1880.] 
AMERICAN AG-RIO ULT UR 1ST. 
that the greatest good may come from the ex¬ 
pensive rest that is given to the fallowed land. 
Pigs for early fall killing will need a regular and 
generous feeding of bran and meal slops. A quan¬ 
tity of milk, with a run in the grass, will do them 
good. A little forcing at the start pays well for 
pigs that are grown for the early market. 
Rubbing Posts. —All who have the comfort of their 
animals at heart—and, we may add, desire to pre¬ 
serve their feuces intact—should provide a few 
rubbing posts for the animals. The pleasure of 
seeing them used is pay enough, but there is more. 
Salt Boxes are easily made and are very useful. A 
few boxes in the pasture will be a saving of the 
salt which is otherwise thrown upon the soil and 
largely lost. Long flat troughs may be used. 
A Horse Fork. —In the hurry of haying, the sav¬ 
ing which is made by using a horse fork will more 
than pay its cost in a few days. As a time and 
labor-saving machine, a horse fork should be used 
on every farm of any ordinary size. 
Working Horses. —A thorough washing with clean 
water, not too cold, will greatly aid in keeping the 
working horses in a good condition ; it removes the 
accumulated and dried sweat and dirt much better 
than dry rubbing. The harness should be kept 
clean and soft that it may not gall the animals. A 
little powdered aloes rubbed on with the oil will 
keep away any insects that are likely to infest the 
harness, and will do no injury to the horse. 
Calves should have a good run of grass. The 
pushing of them without overdoing must be kept 
in mind. The first year’s growth determines in a 
great measure what shall be the future of the animal. 
Notes on Orchard and Garden Work. 
Whatever the earlier part of the season may have 
been, the first of June, take one year with another, 
finds the vegetation of the orchard and garden 
equally advanced. The work now is principally 
caring for the growing crops. The soil should be 
kept free from weeds and well stirred, especially if 
the weather is dry. The best time to kill weeds is 
while they are young, therefore the hoe, cultivator, 
and especially the rake, should be kept in motion. 
Clean culture is the only kind that pays, and it can 
be practised only by keeping ahead of the weeds. 
©rcli»r<l and Nursery. 
In keeping the ground loose and free from weeds, 
horse-cultivation should be used as much as possi¬ 
ble, care being taken to not bruise the bark, break 
the lower branches, or otherwise injure the trees. 
The ends of the whiflletrees should be thickly 
wound with cloth, or provided with leather pads, 
to prevent their doing damage to the trees. 
Orchards. —With newly planted trees it will pay 
to give a little time in examining their condition. 
If they are loose or leaning to one side, a miuute 
spent in pressing the soil about them with the foot 
will often save them. A mulching, if not already 
given to the young trees, should be provided before 
the long drouth. Almost any substance that will 
cover the soil and protect it from the sun will do. 
Labels that are sent from the nursery are only to 
serve until the trees are planted. A permanent 
record of the position and kind of every tree in 
the orchard should be made before the nursery la¬ 
bels are lost or obliterated. A small plan can be 
made and carried in the pocket memorandum book. 
A plan of such a record was given in the “ Notes ” 
of last year (June 1879.) If the labels upon the 
trees are to be the only method of indicating the 
varieties, zinc ones cut in long triangular shape, 4 
to 6 inches long, may be used. The name is writ¬ 
ten in lead pencil, and the narrow end coiled loose¬ 
ly around the limb. Such labels made and adjust¬ 
ed with care have been known to last for 25 years. 
Grafts set this spring should be looked to ; and if 
the bud or buds grow too vigorously, pinch back 
into shape ; in fact a graft should be treated as if 
it were a young tree. Cut away all shoots that 
come upon the stock below the graft, that the nour¬ 
ishment may go to the graft. See that the branch¬ 
es of the graft have plenty of room, and the growth 
is not interfered with by surrounding branches. 
Pruning .—June is a good time for pruning. 
