132 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
hole in thin land having a bad subsoil, because 
the hole being of course Liled with good soil the 
roots would soon penetrate amongst it to the 
bottom of the hole ; they would then be inclosed 
as if within the impenetrable sides of a vase; 
and in consequence of this the tree would stop 
growing, and a progressive decline would follow, 
because when roots are deeply situated it is 
very difficult for them to reascend to the proper 
level. In low grounds, subject to inundation, 
it is advantageous to make the holes deep, and 
to fill them almost entirely up with chalk lumps, 
or small stones; thorns are laid on these, then 
earth, or turf, with the grassy side downwards, 
s o that the lowest roots of the trees are nearly 
on a level with the surface of the ground. The 
foot of the tree is surrounded with a hillock, or 
mound of earth, of the same diameter as the 
hole, and of sufficient thickness; this is formed 
with the earth previously thrown out of the hole. 
In order to prevent the sides of the mound from 
slipping, it is well to cover it with turf. 
When an orchard is to be planted, or where 
there are many rows, the quincunx arrangement 
is always the best, because, by that mode, each 
tree is equi-distant from its neighbors, and each 
has an equal portion of air and light; it is also 
the best for lining in all directions. The rect¬ 
angular mode of planting is only fit for avenues. 
The quincunx arrangement is based on an 
equilateral triangle, at each angle of which a tree 
is planted. To trace out on the ground the lines 
for the quincunx, which must not be confounded 
with the rhomb, we first form a base line by 
means of poles, or with a line ; on this line pegs 
are fixed at the places where we intend to plant, 
at the distance determined on, say at forty-two 
feet. 
Filling in the Holes. —Where the soil is light, 
we may fill in the holes a considerable time be¬ 
fore planting. The case, however, is different 
with regard to clayey soils, because the season 
of planting (November and December) being 
generally rainy, the soil recently replaced in the 
hole absorbs and retains the water, thus forming 
a sort of puddle in which it would be improper 
to plant; whereas by remaining in conical heaps 
with wet, it dries quickly, and becomes^as Ynucfi 
divided as its nature will permit. We therefore 
ought not to fill the holes in this kind of soil 
until the very day in which we plant. 
In order to form a drainage in the holes made 
in clayey soils, it is proper to put in the bottom 
furze, brambles, hedge primings, or other brush¬ 
wood, and sometimes old plaster, and mortar, 
more or less pulverized, covering it with turf if 
it can be got. These not only facilitate the es¬ 
cape of water, but they also ameliorate the soil. 
The furze and brushwood are in course of time 
reduced to a layer of mould, which is an eighth 
part of their original thickness, and as the earth 
which is above also settles a sixth or tenth part 
of its thickness, allowance must be made for 
these circumstances in planting, otherwise the 
tree will eventually sink too low, and it is always 
better to plant too high than too low, because 
the roots strike down much more readily than 
they come up to the proper level again. If the 
sinking of the earth and brushwood cannot be 
well estimated, a circular mound of sixteen or 
twenty inches in diameter should be left undis¬ 
turbed in the middle of the hole. This mound 
is brought down to the depth at which it is in¬ 
tended to plant the tree, and the brushwood and 
earth are then filled in, and neither the mound 
nor tree will participate in the sinking that ul¬ 
timately takes place. 
(To be continued.) 
- • © •- 
White Sheep Skins for Door Mats. —Take 
two long-woolled sheep skins, and make up a 
strong lather of soap ; the sign of proper strength 
is when the the lather feels slippery betsveen 
the fingers. When the lather is cold, wash the 
skin carefully in it, squeezing it between the 
hands so as to take all the dirt out of the wool. 
When this is accomplished, lift out the skins 
and wash them in cold water until all the soap 
is extracted. Have a vessel of clean cold water 
ready, to which some alum and salt (about half 
pound) which have been dissolved in a small 
quantity of hot water, are added, and the skins 
left to steep all night. They are taken out in 
the morning, and hung over a pole to dry. 
