1868 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
43 
unless the cows are valuable chiefly as producers of 
beef animals. It injures a cow to give milk after 
6he begins to make bag, and as the tiOie of the very 
beginning of bag making is indefinite, it is well to 
milk up to within four or five weeks of calving, 
and then dry off rapidly and stop. The calf is 
larger at birth for having the nutriment which 
would otherwise be withdrawn in the milk, but a 
very large calf often endangers the life of the cow. 
Sheep .—The strongest should be by themselves, 
weak ewes ar.d lambs by themselves, so that the 
allowance of grain or oil-cake shall be evenly dis¬ 
tributed. There is profit in very early lambs, but 
buildings and everything must be adapted to rais¬ 
ing them with their rapid growth unchecked by 
exposure to the weather, yet encouraged by fresh 
air and sufficient room for healthy exercise. 
Work ill tile Horticultural Depart¬ 
ment. 
In the recent war in Europe, the Austrians burn¬ 
ed an important bridge; the Prussian commander 
telegraphed to Berlin, and in a short time a dupli¬ 
cate bridge came with every piece numbered, and 
ready to put up. There was in store, at Berlin, a 
duplicate of every important bridge located near 
the seat of war. What has this to do with horti¬ 
culture ? The principle of being ready for every 
emergency has much to do with it. Head-work has 
quite as much to do with a campaign as hard fight¬ 
ing, and effective generalship tells, though perhaps 
in a less brilliant manner, as well in the kitchen 
garden as on the battlefield. An extra spade or 
whiffletree, and a reserve supply of seed to replant in 
case of failure, are as important to the gardener as 
an extra bridge or reserve regiment are to an army. 
Now is the time to anticipate accidents and provide 
everything that may be needed. Next month, active 
operations will be crowding, and even now, at the 
South, out-of-door work is going on. Trees should 
be ordered at once. We learn from nurserymen 
that.stock of some kinds is very scarce, and it may 
be necessary to apply to more than one dealer, in 
order to procure the required varieties. The assort¬ 
ment of seeds is at its best this month, and it is 
well to secure them now. The same with imple¬ 
ments; purchase the best, and have extra ones, or 
duplicates of parts that are liable to be broken. 
Orchard, and Nursery. 
There is but little of out-of-door work that can 
be done, except what was given in last month’s 
notes, though at the South planting is in order. 
Injured Trees are to be attended to as soon as the 
trouble is discovered. Limbs that are broken down 
by ice and snow are to be removed, the wound 
pared clean, and, if it be a large one, covered with 
grafting wax. As the snow disappears, the work of 
Rabbits and Mice will show itself. If the bark is 
only partly removed, put over a thick plaster of 
cow manure and clay or loam, and bind it on with 
a piece of matting or cloth. This will keep the 
parts moist and in good condition to heal when 
growth begins. Trees that have been completely 
Girdled , may be saved by the method of grafting 
noticed on page 48 of the “Basket.” 
Washing and Scraping are of great benefit to neg¬ 
lected trees, and washing, at least, may be done 
with advantage on all fruit trees. It destroys the 
young and almost invisible growth of mosses and 
lichens, kills dormant insects that have hidden in 
crevices, and improves the tree generally. Various 
tree washes have been recommended, but there is 
probably nothing better than good home-made soft 
soap, thinned with water to work conveniently with 
a brush. It is best to apply it in a damp, but not 
rainy, time. Remove the loose scales of bark by 
means of a blunt scraper. 
Insects are to be fought at all seasons. "We repeat 
the advice to remove the eggs of the tent caterpil¬ 
lar before they hatch. They are to be found near 
the ends of the small twigs, glued around in a neat 
band. The females of the canker worm begin to 
ascend the tree as soon as the ground thaws. There 
are many protectors, all of which agree in principle 
—that of interposing a barrier over which the in¬ 
sect cannot pass. See “Basket” item, page 49. 
Cions may still be cut. Pack them in sawdust; 
or, if put in a tight tin box, and kept in a cool place, 
their own moisture will keep them plump and in 
good condition until it is time to set them. 
Planting and Grafting .—The time for doing these 
operations will depend much upon the locality. 
We wish to give the caution not to be in a hurry. It 
is better to delay both until the cold, drying, winds 
of spring are over. Much of the failure in grafting 
is due to its being done too early, and many a young 
tree is dried up before its roots are in a condition 
to receive any moisture from the soil. 
Nursery Trees now being sent out at the South, 
will be delayed in transportation, and often suffer 
either from freezing or drying. Thaw frozen trees 
as gradually as possible, and bury dried and shriv¬ 
elled ones, tops and roots, until they become plump. 
Fruit Garden. 
For care of injured trees, treatment of insects, 
and general matters, see notes under “Orchard.” 
Priming of small limbs may be done with the 
knife wherever necessary, to bring trees into shape. 
Grape Vines not attended to last autumn should 
be pruned in the first mild spell that occurs. 
Whenever the frost is fairly out of the ground, set 
Strawberries as soon as plants can be procured. 
Manure may be spread around the trees. 
Trellises will be needed for grapes, and posts 
should be got out. Where durable timber is scarce, 
set a short locust post in the ground, and spike to 
it an upright of other wood. Look up the various 
plans of trellises, and select that which is best. 
Kitchen Garden. 
