1876 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
1(33 
Improved sugar beet is an excellent root, requiring 
the same cultivation as mangels. 
Fodder Crops .—Mixed fodder crops may be sown 
at intervals through the month. After the middle 
of the month, com will generally be the best crop 
to plant. This should be sown in drills —never 
broadcast—S feet apart, and the grains dropped 
about an inch apart in the drill. Emery’s corn- 
planter does this work well at the rate of 8 acres' in 
a day. Four bushels of seed per acre is required. 
Potatoes .—While the Colorado beetle is abroad, 
early potatoes will be the safer to plant. The bee¬ 
tles are not so numerous early in the season, and 
those who try, can keep them down without very 
much trouble. But later on the armies which have 
been bred and fed by careless farmers will swarm 
over the country, seeking what they may devour. 
As they seem to travel always to the east, if they 
find no late potatoes to consume, it is to be hoped 
that they will seek them in the Atlantic ocean and 
perish. For every acre of potatoes about 4 pounds 
of Paris green should be provided in time. 
Haying Machinery .—The scythe should be hung 
up forever. No modern farmer can afford to use 
it. If the fields are shapeless and rough, they 
should be put in proper eonditiou for the mower 
and hay-rake, or pastured. These implements 
should now be put into good condition or secured 
ready for use when wanted. There will be rainy 
days which may be well spent in doing this. 
Working Clothes .—Suitable working clothes that 
are cheap and convenient are now made so that they 
can be sent by mail to those who do not know how 
to or cannot make them. A close fitting suit that 
can be washed is far the best to wear, and woolen 
under-clothing should always be worn in the day, 
and removed and aired at night. A dry well-aired 
night-dress should always be worn ; it is cleanly 
and healthful, and the sleep is the more easy and 
refreshing for it. If there are more things to wash 
they are easier washed, and the work is actually 
lighter than when the clothing is badly soiled. 
Work in the Horticultural Departments, 
In all successful culture, weeding will follow 
closely upon planting and sowing. All work for 
the destruction of weeds ought to be done, except 
in small gardens, by horse-power where it is possi¬ 
ble, else the expense of a crop will be greatly in¬ 
creased. One fact needs to be frequently repeated, 
that is, if weeds are destroyed as soon as they ap¬ 
pear, or even just before they reach the surface, a 
great amount of labor is saved; the cost of run¬ 
ning a cultivator between the rows in a large garden 
once or twice a week, is inconsiderable, but after 
the weeds have once attained much size, the cost of 
hand-weeding will be more than double. The aim 
in growing any crop should be to have it carefully 
cultivated, which in most cases makes the differ¬ 
ence between loss or gain in the raising. Provide 
for succession crops of vegetables by sowing from 
time to time ; there need be no work during the 
season when there will not be a good selection of 
vegetables to choose from. Most farmers make 
one job of planting their gardens, so that when the 
first lettuce, peas, sweet corn, etc., are past, there 
is nothing to follow them. Succession crops of 
many kinds do well if planted even as late as July, 
and we remember sowing early beets as late as the 
4th of July, and had excellent winter roots. 
Orchard and Nursery, 
Planting .—It is not too late in northern localities 
to set out trees if they were properly heeled-in early 
this spring or last fall. All ground in which young 
trees are set, should be kept cultivated, so that 
they may have a chance to grow vigorously and 
ripen their wood properly. If any trees set last 
fall are found to be bent by winds, these should be 
straightened up and the soil pressed down firmly 
around the base of the tree. A few large stones 
placed over the roots will keep trees in their 
proper positions, and this is often a good way 
to dispose of surplus stones; but care must be 
used in cultivating around the trees, else the weeds 
will grow rapidly among the stones and rob the 
trees of much nutriment. 
Crafting may be done this month at any time 
provided the cions were cut beforb their buds 
started, and well kept. Trees bearing only inferior 
fruit may be grafted, and made valuable. 
Transplanting seedling trees from the seed-bed to 
nursery rows, should be done early, so -that they 
will be well established by the time -drouths come 
on. Some means of shading should be used for all 
young evergreens and other tender trees. For 
growing trees from seed, shading, etc., see articles 
in previous numbers on “Tree Planting.” 
Boot-Grafts .—Set at once in nursery rows at a 
sufficient distance to allow of horse cultivation. 
Insects must be fought, and tent-caterpillars, 
canker-worms, bark-lice, and borers, kept off, and 
destroyed in some way as soon as they appear 
Fruit Garden. 
Blackberries and Raspberries may still be set. It 
is better to plant early, as they start so soon that 
their growth is liable to be checked by late moving. 
Provide stakes or wires to tie up the canes prop¬ 
erly, so that the ground maybe cultivated between 
the rows by horse-power. If suckers start up be¬ 
tween the rows, treat them as weeds, unless more 
plants are needed. 
Cuirants and Gooseberries. —Better set late than 
not at all; plant 4 feet apart each way ; keep well 
cultivated and mulch in dry weather. 
Strawberries. —Keep the soil between the rows 
open and mellow until the fruit begins to form, 
when a mulch of leaves or straw should be given to 
keep the fruit from contact with the soil; any 
weeds which appear through the mulch can be 
hand-pulled. Set out new beds early and mulch 
to protect the plants from drouths. In small gar¬ 
dens it will pay to water strawberries. 
