the Sanford Corn by something he saw concern¬ 
ing' it in the reports of the proceedings of the 
Club. It had failed to meet hia expectations, 
and to real ize the representations made concern¬ 
ing it. It did not yield as well as tho common 
Illinois com, and he felt it to be hisduty to warn 
his brother farmers against being humbugged 
by it. 
It. ft. Wicksian, Big Hun, Ohio, 
middle of May. I have plowed a couple of 
furrows deep, and throwing the earth out so 
as to leave a trench, 1 run my plow as deep 
as I could in the center. L have taken fresh 
stable manure, more or less of it straw, and 
laid it along thickly in the furrows, and then 
turned my furrows toward and on top of it, 
so that I get about, eight inches of soil above 
the manure. After raking it down so as to 
leave a bed about eighteen inches wide, I 
have planted my plants along its center, one 
every eighteen inches. Results from this 
way of doing, heretofore, have been satis¬ 
factory, my plants all growing and doing 
well, even though the summer be ever so 
dry.— f. a. 
How to Grow Prize Celery. 
A CORRESPONDENT of the Gardener’s 
Chronicle, who has been successful in ob¬ 
taining tirst prizes for celery for many years, 
quantity of seed. Hundred of letters have been 
written by men who have received a singlo po¬ 
tato of some of tho now high-priced varieties, 
ami One pound has produced from sixty to one 
hundred and twenty-live pounds. This proves 
that most farmers have hitherto been using five 
times the amount of seed necessary to seed an 
aero. He prefers to use largo potatoes for seed, 
because the bud is stronger, Juki ns nurserymen 
prefer the stronger buds from U well matured 
grapevine for propagating; but lu? had just as 
soon have half an ounce of tuber with tho bud 
as two ounces or ball' a pound. Mr. G REF, LEY 
said the rule of nature is that like produces like. 
Heuoe tho seed from large potatoes is better 
than from small. Again small potatoes are less 
Ukely to be mature; and immature seed, or 
buds from immature wood, does not produce as 
good results as those, from that well ripened. 
Mr. Cu tens confirmed Mr. Fullku'h position on 
the subject,. 
AhIh's from Leached Hemlock Unrk.—A corre¬ 
spondent asked if tho ashes of spent tanbark 
wore valuable for fertilizing. No oue know from 
experience. 
Wood Ashes from Trees Grown on Limestone 
8oil, W. W. Adams of Kentucky says contain 
nil the mineral elements necessary for the nour¬ 
ishment of plants, unless ammonia be called a 
mineral. The Professor of Chemistry said that 
would bo true If the aiune kinds of plants were 
to bo grown ils those from which the ashes arc 
made; but It will not hold In case the grains are 
to be grown; they require elements not con¬ 
tained in wood ashes; or they require them in 
different proportions. Mr. GnseiAY finds the 
difficulty about ashes to bo that he oatmot got 
enough of them. There is not one bushel to bo 
had in any neighborhood where twenty ought to 
bo used, or could bo used profitably. Especially 
for sandy and gravelly soils arc they excellent. 
Mineral Potash.—In answer to a question asked 
by Mr. Fuller. as to the value of mineral pot¬ 
ash ns a fertilizer. Prof. Whitney said that if 
feldspar can bo converted into powder, it Isa. 
very important discovery, and no farmer need 
hesitate to buy ami use mineral potash. The 
difficulty hitherto lias been to prepare ji for uso. 
(Softening Hard Water,— Mrs. S. A. Lindsay, 
Montrose, Pa., sol tons hard wat er by adding to 
a barrel of It from two to six quarts of hard 
wood ashes t he night before t he day l lie water Is 
wanted for washing. The Professor of Chemistry 
Bald that this would bo, in practice, a good plan. 
The alkali thus dissolved in I In* wilier would act 
to dissolve Impurities In the same manner as sal 
soda, and would not combine with the lime, as is 
the case with tho acid constituents of soap; these 
latter forming with tho lime tho insoluble sub¬ 
stance commonly notiood in using hard water in 
wushiug. 