Larger limbs may be cut away now, covering all cuts 
with varnish, paint, or melted grafting wax. 
Thinning Fruit .—The sooner this essential to the 
production of the best fruit is done the better. It 
is seldom overdone, and too frequently entirely 
neglected. Thinning increases the size and im¬ 
proves the quality of the fruit, and with young 
trees, just starting into bearing, it is a necessity. 
Baskets and Crates for marketing should be pro¬ 
vided, and let them be distinctly and neatly marked 
with the address of both shipper and consignee. 
Circulio. —Begin as soon as the fruit is set to visit 
the trees in early morning; the sluggish insects 
may then be jarred from the trees and caught upon 
sheets opened beneath to catch them. The Cureu- 
lios thus caught should be swept into the fire. 
Coddling Moth. —The “ worms,” after leaving the 
fruit, seek some hiding place to undergo their 
changes, and bands of cloth or hay, put upon the 
trunks of the trees, will catch many of them. The 
bands should be removed once in ten days, and the 
insects that have gathered beneath them killed. 
Tent Caterpillars are best removed in the early 
morning while they are in their nests, and the dew 
glistening upon the web. A pole and swab may be 
used. The Wild Cherry is such a favorite of the 
Tent Caterpillar that it is hardly worth the while 
to keep any such harbors for it near the orchards. 
Fear Slugs when so numerous as to do injury, may 
be destroyed by dusting the leaves with lime or 
ashes ; even dry earth may be used with good effect. 
The Borers of the poach and apple trees are to be 
looked to. When once in the tree there is no sur¬ 
face remedy. Heaping earth around the base of 
the tree, or using a close-fitting paper band will 
keep the female insect from depositing her eggs. 
For killing the worms the use of the knife and 
wire probe is the most effectual. Their wherea¬ 
bouts is known by the sawdust they make, and de¬ 
pression of the bark. Use the knife cautiously. 
Tlie Fruit (warden. 
Cun-ants and Gooseberries. —A mulch should be ap¬ 
plied early in the season ; litter from the barn-yard, 
or “chip-dirt” from the wood-yard maybe used. 
For the “worms’’use White Hellebore, a table¬ 
spoonful of the dry powder to a pailful of water, 
the Hellebore being first scalded before going into 
the pail—apply with a syringe or Fountain Pump, 
repeating the application in a few days, and con¬ 
tinue until the worms are all killed. If shoots 
start on the bushes where they are not wanted, they 
should be removed, thus saving much pruning in 
the fall, and the remaining growth is strengthened 
thereby. The fruit is frequently sold with greatest 
profit while green, especially is this the case with 
gooseberries. For making jelly pick the fruit 
when fully colored, but before it is “dead ripe.” 
Raspberries .—The green shoots that are growing 
now are the ones to bear the next year’s fruit, the 
fruiting ones this season dying after the berries 
have ripened. When the growing shoots reach 4 
feet they should be pinched off. Those not re¬ 
quired for next year are to be treated as weeds. 
The old canes are to be cut away after fruiting. 
Blackbm-ies need much the same treatment as 
their near neighbors, the raspberries. The young 
canes are allowed a little longer growth, and should 
be pinched at 5 or 6 feet—all not needed are to be 
removed. Both the young and old canes should be 
kept upright by using stakes or trellises. 
Grape-vines one-year old set this spring should 
grovv only one shoot; let it be the strongest and 
best one put forth. Older vines recently set should 
not be allowed to bear this year. The young grow¬ 
ing shoots of old vines should be tied up before 
they fall over or are broken by the winds; soft cot¬ 
ton twine or bast bark are the best for the purpose. 
Strawben-ies .—A mulch of straw, cut hay, or 
leaves, should be applied before the fruit' begins to 
ripen, that the berries may be kept from the soil. 
