98 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
together, and some add the white clover, blue top 
and furze. For this practice it is claimed, that it 
Is the course of nature, sometimes a dozen vari¬ 
eties of grass being found in a single square yard, 
in seeding with a single variety, it is nearly im¬ 
possible to form a perfect sod, and the grass 
grows coarser, and is less nutritious. The appe¬ 
tite of animals craves a variety of food, and this 
longing is met, in a fodder made up of a half doz¬ 
en varieties of grass, more perfectly mixed when 
grown upon the same field, than they can be, by 
any other process. Those who have thoroughly 
tried the experiment, claim that, other things be¬ 
ing equal, a much larger burden of grass is pro¬ 
duced, and the farmer gets the largest profit from 
his land. 
Whatever variety is used, the selection of seed 
is a matter of great importance. It is best in all 
cases, where it is practicable, to raise one’s own 
seed, or to procure it, of a neighbor, whose habits 
for clean cultivation are well established. If this 
can not be done, procure the seed from responsi¬ 
ble salesmen, who have a personal acquaintance 
with the parties who produce it. You want clean 
seed, and that of the last season’s growth. Old 
seed will not all come up. The temptation to mix 
old seed with new is very great. Seed is some¬ 
times mixed with Canada thistles and foul weeds, 
and these, when sown, are an irreparable injury 
and sorrow to every good cultivator. 
Calendar of Operations for April 1858. 
[We note down sundry kinds of work to be done during 
the month, not so much to afford instruction to practical 
men, as to call to mind the various operations to be at¬ 
tended to A glance over a table like this will often sug¬ 
gest some piece of work that, might otherwise be forgotten 
or neglected. Our remarks are more especially adapted 
to the latitudes of 38° to 45° ; but will be equally applica¬ 
ble to points further North and South by making a little 
allowance for each degree of latitude, that is, later for 
the North, earlier for the South.! 
Explanations.—/ indicates the first; m the middle ; 
and l the last of the month.—Doubling the letters thus \ff 
or mm or It, gives particular emphasis to the period indi¬ 
cated—Two letters placed together, as/mor ml, indicates 
that the work may be done in either or in both periods in¬ 
dicated ; thus, work marked fm indicates that it is to be 
attended to from the first to the middle of the month 
FARM. 
A busy month to the farmer is April. The favorable 
Winter for out-door operations has given him ample time 
to do all that pertains to Winter proper, and anticipate 
Spring, even. We will premise that grain is threshed, 
marketing nearly done, fencing material provided for, a 
year’s stock of firewood cut, split and stored undercover, 
and a good supply of rich manure and compost manu¬ 
factured at the stables, yards and hog pens. If leached by 
the Whiter rains and drippings from the eaves, a large 
portion of its best properties may have found their way 
into the highway or upon a neighbor’s premises. With a 
resolve to be wiser in future we will now look to those 
things needing especial attention this month, commencing 
with the 
Bees, which should be arranged in their Summer quar¬ 
ters, ff, and the hives examined for moths. Kill all worms 
or cocoons now found and thus prevent increase. Clean 
off the bottom board and save the bees several days labor. 
Buildings—This is house cleaning month for the .wom¬ 
en and it is presumed they need no directions. Let the 
men cleanse, and whitewash fences, and put everything 
in a neat attractive and healthy condition. 
Cattle—Do not turn off too early. In this latitude they 
will require feeding nearly through this month if not 
longer. Keepfrom tramping up mowing grounds. Cows 
about calving need especial care and close watching. 
Oxen are now performing heavy work ; feed them accord¬ 
ingly. 
Cellars—Cleanse thoroughly, whitewashing the walls 
and carrying away all dirt and rubbish collected during 
Winter. Open the windows for ventilation. 
Clover—If not sown with Winter grain last month, at¬ 
tend to it, ff Sow, 11, with Spring grain. 
Corn—Manure and plow grounds for planting next 
month. Provide and test seedprevious to use. See arti¬ 
cle on proving seed in the present number. 
Door Vards—Clean up the Winter accumulations of 
:hips and dirt, adding the latter to the manure heap. 
Paint or whitewash fences and make everything attractive 
an l pleasant. A very little v ork of this kind will be feit 
all through the Summer 
Drain grounds as opportunity offers, f, m, 1. 
Fences—Repair the old. ff, and make new ones of both 
wood and stone, f, m. This is a good season to plant 
hedges also. Employ rainy days in making gates, which 
are much more convenient than bars. 