When all the alum water has dripped off, they 
are spread out on a board to dry, and carefully 
stretched with .the hand from time to time. Be¬ 
fore they are thoroughly dry, a composition of 
two table-spoonfuls of alum, and the same of 
saltpetre, are ground to powder in a mortar or 
otherwise, and sprinkled carefully on the flesh 
side of each skin. They arc then placed the 
one on top of the other, leaving the wool out¬ 
side, and hung upon a rack of salts, in a barn, 
shed, or dry airy place, for about three days, or 
until they are dry; they should be turned every 
da}'. After this they are taken down, and the 
flesh side scraped with a blunt knife, and each 
skin trimmed for a mat. The flesh side may then 
be rubbed over with pipe clay, beat with a 
switch, and will then be found supple, of a 
beautiful white color, and fit for a door mat for 
a mechanic or prince. 
SELECTING BREEDING RAMS. 
It is the peculiar province of ram-breeders to 
breed stock rams for the use of common flock- 
breeders ; and this mode of breeding has many 
advantages to both parties. The ram-breeder 
can afford to procure and put to his flock of ewes 
better animals, and, of course, more expensive 
ones than would answer the purpose of an or¬ 
dinary breeder to use. In this way the ram- 
breeder is enabled to keep up a more select and 
valuable flock, from which he can let or sell ani¬ 
mals of a truly valuable character to breeders 
for common use at a lower rate of prices ; be¬ 
sides, it is also his peculiar province to look out 
for and introduce every practical improvement 
into his flock of which it is capable, by judicious 
selection from the flocks of other approved 
breeders, and in a great measure regardless of 
cost—the district depending upon him, expects 
these things of him; and if he is a man of 
judgment he will not fail them. He knows, or 
ought to know, the pedigree of every animal of 
his flock; and in this way he can and does suit 
nnr- plmnQ A rvf hlnnrl nr feature to the wants nf 
the flock. In this way he can also suit his 
friends or customers desiring or finding it re¬ 
quisite to change their blood or intermingle in it 
their flock ; by his peculiar flock-marks he can 
on application recommend this and the other ani¬ 
mal as changes from the usual selection of his 
friends, thereby rendering in unnecessary for 
them to resort to other breeders, which is at all 
times a dubious course to adopt; it is far better 
to keep to a flock you well know, and to the 
judgment of a breeder on whom you can depend: 
the breeding will not be running too close by fol¬ 
lowing this practice. 
Breeders should be very cautious in selecting 
their rams. The requirements of their flock of 
ewes should be particularly noticed, and a care¬ 
ful separation of them made before hiring, so 
as to ascertain more accurately then- precise de¬ 
fects, and to point out with greater certainty the 
peculiar kind of ram necessary to rectify these 
defects; this should be done before procuring 
the ram—not to hire first, and then try and suit 
the ewes to him afterwards. Never hire or pur¬ 
chase a ram from an unknown flock. An in¬ 
ferior ram from a flock of well-known repute 
will produce better stock than an accidental 
good one from am inferior flock. By all means 
keep to a good strain ; adhere to flocks of well 
known and deserved celebrity; you are far more 
certain as to the result. There may be, and 
often is, much foolish fastidiousness in breeders 
relative to slight peculiarities in good animals; a 
spot, slightly discoloured leg, or some little 
defect, is greatly magnified. These are of 
minor importance in good animals to com¬ 
mon flock-breeders—they are important to ram- 
breeders, and are generally, if not univer¬ 
sally, avoided; but no ordinary breeder, need 
reject a good ram for a slight peculiarity; they 
will seldom be propagated in the flock, particu¬ 
larly if taken from a good stock. 