Preparing Fence Posts.—BURROUGHS Roberts, 
East Varick, N.Y., writes:—“ Please post mo in 
tho matter of fence posts. Will coal tar preserve 
thorn? Will salt pickle them ? Will blacksmith’s 
cinders .save them? Can you assure me of any 
plan that will mako “their days long in tho 
land?” Shall I interfere with Providence, ami 
turn them tho other end up? Please unswer, 
post tiftsto. Postscript.— You need not say any¬ 
thing about the moon, as l Intend to set tho 
posts in the ground.” Mr, G rkkley says thut if 
Mr. ttoBRivn# will experiment and obsorvo, ho 
will flnft that posts set top end down will lust 
bet ter 1 hail those set as they grow; for they ab¬ 
sorb less moisture, and licnou decay lens readily. 
Mr. Fui,t. eh asked if Mr. Greeley would not ad¬ 
vise fastening an umbrella over tho other end. 
Mr. Greeley thought they might absorb less 
water, apd it might, be done if u man thought he 
could afford it. Mr. Colton advised soaking the 
posts thoroughly ill hot rosin oil. Tho Professor 
of Chemist ry said tho decay of wood, as is well 
known, arises from tho fermentation or decom¬ 
position of albuminous matter contained in it. 
This fermentation can only take place in tho 
presence of moisture. The first, stop, then, Is to 
dry tho wool thoroughly by seasoning, and af¬ 
terwards to keep it dry. I have read that there 
are chestnut rafters In old English churches that, 
having been so placed as to remain dry, have 
lasted for more than eight hundred yours, and 
are as sound to-day as when tho Saxon workmen 
fitted them In their places. When the fence 
posts are seasoned through, the ends to be put 
in tho ground may be covered with coal tar, ap¬ 
plied hot, to keep the water out. If the tar is 
placed upon wet or unseasoned posts, it will only 
confine tho moisture, und the wood will decay 
more rapidly than without It. Cinders about tho 
post will preserve it only as they rnay help to 
keep it dry by scouring more perfect drainage. 
Country Home* Ibr City Bays.—Mr. CURTIS, 
chairman of a committee to report upon the 
means that may be adopted to provide city boys 
who desire to learn farming, places in tho coun¬ 
try, reported, recommending that practical 
farmers who are willing to employ boys and 
young men from tho city, who are out of em¬ 
ployment and desire to learn farming, bo re¬ 
quested to address tho chair man of the commit¬ 
tee, Frank d. Cturns, at tho Metropolitan 
Hotel, New York city, and that the boys and 
young men send in their names, ages, &c., so 
that an exchange of wants may bo had uml 
places provided. In this way an exchange of 
information can be established, of mutual bene¬ 
fit and of great value. The committee further 
suggest that no person apply to go to the coun¬ 
try unless lie bo thoroughly in earnest, and that 
no farmer otter to take an applicant unless he 
lias made up his mind to be patient and pains¬ 
taking in bis instructions. A boy must be some¬ 
thing more than a drudge. The homo must be 
made pleasant and the labor lightened with 
good cheer, variety, and the sunshine of gratified 
ambition. * 
Borghuiu for Soiling,—-ItAXPn Lewis, Cuba, N. 
Y., and M. Stillman, Alfred Centre, N. Y., ask 
of tho relative value of sorghum and corn for 
soiling cows. Mr. Greeley grew sorghum two 
years, and is satisfied that double the quantity 
of forage can be grown of it that can be pro¬ 
duced by planting corn. But as far north as 
Cuba, N. Y., t iie difficulty will be that it will not 
mature early enough to bo available for soiling 
when It Is needed. It does not mature fit to 
cut. until just before frost comes. Then it is bo 
full of saccharine that it cannot be cured; and 
if tho weather is warm, it quickly ferments and 
spoils. Hu has, however, cut it late and kept it 
In cool weather several weeks feeding it. Cat¬ 
tle eat it with great avidity, and it Is better feed 
for cows than corn. Mr. (.Trims had grown 
forty tons nf it per acre,but it is not available 
as fodder when most needed; and it. cannot bo 
cured for winter feeding. Mr. Colton says it is 
much used for feeding stock in Noi-ili Carolina, 
but it will not answer to cut it faster than It Is 
wanted for food, us it is found to injure stock if 
allowed to wilt two or three days. 
