1SG8.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
83 
work at this business, and half a dozen neighbors’ 
boys may be hired to work for a few days and they 
will make - fun of the job. Mowing land, newly 
plowed ground, and iields of winter grain, should 
certainly be gleaned over. A stone which is fast 
may often be loosened by being struck with an¬ 
other, and those which the boys cannot start will 
most of them yield to a few blows from a pick. 
Farm Hoads. —Lay out roads with reference to 
thetfuture as well as the present wants of the farm. 
First drain the course, as well as tile drains can do 
it. This will generally be enough for most cart 
paths, but roads to be much used at all seasons 
need more. After draining, level the surface cross- 
ways, throwing off the top soil; then make a bed 
of stones, shallow on the tops of knolls and deeper 
in the swales and where water will be likely to 
wash. This will ease the grades, and, being made 
even and level, crossways, by the use of small 
stones, should be topped with gravel. Where stones 
and gravel cannot be had, branches of trees, cedars 
being especially good, may form the bed, first 
drained as directed, and, covered with earth; this 
will make a very fair farm road, or even highway. 
Fences. —When the ground is loosened by the 
frost coming out, and the land still too wet to plow, 
all hands may be set at fence making—resetting 
posts, renewing rails, staking, bracing, etc. The ma¬ 
terial needed, and that for new fence, should have 
been prepared from fall-out wood during the winter. 
Soiling . — Rye will be the first crop ready to cut 
for soiling. It will respond quickly to a dressing of 
100 or 200 pounds of Peruvian guano, which, if ap¬ 
plied just after the frost leaves the ground, will 
probably not only add considerably to the crop, 
but will bring it on notably earlier. If cut so as to 
allow it to make a second growth, the top-dressing 
may be given at the time of cutting. Oats, sowed 
as early as the ground is fit, at the rate of 4 bushels 
to the acre, are regarded as the best crop to follow 
fall-so wed grains. 
Field Work .— Clover and grass seed may be sown on 
the winter grain. Grain and grass fields maybe 
rolled as soon as the frost is out, thus resetting the 
roots laid bare by the action of frost and wind, and 
sinking the small stones. Plowing and harrowing 
may be done when the ground is dry enough. Po¬ 
tatoes may be planted on warm, early land, using 
good-sized seed not cut small, and if cut at all left 
some days to “heal” before planting. 
Spring Grains .—It is general!}' best, north of lat. 
40°, to sow in April, but where the ground is warm, 
and can be thoroughly prepared beforehand, it is 
well to get all kinds, even peas, in as early as pos¬ 
sible. Peas and Oats sown together are an excellent 
crop for feeding green, or for cutting and curing 
before ripe enough to shell, to be fed in the straw, 
or when ripe, to be thrashed, and ground together 
for feed. It is off early enough to prepare for wheat. 
Work for odd times .—The weather and other 
things will cause unavoidable delays, but few com¬ 
pared with those coming from our own improvi¬ 
dence or thoughtlessness. Always have work for odd 
times: clear up around the house and barn ; work 
over manure; prepare composts of hen-manure 
or privy soil for corn, or for top-dressing grain or 
grass ; collect chip dirt where old wood-piles have 
stood; make ditches to spread the wash of high¬ 
way over the grass ; get out pea brush and bean 
poles, trimming and sharpening them ready for use ; 
and clean out the well and cistern, if necessary. 
Prepare for a good Garden , which should be the 
pride of every farm. Read the hints under Kitchen 
Garden, and if there is a probability that it will be 
well lookecTto, make a’hot-bed, and sow lettuce, 
radishes, early cabbages and cauliflowers, peppers, 
tomatoes and egg plants. Cucumbers, melons, and 
squashes, started on pieces of sod, may be removed 
to the open ground when danger from frost is past. 
Hints about Work in Previous Volumes and Numbers 
will well repay perusal. Especial care is taken not 
to repeat, except when it is unavoidable. In the 
previous numbers of the current year subjects 
touched upon or discussed one month are often 
quite as appropriately considered in another. 
Woi-lt iaa 4l»c Bfforfliewltmral Depart- 
• laiesitf. 
As we look out upon the snow banks it requires 
a little faith to put ourselves in a frame of mind to 
talk about out-door work. With us this has thus 
far been a grand winter for dormant plants ; snow, 
the best of all mulches, has kept them thus far as 
well covered as the most careful gardener could 
wish. Some of our friends in the far southern 
States write us that our notes are not timely for 
them. We are well aware of that; neither are they 
exactly in time for northern Maine and New Hamp¬ 
shire, and are further out of the way for California 
than for either. It is not practicable to make a 
calendar that may be followed everywhere, nor even 
one that will suit a single locality in all seasons. 
We long ago discontinued calling these columns 
a calendar, for the reason that it conveyed a wrong 
idea. They 7 are intended to be a scries of season¬ 
able hints about work, and among other things, 
condense here in brief what we have not space 
for in another form. 
The time for performing the different operations 
is well known to those with experience. To the 
novice we would say, do not be in too great a hurry ; 
after the frost has gone the ground must drain and 
dry and get in working order. Set out all hardy 
trees, shrubs, and plants, as soon as the soil can be 
made fit to receive them. Sow seeds of hardy- 
vegetables, peas, turnips, carrots, cabbage, etc., as 
soon as the frost is out and the ground can be 
worked. For tender plants, such as squashes, mel¬ 
ons, tomatoes, etc., the time for corn planting, well 
established in every locality, is the safest guide. 
Orchard and IVursery. 
One of the first things to be doue is to care for 
Girdled Trees, which should be attended to as 
soon as the injury is discovered. Last month in 
the “Hints,” ns well as in the “ Basket” on page 
48, we gave the manner of treating them. 
