104 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[July, 
frequent cultivation, especially if there be danger 
from drought. The plow will do no damage to the 
roots before the tops of corn, potatoes, tobacco, etc., 
would be injured bj’ the passage of the whiflletree. 
Manure .—The hog pens and compost heaps should 
receive every thing that will decay. The fermenta¬ 
tion in compost heaps may need quickening by a 
few pailfuls of manure liquor. In hot weather 
manure makes very fast, and dead aninials and all 
such things rapidly form an excellent compost with 
muck, sods, etc. Use plaster to prevent the loss of 
ammonia, spriulcling it over manure while it is in 
active fermentation, and upon stable floors, etc. 
See articles on pages 202 and 203. 
Oats , like other spring grain, are apt to ripen un¬ 
evenly. If allowed to stand too long, the straw is 
not so good for fodder, and the grain shells badly ; if 
cut too early, the straw will be much better but the 
grain will not be so plump, and it often is hard to 
thresh; good judgment therefore is needed. The 
oat should be cut just when pas'sing out of the 
“ milk.” To save the labor of threshing, it is often 
worth while to cut and cure this grain like hay, 
and 'eed it out in the same way. In this case it is 
cut about as soon as the grain in the more forward 
heads may be rubbed out in the hands. The only 
objection to this plan is that it is more exposed to 
the attacks' of rats and mice. 
Pastures .—Be very careful about over-stocking. 
If possible make frequent changes from one pas¬ 
ture to another. Top-dressings of gypsum, or 
ashes and bone dust, quickly show their effect in the 
increased feed. Sowing bone dust upon old pas¬ 
tures is regularly and profitably practised in many 
parts of New England, particularly in daily regions. 
Potatoes for immediate marketing may be dug as 
soon as ripe, or when the tops die. If not required 
to be marketed at once it is best to leave them in 
the ground till fall. Do not hoe after blossoming. 
Poultry .—Let all kinds of poultry find their way 
t o the grain fields after the grain is housed, but not 
before. If kept shut up, give grass or greens daily. 
Sheep very close shorn sometimes have their 
backs scalded by the hot sun, and flies will cause 
much annoyance to such sores, as also to wounds ; 
sc w on patches of greased cotton cloth. Sheep suffer 
from the attacks of the CEstrus Ovis, a gadfly, which 
causes “ grub in the head,” and is an intolerable 
annoyance to the sheep. They are repelled by 
smearing tar on the sheep’s noses, and it is a great 
comfort to the sheep to have a fresh plowed furrow 
here aud there into which they thrust their noses 
when the gadfly is about. Salt weekly and visit 
frequently through the season. 
Soiling Crops .—Sow millet, corn, or sorghum for 
late soiling. The millet will mature seed. Hun¬ 
garian glass will make a good crop of hay sowed 
before the middle of the month. 
Swine may have the range of the orchards, where 
they will pick up the wormy fruit and destroy the 
insects. They will glean the scattered grain in 
the fields, and thrive upon it. Grain fed to hogs 
during the summer tells very well when fattening 
begins in earnest, in their increased size and good 
condition. Feed hogs confined in pens some green 
fodder daily. Give them charcoal dust to chew 
or mix it with the feed, and supply water to drink. 
It improves their condition very much. 
Tanner's Bark .—Oak and hemlock trees will peel 
during most of this mouth. 
Tools .—Examine the entire stock in rainy weather, 
and if possible anticipate breakage by strengthening 
weak spots and joints and keeping every thing well 
oiled, nuts tight, bearings clean, cutting tools 
sharp, and duplicates of parts likely to break. 
Turnips are excellent to fill up all vacant places. 
A few seeds may be scattered here and there, whcrc- 
cver any thing else has failed. The main crop may 
be sowed after the 20th. 200 pounds of super¬ 
phosphate or bone dust to the acre will almost al¬ 
ways insure a good crop. Dust the plants with gyp¬ 
sum if they are troubled with insects. See page 206. 
Weeds .—Watch against their going to 6ecd. 
Smother those which cutting and plowing will not 
kill by spreading a coating of litter over them. 
Wheat .—Cut when passing out of the milk. The 
“ Heading Harvesters” are especially to be recom¬ 
mended where labor is scarce as it is tliis-season. 
There is some loss of grain, but little in comparison 
with the saving of labor in handling greatlmasses of 
straw, where straw has so little value as at the west. 
Orchard and S isrsery. 
Notwithstanding .the severity of the winter, and 
the cold blasts about blossoming time in spring, 
there is in many localities a prospect of a fair if 
not abundant crop. We have seen some orchards 
with more fruit set than the trees ought to bear, 
and it will, especially pears, need severe thinning. 
It is too much the custom to allow trees to bear at 
will, when the fruit would be improved in quality 
and quantity, if one half or more were removed. 
A barrel of large, well formed fruit will bring 
double the price of one filled with half shaped, 
guarled specimens. We repeat the advice to thin 
freely, and it will be found that low headed trees 
will increase the facility with which this is done. 
Budding .—Plums may be worked as soon as the 
bark can be lifted, and good well formed buds can 
be had. In this as in all other propagation of 
plants, avoid all danger of mistakes in labeling. 
The budding of other fruits may follow in_ succes¬ 
sion as soon as stock and buds are ready. 
Cherries .—The softer varieties will need to be 
picked and marketed at once. Use a step ladder 
and let the limbs be drawn carefully toward the 
picker by means of a hooked stick. Allow no climb¬ 
ing of the trees with rough boots to bruise the bark. 
Crafts .—Continue to watch them and replace the 
wax, if necessary. Remove all shoots that start 
on the stock below the graft. 