artreurr 
Jrsmssions 
CULTURE OF LIMA BEANS 
AMERICAN INST. FARMERS’ CLUB 
I see in the Rural New-Yorker of the 
16tli inst., an article upon the culture of that 
best of all beans, the Lima. The article con¬ 
tains many valuable hints and sound sugges- 
tious. I now propose to give you, briefly, a 
statement, of the manner by which I always 
succeed in securing a fine crop of Limas in 
this hyperborean region, where we have 
snow six months in the year, with a month 
or t wo of bail and sleet, as addeudas. I only 
raise beans, &c., for family use- The method 
I have pursued, and successfully, for years, 
is the following:—About the first of May, 
generally, although the time depends upon 
the weather, &c., after spading up my ground, 
(a clay soil,) T dig holes ten inches square, 
eight or nine inches deep, four feet apart 
eacli way, and in these I press down, say six 
or eight quarts of rich—not too much rotted 
—horse manure, covering this over with 
three or four inches of the soil, mixed with 
sand, — my soil being so heavy. With a 
crow-bar, I then make the holes for the poles, 
which are some eight feet In height, being 
small trees, ash, maple, hazel, &e., with the 
top brush on; beans, like peas, requiring 
brush. (These poles, by boiug housed in the 
winter, I can use three successive seasons.) 
I then wait fonv or live days, (according to 
the weather,) and as the manure by that time 
heats the earth above it, I then plant the 
beaus, say five or six of them, eyes down, in 
a circle around the pole. I do not soak them, 
as t hey would in that case rot , should a cold 
storm come on. 
In ordinarily warm weather the beans 
come up in six or eight days, and after they 
become sufficiently large to bid defiance to 
the black grub, I thin them out to three in a 
hill. As they grow, I see f lint the runners 
are properly trained around the poles, the 
branches of which, in July, bend over from 
row to row from tho weight of the vines, 
forming an arbor through which I can walk, 
and, in due time, gather Ihe beaus. 
1 never cut the tops of the runners back, 
and find that the earliest beans I pick are 
those pendant from the topmost branches; 
coming to maturity first, because they have 
more ligiil and air. I can raise more beans 
on one pole having brush on it than on four 
“ crowbar ” poles. 
I have omitted to state that when threat¬ 
ened by frost I tear the edges of a newspa¬ 
per, so as to make a slit for the pole, and 
bend the papers around and over tho beans, 
fastening the corners down by placing earth 
upon them. 
You thus have, Mr. Editor, the modus 
opera/uli by which Lima beans are raised by 
An Old Fogy. 
Saratoga Springs, N. Y., 1870. 
Notes ol' Discussions, Extracts from Let' 
tern, Arc. 
Big Steer*, 
writes that G. T. GOLD of Athens county, fed 
two steors calculated to “beat tho world" in 
weight. One died last summer, and the othor 
was shipped to Baltimore In February, at which 
time it weighed 3,713 pounds. 
Dairy Products.—L. G. Tanner, Centerville, N. 
Y., writes tho Clubtu the season of 1868, Da¬ 
vid \V. Cole of Fairfield, Herkimer county, N. 
Y., made from two cows, t,200 pounds0/ factory 
clieose, which sold for $201; 171 pounds butter, 
sold for $08.(0; making $369.(0; besides using 
hut ter, milk and cream la the family. Two dea¬ 
con skins and two rennets, worth about $3.73, 
not included In above estimate; neither la any 
account made of pork fattened on whey, or sour 
milk, while making butter. Before turning to 
grass, Mr. C. feed freely, Shorts, sliipstulTs and 
mangel-wurzel. He cuts his grass when in the 
first blow, ot before, lie is living on borrowed 
ti mo, having seen more than “ thrcc-scoro years 
and ten," and neither is ho “given to boasting." 
