152 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
GOOD VARIETIES OF APPLES FOR GENER¬ 
AL CULTURE, 
There is an increased degree of interest 
on the subject of fruit-growing. We have, 
from different sec ions of the country, in¬ 
quiries for a few of the best kinds of Apples 
adapted to general culture. With the diverse 
experience of different cultivators, and so 
many individual tastes to consult, as well as 
the variation of climate in the same latitude, 
it is next to impossible to make out a list 
that shall give general satisfaction. How¬ 
ever we will name a few—not quite at ran¬ 
dom—which, if not the very best in all cases, 
will, we think, disappoint no one who shall 
plant them. 
For Northern New-England : 
The Early Harvest; Fameuse; Baldwin; 
Roxbury Russet; and Hubbard’s Nonsuch. 
For a sweeting, Danver’s Winter Sweet. 
For Central New-England: 
Early Harvest or Red Stranahan; Golden 
Sweeting; Porter; Peck’s Pleasant; Bald¬ 
win ; Rhode Island Greening. 
For the Valley of the Hudson : 
American Summer Pearmain; Fall Pip¬ 
pin ; Gravenstein ; Newtown Pippin ; per¬ 
haps Northern Spy ;—at Western New- 
York, add Tolman’s Sweet. 
For a more Southern latitude, say the Vallies 
of Pennsylvania: 
Summer Rose; Yellow Bellflower; Fall 
Pippin; Rhode Island Greening; Hereford¬ 
shire Pearmain ; Bullock’s Pippin. 
To our Correspondent in Ohio, we would sug¬ 
gest : 
Summer Rose ; Fall Pippin; Red Canada; 
Rawle’s Jennet; Belmont Greening.— Ed. 
. SPRING WHEAT. 
We trust our readers will not neglect the 
cultivation of this valuable grain, wherever 
the soil or climate render the raising of win¬ 
ter wheat impracticable. Although grain may 
not, during the coming season, bear the ex¬ 
orbitant prices realized the past, yet it will be 
sufficiently high to remunerate the farmer 
abundantly for his attention to this crop. It 
is true this grain does not bear so high a 
price in the market as I the choicest winter 
grain, yet it is as profitable a crop for use in 
the producer’s family, as the highest price 
winter’s grain. It has indeed a greater pro¬ 
portion of gluten which is the muscle or 
strength-giving element of the grain, although 
the flour is not as white. 
A strong, well pulverized soil is required 
for it, containing a due proportion of lime, 
whi"h if it does not exist naturally in the 
soil, should be added to it. The earlier the 
seed is in the better, and if the soil be a stiff 
clay it is better that it be plowed in the fall* 
It then only requires to be harrowed 
before sowing, or if sown upon the honey¬ 
combed surface left by the frosts of winter, 
a slight covering is all that is necessary. It 
will ripen later c than winter wheat, but like 
that should be cut when the berry is yet 
soft, as the flour will be whiter and more 
abundant than if left standing till perfectly 
ripe. Only the grain intended for seed 
should be left till quite hard. 
Varieties. — There* are several choice 
kinds of spring wheat. The Siberian, the 
Italian and Black Sea, were formerly the 
most popular. The former two are now sel¬ 
dom cultivated, but the Black Sea is still 
grown to a considerable extent. The Cana¬ 
da Club, the Golden Drop or Fife, and the 
Tea wheat are at present the most popular, 
and are largely grown, yielding a full, fine 
berry. The comparative qualities of each 
of these superior kinds have not been given 
to the public as fully as they ought to have 
been, and we should esteem it a valuable 
contribution to our agricultural information, 
if those who have given particular attention 
to raising these varieties will furnish us the 
results of each on the different kinds of 
soil, and also the different modes and cir¬ 
cumstances of their cultivation.— Ed. 
WHEAT FIELDS—LOOKING UP THE BARE 
SPOTS, 
While the heavy snow mantle so long upon 
the ground during the past winter, has served 
as a great protection to very many wheat 
and rye fields throughout the country, in 
some instances, along the fences for exam¬ 
ple, the snow-banks were so heavy and re¬ 
mained so late—perhaps they are still there— 
that the crops will be"Smothered and killed. 
