144 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
quested him to give us the leading features of the 
Haws relating to tree-planting as they now stand in 
the New England States. Prof. S. kindly furnishes 
the following to the American Agriculturist: 
“ It should be more generally understood, that 
already in three of the New England States, laws 
have been passed to encourage the planting of 
forest trees. In 1S77, Connecticut passed a law ex¬ 
empting from all taxation any land, not exceeding 
in value $15 an acre, if planted with at least 1,200 
trees to the acre of any of the following: Chestnut, 
Locust, Hickory, Ash, Catalpa, White Oak, Sugar- 
Maple, European Larch, White Pine, or Spruce; 
the exemption to take effect when the trees have 
reached an average of six feet in higlit, and to con¬ 
tinue for a period of ten years. In 1878, Massachu¬ 
setts and Rhode Island both passed similar laws. 
That of Massachusetts requires the planting of 
2,000 trees to the acre, and does not include Ca- 
talpa, Locust, or Spruce. Rhode Island Legisla¬ 
tors take a still broader view of the importance of 
forest-growing. They add Ailanthus, and all kinds 
of Pines, to the Massachusetts list; allow land 
worth as much as $25 an acre to become exempt; 
advance the period when such exemption goes into 
effect by requiring the trees to average only four 
feet in hight instead of six, and prolong the period 
of such exemption to fifteen years. It does not 
seem possible to suggest any general legislation on 
this subject which could meet the varied conditions 
and requirements of the whole country, but the 
passage by other State Legislatures of special laws 
framed to meet the needs of each State is import¬ 
ant, and should interest all to whom the future of 
American forests is a subject of concern. C. S. S.” 
Prof Beale’s Sod-Cutter. 
--«►- 
Soon after the appearance of the February num¬ 
ber, in which appeared on page 63 an illustration of 
■a sod-cutting implement, Prof. W. I. Beale, who 
■occupies the chair of Botany and Horticulture at 
the Michigan Agricultural College, wrote us that he 
had tried a similar implement, and found several 
■difficulties in the working, especially in the clog¬ 
ging of the sod in front of the knife, and stated 
that he had a cutter in which this difficulty was ob¬ 
viated. At our request he sent us a plan of his im¬ 
plement, which our artist has put into perspective, 
and this, with Prof. B.’s note, will enable its con¬ 
struction to be understood. The Professor’s experi¬ 
mental implement was a rough one, made from 
materials at hand, to test the principle. The frame¬ 
work is of two pieces of 4 x 4-in. scantling, firmly 
put together at the forward end, with a clevis or 
hook to hitch the animals to it. Under the for¬ 
ward end he places a block2I inches thick ; theuse 
of this is not stated, but w'e assume it is to prevent 
PROF. BEAX/e’s SOD-CUTTER. 
running too deep. A pair of plow handles are at¬ 
tached for guiding the implement. The knife is 
a piece of saw- plate, 6 inches wide, sharp at the for¬ 
ward edge, and bent up at right angles to cut 12 
inches wide : this is so bolted to the frame that the 
cutting edge is 2i inches below the lower edge of 
the roller immediately in front of it. This roller, 
which is an important part of the implement, is 6 
inches in diameter, and 6 inches long, the bearings 
of which run in boxes attached to the frame. 
The cutting edge of the knife must be 2i inches 
(or the desired thickness of sod) below the lower 
edge of the roller, and the knife edge of the 
roller must be in a line with the rear surface. 
These points being secured, the attachment of 
the knife and roller to the frame may be effected 
by any method that seems best. In using two 
horses, Prof. Beale had the driver stand upon 
the machine, but suggests, if he had much cut¬ 
ting to do at one time, he would load the frame 
to the proper working weight. Though this was a 
mere trial implement and roughly made, Prof. B. 
sums up the whole case by saying “It cuts well.” 
Greens. 
It is apparently an Americanism to call all green- 
leaves cooked as food—greens, yet it is the general 
term in this country for all sorts of pot-herbs. A 
great variety of plants, wild and cultivated, are 
used as greens, which though among the least nu¬ 
tritious of foods, seem to be generally craved, 
especially in spring, and it is admitted by the au¬ 
thorities that, on account of their large percentage 
of saline matters, they are useful adjuncts to other 
food. Among the earliest and most common of 
the wild greens are the Dandelion, Dock, “ Cow¬ 
slip,” so-called, but properly Marsh Marigold, 
Lamb’s-quarter, Nettles, etc. One objection to wild 
greens is the time taken to collect them, as of 
those named above only the “ Cowslip ” grows in 
masses, and is sure to be found when wanted, while 
the others must be searched for here and there. 