He is well knowuin Herkimer county as a truth¬ 
ful man. 
.A Seventeen Thominnd Dollar Bachelor. — 
Theodore Minot, Dansville, n. A”., writes tho 
Club that lie was raised on a farm, but through 
cither good or had fortune is loft, alone in tho 
world, und after a year of “ loafing " finds him¬ 
self WlthinhOUt $17.00(1 In available funds, twenty- 
live years of age, “scraggy,” cross-eyed, uml 
single, and asks what ho shall do. Tho Com¬ 
mander ol the Club suggested that he send his 
photograph to the kind hearted Secretary Cham¬ 
bers, The Vice-President of tho New York 
Agricultural .Society moved to refer his case to 
a committee from the lady memborsof the Club. 
A handsome Now London, Conti., lady, (wo don't 
know whether she is a widow or not, hut wo do 
know she Isas smart as n steel trap,) advised him 
to gel his eyes straightened. The member who 
has been dubbed “Doubting Thomas" by the 
Blue .lay Professor, doubted it that, was advisa¬ 
ble For lie could now sec tnvo ways at once; and 
in bis rougli-nnd-1umbio with the world lie hud 
often thought It would be a mighty convelnent 
thing to do. A venerable, kind hearted old 
gentlomau said tho best thing the haudsome, 
cross-eyed young man could do would be to buy 
a good farm In tho neighborhood of New York 
and got a good wife ami settle down. 
Broom Corn Culture.—M r. (V. C. Gardiner, 
Glendale, N. J., writes:—I have been raising 
broom corn for about fifteen years, and find tho 
dwarf variety far preferable to tho old kind. It 
grows about four feet in height; the broom is 
heavy, long, and fine. I always plant in drills, 
and thin to from three to four in thorn; before 
llie seed is ripe, take tbu top luaf in ono hand and 
the broom in the othor; give both a quick pull, 
and that separates it at. tho top Joint, and leaves 
the leaf last, to the stalk and the broom clear. 
1 1 saves time and trouble, nml it will dry In half 
tho time. The dwarf variety does not need 
breaking down, as it will stand until Otto gather. 
Always gather before the broom gets much red, 
then, when dry. It will be quite light-colored, and 
that is preferred. Mr. Cutma did not want, the 
impression to go out. that the Club indorses this 
recommendation of dwarf broom corn. 11. is not 
planted in tho broom corn districts of the Mo¬ 
hawk nml Genesee Valleys. Mr. Greeley said 
perhaps the Mohawk Valley cultivators have 
never tried the dwarf variety and know nothing 
of its comparative merits. Mr. Curtis reckoned 
they were sharp enough to lot well enough alone 
and not adopted untried novelties. M r. Greeley 
retorted Mint, their Hlmrpnesa la not remarkable 
if they can bn Judged by the character of their 
Indian Com crops, for the worst farmed ground 
in this country Is In that sumo Mohawk Valley; 
the tillage there is a disgrace to tho State of New 
York. [The reports we get of tho merits of 
dwarf broom corn are more favorable the fur- 
thur south it is grown. Who of our readers 
north of latitude 43° tiavo grown it and can re¬ 
commend it?—E ds. Rural,] 
Cutting Seed Potatoes,—F, GlkasoN, Otsego 
Co., N. Y., writes that some years ago ho cut po¬ 
tatoes a week or more before planting, also some 
the same day of planting, but. kept them sepa¬ 
rate from those cut previously, and to t ry an ex¬ 
periment, he selected a basketful of good-sized 
potatoes for oatitigand planted them whole, put¬ 
ting ono potato lu a hill. Tho result was that 
those cut first were much poorer than either of 
the other tats, and those thut wore planted 
whole wero much hotter than eit her. There was 
at, least one-third more potatoes than there were-' 
from tho same number of hills of those that 
were Cut first, besides being of better size. The 
yield from the seed out the day of plantlug was 
about, half way between the other two. Mr. 
