1866 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICUETURIST, 
83 
Winio- Grain is often greatly beuefitted by a light 
dressing of some fertilizer. Where gas-house liquor 
(ammoniacal water) can be obtained, if it can be 
sliowered upon the grain from a liquid manure dis¬ 
tributor, like a city watering cart, it produces ex¬ 
cellent effeets both upon grain and grass, as do 
likewise ashes and plaster, either or both; bone- 
dust also, and superphosphate of lime, if good. 
Grass Seeding, if done well, will be successful; 
use a little more than enough seed, and have the 
ground well prepared. On grain it should be sowed 
while the ground is still loose and open from the 
escaping frost. In either case roll after sowing. 
Weeds—Ki this season, in meadows and pastures, 
and along the fence rows a great many of the bien¬ 
nial weeds may be easily seen and destroyed. A 
few men and boys armed with what we have heard 
called “spuds,” which arc strong sticks tipped 
with chisel-like, steel points, will cut up a great 
many mulleins, teasles, thistles, docks, etc. 
Work in the Horticultural Departments. 
The time for pl.anning has well nigh passed, and 
the lengthening and milder days indicate that work 
may now soon begin in earnest. If there be any 
who intend to plant, and h.avc not ordered their 
trees, or who intend to sow and have not yet looked 
after their seeds, we counsel them to do it forth¬ 
with. Do not order every novelty that is adver¬ 
tised or noticed in the papers, but let the main 
selections, whether for fruit, vegetables, or flowers, 
be of established sorts, with only a few of the 
newer things for a trial. Better plant a dozen sorts 
of apples or pe.ar.s, known to succeed in your neigh¬ 
borhood, than fifty sorts known only by report. 
We do not at all object to the trial of new things, 
but encourage those who have the means to test 
them, and fortunately there are plenty of such, who 
are ready to pay any price for a novelty. But to 
those who wish trees for fruit, vegetables for the 
table, and flowers for enjoyment, and whose space 
and means are both limited, we advise caution and 
moder.ate investments in unknown things. 
Orchard and rjiirsery. 
As soon as the frost will allow, the nurseryman 
tiikes up his young trees and heels them in, ready 
to fill orders. Buyers are apt to judge of the tree 
by the top, and more is the pity. A small clump 
of roots is readily t.aken up, is easily packed, 
and to the majority of people answers as well as a 
large mass of unmutilated roots. A moderate 
shortening of the roots would not be of so much 
consequence, if the purchaser would onl 3 '' cut back 
the top to correspond. Most of the buds will pro¬ 
duce leaves ; every leaf increases the evaporating 
sui-fiice, and if this is out of proportion to the ab¬ 
sorbing surface of the roots, the consequence is 
that each bud shows a sickly tuft of leaves, makes 
no growth, and if the tree does not die outright, 
it might .as well, for it will be a long time in re¬ 
covering. The mor.al of all this is, 
Frune at Planting, not only to keep matters 
square between root and leaf, but also to shape the 
tree. Get all the roots that the nurserymen can be 
induced to give, trim all that have been severed, 
with a smooth cut sloping from below upwards, 
then shorten at least half of last year’s growth. 
Do not look upon a young tree for what it is, but 
what it will he when the buds have grown to 
limbs. The last bud left on the limb will become 
the leader, and it should point outward, or to the 
right or left, as is needed to shape the tree, but 
seldom, or never, inward. If necessary to cut two 
or three buds below the one preferred, in order to 
find one that points in the right direction, do it. 
Cut ne.ar to, but not too close to the bud, and never 
leave a stub above the bud, to decay. Also cut out 
.all useless branches, and those which will cross. 
Have every thing in readiness to set out trees as 
soon as they arrive. As soon as the ground is 
settled and can be worked, set out 
Cuttings of currant, gooseberry, quince, etc. 
Crowd the earth w'ell around the base of the cut¬ 
tings. Where rabbits and mice are pleiitjq there 
will frequently be 
Girdled Trees, which a little timely care will save. 
