1866.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
167 
for good seed long before this. There is little be¬ 
side fresh seed in the country, but the demand for 
this renders it necessary to be on one’s guard to get 
good. On rich land, in good tilth and not weedy, 
the crop is a very profitable one. Sow early in rows 
about 14 inches apart; it requires garden culture, 
and leaves the ground early for late cabbages, etc. 
Tobacco ground must oe prepared this month, by 
thorough manuring and plowing, and harrowing, to 
kill weeds. The seed beds may need watering with 
guano water, or other liquid manure, to bring for¬ 
ward slow growing plants, ready for transplanting 
before the middle of June. There should also 
be beds prepared in warm sheltered spots for 
Cabbages .—Sow seed of late sorts for field culture 
(Drumheads, Flat Dutch, etc.) any time this month; 
sprinkle beds freely with ashes to repel insects. 
Peas and Oats .—There will be many oats sowed 
this year in May, though below latitude 41° it is 
seldom advisable to sow oats alone after May 1st. 
When the ground is in fair heart, sow oats with the 
peas any time before the middle of the month in 
common seasons. Sow two bushels of each seed, 
plowing in the peas lightly and harrowing in the 
oats. Peas alone may be sowed as late as the 2oth, 
and the later crop, though not so large, are free 
from the attacks of the pea weevil. 
Implements, etc .—If not already provided, and you 
can pay for them, order a mower, horse-rake, and 
horse-fork immediately. It is very diflfieult to 
choose between the few best mowers, there is not 
choice enough to warrant waiting a week. Wooden 
toothed horse rakes do the best work, and pick up 
least dirt, moss and grit. Horse-forks are numer¬ 
ous, and most of them good; in selecting one re¬ 
gard lightness, strength, durability,and the ease with 
which it is tripped or opened. The salf-raking at¬ 
tachment is a very valuable one in reaping ma¬ 
chines, and when much grain is cut, it is indis¬ 
pensable to economical work. In providing good 
implements for hand labor, do not forget that 
Handy Tools make work light. Good hoes, light, 
sharp, and strong, are best, by far, in any but very 
cloddy, heavy soil, and the same is true of most 
other tools, rakes, forks, etc. 
Manure .—Our counsels are often repeated in re¬ 
gard to manure saving and making. The impor¬ 
tance of the subject is our excuse, if we weary any 
reader. Save and buy dead animals, old horses, etc., 
skin them, cut them up on a load or two of muck, 
covering them well with the same material, or with 
good soil. Lie in wait o’nights to add dogs to the 
heap ; they make excellent manure, and you save 
your sheep at the same time. Collect bones, pay¬ 
ing children 1.5 to 25 cts. per bushel for gatheriug. 
Prepare the privy vault so as to save every thing, 
mixing it with muck or dry soil, getting it out and 
working it over once a week. It will not be offen¬ 
sive in the least, if well treated. 
Buildings, etc .—Painting should be done when the 
surface is dry, but before the wood is so thoroughly 
dried that it will rapidly absorb the oil. Paint thus 
applied after moist weather, holds better and forms 
a much better surface than in a dry season. Level 
the sills of out-buildings, if thrown up by the frost. 
Clean out chimneys by burning or brushing during 
wet weather before the dry season. 
Work ia the Hortiealtiiral Departments. 
The notes of last month were intentionally made 
with a wide margin, to lap over into May. In the 
crowded condition of our space, we are obliged to 
avoid repetition as much as possible, and shall this 
month make brief mention of, or omit altogether, 
those things that were sufficiently discussed in 
these columns last month. It is always best to 
look back a month or two and see if some pre¬ 
vious suggestion is not worth acting upon now. 
Orchard and Nurgery. 
Planting is generally well over by this time, but 
if any remains to be done, do it faithfully, accord¬ 
ing to hints previously given. The later the season, 
the more chance of trees drying or heating in trans¬ 
portation, and the more care they will need before 
planting. Last month we mentioned the burying 
of trees to restore them if dried. We have seen 
this work wonders, on apparently hopeless eases. 
We once received a large box of trees, which had 
been long packed, in warm weather, and the buds 
had pushed out shoots several inches long. The 
trees were cut back almost to walking sticks, and 
planted. They all lived, and in autumn were well 
furnished with vigorous limbs. 
Grafting may be continued, recollecting that when 
the tree has started to grow, the bark is easily 
wounded, and slips easily. Set root-grafted stocks 
out in nursery rows, if not already done, and 
Budded Stocks, that were worked last year, need 
cutting back, provided the bud looks fresh and the 
union appears to have been formed. The stock is 
not to be cut at first close to the bud, but about 
three inches above it. This leaves a support to 
which to tie the rapidly growing shoot. Rub off all 
the buds except the one that was inserted. 
Seedling Stocks that were heeled in last winter, are 
to be set in rows to be budded at the proper season, 
first shortening the tap root. If seeds for stocks 
are not planted, lose no time iu putting them in, 
and weed them when they come up. The benefits of 
Mulching are so great, that it will pay to be at 
some trouble to apply it around newly planted 
trees. Straw, bog or salt hay, sawdust, chips, or 
any similar material will keep the earth from dry¬ 
ing, and if a dry time comes will save the neces¬ 
sity of watering. An account of the regular prac¬ 
tice of mulching on a large scale was given in an 
article on pear culture on page 314 of last year. 
Plowing, when done in the orchard, should only be 
entrusted to careful hands. Use short whiffle- 
trees to the plow or cultivator and pad the ends. 