Bergen cuts a large potato in two or three 
pieces, ami if there are many eyes dose together 
he removes some ol' them with a sharp knlfo. 
Does not think it any advantage to cut potatoes 
t hroe or four days bo Tore planting. Mr. Reade 
saves Prom the crop In the fall potatoes about 
the slzo of lion's eggs for seed. Tho larger ones 
are kept for cooking ann market; thosmalJer 
oucs are fed to Stock. The seed potatoes are cut 
in two pieces, and two pieces are planted in a 
hill. They are cut so as to separate tho seed in 
the hill. Dr. .Smith thinks Hie advantage in 
planting the potato whole Is that, tho starch (nit 
is a provision of nature for nourishing tho young 
plant. Each seed, ot' vegetable and animals, is 
aeoonipautcd with this provision. Mr. Greeley 
said that tho potato tuber is not a seed, hence 
tho analogy between it and a bean is not a good 
one. Tho bean undoubtedly contains nourish¬ 
ment for the germ; but the tuber is a part of 
the plant itself, a continuation of it, a bud, just 
as distinct from the seeds as the buds of an 
apple tree limb are from the apple seed. The 
weight of testimony goes to show that two 
ounces of the tuber are just as good as two 
pounds. 
Dr. Hallock had never discovered any differ¬ 
ence in the product of potatoes cut and uncut, 
if cut, he docs not believe it any advantage to 
out them throe or four days before planting. 
Mr. Gregory said“ Five years ago I took a 
very small potato, out it into fourteen pieces, 
placed them under glass, and as soon as either 
had struck a shoot stripped it off, transferred it 
to another bed, and so continued, and from that 
one small potato I gathered a hall' bushel and a 
half peck.” Mr. Fuller said that thousands of 
farmers have been making tests tho past two 
years of what could be produced from a small 
Planting Currant Cuttings, —Some one asked 
how to plant currant cut tings. Mr. Fuller raid 
he preferred to plant them In September. Make 
the cut lings six to eight inches long, and if stan¬ 
dard (that is, single stern bushes m e desired,) cut 
out every bud In iliat part of the cutting placed 
belowground. Leave two or throe buds above 
ground. Standard hushes bear the finest fruit, 
but arc short lived, and the bnslics should be re¬ 
newed often. In this way tho English goose¬ 
berries may be grown without mildew—by re¬ 
newing the planting often, if a clump of bushes 
are preferred, the buds below ground need not 
be cut out. Cutting out the buds does uot al¬ 
TtlE EARLY BUB WEINFURTIf CABBAGE, 
ways prevent them sprouting from below the 
surface, for new buds are sometimes developed; 
but it usually does. Although lie prefers fall 
planting, he would plant in spring rather than 
go without currants. The cuttings arc put In 
tho grouud nearly perpendicularly and the earth 
la pressed to them closely. If planted in the fall, 
a heavy mulch should bo thrown over them in 
winter and removed in spring. Good, heavy 
clay soil is best for currants. Ho ta growing 
good crops on light sand, but, Keeps it heavily 
mulched. Tho currant is a gross feeder, and re¬ 
quires plenty of manure. The Commander of 
the Cl nh advised all who grow our runts to keep 
tho soap suds and pour about the Jr currant 
bushes. Ho would not grow them In t he stand¬ 
ard form—prefers hushes to trees, and if plenty 
of manure Is given them they will produce fine 
fruit. 
To Make Hens Lay in Winter, ft correspondent 
of tho Club had found It only necessary to shut 
them in a place at night where there was no 
perch to roost upon, hut wlicro they would have 
to huddle together on the ground. Feed them 
well, give them asheB to dust themselves in, and 
they would keep rrou from insects and lay eggs 
tho winter through. Ho had found that hens 
treated in this way would luy in winter, when 
just as good hens, treated and fed in l,ho same 
manner except that they hud a porch to roost 
upon, did not lay. 
