AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
123 
1872 .] 
the pea-beetle, or what is improperly called “ the 
bug,” that their culture is almost entirely aban¬ 
doned. There is at present no known remedy. 
Getting seed entirely free from bugs, or dipping 
the seed for a minute in boiling water, are popular 
remedies, but are not based on any satisfactory 
reason. Late sowing is to a certain exteut a rem¬ 
edy, but the crop is almost invariably a poor one. 
Better sow as early as possible, and try to raise a 
great crop, and feed out the crop to pigs before 
the bug eats out much of the substance of the 
peas. This is killing the bugs and converting them 
into pork at the 6ame time. If generally adopted, 
and our seed obtained from sections free from 
this insect, we should in time get rid of the trou¬ 
ble. We drill in the peas at the rate of 3 bushels 
per acre, or 2% of peas and bushel of oats. 
See Hints for March. 
Potatoes with the writer do better on a rich clover 
sod than on 6tubble laud. It is time we paid more 
attention to enriching thG soil for this crop. The 
labor of digging an acre yielding only 90 bushels, 
is nearly or quite as great as digging an acre that 
will yield 280 bushels, and if the soil is in good 
Condition, the latter yield can safely be calculated 
on, with a good variety, and good cultivation. At 
average prices, few farm crops pay better than po¬ 
tatoes, provided a maximum yield is obtained. 
Manure, if thoroughly rotted and well worked into 
the soil, does not increase the disease. Planting in 
hills, three feet apart each way, saves seed and labor 
in planting, hoeing, and digging, and where land is 
cheap, is undoubtedly the better plan ; but planting 
in drills, three feet one way, and sets dropped from 
12 to 15 inches in the row, will, provided the land 
is rich enough, produce a greater crop per acre. 
Clover Seed on winter wheat should be sown early. 
But we have sown it as late as the middle of May, 
and had a good catch. Much depends on the season 
and the condition of the land. We prefer to delay 
sowing until the ground is dry enough to harrow. 
A Thomas smoothing harrow is best for harrowing 
the wheat immediately after the seed is sown, but 
an ordinary heavy harrow may safely be used to 
break the crust on the soil before the seed is sown. 
The most thorough harrowingwith acommon forty- 
tooth harrow, early in tliespriug, provided the soil 
is dry, will not pull up the wheat to any injurious 
extent. Such a harrow may be used before sowing 
the seed, and a Thomas harrow after sowing, with 
excellent effect. 
Orassand Clover Seeds should not be covered more 
than half an inch deep. Far more seed is lost from 
covering too deep than from being left wholly ex¬ 
posed on the surface. A fine mellow soil is the 
great essential condition. 
The Roller is not used as much as it should be in 
the spring, though it is sometimes used where it 
does more harm than good. It is easier to break 
clods when wet than when dry, but if you can break 
them when dry, the pulverizing effect is far greater. 
Clayey land rolled when wet, forms a hard crust. 
Sandy soil that needs compression, may be rolled 
when quite moist. No amount of rolling will in¬ 
juriously pack cr consolidate a perfectly dry soil. 
See Hints for last Month. —We hope every reader 
of the American Agriculturist preserves the num¬ 
bers. Many of the hints given last month may be 
found useful now. 
Horses , after their winter’s rest, should be worked 
only moderately at first. Look to their shoulders, 
and wash them frequently with cold water. Poor- 
fitting collars are the chief source of galls. 
Working-Oxen 6lioud be well carded every day, 
and be liberally fed. They have a much larger 
stomach than a horse, and do not need as concen¬ 
trated food, but they require more time to eat. 
Gut the hay into chaff, moisten it, and mix a little 
corn-meal with.it—say one quart of meal to a bushel 
of chaff. Horses may have two quarts (and at noon 
three quarts) of meal to a bushel. 
Cows need much care and extra feed this month. 
They are longing for green grass, and he is a for¬ 
tunate former who lias plenty of mangolds for 
them. But bran and good hay, with a good card¬ 
ing every day, to keep open the pores, will keep a 
milch-cow in good condition, and prepare her for 
giving a large mess of milk when grass comes. 
Raise your own Calves, and let them have good 
care, nutritious food, aud plenty of it, with the 
kindest treatment. Cows will be high again in a 
year or two. Good cows arc always scarce. 
Poultry. — Clean the house, sprinkle with crude 
Carbolic acid and water. Carbolic soap, rubbed on 
to the roosts, finds its way on to the feathers, and 
kills the lice. Whitewash all the woodwork, aud 
if a little carbolic acid is added, so much the better. 
Absolute cleanliness is one great secret of success 
in keeping poultry. At this season of the year 
farmers should see that their fowls are regularly 
fed. There is not much for them to pick up, and it 
is impossible for them to furuish an abundant sup¬ 
ply of eggs without food enough to manufacture 
them. When the ground is frozen, so that they 
can not get worms, they should have fresh meat, 
bones, etc. See that they have plenty of fresh water. 
Sheep. —See Hints for last month. Nothing is 
better for sheep than clover hay. Let the breeding 
ewes have all they can eat. And those with their 
lambs at their side should have a pound of bran 
each per day, in addition, and a few roots, if they 
can be spared. Make a small pen in the yard, with 
slats about ten inches apart, or just wide enough 
to allow the lambs to go through, and put in a few 
small troughs, and keep the lambs supplied with 
oats, corn-meal, bran, and sliced roots. This is one 
secret of raising good lambs. See that the ewes 
and lambs also have an abundant supply of fresh 
water. The ewes will drink nearly twice as much 
water when giving milk as before lambing. 
