1861 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
117 
is hardly visible: in a few hours it wholly dis¬ 
appears. Being left on the ground, it thus an¬ 
swers two good purposes, viz.: as a mulch for 
the roots in Summer, and as an enriclier of the 
same in Winter. No manure can be so suitable 
as this. 
Mr. S. had noticed that when his machine was 
allowed, as originally made, to gather up the 
grass into a box as fast as it was cut, the turf 
became very smooth, but was not soft to the 
tread, not as soft as when cut with a common 
scythe. By allowing the fine, short grass to lie 
on the ground and sink down around the roots, 
he finds that his lawn becomes as soft to the 
foot as a Turkey carpet. 
This experiment is interesting. Perhaps a 
method is here hit upon by which we are going 
to overcome the difficulty in the way of lawn 
making arising from “ our abominably bad cli¬ 
mate.” Our bright and hot Summers, much as 
we complain of them, are, possibly, going to help 
us make as good “ velvet lawns” as our English 
cousins enjoy. Of course, it will be necessary 
to mow them as often as once a week, else the 
grass will become too long to leave upon the 
lawn without becoming unsightly, as well as 
hurtful, in a measure, to the roots beneath. 
Now this is very well for those who have 
large lawns, and the means to purchase ma¬ 
chines ; but for those—and we can not forget 
they are the majority—who have moderate 
sized grounds and moderate incomes, we pre¬ 
sume the old fashioned method of using scythes 
will still prevail. And if the grass be cut and 
constantly carried off, of course the land must 
be fed with some suitable equivalent. Such 
lawns must be enriched, indeed, but not with 
manures in such quantity or quality as to induce 
a rank growth of grass, or to bring in weeds. 
For these purposes, we are disposed to rely very 
much on ground bones and wood ashes, using 
them alternately. Very old barn manure, com¬ 
posted with muck, may be used occasionally. 
Whenever noxious weeds—such as daisies, 
dock, thistles and plantain—creep in, they must 
be dug up by the hand at once. 
We will just add, that no lawn can be kept 
in good condition without frequent use of the 
roller. This serves, in the Spring, to level down 
the inequalities of the surface produced by the 
heaving of the frost; and it presses back into 
the ground the roots of clover and grass which 
are thrown out in the Winter. Its use at all 
times tends to give the grasses a short and com¬ 
pact habit of growth, similar to what we see by 
the roadside where the turf is continually trod¬ 
den by the feet of cattle and sheep. It is this, 
as much as anything else, that makes a lawn 
differ from a mown hay field. Let this be care¬ 
fully noted. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
Coal Ashes on Grass. 
I have experimented with coal ashes and find 
them well worth applying, although it is doubt¬ 
ful whether they will pay for a very long cart¬ 
age. I staked out a piece in an old meadow and 
spread coal ashes on quite thick, early in the 
Spring. The influence was quite as apparent as 
a coat of manure or of plaster would have been. 
It started clover, and the grass was much high¬ 
er and thicker. There is in most coal ashes 
from stoves, a small quantity of wood ashes, but 
not enough to account for the effect produced 
on my meadow. I agree with you that it is 
better to spread coal ashes on the soil than to 
mix them with manure. N. F. G. 
Inarching, or Grafting by Approach. 
This method of uniting two branches growing 
on separate roots, and causing them to become 
one, though not generally applicable, has its ad¬ 
vantages in some cases. The practice is very 
ancient: it was undoubtedly learned from Na¬ 
ture, who not seldom brings the branches of 
trees across each other in such a way that they 
adhere and grow together. Of course, this union 
does not take place until the limbs have rubbed 
off each other’s bark at the place of contact. 
When inarching is done artificially, the pro¬ 
cess is this: Pare off the bark of the two branch¬ 
es, and cut well into the alburnum (sap-wood). 
Make tongues in each wound, so that they can 
be closely united, the liber (inner bark) and albur¬ 
num of the one, fitting to the same parts of the 
other. The notches or tongues are not indis¬ 
pensable, but aid in holding the parts in contact. 