Different Measurement* for an Acre.—A cor¬ 
respondent sent the Club the following meas¬ 
urements of tho area of an acre:—Five yards 
wide tiy 968 yards long; 10 yards wide by 484 
yards long; 30 yards wide by 243 yards long; 40 
yards wide by 131 yards long; 80 yards wide by 
flOjtf yards long; 70 yards wide by09 19 yards 
long; 229 feet wide by 198 feet long; 440 feet 
wide by 09 foot, long; 110 feet wide by U(I9 feet 
long; 00 feet wide by 726 feet long; 120 feet, wide 
by 363 feet long; 340 feet wide byJ81>j' l’oet long. 
Toinnlocs—How tu Grow Them,—G. A. Mo- 
Ilvaink, Mt. Pleasant, Pa., gives the following 
ns his mode of growing tomatoes:—“ First, to 
prepare tho ground I dig a trench about two 
feet wide and, sny, ton Inches deep, throwing 
the soil to ono side; then get into this trench 
and dig another tun Inches deep, mixing in 
plenty of woll-rotted stable manure ; then throw 
back the soil, mixing manuro with this also. 
This will raise a ridge four or five inches high, 
with a soil twenty or more inches deep. On tho 
top of this ridge set the plants about t hree and 
a-haif feet apart, in a single row. When set lu 
squares they do not got light or air enough to 
ripen fast, find in wet seasons will rot before 
they ripen. Next, prepare frames, making t hem 
four square, flaring towards tho top; mako thorn 
ol' strips of inch boards and plastering lath, tho 
lower rung about twelve inches long, aud the 
top sixteen inches, and should stand out of tho 
ground throo feet; place ono of these frames 
over each stalk; keep the ground clear of weeds, 
and let alone until tho first l'rult ripens, which 
you will find near tho ground and near the main 
stem. By this time there is as much l'ruit set, 
or in blossom, as tho vino can ripen, and it. is 
time to commence pruning, not by lopping off 
leaves and branches, but if you notice you will 
find little bunches of loaves starting in the next 
fork above where the last blossoms are. This 
bunch of leaves contains another set of blos¬ 
soms, and is what should be cut out with a pair 
of scissors or a sharp knife. The vines should 
be gone over every two or three days. Vines 
thus treated can reasonably bo expected to yield 
one-half bushel ripo tomatoes each. Ono thing 
more, hurry them on as muoh as possible, go as 
to ripen them before the nights get cool. They 
lose flavor and become more acid in cool weather. 
I like to lio done canning the first week in Sep¬ 
tember, if not before.” 
Mr. Curtis said it, would bo necessary to cut 
off the vines in the North Immediately alter the 
second setting of fruit, or none will ripen. As 
much fruit will then be loft on the vines us will 
ripen. 
Sanford’s Corn.—A. Moltos, Ottawa, Illinois, 
writes that he was induced to purchase and plant 
says:—“ It is well known that, in its natural 
habits, celery delights in a moist, shady spot; 
and it even thrives well where its roots are 
moistened by a running stream, overhung 
with brushwood. From this it might be in¬ 
ferred that the plant, was averse to the sun’s 
influence, hut it is not so when under culti¬ 
vation, as probably every one knows. Still 
the principle must not be ignored, as 1 have 
proved in practice that celery will grow 
much better if I shade it, if, at the same 
time, I withhold water; while, if I give 
neither shading nor water, it will not grow 
at all in hot, sunny weather. The secret,, 
then, of growing celery, is to keep it bounti¬ 
fully supplied with water, and it will grow, 
whether in sun or shade.” After saying that 
he prefers Turner’s Incomparable Dwarf 
White to all other varieties, and giving 
his reasons for so doing, he proceeds as 
follows: 
“After my plants have been set a week, I 
commence what 1 call my summer treat¬ 
ment; that is, Lo surround them with a soil 
made to the consistency of a thick paste by 
frequent doses of strong manure water. 1 
keep the soil in this state by giving more 
water every time I find the surface getting a 
little dry. In fine drying weather L water 
every morning; in dull, damp weather,only 
every other day. But, once for all, let me 
say that whatever stage the plants are in 
after being taken from the green-house, I 
never go to bed without damping the leaves 
from the rose of a fine water pot. I do this 
even when they are in the trenches. If 1 
give the roots a good soaking, I never con¬ 
sider my work done of an evening until the 
tops have had their usual sprinkle; for I be¬ 
lieve the leaves of celery absorb a deal of 
moisture during the night. Clear water is 
better than none; but manure water is al¬ 
ways to be used if it can be got; and, with 
plenty of that, you need not fear even a 
tropical sun. 
