1876 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
83 
son if patience is used, and it has not sucked the 
cow. It should have the fresh warm milk for a 
week, then warmed half-skimmed milk for a time, 
and finally warmed skimmed milk. While the 
weather is cool, the milk should be warmed and 
given a little sweet; well boiled linseed-meal gruel 
is an excellent addition to the milk. 
Swine .—A farrowing sow should be littered with 
chaff or finely cut straw in a dry warm pen. It 
would pay where many brood sows are kept and 
early pigs raised, to have a stove in the piggery. 
Highly bred pigs are often tender and delicate, and 
warmth may save a litVer that would otherwise be 
wholly lost. Generally, a close warm pen will be 
sufficient, as few other young animals are better 
able to take care of themselves than pigs. 
Sheep and Lambs .—The draft upon the nursing 
ewes should be met by a supply of nutritious food. 
The kind of food should be suited to the kind of 
sheep. Merinos will consume corn without injury, 
but the heavier bodied sheep will do better on a 
mixed food. A bushel of corn, with the same quan¬ 
tity of oats, or rye and bran, ground together, and 
mixed with a bushel of linseed oil-meal, is a good 
feed for nursing ewes. One pound a day, with some 
cut roots or a few potatoes, will help both ewe and 
lamb. A run in a com stubble on fine days will be 
very useful for the whole flock, but not if there is 
deep snow upon the ground, or the soil is muddy. 
Poulti'y. —It is now time to set hens for early 
chickens. Warm comers in the stables or barns 
may be appropriated for this purpose where the 
other poultry are not permitted to go. The nest box 
may be carried there quietly at nigh' and the hen 
left undisturbed. The advantage of having loose 
nest boxes is, that the box and its occupant may 
be moved to wherever it is to remain. 
Vermin .—It is now that vermin give most trou¬ 
ble. Whenever “cow licks” are seen upon cattle 
lice may be found. A good remedy consists of an 
ointment made of a pound each of lard and crude 
petroleum mixed together with a quarter of a 
pound of flowers of sulphur. This rubbed along 
the spine and the inside of thighs of calves and 
cattle will soon free them from lice. It will also 
free hogs and poultry from fleas, and is not injuri¬ 
ous in any way. Bare irritable spots upon the tails 
or necks of horses may be also treated with this. 
— — ■ ■■ li Cl ■ « ■ — ■ - 
Work in tha Horticultural Departments. 
As the planting and sowing season approaches, 
the letters embodying the inquiries, “What shall 
I plant?” “What shall I sow?” become more 
numerous. These questions coming from all over 
the country are difficult to answer, as they cover a 
wide variety of climate and locality. We have often 
pointed out the fact that many varieties, especially 
of fruit, are local, and are not suited for general 
culture. On the other hand, there are a few kinds 
that succeed almost everywhere, and though these 
are not usually of the highest quality, their general 
adaptability compensates for the lack of great ex¬ 
cellence. We repeat here what we have so often 
stated. The experience of the neighborhood is the 
best guide. If one undertakes extensive cultivation 
either in orchard, vineyard, or market garden, he 
should study the leading works that have been 
written upon these subjects. 
tOrcliaral sand. Nsas,*sea*y. 
The land should have been prepared last fall; 
but if that was omitted let be done early and well. 
Order trees at once if not done. When trees arrive, 
unpack at once and heel them in—which means 
place them in trenches with the roots well covered 
with earth ; they will remain in this way for weeks 
without injury. Do not plant in wet soil, or that 
which is partly frozen. Planting should not be 
hurried; each tree should be examined; the broken 
roots trimmed smooth; the tops shortened by cut¬ 
ting back the branches one-half or two-thirds, and 
then set out with good earth around the roots, 
which should be well worked in to fill every space. 
Apples .—The following list of 20 will answer for 
most of those who plant for family use : Summer — 
Red Astrachan, Early Harvest, Williams’ Favorite, 
Benoni, Golden Sweet, Carolina Red June. Au¬ 
tumn —Gravensteiu, Duchess of Oldenburgh, Jersey 
Sweet, Porter, Keswick Codling, Mangum. Win¬ 
ter-Northern Spy, Baldwin, Rhode Island Green¬ 
ing, Esopus Spitzenburgh, Roxbury Russet, King 
of Tompkins County, Wine, Jonathan. 