Grain—Sow Spring wheat and rye, f, to m, oats, barley 
and peas, m, to 1. Allow no animals to feed upon the 
Winter grain fields. 
Hedge Rows along fences should now be cleared up 
that the plow or mowing machine may make clean work. 
Horses—Attend to mares with foal, giving them ample 
space at night. Have working teams of horses and mules 
in good condition for heavy labor. 
Lucern—Sow, 11. 
Manures—Cart and spread on lands no faster than they 
can be plowed in. Fork over, ff, heaps carted out during 
the Winter. Continue to make in all possible ways, mix¬ 
ing with them the wash water and “ chamber lye.” 
Meadows—Keep fenced and free from cattle. Beat and 
scatter the little manure heaps dropped by cattle during 
the Winter. Pick the loose stones and cart away any 
heaps previously made, leaving nothing in the way of the 
mowing machine and horse rake. Sow grassseed on any 
bare spots. Read article on “ Meadows and Mowing 
Lands” on a subsequent page. 
“ Plow deep while sluggards sleep”—and prepare the 
land for planting and sowing. If you own 50 acres of 
tillable land, make it 75 by going down one half deeper 
than formerly. The subsoil belongs to you, and you may 
as well have the benefit of it. 
Potatoes—Plant early ones, m, 1, selecting good market 
varieties not subject to rot. Try, say 10 bushels of coarse 
salt spread over an acre of land at planting time, and note 
the results. Read potato article elsewhere. 
Poultry—Set hens, ff, for early chickens, and feed the 
young with care during the first few weeks. Feed cracked 
corn as soon as chickens can swallow it. Read the full 
chapters on poultry in the February and March numbers. 
Cleanse the houses thoroughly, using the manure for corn, 
or in the garden. White wash about the roosts and dust 
with plaster. 
Root Crops—Prepare grounds for, manuring and plow¬ 
ing deep. Carrot seed maybe sown, 11. 
Sheep may, perhaps, now be dropping early lambs and 
need warm shelter at night. Keep separate from other 
stock and well fed. 
Swine are also increasing in numbers, if proper care 
has been exercised. Keep charcoal and ashes accessible 
to them and give a little animal food which will frequently 
save the offspring from being eaten. The mother should 
have plenty of warm liquid food. 
Timothy—Sow, 11, with Spring grain, and on bare spots 
of old meadows. 
Tools for Summer use should all be made or procured 
at once Throw away the old if you can do twice as 
much with a new implement. Let them have appropriate 
places under cover and be kept there when not in use. 
Trees—Set out for shade and fruit along the roads and 
lanes and about the yards. A shade tree near the house 
may very properly be a well trained cherry tree which is 
ornamental at two seasons of the year. 
ORCHARD AND NURSERY. 
April is a busy month in Doth of these departments, 
especially so in the latter. A comparatively small amount 
of trees were sold last Fall, owing to the commercial 
crisis, and are the nurserymen already hard at work this 
Spring, filling orders which were kept over till now. To 
facilitate the labor as much as possible, collect from the 
nursery a quantity of each variety of trees, and heel them 
in where they can.be handily drawn from. Any one in¬ 
tending to plant a new orchard this Spring should eaily 
visit the nursery, and make his selections, see the trees 
carefully taken up, and again reset on his own ground. 
Read “ Selecting Trees for planting” on page 115. 
Old trees that were cleared from rough bark and moss, 
and washed with soapsuds last month, now need some¬ 
thing for the roots to feed upon, especially if the ground 
has been in sod for many years. Better plow it up after 
manuring heavily, and plant potatoes upon the ground 
that it may receive the benefit of a hoeing. Many of the 
old trees will be greatly improved by grafting, and the 
first days of this month are the apropriate season for this 
operation. 
Apples.—Plant standards for orchards'and stocks for fu¬ 
ture growth, ff, m, 1. Graft old and young trees at the 
same time. 
Apricots, Almonds, and Nectarines.—Plant, If, m. 
Cherries—Complete grafting and planting, ff, m. 
Currants and Gooseberries.—See Kitchen and Fruit 
Garden. 
Dwarf Pears, Apples add Cherries.—Piant a few, ff, if 
you have not room for standards. Look well to the va¬ 
rieties, especially of pears. Graft, ff. 
Figs.—Plant, layer and strike cuttings, f, in. 
I Grafting —Perform, ff, m, commencing with the cherry. 
A stock or branch 1 to 11 inches in diameter is the best 
size, Saw it off and pare smooth with a sharp knife 
Split it through the heart for two inches in length, using 
a thin blade, cutting the bark as smoothly as possible. 