It is customary to put iu carrots or some hoed crop 
between the rows of a young orchard. The war with 
Insects will begin this month. If the canker 
worms have ascended the trees, we know of no 
help for them. The tent-caterpillar is more manage¬ 
able, for that hangs out its sign, and it can be 
readily seen where he is to be found. Remove 
every nest, not only those found in the orchard, but 
from the wild cherry trees which they are apt to in¬ 
fest. A recent (English) Journal of Horticulture 
gives the following new remedy for the 
Bark Scale .—A strong solution of soft soap is 
mixed with clay and made as thick as it will work 
with a brush. The whole tree is painted over with 
this, and it is said that the animal is unable to 
to survive the application. We think this worth a 
trial, as we have seen Indians rid themselves of 
another kind of parasite, by plastering their hair up 
with clay, and wearing it in this way until dry. 
Hvergreens succeed better when planted this 
month than if removed earlier. Nursery trees are 
quite sure to live, provided their roots are never 
allowed to dry. When practicable, have the trees 
removed on a lowery or damp day. If they are to 
go any great distance, the roots should be covered 
with damp moss as soon as they are lifted. If the 
roots of any kind of an evergreen once get dry, it 
is a doubtful case. In setting, give good soil, and 
if any addition to it is needed, let it be well decom¬ 
posed leaf mould or muck. Never prune off the 
lower branches of an evergreen, if the upper ones 
overhang the lower, shorten them, and endeavor 
to keep the tree well furnished to the base and a 
perfect pyramid. A few large stones placed over 
the roots are better than stakes. Give well estab¬ 
lished evergreens.a dressing of rich compost. 
Seedlings of evergreens and all other forest trees 
must be shaded, as noticed last month, on page 146. 
Fruit CJarden. 
If the planting of dwarf trees is still to be done, 
observe the precautions mentioned under the head 
of Orchard and Nursery, last month, as well as this. 
But few persons in this country have the courage 
to make good shaped trees, for to do this requires 
a more severe treatment of the young tree, as it 
comes from the nursery, than most are equal to. In 
the finest dwarf pear orchard we have seen, the 
trees were all cut back the first year to about 18 
inches ; of course quite young trees were planted. 
To meet this want of proper treatment @f dwarfs, 
we have published Rivers’ Miniature Fruit Garden, 
noticed elsewhere. A general outline of the course 
to follow to produce a fine pyramidal or bush 
shaped dwarf tree we described in Jan., last year. 
Grape Vines may yet be planted. Brief directions 
were given last month. In most localities the vines 
are already tied to the trellis, but where there are 
late frosts it is better to leave them on the ground, 
where they can be protected. In putting them up 
after the buds have started, there is great danger of 
injuring the young shoots by careless handling. 
We get many letters asking how to train the vine. 
We have in previous volumes given the principal 
methods, and cannot repeat the same articles from 
year to year. Any one who has only a few vines, 
even, should have some good treatise upon the sub¬ 
ject. We refer to April and November, 1863, and 
April, 1864, for illustrated articles upon the subject. 
Whatever may be the “system” upon which a 
vine is to be trained, it must first be prepared for 
the operation, and the attention of the cultivator 
must be devoted to getting a strong plant to work 
upon. The proper way to do this is, to let a young 
vine grow only one shoot the first year. The 
second year two buds are to be permitted to grow. 
Those who begin thus will have a vine upon which 
they may practice any kind of training they please. 
Layers may be put down, and cuttings of such 
varieties as can be propagated in the open air may 
be set iu a well prepared nursery bed. 
Baspherries and Blackberries should have been 
planted last month. An article will be found on 
page 145, April. If the canes that fruited last year 
were not removed, then do it now, and thin out 
those which grew last year to three or four to each 
stool, reserving the strongest, and tie up to stakes. 
This of course does not apply to Black Caps. Keep 
down weeds and suckers, and if not done last fall, 
dress with manure. 
Currants will do all the better if the plants are 
well mulched before dry weather At the first sight 
of the currant worm, sprinkle the bushes with pow¬ 
dered white hellebore. See “Walks and Talks.” 
Insects will of course be a source of trouble. See 
some hints under Orchard and Nursery. For the 
Rose-bug, often so destructive to grape flowers, we 
know of nothing so efficacious as hand picking; 
indeed this is a very sure way with all the larger 
insects in a small garden; an hour daily devoted 
to this business, will be time well invested. 
Strawbei'ries .—The earlier these are in the better, 
but as there are cases where it is better to plant 
now than not at all, refer to the directions given 
last month. Where the plants are properly 
mulched, pull up the coarse weeds that find their 
way through the mulch. Beds coming into fruit 
should be mulched before the fruit gets of much 
size. Straw, rough hay, or corn stalks are used. 
M.lt.clien €5ar«ieii. 
We here again follow an alphabetical arrange¬ 
ment, and refer to last month for articles not men¬ 
tioned here, as well as for the earlier treatment of 
those here noticed. See select list of seeds given 
in February, and see advertisements for novelties. 
Asparagus .—Do not cut from a bed less than 
three years planted. In cutting, care is required 
not to injure the plant, or the buds that still re¬ 
main dormant. Slip the knife down between the 
shoot and the plant and cut with its edge slanting 
from the plant. That which is sent to market is 
put in bunches 6 or 8 inches in diameter, tied with 
a string near the top and bottom, and the lower 
ends cut square. Keep moist to prevent wilting. 
Beans .—Plant Early Valentine and other bush 
sorts as soon as frosts are over. Nothing is gained 
by planting in eold soil. Limas are still more trop¬ 
ical in their habits and need hot weather. For 
these, and all other pole beans, set the pole first; 
let the soil be rich, and put a half dozen beans, with 
the eye down, around each pole. Those started 