Pears. —Dwarf pears, on quince roots, are now 
little planted, save in gardens—except the Duchesse 
d’Angouleme, which yields larger and better fruit 
as a dwarf. The popular pear is the Bartlett; 
nurserymen say that out of every hundred trees 
planted 90 are Bartlett. The amateur who has 
leisure can indulge in a great variety of choice 
kinds; those who wish fruit for home use and to 
market the surplus, can take any of the following: 
Early, Doyenne d’Ete, Bartlett, Doyenne Boussock. 
Fall, Duchesse d’Angouleme (on quince), Bell Lu¬ 
crative, Seckel, Beurre Bose, Louise Bonne de Jer¬ 
sey (better on quince). Late, Beurre d’Anjou, 
Lawrence, Yicar of Winkfield, Winter Nelis. 
Peaches. —Those who cultivate for market will do 
well to follow the lead of the successful growers. 
For home use Early Beatrice, Hale’s Early, Early 
York, Oldmixon Free ; George the Fourth, Ward’s 
Late Free, and Heath Cling, are among the best. 
Quinces. —The apple or orange variety is most 
popular, but is inferior to Rea’s Seedling. 
Cherries. —Among the best are Black Tartarian, 
Coe’s Transparent, Rockport, Louis Phillippe, Late 
Duke, and Black Hawk. Early Richmond is the 
best cooking variety. 
Plums can generally be fruited only where time 
and labor can be given to destroying the curculio. 
Some native seedlings are said to mostly escape its 
attacks ; the principal of these is the Wild Goose, 
of which spurious sorts are sold. Of the European 
plum, the Green and Imperial Gages, Coe’s Golden 
Drop, Jefferson, and Washington are good varieties. 
Mulberries. —Downing’s Everbearing, and in mild 
climates, the Black Persian. 
The distances apart for trees varies with apples 
from 20 to 40 feet, the greater distance being given 
on strong soils to the spreading varieties. Stand¬ 
ard pears 20 to 30 feet; dwarfs 8 to 12 feet. Peaches, 
plums, and cherries about 15 feet. 
Frsait fiSartlesa and Vineyas’d.. 
The fruit garden should be confined to what are 
known as the small fruits, and no trees larger than 
dwarf pears are to be grown in it. 
Blackberries. —The Kittatinny is the most gener¬ 
ally successful. Wilson’s Early is a good market 
fruit. Set in rows six feet apart, as early as possi¬ 
ble. The canes of both blackberries and raspberries 
grow one year, bear fruit the next, and then die. 
Currants. —Versailles, White Grape, and Black 
Naples. Set 4 or 5 feet apart, and manure well. 
Gooseberries are set the same distances; the Eng¬ 
lish sorts rarely escape mildew; Downing’s and 
Houghton’s are best for kitchen uses. 
Raspberries. —Set in rows 6 feet apart and the 
plants 4 feet apart. The Philadelphia is most hardy 
and productive, but the fruit inferior. Clarke, 
Herstine, Hudson River Antwerp, and Brinekle’s 
Orange are choice sorts, but mostly tender. High¬ 
land Hardy is a new kind highly praised; of the 
black raspberries, the Miami and Seneca. 
Strawberries. —After trying various methods, we 
have adopted cultivation in rows 3 feet apart, the 
plants a foot apart. When the bed needs to be 
renewed, the runners are allowed to take root in the 
intermediate spaces; when well-established, all 
save one row of these young plants are spaded up. 
Charles Downing still proves the best family berry 
for all soils ; Wilson is only fit for market. Nicanor 
is good on heavy soils. Black Defiance is a fine 
fruit for home use. Triomphe de Gand and Jucun- 
da give fine large fruit on heavy, as docs Seth 
Boyden on light, soils. 
Grapes can be grown in the most limited space, 
and may be trained to a fence, the side of a build¬ 
ing, or to a trellis made for the purpose. They may 
be set from 8 to 12 feet apart, according to the 
space to be covered. Do not set old vines; those 
one or two years old are preferable. A young vine 
should produce but oue shoot the first year. Con¬ 
cord is the universally successful variety ; the list 
is large ; in our experience Creveling, Barry, Croton, 
Delaware, Eumelau, Senasqua, and Wilder, have 
proved the most satisfactory out of 50 varieties. 
