MARCH 40 
Harrow you will run over the field both ways. 
In either ease finish up with a plank drag. It 
is much better tliau a roller, as it grinds up 
the ckxls and gives a fine surface and presses 
the earth to the seed without packing it hard, 
as a roller would. 
This plauk drag is such a cheap, convenient 
and valuable implement that I wish to tell how 
to make it. The plauk should be two inches 
thick and may be any length you wish; for 
two horses I prefer 10 feet, but on large farms 
it is often made IS or 20 feet long, and a pair 
of horses used at each end. The planks may 
be spiked to scantling, or they may be bolted 
together and no cross-pieces be used at all. 
Mine are bolted. 1 use four planks a foot wide 
and lap them ou to each other four inches. 
This gives a cutting edge at evert plank. The 
planks are lapped just like the weather-board¬ 
ing of a house, beginning with the rear board, 
so that in dragging it you do not bring the 
edge against the clods to make the draft heavy; 
but the edges cut as they slide over. 1 use 
this implement to prepare my wdieat and 
corn land, and there is nothing so good to mel¬ 
low laud for root crops. It leaves a fine, level 
seed-bed for clover or grass. 
Another advantage of putting in oats by 
this method is that you can do it earlier, for 
the land will be dry enough to mellow at the 
surface a day or two before it will break up 
mellow, and I have always succeeded best with 
early-sown oats. I have never lost a crop from 
early seediug, but have often had a very short 
crop from sowing late. Oats will endure a 
very low temperature without damage. In 
IK77 we had very w arm, dry weather in the 
last half of February, and I put in my oat 
crop, finishing on the 2flth. Maivh came in 
cold and blustery with snow, and the mercury 
was, twice, as low as 10 deg., and we had not a 
g«K>d growing da} - during the month; but 
April came in warm and pleasant and my oats 
were up before the laud was dry enough to 
plow. 1 think it of esj tecial importance to ha ve 
the land fine for oats, because they have a 
short season to grow in, and if we expect a 
good crop, the growth must be largely made 
liefore very hot weather, as heat does not suit 
them. My experience also favors changing 
seed, and bringing the seed from a colder 
climate. My oat crop in 1882 was greatly 
damaged with rust and was scarcely worth 
cutting on many fields; but 1 found that north¬ 
ern sown side by side with that grown in 
my own neighborhood, was but little affected 
by rust, while the latter was nearly ruined. I 
have found that clover seed sown with oats is 
surer to make a stand than when sown with 
Fall grain. I think we have no erop that will 
pay better for thorough preparation of soil 
than this, and yet in my neighborhood there is 
no other crop which has been so badly man¬ 
aged. Oats are usually sown on the poorest 
laud, and put in a rough, lumpy field, often , 
with a single harrowing, and the consequence 
is generally a poor, unprofitable crop. Nine- 
tenths of our horses are fed corn the year 
through, and it would be much better for 
them if we grew - more oats, and better also for 
t he land if clover was always sown with oats. 
Potato Growing. 
I notick in a late Rural, a communication 
from Daniel Stock of Uogbes\ ille, lit., with ref- | 
erence to the potato beetle and its enemy, but 
he does not describe the "exterminator,’ - nor 
luive I ever seen a description of it. I do not 
tight the "potato bug” as he does—b} gather¬ 
ing the larvae 1 destroy the lieetle liefore it 
lays its eggs if possible, and then I have but 
little trouble with the larvae, but should there 
t>e enough to injure the vines I treat them as 
friend Stock docs—by hand-picking. There 
has been a small yellow bug on the vines at the 
same time the beetle was depositing its eggs, 
and I have been puzzled to know whether it is 
a friend or foe, as it is shy and I cannot sec it 
at work. I have usually planted my potatoes in 
hills just as Mr. Stock describes; but last year 
I tried some in drills feet apart and one 
foot apart in the drill. The hills are more easily 
cultivated, but the drills yield lietter. I use 
first the cultivator and then a shovel plow. 
My Early Rose yielded at the rate of 231 1-1) 
bushels per acre; Beauty of Hebron 320; Bur. 
bank’s 350. From one four-ounce White Ele¬ 
phant I raised 20}.," pounds, or at the rate of 
936 bushels ]ter acre. The White Elephant 
was cut into 14 pieces and planted in a drill 
with the same treatment as the Rose and 
Hebron, except that the W. E. was cut to 
single eyes while thcs others (medium-sized) 
were cut in quarters. I cultivate thoroughly 
leaving no weeds to go to seed, and at the last 
cultivation I sow Strap-Leaf Turnip which do 
well if left when the potatoes are dug. 
Lycoming Co., Pa. D. W. Lewis. 
