1871.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
123 
' or oil-cake will regulate this matter. If the cow is 
very fat, it may be well to give a quarter of a pound 
of glauber salts ten days before calving, and repeat 
the dose every three or four days, if needed, to 
keep the bowels moderately loose. 
Calves Fattening for the Butcher should suck the 
eow, and should be tied up in a warm, dry, well- 
ventilated apartment, that is not too light. Keep 
them as quiet as possible, and feed the cow liber¬ 
ally. After the third day there is little danger of 
milk-fever. 
Calves to be Beared may be at once removed from 
the cow, and taught to drink milk from a pail, un¬ 
less they are choice, thorough-bred animals, when 
it is better to let them suck the cow and have all 
the new milk they will take. Valuable shorthorn 
calves are sometimes allowed to take all the milk 
they want from two cow6. Common calves that 
are not allowed to suck the cow, should have their 
own mother’s milk for a week, and afterwards a 
little skimmed milk may be substituted for a part 
of the new milk; and in place of the cream re¬ 
moved from the milk, a little flax-seed tea should 
be substituted. It is a great loss to starve a calf. 
When the calf gets to be a month or six weeks old, 
the cheapest and best food for it is oil-cake boiled 
in fresh skimmed milk; or if the milk is too sour 
to boil without curdling, boil the oil-cake in water 
till it will form a jelly on cooling, and then mix it 
with the milk. 
Pigs. —Last fall’s pigs must be well fed, and got 
into a thriving condition before being turned out to 
clover. Do not begrudge them all the eom-meal 
they will eat. It will pay better at this season than 
next fall. Breeding sows should be put into a pen 
by themselves a week or so before they come in. 
Have a rail round the pen to keep the sow from 
crushing the little ones. It should be from eight 
to twelve inches from the ground, according to the 
size of the sow, and six or eight inches from the 
sides of the pen. Give a liberal allowance of 
chaffed straw for bedding. Give the sow, for a 
week before and a week after pigging, warm bran- 
slops and milk; and later give richer food, such as 
cooked corn-meal with the bran. As soon as they 
will eat, let the little pigs have a few oats or soaked 
corn, or cooked corn-meal, in a separate pen from 
the sow. On warm days let the sow run out for an 
hour or two, and feed the little p^s just before 
she is let in again, and while they are hungry. Our 
readers will find 6ome useful hints on this subject 
in “ Harris on the Pig.” 
Hens, to lay well, must have plenty of exercise and 
liberal feeding. Let all their apartments be kept 
scrupulously clean. Where they have but a narrow 
range, they must have animal food, as a substitute 
for the worms and insects they find when running 
at large. Hens, with young chickens, shbuld be 
confined in coops, and the chickens should be 
abundantly supplied with soft food and fresh 
water. Let the coops be moved on to fresh ground 
every few days. A common mistake is to have the 
coops too small. They should be at least three 
feet high and well ventilated. During a rain-storm, 
place the coops so that the back part, which is 
boarded up, will keep out the rain. 
Barley is the first crop to be sown. Plow the 
laud only when it is dry, and sow as fast as it is 
plowed. It should be harrowed and cultivated until 
the soil is mellow. Drill in IX to 2 bushels per 
acre. Roll the laud soon after the barley comes up. 
Clover-Seed should be sown on the winter wheat. 
If the land is dry and hard, harrow the wheat be¬ 
fore sowing the clover-seed. It will kill weeds and 
help the wheat, and the clover-seed is more likely 
to germinate. A smoothing harrow may be passed 
over the land after the seed is sown. If the land 
is mellow and in good condition, 4 quarts of clover- 
seed and 4 quarts of timothy seed per acre is 
enough. For permanent pasture add a pint of 
white clover. When nothing but clover is sown, 
we generally put in from 6 to 8 quarts per acre. 
Lost year we lost eur whole seeding from not sow¬ 
ing early enough. 
Oats will do better on sod land than barley, but 
neither of them do as well on a tough sod as after 
corn or potatoes. Two bushels per acre is little 
enough seed. Land plowed last fall may be sown 
to oats without again plowing. Harrow them in 
thoroughly. If to be seeded down, make the laud 
as smooth as possible after the oats are sown, and 
then sow the grass and clover-seed, and then roll. 
Peas will do well on sod land, drilled in or cov¬ 
ered with a Shares harrow. Sow as early as the 
land can be got read}'—two bushels per acre. One 
or two bushels of plaster per acre will be beneficial. 
Potatoes. —Plant early on dry land. Deep planting 
and harrowing the land, just as the potatoes come 
up, saves much hoeing, but increases the labor of 
digging. Plaster sometimes has a marked effect on 
potatoes, and sometimes appears to do little good. 
See “ Walks and Talks.” 
Land intended for Roots should be plowed and 
harrowed, cultivated, rolled, and plowed agaiu, and 
worked until it is as mellow as a garden. Pars¬ 
nips should be sown as soon as the land is in good 
order, and carrots a week or two later. Mangels 
and other beets need not be 60 wn until May, and 
rutabagus two or three weeks later. Make the land 
rich with well-rotted manure, and guano or super¬ 
phosphate. 
Work in the Horticultural Departments. 
At the time we write these notes, early in March, 
the weather is as warm and mild as it usually is in 
April, and every thing bids fair for an early return 
of spring. But it is not safe to depend too much 
upon the weather at this season, as it is always very 
variable at the North. If, however, this weather 
should continue, much of the work in the horti¬ 
cultural departments that is usually done in April 
will have already been disposed of. 
Orchard and Nursery. 
