36 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
leaves have fallen, is preferred by many, and on dry 
ground, perhaps it is better than spring planting. If, 
however, you want trees, and did not get them last fall, 
attend to it in the spring. The roots of trees should not 
be allowed to get bound by a tough grass sward. If the 
orchard is not plow r ed, the trees may be dug round and 
manured, with compost, muck, &c. On the Ohio river, 
where large quantities of apples are raised for the New- 
Orleans market, it is found best to gather them before 
they get too ripe, and they are picked wh-ile the leaves 
are fully green. 
PRUNING HARDY GRAPES. 
There are many of our readers, who cultivate fine va¬ 
rieties of hardy grapes, such as the Catawba, Bland, Isa¬ 
bella, Black Cluster and others, who obtain very inferior 
fruit from a want of proper pruning and culture. Let 
this work not be passed over another season. They may 
be pruned any time during winter, till within a short time 
before the commencement of the flowing of the sap. If 
put off too long, the bleeding, or effusion of sap from the 
wounds, will seriously injure them. A week or two is 
in general sufficient for the freshly cut faces to become 
dry enough to close the sap pores. Sometimes during a 
long cold season of freezing weather in spring, moderate 
pruning may be given with safety, which in milder wea¬ 
ther would be highly improper. 
It is hardly necessary to give any special directions for 
pruning hardy grape vines. Those who know how to 
turn out the thick, crooked, and superabundant branches 
of fruit trees, to produce thrifty growth of the remainder, 
and let in the air and sun, can hardly fail in applying the 
dame rules to hardy grapes. 
NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
Catechism of Agricultural Chemistry and Geo¬ 
logy —by James F. W. Johnston, of Edinburgh, author 
of “ Lectures on Agricultural Chemistry and Geology,” 
&e. with an Introduction by John Pitkin Norton, of 
Farmington, Connecticut. From the eighth English 
edition, with notes and additions by the author, prepared 
expressly for this edition. 
In this little work, we think Professor Johnston has 
decided in the affirmative, the question whether the study 
of chemistry and geology, as applicable to agriculture, 
can be properly introduced into elementary schools. 
The subjects are arranged in a connection so natural, and 
treated in a style so plain and simple, that any child who 
is capable of reading and understanding the English lan¬ 
guage, may readily acquire a knowledge of the contents 
of the book. We believe the introduction of this work 
into the schools of this country, is destined to effect an 
incalculable good. From its pages we believe the 
youth will receive an insight into the arcana of nature, 
which cannot fail to stimulate him to investigations from 
which the happiest results will flow. Habits of thought 
and reflection will be induced, by which the business of 
agriculture will be more thoroughly understood, and not 
only practiced with greater pecuniary advantage, but the 
mind of the farmer will become expanded, and his labors 
at once lightened and rendered pleasant, by the aid of 
philosophy. 
In saying that this book is adapted to children and 
youth, we would not be understood as intimating that 
people of mature age would not be largely benefited by 
It. On the contrary, we think it should be in the hands 
of every farmer. Many would find here an explanation 
of important scientific terms with which they may not 
be familiar, while all will find it a very convenient ma¬ 
nual of reference. 
We shall recur to this subject next month, and furnish 
more extended notice of the work. Published by Eras- 
-rus H. Pease, Albany. Price 18$ cents. 
American Quarterly Journal of Agriculture 
and Science— conducted by Dr. E. Emmons and Dr. 
A. J. Prime. The first number of this work has been 
issued. It is a neatly printed octavo of 184 pages, con¬ 
sisting mostly of original articles. We have not read 
the whole of the contents with the attention which we 
intend to devote to them, but are nevertheless able to say 
that several of the articles are of a highly valuable charac¬ 
ter, and ably written. Candor, however, obliges us to state 
that on some points which are introduced into the work, 
we are compelled to differ in opinion from the respected 
editors. We allude particularly to the discouragement 
of “ root culture,” and the expression of “ regret,” by 
the editors, that this branch of husbandry has been so 
much encouraged by our £< agricultural writers.” We 
mention this in no captious spirit, or desire to find fault, 
but simply because we deem the subject an important 
one to the interest of the farmer. We have not now 
room to tliscuss the matter, but may recur to it again. 
The Review', we are glad to hear, is well patronized, 
another evidence that a spirit of agricultural inquiry is 
deeply awakened; and we trust that this journal will be 
an important aid in dispensing the light which is so ear¬ 
nestly sought after. Published in this city, by the editors, 
at $3 a year. 
SCHOOL DISTRICT LIBRARIES. 
We respectfully invite the attention of county and town 
superintendents, to the subject of the introduction of an 
agricultural book into our school libraries. The Culti¬ 
vator for the year 1844, contains much matter which we 
trust will prove of great value to most of the readers of 
the school libraries of the slate, a class of persons pro¬ 
bably more than three-quarters of whom are engaged in 
agricultural pursuits. We are most decidedly of the 
opinion that a larger share of reading, directly relating 
to the occupation which employs nearly all the time of 
so large a portion of our citizens, would be in the highest 
degree appropriate and beneficial. 
Among the contributors to the vol. we speak of, there are 
more than three hundred correspondents , almost all of them 
practical farmers, and a large share residing in our own 
slate, many of them distinguished for their great success 
in the cultivation of the soil. The matter thus furnished, 
not only possesses great practical value, but embodies the 
latest established improvements, and is peculiarly fitted 
to our own region of country. In addition to this, the 
amount of matter furnished for the price, becomes another 
strong inducement for the general introduction of this 
volume into school libraries. There is six times as much 
reading as in one volume of Harper’s School Library, of 
average size, and illustrated by more than one hundred 
handsomely executed wood engravings. The volume is 
furnished, well bound, for $1.25, and we respectfully so¬ 
licit the attention of all concerned or in any wise inter¬ 
ested in these libraries, to this cheap and effectual means 
of imparting agricultural knowledge. 
EXPERIMENTS IN PLANTING. 
The advantages of free admission of light, and free cir- 
i culation of air, to the growth of plants, are in a good de¬ 
gree obvious to persons of any experience in agriculture. 
So important are these influences to Indian corn, that an 
[advantage is known to result from giving the widest 
! space to rows running north and south. This more rea- 
! dily admits the light and heat of the sun, than rows run- 
Ining in a contrary direction. It has been suggested that 
l| planting corn anti potatoes in alternate rows, or in alter¬ 
nations of two rows each, would give a greater aggre¬ 
gate product for a given extent of land, than if each crop 
were planted entirely by itself. Experiments relative to 
this point have been made in Massachusetts for a few 
years past, under the direction of the Plymouth County 
Ag. Society, and the results so far, indicate considerable 
advantage in favor of the mode of alternate planting. 
Mr. Nathan Whitman, who received, for an experiment 
of this kind, made last season, a premium of $15, planted 
half an acre with corn alone; from this was harvested 
42 43-75 bushels; half an acre with potatoes; from this 
was harvested 136 7-56 bushels; and half an acre in al¬ 
ternate rows of corn and potatoes; from this was harvest¬ 
ed 22 50-75 bushels of corn, and 79 40-56 bushels of po¬ 
tatoes. In this experiment there appears to have been a 
gain in mixed planting of ten bushels of corn to the acre, 