If the inner bark is not entirely destroyed, put on 
a generous plaster of cow dung and clay, and bind 
it there with old cloths; but if the girdling is com¬ 
pletely made through to the wood, then small 
twigs, of the same kind, lu.ay be used to bridge over 
the space. The twigs are to be somewhat longer 
then the girdled b.and, whittled to a thin chamfer 
at each end, .and inserted under the b.ark both above 
and below the wound, in a cut made as for bud¬ 
ding. As m.any may be inserted as can be without 
too much injury to the bark. Tie securely, put on 
gr.afting wax or claj’, and shorten the limbs. It is 
at the North too early to do 
Grafting, but cions m.ay be cut as heretofore di¬ 
rected, and grafting wax or clay made read}-. If 
the eggs of the tent c.atcrpillar have not been at¬ 
tended to, read what was said in January under 
Insects, and see how many rascals c.an be nipped 
in the bud, or egg, which is practically the same. 
The Trunks of old orchard trees may be tre.ated 
to the soft soap wash, as suggested in February. 
Home-m.ade so.aj) is better th.an “boughten,” and ley 
or a solution of 1 lb. of potash to 4 gallons of water 
may be used instead. In these warm days of March 
the moths which are the parents of the 
Canker Worm ascend the trunks. -Whatever pro¬ 
tection is used, its value depends upon being well 
applied, and carefully looked after. If there is any 
space between the protection and the tree, the in¬ 
sects will find it and pass through. If tar be used, 
it must be kept fresh and sticky. If troughs con¬ 
taining oil, see that neither dust, straws, nor dead 
insects form a bridge to tr.avel over. The protect¬ 
or of Mr. D. Lyman is simple and readily con¬ 
structed ; it was figured in December last. 
Stocks budded last fall, may be cut to within .8 
inches of the bud, provided that appears to be alive. 
Fruit Garden. 
To those who propose to set a portion of ground 
apart for a fruit garden, we say, if the land is not 
propei-ly prepared, better wait until autumn before 
planting small fruits, and devote the season to fit¬ 
ting it for their reception. Drainage is usually 
needed. Deep working and manuring can both be 
accomplished- by growing some highly manured 
hoed crop. Sweet potatoes require a treatment 
that will leave the land in excellent condition. 
Autumn planting is for many things preferable. 
One of the first things needing .attention is the 
Grape Tines, which in the autumn pruning had 
an extra bud left; these buds m.ay now be cut 
away. Plant new vines as early as the soil is fit, 
and whatever style of pruning may be adopted, 
allow only one cane to grow from a young vine the 
first year. When the season is sufficiently 5.d- 
vanced, uncover the vines that have been protected 
by a coating of earth, by lifting them with a fork. 
Grape Cuttings of those varieties that will root 
re.adily in the open ground, are to be put out as 
soon as the soil has settled. Make a trench with 
the spade, deep enough for the cuttings, set them 4 
inches apart, press the earth firmly about their 
lower ends, .and fill up the trench so that the upper 
bud of the cutting will be just at the surface, or but 
slightly covered. Cuttings of 
Currants and Gooseberries are treated the same; 
the bushes may still be pruned, and cuttings used. 
Blackberries and Raspberries should be taken up 
early, as the young shoots are easily destroyed when 
they have made much growth. Prepare beds for 
Strawberries, using old manure, and be ready to 
set them as soon as plants can be had. 
Dwarf Pears and Apples are the largest trees 
allowiible in the fruit garden proper, and these 
should be kept as compact bushes or pyramids. 
To get trees perfect in form,-they must be taken 
only a year from the bud, or graft, and they can 
then be kept perfectly under control. See article 
on this subject with illustrations in J.anuary, 1865. 
Mitclaesa Garden. 