Insects .—Late broods of the tent caterpillar may 
still be found in the trees. When within reach they 
may be removed by the hand. Those high upon 
the trees will need a brush or swab—kill them some¬ 
how. The disgusting, slimy, greenish slug which 
appears on pear trees may be treated to a dusting 
of lime or ashes, shaken from a bag of coarse mus¬ 
lin. Encourage insect eating birds, and do not 
shoot any without first ascertaining if they are 
friends or enemies. Birds will frequently lake the 
earliest ripened cherries, but it will be found that 
these are prematurely colored because there is a 
worm within. Kerosene or coal oil lamps or lant¬ 
erns, set in pans of water and kept burning through 
the night, will attract and drown numbers of moths 
which would otherwise lay their eggs on the trees. 
Layering .—The growth of the present season of 
many ornamental shrubs may be layered, and will 
form well rooted plants to be separated and re¬ 
moved in autumn or the following spring. 
Manure .—It is not too late to help trees to carry 
a large crop by spreading coarse stable manure 
around them as far as the roots extend. 
Mulch .—Coarse manure used as directed above 
will answer as a mulch for established trees, but 
those planted this season will do better if mulched 
with some non-stimulating material. In the ab¬ 
sence of all other mulching, a layer of small stones 
might be used with advantage to retain moisture. 
Pinching .—This method of summer pruning may 
now be practised. Shoots which tend to run up 
unduly, may be shortened, and the growth thrown 
into lateral branches. Indeed the whole future 
shape of the young tree is now completely at the 
control of the cultivator, who by shortening a 
branch here, and rubbing one out altogether there, 
can form the head of the tree to suit his taste. 
Pruning .—This is the most favorable month for 
the operation. Read the suggestions on page 207. 
Seedlings. —These, whether of fruit or ornamental 
trees need to be shielded from the hot sun by means 
of a lattice work of lath, or by a shelter of boughs. 
Leafy boughs stuck all over the seed bed will give 
a rough shading, if no better can be provided. 
Seeds .—Begin to collect all as they mature. Some 
shrubs ripen and drop their seeds soon after flower¬ 
ing. Cherry pits should not be allowed to get dry, 
but be preserved in boxes of sand’or sandy earth. 
Weeds .—These will now appear in abundance in 
the nursery, and will require the use of the horse- 
hoe, cultivator, or hand-hoe. In destroying weeds 
it is satisfactory to know that ;the labor not only 
kills these robbers of the soil, but at the same time 
leaves the ground in that loose condition which is 
most favorable to the growth of the plants. 
Kitclicn Gardcii. 
The crops here are mainly well established, and 
the success of the season’s operations will in good 
part depend upon care during midsummer. The 
free use of the hoe will both loosen the soil and 
keep down weeds. Much ground from which early 
peas, spinach and other crops have been removed, 
may now be rendered available by planting early 
this month. See note on a “Succession of Vege¬ 
tables,” on page 207. 
Asparagus— Cutting was of course over long ago. 
Nothing now is to be done but clean the beef of 
weeds and let the tops grow to strengthen the roots 
for another season, and they will do this all the 
better if they now have a dressing of manure. If 
the asparagus beetle appears, cut off the branches 
containing the eggs and grubs, and burn them. 
This may weaken the plants somewhat, but the in¬ 
jury from the insects would be much greater. 
Beans .—Plant Refugee, or other good sort, for late 
use or for salting. Select some of the earliest of 
those already growing for seed. Give Limas a 
frequent hoeing, help them to climb the poles or 
trellis, pinch off the stem at the height of 5 or 6 
feet. Some favorable results are reported from 
growing Limas without poles,letting themlieon 
the ground. 'Will those who try it give the results ? 
Beets. —Hoe, thin, and keep the ground loose be¬ 
tween the rows. A late crop may be raised if seed 
is sown early this month. Soak the seed. 
Cabbages and Caidiflowers .—Complete the trans¬ 
planting of the late sorts, taking pains to “ grout” 
the roots if the soil is dry. See p. 178, last month. 
Use the hoe freely and give liquid manure, unless 
in a dry time. Clear off the ground occupied by the 
early crop, and prepare and use it for late vegetables. 
Celery.— Set out in trenches as directed last 
month. Give water if plants suffer from drouth. 
Carrots.— Keep the space between the rows clean 
until the tops render it difficult to work them. 
Corn.—Plant a crop of the quickly maturing vari¬ 
eties to prolong the season until frost. Be sure and 
have a good quantity dry for winter use. 
Cticumbers .—Hoc those planted early, until the 
growth of the vines prevents it. Put in seed the 
first of the month for a late crop fo.r pickling. 
Egg Plants should be hurried up as fast as possi¬ 
ble by giving frequent hoeings, and if the weather 
is not dry, an occasional stimulant of liquid manure. 
Endive .—Sow as directed last month on page 178. 
Herbs.— All the aromatic herbs should be cut just 
as they come into flower. Tie them in small bun¬ 
dles or spread them to dry in the shade. 
Lettuce .—Sow for succession where it will be par¬ 
tially shaded, as the hot weather causes it to run 
to seed very soon. Silesian is good for late. 
Manure .—The liquid manure tank should now be 
in operation and its contents applied to stimulate 
lagging plants. Do not use it during a dry time. 
Melons .—noe as long as the size of the vines will 
permit. Pinch the ends of the vigorous stems to 
induce side branches to form and hasten maturity. 
Onions .—Keep the bed well hoed and weeded, and 
thin the plants if they are likely to be too crowded. 
reas .—Sow for succession, putting the seed deep. 
Clear off vines and brush as soon as the picking is 
over, and prepare the ground for some late crop 
Pick those for seed as soon as the pods become dry. 
Potatoes .—Dig for use and market, and prepare 
for late cabbages, turnips or spinach. 
Rhubarb .—Do not allow the roots to become 