4 4 - »- 
It is claimed for the Silver Hull Buckwheat 
that it continues in bloom longer, matures 
earlier (which is rather peculiar) and yields 
more. The flower is said to be whiter and 
more nutritious. How is that known { 
ftural (Topics. 
<£xpmtntnt i»>voumls of the HUurttl 
jtnv-jyofkrr. 
STRAWBERRY TESTS. 
We have nowto place before our readers the 
tests made with strawberries during last sea¬ 
son After fruiting, all the plants (comprising 
over 100 different kinds) were destroyed by 
spading them uuder. The soil may be described 
as an ordinary garden day-loam retentive of 
moisture but well drained. It had lieen mod¬ 
erately enriched by the use of stable manure 
and chemical fertilizers. 
Burr's New Pine was really the earliest of 
all. Others ripened a berry or so before this, 
but this ripened many berries before the others 
and they were of good quality. It ripens 
through a long season. 
JUNE is —one of the best earliest we have 
tried. Color bright red; shape oblong-round¬ 
ish: quite (inn: quality best for early; vines 
vigorous; holds up its fruit well: much to be 
preferred to Duuean. 
Garden is an early kind. Berries medium 
size, regular, fair quality, bright red, now 
(June 18) fully in fruit. June 21), still rijienmg 
a few—not firm. 
Crescent Seedling. Scarcely behind Gar¬ 
den. Very productive as usual. Berries small 
to medium; of inferior quality. 
Warren ripened a few large, splendid 1 terries 
June 10. Shape ovate and quite uniform as to 
size, which is medium. Low flowering stems. 
Color of fruit is dark when ripe: quality good. 
Longfellow gave us the largest berries up 
to this date (June 18). Peduncles low—vines 
not very hardy. Berries large to very large— 
always conical. June 29, still ripening a few. 
The quality is excellent. 
Oliver Goldsmith. June 10—ripening a 
few of large size, but they a re soft. June 18. 
Ring of the Earliks—From Nature- 
Fig. 99. 
Berries medium to large, vines thrifty, berries 
rather dark. June 23, few berries. 
Miner’s Prolific we like more with every 
season of trial. It has powers of endurance 
and bears abuudanee of fruit. Berries large 
and roundish ovate, crimson; of good quality 
and quite firm. The plants arc vigorous and 
productive. 
Sh.vrplkhs. June 18 first ripening. V mes¬ 
as vigorous as in previous years, entirely tree 
from disease or weakness. Very hardy. Some¬ 
times the berries do not ripen the tips. Of the 
largest size—quality good—linn for so large a 
berry. Among large strawberries wo place 
this first. 
Hervev Davis: rather 1 mv -growing foliage 
and short peduncles, June 18, ripe and ripen¬ 
ing. June 23 a few berries from this date to 
July 3. This variety is not worthy of praise. 
Miner's Mammoth. Berries brilliant glossy 
red. ripe June 18. Shape narrow, conical. 
We have no further notes as to this. 
Maggie, and Satin Gloss small I terries. 
King of Earlier, see Fig. 99—Small to me¬ 
dium size, not very prolific. Among the earli¬ 
est, but there are far better kinds. Great 
Egyptian, berries small, ripe June 18. 
Mount Veunon (Kirkwood). Strong pe¬ 
duncles, Berry medium size, bright red, quite 
prolific, inferior quality, not firm, intermediate 
as to period of ripening. 
Manchester —The most prolific of our vari¬ 
eties of the past season. The berries ltegau to 
ripen June 18, though Mr. Battey (the origi- 
uator) showed us several baskets of ripe fruit 
grown in his sandy soil Juue 12. Berries uni¬ 
formly of good size, bright red and firm. 
Plants vigorous, compact. June 29, still bear¬ 
ing fruit. July 3, still ripe and ripening large 
berries. “We have picked twice as many from 
this as from any other the present season,” is a 
note made under this date. The quality of the 
Manchester is not such that we should select it 
for home use, hut it is better than the Wilson. 
The only objection we have seen in tin's vari¬ 
ety is a tendency in the peduncles at all stages 
of growth to grow out, instead of up, so that 
the fruit lies upon the soil unless mulched. 
Our readers should bear in mind that the flow¬ 
ers are imperfect and that the plants must h 
raised near other varieties such as the Wilson, 
Sharpless, Charles Downing. Cumberland Tri¬ 
umph, which do bear perfect flowers. 
Sucker State —Ripe aud ripening June 18. 
Small to medium, bright red berries. June 29, 
berries of large size and perfect shape. Qual¬ 
ity not very good—moderately finn. Vigor¬ 
ous plants. July 3, a few berries still ripening. 
Long John— Vigorous vines, not productive. 