Mitclaem Garden. 
Each year many new varieties are offered ; do not 
rely upon any of these for a main crop, but stick to 
the well tested sorts ; buy all the novelties you can 
afford, as it is interesting to try them. This month 
is, in northern localities, early enough to start a 
Hot-bed. —This is a frame covered with glass, 
which is placed over fermenting mauure which af¬ 
fords heat; earth is placed upon the manure in 
which seeds are sown, or they are sown in boxes of 
earth which are placed upon the manure. Stable 
manure, in a heating state, may be used alone, or 
with half or more leaves. The bed is often built 
upon the ground, 4 ft. high, and a foot wider each 
way than the frame, which is placed upon top. A 
more economical use of the manure is to build a pit, 
21 ft. deep, and of a size to fit the sashes ; this is 
planked up, the rear side to 12 in. above the sur¬ 
face, and the front towards the south, 4 in. above 
the surface. It may be filled with all manure, or a 
foot of leaves may be first put in, then 18 in. of 
manure, and ail trodden down ; 6 in. of good soil 
may be put on, or if boxes are used, only enough 
to cover the manure. Strips should run from the 
front to rear of the frame for the sashes to slide 
upon. The heat is at first violent; when the ther¬ 
mometer shows it is receding from 100°, sow seeds. 
Cold Frames are like hot-beds, but set directly 
upon the ground. They are used to keep half-har¬ 
dy plants through the winter, and to harden off 
those started in the liot-hed. They may be used for 
sowing seeds, and though the plants will not come 
on so rapidly as in a liot-bed, they will be much in 
advance of those in the open ground.—Plants now 
in frames must be hardened by exposure whenever 
the weather will allow. 
Window Boxes, in small gardens, supply the place 
of a hot-bed or cold-frame. Seeds sown in boxes of 
earth 3 in. deep, and set in a warm kitchen window, 
the plants properly watered and thinned, and if 
need be, transplanted to other boxes of earth, will 
give an abundance of early tomato and other plants. 
Asparagus. —Set plants one foot apart, in rows 2 
ft. apart, in well manured soil, covering the crown 
4 in. for a garden bed. In field culture set 2x3 or 
3x4 ft. Colossal is best. 
Beets. —Sow as soon as frost is out. Egyptian and 
Bassano for early—Long Blood for late. 
Beans. —Early Valentine, Newington Wonder, and 
Dwarf Wax for bush sorts ; Giant Wax and Aspar¬ 
agus for pole and snaps; Case-knife and large and 
small Limas for pole to shell. All are tender. 
Cabbage. —Set plants from cold-frame as soon as 
frost is out. Sow in hot-bed, for second early, Jer¬ 
sey Wakefield, Early Summer, Winningstadt. Lat¬ 
er in open ground, Drumhead, Flat Dutch, Drum¬ 
head Savoy, and Red Dutch, for main crops. 
Cauliflower. —Sow Early Paris or Early Erfurt in 
hot-bed. Autumn Giant is good late. 
Carrot. —Early Horn is best for garden, for either 
early or late. 
Celery. —Dwarf White, Dwarf Crimson, and Bos¬ 
ton Market; sow next month in open ground. 
Chives are propagated by dividing old plants. 
Corn. —Minnesota best early ; Triumph best me¬ 
dium ; Stowell’s good late. Sow only in warm soil. 
Cucumbers. —Early Russian and White Spine. 
Some may be started in pots, turned out later, and 
yield before those sown in open ground. Green 
Prickly, for pickles, is sown in June. 
Egg Plant. —New York Purple and Black Pekin ; 
sow in liot-bed, and keep warm. 
Horse-radish is grown from pieces of root, set late. 
Kohl Rabi. —Sow in open ground like cabbages. 
Leek. —Sow early in rich soil; Large Flag is best. 
Lettuce. —Sow in hot-beds ; transplant to open 
ground when frosts are over—transplant any that 