Where there is no glass in use there is but little 
that can be done in most northern gardens, save 
the accumulation of manure. It is the one thing 
needful for success in gardening anywhere, North 
or South. The late Mr. White remarked that he 
saw more manure ready to put on an already rich 
market garden of two or three acres, at the North, 
than a southern planter would think of putting on 
a farm of five hundred acres, garden included. 
Southern cultivators will now sow early crops 
of hardy vegetables—turnips, carrots, lettuce, cab¬ 
bages, radishes, onions, leeks, spinach, parsley, etc., 
and plant potatoes, peas and rhubarb, asparagus and 
other roots. The time for sowing tender vegetables, 
such as okra, beans, cucumber, etc., must be gov¬ 
erned by that at which it is safe to plant Indian 
corn. Corn is so generally planted all over the 
country, and the time at which it is safe to put in 
the crop is so well established in each locality, that 
there is always a safe guide for the inexperienced. 
Manure , whether to be spread for the crops or to 
be used for liot-beds, must not be allowed to get 
overheated. Turn it over, and water it, if too dry. 
Cold Frames .—Plants in these will need more 
care, must have plenty of air, and exposure by re¬ 
moving the sashes whenever the weather will allow. 
Hot-beds , unless very early vegetables are want¬ 
ed, need not be made, at the North, until next 
month. In southern gardens they may be prepared, 
and tomatoes, peppers, egg plants, cabbages, etc., 
sown in them. Shelter from prevailing winds 
should be looked out for, and if necessary to make 
the bed in an exposed place, it will pay to put up 
a temporary fence to shut off prevailing winds. 
Straw Mats are almost indispensable where there 
are hot-beds. See article on page 23, January. 
Brush and Poles for peas and beans should be cut 
while there is leisure, trimmed and sharpened, and 
stacked near the place where they will be used. 
Root Crops that were left in the ground all win¬ 
ter—salsify, parsnips and horseradish,—may be dug 
for sale or use whenever the ground is thawed. 
Rhubarb may be forced, by taking up the roots 
and setting them in boxes of earth in a green¬ 
house, or a few roots in the bed may be forced 
by covering with boxes or barrels around which 
is heaped a good supply of fermenting manure. 
Potatoes .—Plant some early sort, such as Early 
Goodrich, as soon as the frost will allow. 
Flower Garden ami Lawn. 
There is plenty of planning, and some work to be 
done. One of our best writers gives the advice to 
always have the garden look different each year. 
The advice is good, and is capable of being followed 
even in a very small place. Take a single bed in a 
lawn. One year it may be gay with Coleus and other 
“foliage plants;” in the fall,plant Hyacinths, Tulips, 
and other bulbs; in early spring, sow Portulaccas 
to make the bed gay when the bulbs have passed 
out of bloom. In a similar way each bed in a lawn 
can every year present some new feature. Of course 
in borders where there are herbaceous perennials, 
there must be some sameness in their appearance 
for several years in succession. Yet if these are so 
planted as to allow room for the introduction of 
clumps of annuals or bedding plants, a pleasing 
variety can be made, and be different every year. 
Ornamental Trees should have the same care as 
fruit trees. Most of them will repay manuring, 
and they need pruning whenever a branch disfigures 
the proper shape. 
Shrubs may be pruned and thinned. Those that 
bloom on the new wood maybe cut back, but those 
which have their flower buds already formed need 
only to be thinned when the growth is crowded. 
Seeds of Annuals may be sown, where there are 
facilities for keeping the young plants in good con¬ 
dition until time to set them out, but as a general 
thing sowing in hot-beds or in window boxes had 
best be left until next month. 
Plants in Pits must have air on warm days, or they 
will get drawn up by the increasing heat of the sun. 
Give water only when the soil in the pots is dry. 
Roots, such as Dahlias, Cannas, etc., stored in 
cellars, ought not to be too damp. If there are 
signs of mould or rot, remove them to a dry room. 
Wood Work that is to go out of doors should be 
repaired. Give rustic work a coat of oil, and paint 
such trellises and frames as need it. 
Lawns may be rolled as soon as the frost is out 
of tiie ground, and if they did not have a top-dress¬ 
ing last autumn, give one now of good compost. 
At the South .—Make walks, prepare borders, and 
set edging. On page 63 given a successful meth¬ 
od of raising box-edgings from cuttings. ' Trans¬ 
planting of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous peren¬ 
nials, may be done, and the hardier annuals sown. 
Green and Slot-IImases. 
As the weather gets milder more care will be re¬ 
quired with the fires,as sudden changes are apt to oc¬ 
cur. Maintain an uniform temperature, which should 
be 10° to 15° lower at night than during the day. 
Camellias that have done flowering are to bo 
pruned, and if the pots are full of roots, re-pot. 
Azaleas will now be coming into flower; give 
more water, and when in bloom, shade from the 
hot sun in the middle of the day. 
Potting of plants that appear to be sickly may be 
done, cutting them back at the same time. It is 
not always necessary to put into a larger pot, but 
shake out the old earth from the roots and re pot 
with fresh soil, in the same pot. 
Annuals may now be sown, either to bloom in 
pots, or for turning out into the borders. 
Propagation of bedding plants of all kinds should 
be going on. Our most successful growers use 
very short cuttings, of tender and succulent growth. 
Forcing Plants .—Hardy shrubs and herbaceous 
plants that were potted for forcing may be brought 
into a warm place; give them water as they start. 
Bulbs, as they pass out of flower, are to have the 
flower stalk cut away, but should not be allowed 
to dry until the leaves show signs of withering. 