Berries r»f good quality, dark color when ripe; 
narrowly conical. July 3. berries soft. They 
are now as large in size as t hose borne earlier. 
Wooiiward. No, 1. June is. Late, very 
prolific. Berries generally eoekucombed. Late. 
June 29. Extremely irregular in shape. Every 
bevrv eocksoorabed. Prolific. Small leaves, 
plant vigorous. June 29. Still in full lyearing. 
Berries of fair quality but fan-shaped, eoeks- 
eombed and extremely irregular. July 3. The 
most irregular in form of am berry wo have 
seen. 
Brilliant. June IS. Low vines, medium- 
late. medium size, ripening for a considerable 
time. Low, weak peduncle. (Late, perfect 
strawberry-shape. Rather soft, fair quality: 
quite prolific. Rather dull color when rii>e— 
it is far from “brilliant," July 3. Still rijieu- 
ing, but the berries are small. 
Hart’s Minnesota. June 18. Very vig¬ 
orous, very large lo ries, bright red of fair 
quality. Quite firm; quite prolific, .lime 29. 
Bright color, alw ays of good size. Fair qual¬ 
ity—not very firm. July 3. Ripens handsome 
berries to the last. Shape ovate, regular. 
Photo. (Martha,) June is. Uniformly 
large, though rarely very large. Vigorous 
vines, not very hardy. Good quality—not 
fruitful. Ovate, bright red. Healthy but small 
plants. Juue 23. Very few berries. July 3. 
Unproductive. 
Helen. Juij,' 18. Small leaves, not vigor¬ 
ous. Very productive. Berries small. June 
29. Prolific, small to medium berries, ripen 
inqterfectly. July 3. A few fair-sized berries. 
KiSSANV. Dark color—not productive : 
Naomi, small berries, productive. 
Fowlers Seedling. June 18. Very pro¬ 
lific, medium late. Variable in size—mostly 
roundish—sour. Juue 23. Extremely prolific. 
Berries ilry up on the vines. Small to medium. 
Lincoln again fails wit h us. Vines not \ ig- 
orous or hardy. 
Finch’s Seedling, Little to be said in its 
favor here. Quite prolific, not very vigorous, 
small to medium: season medium. Form, 
roundish: sour. 
Bidw ell. June 18. Ripe and ripening. 
Many kinds more vigorous. Scanty foliage of 
an unhealthy color. Very prolific. Berries 
medium to large, conical, often eockseunibed— 
* few slickers—fair quality. June 23,still ripening. 
Bright Idea. June 29, Roundish ovate, 
bright color, soft, good quality; Emma's Fa¬ 
vorite quite vigorous. Small berries. 
Faikv. Of a waxy white color with a pink 
blush. A Ijeautiful berry and of the best qual¬ 
ity. Ovate-conical often with a neck unpro¬ 
ductive. This should be cultivated tor its 
beautiful appearance and unexcelled flavor. 
Piper's Seedling. June 25. Dark red 
when ripe—of excellent quality. Sets more 
fruit than it can ripen. June 27. Very dark 
in color—prolific. Ripens later than Kentucky. 
Small. June 29. Still rijieniug many berries. 
They are now insipid anil small, and ripen un¬ 
evenly. July 3. Continues very prolific. The 
berries are larger nmv thau earlier. Soft and 
decaying before fully ripe. July 11. The latest 
of all and now bearing berries some of which 
are one- inch in diameter. The above deseriji- 
tion is very different from all we have seen 
said of it in catalogues. Il is spoken of as an 
early berry of large size. 
Sucker State. June 25. Low vines, many 
berries of suuill size. Victory, small berries. 
Caroline. June 23. Light red, prolific, 
medium size, good quality. July 3. Still ri¬ 
pening—small. 
Huddleston's Favorite. June 36. Broad¬ 
ly ovate — sometimes round. Bright red, 
golden seeds; excellent, quality: not very firm; 
—pistillate. Rutland, medium size, prolific, 
good quality, dull red. Miller's No. 7 not worth 
reporting. Glendale fails here. Shirts, another 
season required. Cetewayo, Volunteer, anoth¬ 
er season required. Grace. Shenandoah and 
Golden Perpetual fail here. Kentucky lias not 
done well the past season. There were many 
berries but they ripened poorly, half shrivel¬ 
ing, probably on account of grubs. July 3. 
Scarlet Globe, a few of fail* size ripening. 