Another objection is, that wild plants being of 
slower growth are less succulent and tender than 
cultivated. One who has once tried the cultivated 
Dandelion will not care for the wild plant. As this 
must grow a year before it will yield abundantly, 
it should be sown this spring. Get seeds of the 
“Improved sow as soon as the soil is ready,in rows 
two feet apart, when well up, thin or transplant to 
a foot apart in the row. The thinnings may be 
used this spring, but for years thereafter the plants 
will yield two, if not more, cuttings early each 
spring of the tenderest and finest greens, without 
hunting all over the lots. Make provision for 
future years this spring. For present supplies, the 
earliest is Spinach sown last fall and kept in the 
ground one winter by covering, if need be with 
straw. But few grow spinach at all, and still fewer 
winter it over. Those who were so fortunate as to 
sow it, have now only to remove the covering and 
stir the soil between the rows. If used as soon as 
uncovered it will be tough, and it is better to wait 
until the center of the plant shows that a new 
growth has started. For those who have not pro¬ 
vided spinach, and have preserved their cabbages 
in trenches, in a cellar or other method by which 
the stalk is kept sound, can set out the stumps as 
soon as the ground is open and soon have an 
abundance of excellent greens. Open a trench in 
a warm place and set in the stumps about a foot 
apart and sufficiently deep to hold them firmly. 
Numerous shoots will soon appear upon the stumps, 
and these may be cut at any time before they get 
tough, or show flower buds. Spinach should be 
sown among the earliest crops in rich warm soil; 
make the rows 15 inches apart, and sow in the 
same manner as beets. When the leaves are an 
inch or two long, thin to four inches apart, using 
the thinnings ; the other plants will soon become 
large, and maybe used until the flower-stalk shows. 
It is better to sow a row every week until the mid¬ 
dle of May. In warm weather it soon runs up to 
seed, and is useless. In sowing early Beets, put in 
an abundance of seed, to allow of a supply of 
“ Beet-greens,” by many considered preferable to 
all others, not excepting spinach. If the rows of 
Beets are a foot apart they should be thinned to six 
inches, if 15 inches apart, thin to four inches. For 
use, the thinnings are washed thoroughly, and 
both root and top are cooked. “ Egyptian ” is best. 
The Fine-leaved Pseony. 
Those familiar with the ordinary Pseony only, 
would never suspect from the foliage of the Fine¬ 
leaved Paeony (Pceonia tenuifolia), that it belonged 
to the same genus. This—which is also called the 
Fennel-leaved P;cony—is a native of Siberia, and is 
a stranger to our gardens, for no other reason than 
the fact that it is not generally known. It is per¬ 
fectly hardy, and once planted, will increase in 
[April, 
beauty from year to year ; though introduced over 
a century ago, it is yet rarely in private or com¬ 
mercial gardens. We have had a clump of the 
single-flowered form these many years, and have 
recently procured the double-flowered. Many 
stems a foot or more high, are thrown up from the 
root; these are crowded with dark green leaves 
which are cut into very slender divisions, producing 
in the mass a most pleasing effect. Each stem is 
surmounted by a large flower, which, whether in the 
double or single kind, is especially beautiful in bud. 
It forms a globe of dark crimson, surrounded by 
the beautifully cut foliage, and is quite as hand¬ 
some in this state as when the flower is open. The 
single flowers, about three inches across, have, usu- 
finf.-leaved p.eony. —(Pceonia tenuifolia.) 
ally, eight petals, of a rich purplish-red, against 
which the numerous yellow anthers show in strong 
contrast. In the doubled-flowered form the center 
is filled with small crimped petals, and present a 
mass of brilliant color. This is one of the old- 
fashioned plants, that have altogether too much 
merit to be allowed to disappear from cultivation. 
Those who, like ourselves, are old-fashioned in their 
garden notions, and like to look, each spring, for 
our favorites in the same spot, where they have 
greeted us in former springs, and like to see them 
return each year with no other change than renewed 
strength and vigor, will be glad to add the Fine¬ 
leaved Paeony to their collection. It comes every 
May with its abundance of beautiful foliage, then 
appear the buds so attractive, that we are almost 
sorry to see them open into flowers. It is a plant 
to be set in its plane, and be let alone for years. 
Green Peas—Half a Bushel a Day. 
Is there anybody who does not enjoy well cooked 
green peas, fresh from the garden—a good many of 
them—and very often, too ? They are a nourish¬ 
ing food, and healthful also, if well cooked, and 
not swallowed with the skin or seed-coat unbroken. 
They are one of the most certain, easily grown and 
earliest products of the garden, and can be had in 
succession most of the summer. When our family 
is large we always plan for “ half-a-bushel a day ” 
(in the pod) from some time in May, according to 
the season, up to the end of July, and often well 
into August. The ground producing them is 
used for a second crop—celery, or something else. 
Selecting as dry and warm a spot as can be allotted 
to them, and applying a fair quantity of well rotted 
yard-manure, we sow on the same day at least two 
varieties, in rows, as soon as the snow is gone and 
the ground can be worked without packing. A 
good assortment to start with is : a few “ Improved 
Daniel O’Rourke’s” for the earliest (they are bet¬ 
tered by a little sugar added in cooking); plenty of 
Alphas for the chief early crop, with more of them 