So also on exposed situations, where the 
wind has blown off the snow, the grain roots 
are frozen out “ in spots.” These spots 
should not be left idle, or, what is 
worse, remain to grow up with weeds. As 
soon as the ground will admit, it is well to 
go over each field, and examine the roots and 
wherever they are mostly killed on a sur¬ 
face of a few square yards, sow on Spring 
wheat. Where the plots are small or dis¬ 
tant from the outside of the field, the seed 
can be dug in with a hoe—a hand drill is 
still better. If they are large and easily ac¬ 
cessible, a harrow or horse drill may be used. 
A little foresight and trouble of this kind 
will frequently increase the aggregate yield 
of a field several bushels—equivalent to as 
many dollars—and this without any extra 
work in plowing, or harvesting. If the sow¬ 
ing be done early, the two kinds of wheat 
will generally ripen nearly at the same time, 
or sufficiently so to admit of being harvested 
tog*-t her; while a small mixture of spring 
wheat will not injure the whole crop for 
market. If they do notripen evenly, there 
is no difficulty in leaving these patches to 
cut at another time, especially where the 
harvesting is done with a cradle instead of 
a reaper. 
The above practice we have pursued suc¬ 
cessfully, and from our own experience are 
prepared to recommend it strongly. Where 
a whole field has been half or two-thirds 
killed out we have sown the entire field over 
with a heavy or light seeding of spring wheat, 
according as wanted, working it in with a 
light harrow, and the result has been a good 
crop at a trifling extra expense. The ripen¬ 
ing is seldom so uneven as to prevent har¬ 
vesting both varieties together.— Ed. 
THOSE RHUBARB PIES. 
They are good, everybody says, but the 
trouble is to get the rhubarb. “ I don’t 
know the first thing about growing it,” said 
a farmer to us the other day. Well, it is 
an easy matter when you know how. Here 
are some of the particulars : 
Just as soon as the ground is in tolerable 
working order, go to the nearest commercial 
gardener^or nurseryman for the roots to 
plant but, if you cannot get them as well of 
a neighbor. Ask for one of the following 
kinds : first, the Linneaus ; second, Mygatt’s 
Victoria ; third, Giant or fourth Royal Albert. 
The Linneaus is the very best on many ac¬ 
counts, when you can get it. The roots are 
as yet scarce and high, say 75 cents each, or 
$8 per dozen, but they will in the end be 
cheaper than the others at a less price. The 
Victoria and Royal Albert cost, say 50 cents 
per root, or $4 per dozen, and the Giant 
about half as much. Any one of these four 
kinds will give good satisfaction. For a 
small family a dozen plants are enough to 
begin with. You can increase from your 
own stock for the second year, if desirable, 
by dividing the roots at a dry season in au¬ 
tumn. 
Having got your roots home, or before, 
prepare the ground by trenching or digging 
it up at least 16 or 18 inches in depth, and 
mixing with it a liberal supply of well rotted 
manure. Rhubarb plants thrive best and are 
most productive in a moderately heavy soil, 
or clay loam. For a light soil cow or hog 
manure is better than that from the horse 
stable. 
The roots are to be set about three feet 
from each other. The holes must be deep 
enough to have the bulb set down into the 
soil, so that the crown or top of the bud will 
be just even with the surface of the ground. 
Pack the earth in around the tuber pretty well 
and then wait for your “pies,” only have an 
eye occasionally for any straggling weeds 
that seek too near an acquaintance with your 
plants. If the roots set out were large to 
start with, you can sometimes get a small 
crop during the first season, though it is al¬ 
ways better to wait until the second year, 
after which you can get an annual crop for 
several years. Pulling the crop too soon 
weakens the plant Some years before your 
first crop runs out we will say more about 
dividing the roots and transplanting for a, 
ne.v bed.— Ed. 
Acknowledgement. —During the past month 
we have received very many favors from 
subscribers in the form of large lists of new 
names, strong words of approval, encour¬ 
agement, &c. It would have been a pleas¬ 
ing task to acknowledge our obligations in 
each case, by a private letter, but our time 
has been incessantly occupied, and we hope 
this general reference to the matter will be 
accepted in the place of anything more 
special at this time.— Ed. 
Sidney Smith, on seeing a lump of Amer¬ 
ican ice, remarked that he was glad to see 
anything solvent come from America. 
A life of ease is mostly a life of sin. 