The suggestions given last month will apply in 
many portions of the North for April. Trees for 
spring planting ought to be handled carefully and 
not allowed to become dry and shriveled; the 
nursery-man is often blamed for sending out poor 
trees, when the fault is with the planter who does 
not take care to preserve them properly until ready 
for setting. Never set out trees until the land is 
dry enough to work without leaving it in a lumpy 
condition, as the lumps will never pack close, and 
the air has a chance to circulate around the roots, 
often causing the death of the newly planted tree. 
Pruning ought to have been done last month. Do 
not prune after the sap has commenced to circulate. 
Scraping , however, can be done at any time, and 
the trees will be benefited by a thorough washing 
with whale-oil soap, or very strong soapsuds ; this 
destroys many eggs which are found upon the bark. 
Canker-worms. —This month is particularly favor¬ 
able to the ascent of these pests of fruit-growers. 
Follow the directions given last mouth. 
Grafting should be done this month. Care must 
be taken not to graft too early, as this is often more 
injurious than late grafting. Cions may be cut if 
the buds have not started, and preserved in sand or 
earth until ready to set. 
Seeds for stocks ought to be put in early. The 
pits of peaches and other stone fruits, which have 
been buried during the winter, start very early; 
they should be hapdled carefully, so as not to break 
off the sprouts, if any have pushed. The seeds 
must have a good mellow soil to grow in, with a 
liberal dressing of well-rotted manure and ashes. 
Manure may be hauled out and plowed in when¬ 
ever the ground is dry enough. 
Boot-Grafts. —Set out in rows for enough apart to 
work with a cultivator. 
Fruit Garden. 
In many places the work suggested in the notes 
of last month has not been done yet; proceed as 
fast as possible with all planting, as the earlier 
plants are set, after the ground has become warm, 
the better growth will they make. 
Strawberries. —Finish setting out new beds, and 
plow or spado up all old and unfruitful plants. 
Gooseberries. —Set out tiie Iloughtou and Ameri¬ 
can Seedling, aud thin out tuc branches of old and 
crowded plants to admit light and air. 
Currants.— When the old plants have been allow¬ 
ed to take care of themselves, and the clumps are 
filled with grass and weeds, the best way is to grub 
them up and make new plantations ; cuttings root 
very easily, and will bear a small crop the second 
year if properly cared for after planting. 
Raspberries. —Uncover the tender varieties, and 
make new plantations early, before the buds have 
commenced to grow. Among the blackcaps, the 
Seneca and McCormick are good sorts. 
Blackberries. —Plant early. The Kittatinny is one 
of the best varieties for general planting. 
Dwarf Trees .—Where trees are needed, order 
early, and in setting use great care s® as not to in¬ 
jure the roots or bark, as a slight injury often does 
a great deal of damage to the after-growth. 
Kitchen Garden, 
This month is one of activity in this department, 
as the ground is warm enough for planting mauy 
of the hardier vegetables. Last month we enumer¬ 
ated some of the standard varieties of vegetables; 
these sorts should be ordered of the seedsman, if 
not done already. The hot-beds and cold-frames 
will need particular care this month, as a neglect 
to give air during a bright warm day, may scorch 
the whole of the plants in a few hours, so that the 
labors of the past month will be entirely lost. 
Window Boxes ought to have an exposure to the 
air every mild day to harden the plants, so that they 
will not be put back when transplanted. 
Asparagus. —Give a liberal coating of manure if not 
done last month. Go over the bed with a spading 
fork, and be careful not to break nor injure the bud* 
or roots. If plants are to be raised from seed, so\T 
in carefully prepared soil, in drills a foot apart. 
An ounce of 6eed will produce about five hundred 
plants. When well up, thin to three inches. 
Beans. —Do not plant in the open ground until 
all danger of frost is over. Limas may be planted 
in hot-beds any time this month. 
Beets may be sown early this month in rich, fine 
soil. Their growth is facilitated by soaking in 
warmish water for 24 hours, and then pour off the 
water and put in a warm place until the sprouts 
start; roll in plaster to facilitate sowing. One 
ounce of 6eed is sufficient for 100 feet of drill. 
Cabbages. —Set out plants from cold-frame as scon 
as the ground is dry. Sow 6eeds in open ground, 
and as soon as an iuch or two high, sprinkle with 
ashes to keep off the cabbage-flea. 
Cauliflower. —Treat the same as cabbages; they 
ought to be planted 2X feet apart in the rows. 
Celery. — Sow seed in the hot-bed this month, 
and when the plants are an inch or two high, 
transplant to a frame and 6et three inches apart. 
Cress must be sown for a succession in drills ten 
inches apart, and at intervals of a week or ten days. 
Egg-Plants ought to be several inches high by 
this time; transplant to another hot-bed with a 
gentle heat, and use great care to prevent their be¬ 
soming chilled. 
Horse-radish. —The earlier this is planted, the bet¬ 
ter growth will it make. Set out the small roots 
which have been preserved during the winter in 
sand. This crop needs a large application of ma¬ 
nure to secure the best results. The roots should 
be about two inches long and set out in rows from, 
eighteen inches to two feet apart. 
Herbs can be sown in hot-beds now, or in open 
ground as soon as it is warm enough; those most 
commonly used are Sage, Thyme, Savory, Sweet 
Marjoram, and Basil. 
Lettuce , sown in liot-beds, may be transplanted to 
the open ground; 60 W seeds in warm dry soil. 
Melons. —A few may be planted on sods in hot¬ 
beds for early; they must not be planted in the 
open ground until it is well warmed. 
Onions, in order to succeed well, need to be sown 
as early as the ground can be worked. Sow in fine» 
rich soil, in drills a foot apart Put out Potato and 
Top Onions in rows fifteen inches apart, aud the 
bulbs four inches apart in the rows. 