One of the things to which especial attention 
must be given this month, is the forwarding of 
plants under glass for transplanting as soon as the 
weather serves. Small operations m.ay go on in 
w'indow boxes, as described in February on page 
62; but the hot-bed or cold frame will be needed 
by m.any. The apparatus in both c.ases is the same, 
.and sufficient directions for its construction were 
given last month. Those who hesitate about the 
expense should remember that in all closely settled 
communities there is a demand for early plants, 
and the expense of fixtures may soon be defrayed 
by the sale of c.abbage, tomato, pepper, and other 
plants. Mr. Henderson, on another p.age, shows 
how market gardeners manage with their sashes. 
Cold frames will do in most cases instead of hot¬ 
beds, but to get earliest results with many plants, 
Rot-beds must be used. The position of the bed i.s 
of import.ance; the ground should be dry, easy of 
access from the house, and, .above all, sheltered 
from cold winds by a fence or building—the expo¬ 
sure being South-east or South. Supposing the 
frame and sash are ready, and that one has a generous 
he.ap of stable maniu-e, long and short together, al¬ 
ready deposited near the site of the bed—with a 
fork, take the manure from the heap and build it up 
into .another, close along side of whore the first one 
stood. Sh.ake out the lumps and mix long and 
short together as equally as m.ay be, and if it ap¬ 
pears dry, wet it as the heap is built up. Build up 
the pile in a regular cone, and if the weather is cold, 
lay some boards, corn-stalks, or other material 
.ag.ainst it, to keep in the heat. In three or four 
days thrast a stick into the center of the heap, and 
if it feels quite w.arm when withdrawn, repeat the 
operation of rebuilding the pile. In this second 
turning over, ende.avor to bring the manure that 
was outside, to the inside of the heap. If the ma¬ 
nure heats up well, in three or four days it is re.ady 
to make the bed, but if not, then turn it again and 
continue to do so until the whole is brought into 
a state of active fermentation. The bed is built 
wholly .above ground, or partly in an excavation. 
When the ground is well drained, make an exca¬ 
vation a foot in depth and one foot larger each way 
than the frame. Drive stakes, 3 feet high, at the 
corners of the excavation, and then put in the 
manure, a forkful at a time, distribute it evenly, 
and in layers, beating each layer dow-n with the 
back of the fork. As the mannre is piled above 
the surfiree, keep the edges even, .and be careful to 
h.ave the mass equally compact throughout. The 
bed of manure is made from two to three feet in 
thickness, and the heat w-ill be more gr.adual .and 
lasting, if one-fourth to one-half its bulk of forest 
leaves be mixed with the manure. For a bed above 
ground, drive the shakes and build up the manure 
in the same ra.anner. Put on the frame, and place 
in it about six inches of good light, rather sandy 
soil, put on the sash and rake off the edges of the 
bed of the manure to remove loose straw. The 
next day the heat will probably be so great that the 
finger, when thrust into the earth, cannot be held 
there for a long time. Raise the sashes during the 
day, but close at night, and when the heat is steady 
at about 75°, sow the seeds in drills about 3 inches 
.apart. Cabbages, cauliflowers, etc., may go under 
the same sash, and egg plants, tomatoes, peppers 
and other things, requiring more heat, may be put 
together. Keep the bed from becoming ovcrhe.ated, 
by lifting the upper end of the frame, and securing 
it by a block. When the plants are up, they must 
be aired in the day time .and be kept from burning 
by the sun, or from getting too dry. Where only 
a gentle he.at is needed, a foot or so of fermenting 
manure may be placed in an exc.avation, the frame 
placed over it, .and earth put upon the manure to 
receive the seeds. Tomatoes, egg plant, w-inter 
cherry, and peppers need more heat than do cab¬ 
bage, cauliflow-er, lettuce, celery, etc. 
Inverted Sods are very convenient for all plants 
difficult to remove. Cut a toirgh sod in pieces 
about 3 inches square, place these in the hot-bed or 
cold fr.ame, gr.ass side down, and sow cucumbers, 
melons, early squashes, and Lima beans on the 