Drive a small wedge in the center to hold the split open 
while the scion is fitted in place. Six inches in length is 
sufficient for the scion, containing, ssy two good buds. 
Pare to a wedge shape, making the scarf an inch long and 
a litttle the thickest upon one side. Insert it with th v 
thickest edge upon the outside, taking care that the inner 
barks of both scion and stock coincide with each other 
This is absolutely necessary to insure growth. Having 
placed a scion upon each side, withdraw the wedge, and 
cover with grafting clay, or a wax made of two parts re¬ 
sin, and one of beeswax, adding tallow enough to soften 
it, so that it can be worked in the hand. Coat the end of 
the limb so that no water can run between the scions. 
Cover the slits at the sides in like manner, to exclude air. 
Hedge Plants.—Sow seed for, ff, m. Head back plants 
which are to grow another year in the nursery. 
Inarching may be done, fm, on deciduous, and 11, on 
evergreen trees. (See illustrated article on page 184, 
Vol. XVI. 
Insects.—Search for borers among apple and peach 
trees, ff. Destroy all cocoons in the branches, oi under 
the rough bark of old trees. 
Mulch newly planted trees, especially in dry weather. 
Packing trees.—See page 117. 
Peaches.—Plant, ff, m. 
Pears.—Plant and graft, ff, m, 1. (See chapter IV of 
“ Orchard Culture,” page 114.) 
Planting and Transplanting generally.—Commence as 
early in the season as the ground canbe worked. Other 
things being equal, early planted deciduous trees and 
shrubs usually do much better than those set out later in 
the season. 
Plow old orchards and among nursery rows, ff, m. 
Plums.—Plant, ff, m. Cut away any warty excres¬ 
cences or “black knot” at the same time. 
Prune very lightly this month—Read the illustrated ar¬ 
ticle on page 116. 
Quinces—Set out, ff, m, 1, both for standards and as 
stocks to work the pear upon. Let these last be the 
Angers variety. 
Scions must be cut at once, if not already secured. The 
buds are already swelling. 
Shrubs—Plant deciduous, ff, m. 
Stocks—Plant out as early as possible, that they get i 
good hold before dry weather comes on. 
Vines—Plant, ff, m, both roots and cuttings. 
KITCHEN AND FRUIT GARDEN. 
April is a busy month for the gardener. Already he 
has commenced spading, trenching, and plowing his 
grounds, and by thy close of the month will be putting in 
many of the early vegetables. Better leave woiking the 
ground until it is sufficiently dry, especially if Inclined 
to clay. A sandy soil is sometimes rendered more com¬ 
pact by spading or plowing, when too moist. A good 
coating of clay is, however more liable to compact, and a 
covering of sand or peat will be of great benefit to clayey 
soils. Except for early use, or marketing, we do not 
advise haste in planting. It is better to let the ground get 
warm, and in condition to push the plants into rapid 
growth as soon as they are consigned to it. 
Asparagus—Remove the covering of old beds , manure 
and fork over, ff ; sow seed and plant a new bed, m, 1. 
Bean Poles and Pea Brush are supposed to be in readi¬ 
ness for use. If not procure at once. 
Beets—Sow, 11, for an early crop. Foi winter use, 
leave till next month. 
Blackberries—Plant out, ff, m. 
Borecole, Broccoli and Kale—Sow, 11. 
Cabbage and Cauliflower—If it appears like settled, 
warm weather, plant from hot-beds and cold frames, 11 ; 
sow more seed at the same time. Avoid hog manure for 
them. 
Capsicum—Sow, 11. 
Carrots do best sown early—say, m, 1. Let the ground 
be deeply worked and well manured. 
Celery—Sow. 11. 
Cold Frames—Give abundance of air, and remove the 
most hardy plants. 
Plant a portion, m, 11, for early use. Save space fox 
successive plantings. 
Cucumbers, Melons and Squashes—Plant, >11, it on 
warm, dry soils, 
Currants and Gooseberries—Plant cuttings and rooted 
bushes, f, m, or as soon as the ground is in working or 
der. See page 117. 
Drain moist lands, ff, m. An investment for tile-drains 
in a wet garden soil, will pay a better per centage than in 
Bank Stocks. 
Egg Plants—Sow seed, 11. Leave plants In hot-beds 
till next month. 
Fences—Make, or repair any needing it, ff. 
Figs—Uncover, f, m, any which have received Winter 
protection. 