Grapes. —Allow newly planted vines only one cane 
the first year. As the new growth appears, tie up 
carefully to wires or other support, and rub off any 
unnecessary shoots which start. Give the soil be¬ 
tween the vines a dressing of ground bone—never 
use unfermented stable manure if the best results 
are desired. Cutting out poor and mal-formed 
bunches as soon as set, will help the rest of the 
crop ; this can only be done in small vineyards. 
Dwarf Trees of apples and poaches should be 
looked to, and the growth shortened where neces¬ 
sary, and any broken or injured branches cut away. 
Mifclieei Garden. 
The present will prove a busy month, as there 
are many varieties of seeds to sow and plants to 
set in order to produce a full supply of all the 
vegetables in their seasons. 
Asparagus. —At every cutting cut the whole bed 
clean, leaving no thin spindling shoots. Cut the 
shoots well below the surface in a direction slant¬ 
ing away from the stool to avoid injuring the dor¬ 
mant buds. An early dressing of salt, 3 lbs. to the 
square yard, is beneficial in inland localities. 
Beans. —Plant when all danger of frost, is over. 
Put bush sorts in drills 18 inches apart, and plant 
Limas and other pole sorts in hills 4 feet apart each 
way ; set the poles before the beans are planted ; 
push in the Limas eye down. 
Beets. —Early sown sorts will now be large enough 
to thin out and use for greens. Sow early sorts 
every two weeks until July, in drills 15 inches 
apart. Lettuce, if set between the rows, will 
be out of the way before the beets need the room. 
Cabbages. —Hoe the early set plants often, and 
especially in the morning while the dew is on. Set 
plants in vacant spots along fences and between 
young trees, if not shaded too much. 
Carrots.—-Sow a few rows for early, but defer 
planting the winter bed until later. 
Corn. —Plant when all dauger of frost has pass¬ 
ed ; if too early, the seed will rot before sprouting. 
Cucumbers. —Set out early started plants under 
hand frames in rich hills. If there are no hand¬ 
glasses, take old boxes 5 or 6 inches high, remove 
the bottom, and place them over a hill, and at 
night cover with a board ; a pane of glass may be 
put on in cool weather. 
Egg Plants.— Set the last of the month in rich, 
warm soil, and hoe often ; a little weak liquid ma¬ 
nure is very beneficial when they are growing. 
Leeks may still be sown. As soon as large enough, 
transplant; cut the tops off to 3 or 4 inches, and set 
in rows 18 inches apart and 5 to 6 inches in the row. 
Lettuce. —Set out plants and sow seeds. 
Martynia. —Seeds sown early this month in a hot¬ 
bed, will furnish plants for setting out later, or sow 
in place when the soil is warm, in either case they 
should stand 3 feet apart each way. 
Melons and Squashes for early may be treated the 
same as cucumbers, but the general crop must not 
be put in before the soil is well warmed. 
Onions. —Keep the soil loose between the rows, 
and weed early. 
Parsnips sown last month must be weeded and 
thinned early. Allow 5 to 6 in. between the plants. 
Parsley. —Transplant from hot-bed as soon as large 
enough to handle, and sow seed in open ground. 
Peppers.—Set out plants when the soil gets well 
warmed. Watering with liquid manure is beneficial. 
Peas. —Bush the early sown sorts, and plant every 
week or ten days for succession. Sow Little Gem 
and other dwarfs in rows a foot apart; they do 
not require brush like the tall kinds. 
Potatoes. —Cultivate the soil between the rows 
and keep free from potato-bugs either by hand¬ 
picking or the use of Paris green. Plant this 
month for late crop. 
Radishes. —Sow every week for succession, wher¬ 
ever there is room. 
Rhubarb. —Do not cut, but pull the leaves, and 
cut off the flower stalks as they appear. 
Salsify and Scorzonera. —Sow early this month if 
not attended to last; when large enough thin to 
two inches in the row. 
Spinach. —Sow every 10 days in rows a foot apart. 
Thin and weed the early sown beds. 
Tomatoes. —Set out after the weather has become 
settled, in hills 4 feet apart each way, and as they 
grow, provide a trellis or some support, or in ab¬ 
sence of these, supply brush for the fruit to rest 
on so that it will not lay upon t he ground and decay. 
Turnips. —Sow a few for early ; when up, sprinkle 
plaster or ashes on them to keep off the black fly. 
Tools. —Have all the tools in good condition to 
work with, and that after any one has been used, 
insist on having it returned to its proper place after 
cleaning. All wooden parts of tools are benefitted 
by a coat of crude petroleum ; it soon dries, leav¬ 
ing the pores full, so that ail moisture is excluded. 
I it* w ss iwd Flower CJnrtleii. 
Laivns should be put in order early. A top-dress¬ 
ing of any good fertilizer, free from weed seeds, is 
preferable to manure. Guano is one of the best, 
applied at the rate of 200 to 300 lbs. to the acre, just 
before a rain if possible. Where there are bare 
spots in which the grass has been winter-killed, 
fresh seed may be sown and raked in, or turf in¬ 
serted. Mow at least once a week, and unless the 
grass is long, let it remain to prptect the roots. 
Perennials should have been divided last montii, 
as many of them start so early that they are injured 
if distributed later. Keep established beds free 
from weeds and the soil open and light. 
Climbers .—Train and tie up to trellises before they 
start, so that the buds will not be injured. Towards 
the end of the month sow or set out from the hot¬ 
bed Cypress vines, Madeira vines, Canary Bird 
flower, etc., and provide trellises or other support. 
Sweet peas should be sown early and provided with 
brush three or four feet high. 
Flower-Beds .—Do not hurry with the bedding 
plants, the last of this mouth or early next, is soon 