Order Trees from the nursery at once, if it has not 
been done. If planting with a view to selling fruit, 
have a few kinds that arc known to succeed in the 
locality, rather than many but little known ones. 
Plant as soon as the soil can be thoroughly pre¬ 
pared. See hints on laying out an orchard, on page 
103. If not ready to set the trees as soon as they 
arrive, unpack and 
Heel-in at once, taking care to put the different 
kinds so that there will be no confusion of names. 
Pruning at Planting, and indeed pruning at all, 
has been much discussed of late, but we have seen 
nothing to convince us that it is not both advisable 
and necessary. Cut back at least one-third of the 
branches of the tree before setting. 
Deep Planting is injurious; the tree should be set 
no lower than it stood in the nursery, allowing for 
the settling of the newly disturbed soil. 
Grafting is not to be done until the buds upon 
the stock show signs of starting; the cherry and 
plum should both be grafted very early. 
See notes of January and February for other 
work which may yet be done, especially the in¬ 
structions in regard to the destruction of insects. 
Frnit <Gai"d.eM. 
Planting of all kinds is to be done as soon as the 
soil is in good working order. 
Grape Vuies that were not pruned last fall should 
be attended to. In planting young vines cut them 
back to two or three buds, and then allow but 
one of these to grow the first year. Much of the 
failure with grapes is due to planting a long vine 
and allowing it to grow as it pleases. 
Grape Cuttings are best kept out of the soil un¬ 
til it gets thoroughly warmed to some depth. 
Currant Cuttings, as well as those of the Goose¬ 
berry, are to be planted as soon as the ground is 
ready. In setting these, as well as other cuttings, 
have the earth well packed around their lower ends, 
even rammed down firm against them. 
Currant and Gooseberry Bushes should be trans¬ 
planted as early as the weather will allow, as should 
Blackberries and Raspberries-, these should be cut 
back and the growth started from buds at or near 
the root. If the canes arc not cut back some fruit 
will be borne the present year at the expense of 
the future welfare of the plants. At the West these 
fruits are grown in hedges; the plants are set two 
or three feet apart in the row, and when the Rasp¬ 
berries are a foot high, and the Blackberries two 
feet, the shoot is pinched, and the side shoots are 
pinched when they are a foot long. It is said that 
in this way a very large crop of fruit is obtained, 
and the plants become self-supporting. 
Strawberries. —Set as early as the plants can be had; 
one foot by IS inches, or two feet for the large-grow¬ 
ing sorts, is the usual distance for garden culture. 
Trees in the garden will need the general care indi¬ 
cated in this and previous months under “Orchard.” 
S^itoi&^sa darden. 
If the preparatory work is not well along it will 
not be because we have not given frequent injunc¬ 
tions to collect manure, procure seeds, repair tools, 
and consider all the ways and means beforehand. 
Preparing the Soil should be done at the earliest 
practicable moment, but not until it is sufficiently 
dry. In properly drained gardens the work can be 
done much earlier than in others. Deep plowing 
and subsoiling arc best for a garden large enough 
to allow this kind of work. It is advisable to have 
no trees or bushes in a kitchen garden, or, if they 
must be there, let them as well as such permanent 
plants as Rhubarb, Asparagus, etc., be so placed as 
not to interfere with the free and frequent working 
of the portion devoted to vegetables. In small 
gardens deep spading must be resorted to. 
Ilol-beds are to be made and the seeds sown. It 
is much more economical of heating material to 
place it in an excavation ; dig a trench 3 feet deep 
and of convenient size for the sash on hand, drive 
down stakes and board up the sides of the pit, the 
boards at the rear being 18 inches and those at the 
front, (facing the soutfi) 13 inches above tire sur¬ 
face ; provide cleats extending from side to side for 
the sashes to run upon, and board up the cuds. Fill 
the trench with fermenting manure, distributing it 
evenly and beating it down with a fork, or use one- 
third or more leaves with the manure. Put on 6 
inches of rich, light soil and place on the sashes. 
The bed will become very hot, and when the heat 
declines below 100° the seeds may be sown. Sow 
Tomatoes, Peppers, Egg Plants, Early Cabbages, 
etc., in rows crosswise of the bed and about! 
inches apart. Cover small seeds very lightly. 
Cold Frames are much safer for the inexperienced 
than hot-beds. Place a frame over a well-prepared 
spot of light, rich soil, put on the sash, and at night 
cover the sash with mats or shutters. In a few 
days the soil will become well warmed, when the 
seeds may be sown the same as in a liot-bed. 
Air and Water must be properly given in either 
hot-beds or cold frames. The water should have 
the chill removed and be applied from a fine 
sprinkler. Give air every day when not too cold. 
Planting on Sods. —We have often recommended 
this simple but useful contrivance, but it may be 
new to some. Get a good bit of pasture sod, and 
lay it on a board, grass side down; then with a 
knife cut it into pieces about three inches square. 
In the earth of these sods the seeds of any of those 
plants that are not easily transplanted may be 
sown. Place the whole in a liot-bcd or cold frame. 
Cucumbers and melons seem to delight in this 
treatment. At the proper time the sods are plant¬ 
ed out without disturbing the roots of the plants. 
It is well to put a half dozen seeds in each, and 
thin out to two or three. Some hills of early corn 
and even potatoes, may be had in this way. 
Plants in the house may be started in common 
boxes, or according to hints on page 103. 
Cabbage plants and others that have been winter¬ 
ed in frames must be freely exposed, and generally 
the sashes may be removed altogether. 
Asparagus is to have the litter removed and soma 