“ My trenches are prepared in the usual 
way, with about four inches of rotted ma¬ 
nure mixed up with the soil. I tie up each 
plant loosely from time to time as it ad¬ 
vances in growth, to save its blowing about; 
but I put no earth to it until I have got the 
height of growth required. Many people 
like the bit-by-bit way of earthing celery; 
but never was greater mistake committed, 
especially during the summer months, for it 
must have water during that time, if you ex¬ 
pect it to grow; and how can it get it if the 
trench is filled with soil ? I grow on as fast 
as possible, and just six weeks before the 
show I put up the whole bulk of earth at 
once, which bleaches it very nicely liy the 
time I want it. Such is my system of grow¬ 
ing prize celery, which has never failed 
since 1 learned what constitutes an article lit 
for table.” 
81i:illor. Culture, 
A correspondent in Ohio is informed 
that the shallot is propagated by planting 
bulbs or offsets in the fall. They arc set 
with a dibble, in rows twelve inches apart, 
and four to six inches in the row, and cov¬ 
ered two or three inches deep. 
GARDEN NOTES, 
Early S8chwciu I'urt h Cabbage. 
This is a new German cabbage recently 
brought out in this country. It is the largest 
of the early drumheads, does not head very 
solid, and is much better adapted to summer 
and fall than winter use. Its chief value, if 
it possesses any over cabbages now in culti¬ 
vation, is to be found in its earliness and 
largo size, growing from ten to eighteen 
incites in diameter, and represented as being 
very tender, sweet and free from any strong- 
flavor. 
Tomato Culture. 
I will give my method of growing to¬ 
matoes, which has never failed to give me 
an abundance of the luscious fruit. Let the 
plot selected for transplanting be the poorest 
the garden affords; if sand or gravel, so 
much the better ; shun the rich , loamy spots 
if you wish an early matured crop. I select 
a gravelly knoll, plant three by four feet 
apart, putting a shovelful of good barn-yard 
manure to the hill; cultivate and keep clear 
of weeds. The result is, I see my crop ripe 
and early, while some of iny neighbors, who 
plant on the richest ground and manure 
heavily, (and have the rankest vines,) have 
to lose two-thirds of their crop by frost. 
While their plants are makiug vine, mine 
are making fruit. 
As I look at it, the gravel retains and re¬ 
flects heat ami has ripening fruit, thus situ¬ 
ated, sooner than that placed in cold, clayey 
or loamy soil, even if heavily manured. 
If the reader is so fortunate (or so unfor¬ 
tunate,) as to possess no poor land, let him 
pile stone or brick around the plant, and he 
ivill find that it will hasten the ripening 
of the fruit considerably ; that is, if he has 
not manured too liberally. Tomatoes re¬ 
quire all the manure you can give them, if 
you wish for vines; but if you wish for fruit, 
manure as miserly as you dare to.— Gran¬ 
ite, Nashua , N. II. 
Flanilug .Strawberries in Bprlnx. 
Having been most, successful heretofore 
"’itft strawberries, when planted in April or 
May, I have this, 20th April, been plauting 
out anew, and propose to do so, with varie¬ 
ties, from time to tune along, until about the 