Now, fasten the limbs to¬ 
gether by strings of bass 
matting, and support them 
by stakes so that they can 
not sway about in the wind 
and be tom asunder. Cover 
the parts well with grafting 
wax, and if they are shaded 
a few weeks, it will be all 
the better. It ordinarily re¬ 
quires a year for two limbs 
to grow well together, and 
sometimes more than that 
period. After this, one of 
the plants may be cut off 
just below the junction, and 
the grafted part above will 
continue to grow on its 
new stock. By following 
this method, two adjoining trees or two limbs, 
may be grafted together, or a cion from one 
tree be transferred into the stock of another. 
The engraving below illustrates a method fre¬ 
quently practiced by nurserymen, in which 1 is 
a tree or shrub of a choice kind. Around it are 
planted or placed in pots a number of trees of 
the same species, but of an inferior variety. The 
ends of branches of the choice variety are 
transferred to the tops of the others by the in¬ 
arching process. 2 and 3 show the mode of 
paring the limbs to be joined, and of tying them 
together. 
This is a somewhat troublesome method of 
grafting, and therefore will be less often prac¬ 
ticed than the common modes. But it is con¬ 
sidered more certain than any other. To insure 
certainty, let the tops of both plants be headed 
back, at the time of the operation, as this will 
cause an accumulation of sap around the wound¬ 
ed parts, and assist in their healing over. 
This process is applicable for making an orna¬ 
mental arched gateway of trees. It is sometimes 
resorted to for the purpose of restoring a lost 
limb on a choice ornamental or fruit tree. So 
also in filling up gaps in hedges—and in making 
hedges stronger. The plants are set nigh togeth¬ 
er, then bent across one another like lattice work. 
At the points of junction, they are grafted to¬ 
gether in the manner above described; and in 
time, the interstices will be filled up with masses 
of small branches, thus forming a stout palisade. 
Camellias are sometimes propagated essential¬ 
ly by this method. If two plants can not easily 
be brought side by side for the purpose, cions 
may be cut from one, carried to the other, and 
the lower end inserted in a vial of water, while 
the upper end is inarched, as shown in the en¬ 
graving. The vial of water furnishes a supply 
of moisture for the cion, somewhat as the roots 
of the growing plant would do it. 
ns musMMA 
Blinks from a Lantern — XXVI. 
VISITS A CROAKER. 
“ I should like to know wliat you are holding 
your lantern up here so for, old man,” said Mrs. 
Betsey Grimes, as I entered her door and began 
to examine the premises. “ Pray, don’t the sun 
shine, or be you blind, like an owl that can’t 
see in the day time ?” 
“ Softly Mrs. Grimes, the sun does shine, but 
it enables me to see very few women, and still 
fewer farmers’ wives. Perhaps you do not know 
that your husband invited me to call and look 
at your dairy, your poultry, and housekeeping. 
He thinks you are a model of a farmer’s wife.” 
“Model woman! That’s David’s last joke. 
Don’t he know that I have got nothing that’s fit 
to keep house with. I might have made some¬ 
thing of a show in the world, perhaps, if I had 
married any body else but a farmer, or if David 
could find any thing else to do but to work in 
the dirt. Farming is the poorest business a man 
can follow. There is not one of my neighbors 
but has more to do with, and lives in better style 
and gets her living easier than I do. There is 
Col. Humphrey’s wife lives like a nabob, and I 
can remember when he first set up his store, and 
had to hire money to begin with. But he pros¬ 
pered in trade, and has made dollars where we 
have made cents, and now he is one of the first 
men in the town—is Colonel of the militia, goes 
to the legislature, lives in a fine house, dresses 
his wife like a lady, and keeps two servants in his 
kitchen. Merchandise pays, but farming is the 
meanest kind of business.” 
“ But,” said I, “ You seem to have a very nice 
house here—neatly painted inside and out—the 
walls papered, and the rooms very nicely fur¬ 
nished.” 
“ Yes, but how did we get it ? We have been 
at work here early and late, twenty years; have 
lived half of that time in an old shell that was 
not fit for a pauper; David has worked like an 
Indian, and I have worked like a squaw ; never 
kept a servant, couldn’t afford it, and this house 
and farm is all we have got to show for it. Why 
there is Jo Sanders, the blacksmith, has got a 
better house than we have, and he has only been 