Romeyn’s Seedling, a lew of fair size now ripe 
of good quality. Memphis Late, the latest of 
all except Piper; medium size, round; coni¬ 
cal, brilliant ml when fit to pick, turning 
darker when very ripe. It, is prolific, firm, but 
of poor quality. July 9th. Last of the straw - 
berries—Memphis Late. Plants upright, small 
leaves, distinctly ohovate. Berries small to 
medium, bright red, productive, sour. Ken¬ 
tucky, bearing a few. July 11. A few small 
berries on Kentucky. Memphis Late still heal¬ 
ing quite a number. 
■Irbariatltural. 
FORESTRY.—No. 33. 
Forest Nursery Part III. 
DR. JOHN A. WARDER. 
THE SEEDS. 
In discussing the forest nursery it will be 
well for us especially to consider the impor¬ 
tance Of the seeds, since they are the main 
source <>f the life and separate existence of the 
numerous individuals of the several species, 
genera aud families of trees with which we 
will have to deal. It would lie interesting 
and profitable, did space permit, to trace the 
close analogies between the seed aud the bud, 
which are constantly illustrated in the several 
modes of propagation ; but a discussion of 
that period would lead us away from the btisi- 
uess in hand, and, for the present at least, it 
must be postponed. The reader is referred to 
"The Bud and the Seed,” by Dr. Harvey. 
Just now, in taking a survey of the many 
and diverse forms and characters of the seeds 
with which we shall lie called upon to deal, it 
may be well to adopt an artificial grouping or 
classification, that may aid the planter in 
selecting their most appropriate handling in 
and for the nursery. This, too, will .spare 
some repetition in the directions for their 
management, and will enable general rules 
many times to supplant the special modes *>1 
management that might be requisite, and will 
avoid much repetition if each species were to 
Ik* treated separately. 
Tree seeds are soft and hard, large and 
small, often minute; some are winged and 
prepared for easy and wide dispersion, natur¬ 
ally; others destitute of any such apparatus 
must full ou a limited space near the mother 
tree, unless when transported by animals to a 
distance. •Some are pulpy, either invested 
with a fleshy mass or imbedded upon the sur¬ 
face of a fleshy receptacle, while others are 
dry and naked. Some seeds arc almost in u 
vegetative condition before they leave the 
pa rent tree, and show their close analogies to 
living buds; others are composed of a very 
hard substance, their vitality being securely 
encased in a horny, almost woody material 
which, for a longtime resists decay and secures 
their vitality. For convenience therefore, all 
the seeds with which we shall have to deal 
may l>e thus grouped: 
Clash 1—Soft Seeds: Are often small, 
mauy of them arc winged, and some are in 
such a forward stab- of development that thew 
aro liable to lose their vitality very quickly if 
exposed to the elements, especially to air, 
light and heat, with moisture. 
Class 2 — Berry and IVlpy Seeds; Such 
as the mulberry, papaw, persimmon, cherry, 
and all those which require to be separated 
from their fleshy pericarps before being stored 
or transported. 
Class 3—Nuts and Acorns: Are gener¬ 
ally large and, in many cases, they are very 
impatient of delay in planting, or require 
especial management if not immediately 
planted; witness most of the cupuliferiv. ns 
acorns: chestnuts, etc. 
Class 4—Hard Seeds: Some of which are 
very obdurate and require extraordinary 
measures, such as artificial heat, freezing, 
the application of acids, the file, or ex¬ 
posure for a long time to a sort of fermenta¬ 
tion or decay, aud oveu to animal digestion, 
in order to enable t horn to escape from their 
bony cases. 
Class 5 — Oonifekac: Many of these are 
winged, and might have been included in 
Class 1; others are as refractory as any of the 
fourth class, and some of the larger seeds, 
abounding iu oil, are so liable to spoil that they 
might claim a place in Class 3; but they have 
been grouped together here because of the re¬ 
quirements of the young plants, many of 
which need especial treatment for their suc¬ 
cessful management, lienee this grouping of 
the conifers by themselves. 
soft seeds: treatment from gathering to 
PLANTING—MAPLES, ELMS AND POPLARS. 
Soft seeds usually have a rather thin 
envelope and therefore they are easily spoiled 
by either extreme of humidity or aridity. 
Most of these seeds have an extension of their 
membranaceous covering that sometimes lakes 
the form of a wing, us seen in Lite keys <>l 
the maples, or like a feather as in the ash, 
while others arc merely orbicular as in the 
elms, or light aud cottony as in the poplars 
and willows; they ma.v t hus be carried on the 
wings of the wind and sown in places far dis¬ 
tant from their par cuts. 
Some of these seeds like the soft maples 
(Acer ru brum and dasycarpum) aud most of 
the elms, ripen very early, and so do the 
poplars, and such require to be immediately 
placed in the soil. These early maples are 
especially - impatient of delay in a dry atmos¬ 
phere, for they - are in a half vegetated con¬ 
dition before they have separated from the 
