 
This is necessary that nourishment may be 
elaborated for the rapid growth of the tender 
and much prized shoots for the following 
spring. The shade of the asparagus “ tops” 
should keep down all small weeds—some 
larger ones may assert themselves and will 
need to be pulled before they ripen any seeds. 
Bush beans, like the “ Refugee” may be still 
planted for late use and pickling. It is well 
to nip the ends of those Lima vines that run 
beyond the end of the poles. Early Beets 
may be sown for a succession of greens, and 
young roots during the month. Celery is 
now grown almost entirely by the surface 
system, putting the plants on a level surface, 
and bleaching by throwing up the earth in 
ridges around the plants. See page 287. 
Quick growing varieties of sweet com may 
be still planted for late use and drying. Se¬ 
lect a few of the best stalks to furnish seed 
for next year. Ashes dusted over the cu¬ 
cumber vines will assist in keeping off the 
“bugs.” Pick every day for pickles. The 
fruit of the egg plants is much better if kept 
off the ground by a layer of straw, etc. There 
are usually more “sets” upon the melon 
vines than will mature, and to improve the 
quality of the earlier ones remove the late 
set fruit. Onions are ready to be harvested 
when a large share of the tops lie down. 
After the bulbs are thoroughly dried they 
should be stored thinly in a cool, airy place. 
If sweet potato vines are allowed to root at 
the joints, a large part of the nourishment 
goes into small and worthless joint roots at 
the expense of the main ones. Move the 
vines at each hoeing. On the other hand 
squash vines may be allowed to take root at 
the joints with advantage. Some sort of a 
trellis should be used for keeping the tomato 
vines with their fruit from the ground; brush 
or even hay is better than nothing. 
Flower Garden and Lawn. 
The lawn mower will need to be frequently 
used, and the corners and borders kept trim¬ 
med up with the sickle. If large weeds start 
in the lawn they should be removed, roots 
and all, before they have made much growth. 
Give an occasional hoeing and raking to the 
walks and drives. Bedding plants need 
much care at this time, as they grow rapidly, 
and their attractiveness is lost unless kept 
carefully trimmed. If designs are attempted, 
they will need especial' care or all the fine 
effect is lost. Stakes must be provided for 
the Dahlias, Gladioluses, etc.; the least no¬ 
ticeable of poles are the best, firmly driven 
into the soil. All climbers will need ample 
means of support, otherwise they will give 
a very neglected and bad appearance. 
Greenhouse and Window Plants. 
At this time of the year, most of the green¬ 
house plants are out of doors, and it is sel¬ 
dom that we see a greenhouse that looks 
attractive. Much shading must be done, 
either with having coats of whitewash upon 
the glass, or by means of muslin hung below. 
Frequent watering will be required to keep 
the house cool and the plants from drying up. 
Fumigations will be necessary to keep down 
the insect pests that propagate very rapidly 
upon the plants during the hot weather. 
The Bronzy Cut Worm. —The sup¬ 
posed Army Worm, which has done con¬ 
siderable damage in the northern counties of 
New York by injuring pastures and meadows, 
is, as we inferred on page 283, not the real 
Army Worm, but a species of Cut-worm. 
We find Prof. Riley has identified it, from 
specimens sent him by Prof. Lintner, and 
other correspondents, as the larva of the 
Nephelodes violans, a moth somewhat larger 
than the Army Worm moth, and of a deep 
reddish-brown color. The worm is striped, 
and when full grown, of a bronze color. It 
is called the “ Bronzy Cut Worm,” and in the 
spring is not uncommon in meadows in all 
parts of the country, hiding beneath some 
shelter during the day, and feeding at night. 
The Army Worm never appears so early in 
the season in the latitude from which it is 
now reported, or in great or injurious num¬ 
bers, until wheat is about ripened. Prof. 
Riley considered it an exceptional irruption 
of a species normally uninjurious, and does 
not think it will be heard of as injurious in 