Hiring and Sale. —It is always better for a 
breeder to hire a ram than to buy one, provided 
he is guaranteed a good season with him, Rams 
“ now-a-days” are so highly kept, so pampered, 
that vast numbers of them are very defective 
stock-getters. On this account it is better to 
hire than to buy. Shearling or yearling rams 
are undoubtedly the most active amongst the 
ewe flock, and are mostly sought after by flock- 
masters, but a good two-shear ram is to be prefer¬ 
red, if of known character. The shearling may 
prove right, and all you could wish; the two- 
shear ram is already proved; besides, his pro¬ 
portions are developed, and you know to a cer¬ 
tainty what he is as a sheep. Experienced ram- 
breeders will generally hire a two-shear or even 
older sheep on this footing; it must not with 
them be a matter of doubtful character, and an 
old sheep well proved, is to them a certain secu¬ 
rity for future benefit. 
A shearling ram is generally supposed to be 
fully equal to serve from 75 to 80 ewes ; but a 
two-shear ram should not have more than 70 to 
75. In all cases, the breeder hiring should see 
that his rams are in every respect right and ac¬ 
tive before putting them to his ewes; much dis¬ 
appointment and loss often arise from these 
omissions. 
In making choice of a ram to suit the ewe 
flock regard should be had to every require¬ 
ment ; neither “ wool nor mutton” ought to 
take precedence—both must be held of equal 
value. If any quality is to be discontinued, or 
of necessity to be given up for the time, let it be 
beauty or symmetry, or some minor points; 
these are truly good in their place; but for 
these never give up the main qualifications—a 
good fleece, a fat back, and a full symmetrical 
proportion, of great substance. 
In making choice of the ewes to put to each 
ram, much may be done to improve the flock. 
No breeder can find just the ram he wants— 
the very ram to suit his whole flock; he must 
therefore have the same due regard to what he 
most requires, and put his ewes to them accord¬ 
ingly. A “ram-breeder” willvery*properly put 
his choice ewes to his best ram, in order to ob¬ 
tain the best offspring; but a “ common breed¬ 
er” may vary his ewes so as to procure his 
flock of like make and proportions—a short- 
lesa'ed rn.m to a long-logged ewe; a full-chested 
ram to a narrow-chested ewe; a lieavy-woolled 
ram to a light woolled ewe; and so on, as his best 
judgment dictates—endeavoring to obtain from 
the male what is wanting in the female. 
In breeding what are termed half-breeds 
great care should be given to obtain rams from 
good flocks, or the end to be answered in making 
such stock quickly off is defeated. The very 
best of rams should be used, possessing every 
good qualification of wool, mutton, and sym¬ 
metry. It is quite a mistake to fancy any ram 
will do for half-breeds; no such thing. Wo 
know of half-bred sheep remaining as long or 
longer on fattening pastures than many much 
heavier and less likely feeding-sheep. If half- 
bred sheep are to retain favor with the grazier, 
they must be bred with every care and attention 
to the many qualifications. Many breeders use 
ram lambs for this purpose; this is wrong, no 
breeder can tell what a lamb is to make in his 
future life. In all cases, use the best ram or 
the best kind of ram you can obtain, and be not 
too nice about the price. I have known many 
flocks of lambs make from 3s. Gd. to 7s. per 
head more than others of the like size, solely 
from better and more correct breeding; and the 
difference is far greater as they grow up, and 
are fattened.— Farmer's Magazine. 
Red Hamburgh Grape. — The Hamburgh 
Grape, when grown under glass, may or may 
not become black, according to circumstances. 
Heat, light, and moisture, with an abundant 
supply of healthy food for the roots, will produce 
an exuberant development of both bunch and 
berry, the resulting effects of which will be a 
thinness of the skin, a juicy but less firm pulp, 
and when fully ripe a full compliment of sugary 
matter; but there will bo a deficiency of color, 
the grape will be what is called Red Hamburgh, 
instead of possessing the sloe-like bloom of the 
black. That the berries of the Hamburgh Grape 
when grown in perfection are black there is now 
little doubt, I have been acquainted with a 