Pigs. —Last fall’s pigs should have a liberal allow¬ 
ance of corn-meal aud mangolds, to keep them 
growing rapidly till they can get clover. Breeding 
sows should be kept in good thriving condition. 
Succulent food, and bran or fine middlings, are 
better than corn. It is desirable to keep the bowels 
somewhat relaxed. Daily exercise is very desirable. 
The young pigs should be taught to eat from a 
small trough, separate from the sow, as early as 
possible, or at any rate when three weeks old. 
Rainy Days are usually numerous this month, 
and there is also abundance of work to be done in¬ 
doors, such as oiling harness, picking over potatoes, 
painting implements, machines, wagons, etc. 
Clean out the Cellar. —As health is the greatest of 
earthly blessings, cleaning the cellar from all de¬ 
caying vegetables and other impurities is the most 
important work to be done in the spring. Give not 
sleep to your eyelids until it is done. 
Whitewash the cellar walls, pig-pens, sheep-sheds, 
horse and cow stables. 
Pick up the old Iron. —There has been a great ad¬ 
vance in the price of iron, and it is a good time to 
dispose of all the old plow-points, horseshoes, etc. 
Make the whole Premises clean. —We have “ house¬ 
cleaning ” every spring; let us have stable, barn, 
and barn-yard cleaning also. Leave not a particle 
of manure scattered about the yards. Either apply 
it to the land at once, or pile it in a heap. 
Work in the Horticultural Departments. 
In most of the Northern States April will be the 
earliest month for out-door work, and all gardeners 
will find plenty to do in preparing the soil aud 
sowing seeds for early crops. If seeds and tools have 
been provided and everything prepared for early 
work, no delay need occur. Work should always 
be planned before actual operations commence, so 
that if a rainy day comes once or twice a week, the 
work need not be behindhand. Some in-door labor 
should be arranged for the workmen during rainy 
days, such as mending tools, making labels, 
etc. Procure tools of the best description, as men 
take more interest in their work when provided with 
suitable tools. A stock of duplicate handles for 
hoes, rakes, etc., will often save trouble when 
work presses, and every gardener ought to have 
a supply of these ready for an emergency. 
Orchard aud Nursery, 
We will trike it for granted that the ground has 
been properly plowed aud prepared,for early spring 
plauting, aud that trees have been ordered in time. 
Planting can be performed as soon as the trees 
arrive, but if this is not done at once, see that the 
roots are properly protected from winds and 6un. 
When the trees are set, trim the mutilated roots., 
shorten the branches, and remove all useless ones. 
Take care not to plant the trees too deep, but 
make a broad opening and spread the roots in a 
natural position, then cover with fine soil, well 
pressed down. When trees arrive in poor order, 
resulting from improper packing, and the bark ap¬ 
pears shriveled, bury entirely in the soil,.and in a 
few days they will look fresh and plump if not too 
far gone. Trees that have started into growth 
during their journey must be cut badk severely. 
Grafting. —As soon as the buds commence to 
6well grafting may be done, but do not commence 
too early. 
Cions. —Cut at any time before the buds start, 
and preserve in sawdust or earth until needed. 
Root-grafts. —Plant in nursery rows as soon as the 
ground is in proper order. 
Seeds of fruit and ornamental trees may be 
planted in i^ursery rows or in beds, but it is better 
to wait until next month before planting any tree 
seeds, except nuts, peach-stones, etc., which were 
buried last fall. 
Insects. —Continue to destroy all injurious insects 
wherever found, both in the egg and larva or grub 
state. If the trees have not been washed with 
soapsuds, they should be gone over with a mod¬ 
erately stiff brush as soon as convenient. 
Transplanting. —Transplant trees from the nur¬ 
sery rows and set where they are to grow, or else 
make them into rows where they will have suffi¬ 
cient room to grow for several years. 
Fruit Garden. 
Almonds. —In some parts of the country consider¬ 
able attention is being paid to the cultivation of 
this fruit, and it will thrive wherever the peach 
will, and the culture is the same. 
Figs. —This fruit is not cultivated profitably in 
the open ground north of Maryland, but a few trees 
may be grown for the sake of variety, and during 
the winter may be taken up and stored in the cel¬ 
lar, or laid down aud covered with earth. 
Quinces. —Most persons fail to secure a good form 
for their quince-bushes, and instead of a handsome 
pyramid is usually seen a long-branched, unshapely 
tree, which is far from being ornamental. If prop¬ 
erly pruned, they may be trained into very hand¬ 
some pyramids. 
Currants. —A good supply of currant - bushes 
ought to be found in every fruit garden, and if 
given proper care, they may be made to yield large 
crops of fine fruit. The Versailles and White 
Grape are the best varieties. Cuttings ought to be 
planted in rows two feet apart, and the cuttings 
six inches in the row, and in two or three years 
these will produce bearing bushes. 
Gooseberries. —Houghton aud-Ameriean Seedling 
are two valuable varieties, and are quite tree lrom 
mildew. Give thorough cultivation and plenty of 
manure between the rows. 
Grapes.— Plant one-year-old vines in well-drained 
soil, enriched by ashes and bones; heating manures 
are not proper for a vineyard. A good selection of 
varieties, combining the early and late sorts, 
should be set out for home use. 
Raspberries and Blackberries .— Set out new plants 
of these valuable fruits, allowing four feet each 
way for raspberries aud six by eight feet lor the 
blackberries. 
Strawberries.—Set out new beds as soon as the 
ground will allow and give the rows a good mulch. 
Hill culture is the neatest, and the plants ought to 
be set'out in rows eighteen inches apart, and the 
rows two feet apart. No fruit should be allowed 
to set the season the vines are planted. 