The picking and packing for market requires much 
215 
care and good judgment. All over-ripe berries 
should be excluded, as one such will be crushed 
and spoil the whole basket. The treatment of the 
bed after fruiting depends upon the method of cul¬ 
tivation. In any case the mulch is to be removed 
and the soil forked over. When the plants are kept 
in hills, the runners are to be cut as fast as they ap¬ 
pear. In the alternate system they are allowed to 
take root between the rows, and the old plants are 
removed later in the season. Runners struck in 
small pots of soil will be ready to plant out in Au¬ 
gust, and will give a good crop nest year. Layer 
the earliest and strongest runners for this purpose. 
Uitclien a ml Jlarkct Garden. 
This is the time when the rake and the hoe count 
for so much in the success of the season’s work. 
The weeds must be kept down, or much of the la¬ 
bor of preparation and planting is lost. It is ob¬ 
served that the rake is put before the hoe, and it 
should be so in the garden. A frequent use of a 
long and sharp-toothed steel-rake will save much 
hard hoeing, and at the same time keep the soil in a 
better condition for the young growing plants. 
Sowing for Succession is a useful method of pro¬ 
longing the season of many vegetables, and should 
be more generally practised. By sowing beans, 
peas, corn, etc., at intervals of a week or so, these 
valuable vegetables may be had through the season. 
Asparagus. —After peas have come the plants 
should be allowed to grow up in order that the green 
foliage may accumulate food for next spring’s ear¬ 
ly growth. A coating of manure may be added. 
Keep all large weeds out; the small ones will not 
grow after the ground is densely shaded by foliage. 
Beans. —If the weather has been cold and back¬ 
ward, and injured the Limas, put in more at once. 
These and other pole beans need attention to make 
them all take to the poles. Sow Bush sorts, as the 
“ Refugee ” for succession and pickling. 
Beets and Carrots. —Sow the main crop if not done 
already. Keep the weeds out and the soil loose. 
A succession of the “Egyptian” to use while young 
should be sown, using the thinnings for greens. 
Cabbage and Cauliflower need frequent hoeing. 
Plants for late sorts in seed-beds should not be too 
crowded ; they need weeding frequently, and if in¬ 
fested with the cabbage worm, sprinkle with ashes. 
For Notes on the Cabbage Worm see page 228. 
Cucumbers. —For pickles, sow until the middle of 
the month. Drills are preferred, 5 to 7 feet apart. 
The ground should be well manured, by plowing 
furrows, and putting it in, and. covering with an 
inch or so of soil. From 12 to 20 seeds per foot in 
the rows, gives a fair share for the striped bug, 
which is quite certain to give them a call. So soon 
as plants appear, dust with ashes or fine lime, and 
when well started, thin to three feet apart. 
Corn.—Plant at frequent intervals. A top-dress¬ 
ing of guano is excellent. Hoe often. 
Celery. —If the plants in the seed-bed get too 
large, cut off their tops, thus making them stocky. 
Egg Plants are the last things to go out: they do 
but little before hSt weather comes, and if put out 
too soon, get stunted by cold nights. Set out the 
plants in rich, warm soil. Abundance of manure 
and care are needed for good success. 
Lettuce. —It is of little use to plant lettuce at this 
season, as it quickly runs up and goes to seed. 
Onions need frequent weeding. For near mar¬ 
ket, half-grown onions put up in small bunches, 
are more profitable than when left to ripen. 
Parsnips and Salsify should be thinned to 5 inches 
in the row, and hoed frequently, that the weeds 
may not get a start. 
Peas. —Sow for succession, until the hot weather 
of summer comes, after which they do not pay. 
Pippers. —Set out in a warm well-manured place. 
Rhubarb. —The flower stalks should be kept cut 
off. Do not gather the leaf-stalks too late in the 
season, as it exhausts the plant. 
Squashes. —The winter sorts should be planted 
now. Much care is needed to keep the young 
vines free from insects. Paris Green may be 
used ; hand-picking takes time, but is effectual. 
