1868 . 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
123 
the season by making arrangements for saying 
manure, and thoroughly composting it with muck, 
sods, or with other vegetable matter later in the 
season. Manure for use on laud intended for ruta¬ 
bagas, or other crops sowed in summer, should be 
put in compost heaps and worked over once or twice 
before it is used. Poultry house manure mixed 
with soil or muck should be frequently worked 
over, and made fine for use upon corn in the hill. 
Liquid Manure— The leachings of the barn-yard, 
which ought always to flow into a tank espe¬ 
cially prepared for them,are among the most valuable 
additions to a compost heap ; not a particle of it 
should be allowed to waste, or wash away when 
rains cause an overflow. It will pay well to have a 
sprinkling cart to carry the liquid upon the lawns 
or fields, and it is especially useful upon the garden. 
During a moderate rain, or in showery weather, is 
the best time to apply it on all drained soils, 
where the water goes through, not over the surface. 
Commercial Fertilizers. —Purchase with caution. 
Bones as bone-dust are less likely to be adulterated 
than as superphosphate. Guano (Peruvian No. 1) is 
a safe article to buy of an honest dealer, who buys 
of the Government agent. The more hands it goes 
through the more probability there is of its being 
adulterated. Fish guano is excellent and reliable; 
we have as yet learned of no frauds connected with 
it. Castor Pomace is to be had in small quantities 
and is excellent. Land plaster is little subject to 
fraud. Leached ashes are often adulterated with 
coal ashes, but this fraud is easily noticed. Get 
along without buying manures, if possible, but if 
you sell either hay or straw, be sure to make good 
the wrong you do the soil by spending all you get for 
manure of some sort, and keep the soil improving. 
Spring Grains.— Wheat and Barley should be 
pickled in a strong brine and dried with lime be¬ 
fore sowing, to destroy the smut. Sow as early as 
the ground is brought into fine order, using about 
5 to 7 pecks of wheat, 2 bushels to 2X of barley, and 
2X of oats. The later the grain is sowed the more 
seed should be used. Heavy 7 , plump seed, free from 
weed seed, is of prime importance. No rank, heat¬ 
ing manure should be used, but fine compost, or 
applications of commercial fertilizers, such as 100 
to 250 pounds of guano to the acre, or 300 to 500 
pounds of bone-dust for wheat or barley, and leached 
ashes, wood ashes, or gypsum, for any spring grain. 
Nitrogenous manures make oats run to straw. 
Peas. —This crop should be sown early. In light 
soils put the seed in deep. It should go upon soil 
manured last year, and free from weeds. A com¬ 
mon practice is to scatter the peas by hand liberally 
in every third furrow. The furrows should be 
not more than four to six inches deep, the depth 
depending on the soil. Broadcast sowing and 
drilling are more commonly followed, the latter 
practice being usually preferred on warm ground. 
Peas and oats sowed together is a favorite crop with 
many good farmers, but as nearly a full crop of each 
may be produced, the land must be mellow and rich. 
Moot Crops. —Sugar beets, mangels, parsnips, and 
carrots, may be sown as early as the "ground can be 
well prepared. These crops can hardly have too 
rich or well-worked soil, yet they will reward labor 
on soil which is far from being either as rich or as 
mellow as it might be. Be sure of good seed. Sow 
in straight drills so far apart as to allow of horse 
cultivation. Carrots may have the drills closest, 
but these should be at least 2 feet apart; 30 inches 
is none too far for the other roots named. Roots 
require a good deal of labor, but it is well spent. 
Potatoes .—The earliest varieties are the ones for 
early planting. There is perhaps nothing better 
than Early Goodrich, or than the Sebee; the Dyke- 
man is common in most parts of the country, and 
the Early June may be had anywhere, and is very 
good. Plant good-sized seed, cutting the largest 
potatoes, and aiming to have the pieces fully as 
large as hens’ eggs-. Let the cut pieces dry a day 
or two before planting. Plant close, one piece in a 
place, and not less than 4 inches under ground on 
dry ground. Cover with a plow, ridging up a little 
over the rows, and lay all flat as soon as the plants 
get above ground, with a wooden-toothed harrow, 
an iron one on its back, or with a bush harrow. 
Worlc in tine Horticultural !>c» 
partmeuls. 
As a matter of convenience we arrange these 
notes under different heads, though we are well 
aware that many have but one garden for small 
fruits, vegetables, and even flowers. It is better to 
grow those things so than not at all, but it is on 
many accounts preferable to have separate com¬ 
partments set off for the fruit, kitchen, and flower 
garden. The manuring and frequent working of 
the soil, so necessary to the production of the best 
vegetables, is not practicable where permanent beds 
of fruits are in the way, and while we appreciate 
the love for flowers that will have them under 
every disadvantage, we much prefer to see the 
onions grow at a distance from the tulips. Enthu¬ 
siastic cultivators are often in a hurry to be at work 
with the first mild days of spring. It is always best 
to wait until the soil is in “ working order” and 
will crumble rather than clod when turned by the 
plow or spade. Work must often be pushed, but 
never badly done; better do less and do it well. 
©n'chard and Nursery. 
The present custom of packing trees in boxes 
has some advantages over the old one of baling 
with straw, but with all the care those that are sent 
a long distance are liable to detention in transpor¬ 
tation and it will often happen that the trees, when 
opened, have a most unpromising look, the bark 
being badly shrivelled. In this case do not put the 
trees into water, but bury them, root and branch, in 
the soil. After a contact of a few days or a week 
with the moist soil, they will, unless very badly 
injured, come out as good as new. The land should 
be prepared, and- everything should be ready for 
Planting the trees as soon as they are received. 
Cut injured roots smooth and shorten the tops. 
Make a hole broad enough to allow the roots to be 
spread; throw on some fine soil and work it in 
among the roots with the fingers, so that no hollow 
places will be left; put on more soil and press it 
down with the foot, and the tree will not need 
Staking to support it, although a stake to each 
tree is very useful in laying out the ground before 
the tree is planted, and afterwards in enabling its 
position to be more readily seen in cultivating. 
Grafting is to be done upon the plum and cherry 
before the buds have started. Other trees may 
be worked after the buds have swelled. 
Moot-grafts and Cuttings are to be planted in a 
rich, mellow bed as soon as the soil can be prepared. 
Seeds of all kinds for raising young nursery 
stock should be sown as soon as possible. 
Insects have been sufficiently noticed in previous 
months ; continue to destroy them. See article on 
bark-louse on page 134, and do not set out a tree 
that is infested with this scaly pest on any account. 
JFruit ®aa*4leM. 
If constant pleading would effect it, every farm 
would have a fruit garden, and every farmer’s table 
would have an abundance of fruit-. A few neglect¬ 
ed currant bushes and a run-out strawberry patch 
too often supply all the summer fruits. We mean a 
fruit garden which shall be planted and cared fo'r as 
furnishing necessary food rather than a luxury. 
Have strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc., 
not by the stinted tea saucer full, but a big soup- 
dish, heaped at that, at every meal. There is health, 
comfort, and economy, in a fruit garden. So have 
one. Half an acre or an acre to a good-sized family 
is not too much, and let the children do all but the 
heavy work. If limited in means, begin with straw¬ 
berries and currants. Choose a good soil near the 
house, manure and plow it thoroughly, and plant 
these, at least, and as many more as can be had. 
Strawberries. —Eighteen inches apart in rows two 
feet apart is a good distance. Set as early as pos¬ 
sible. If any blossom buds appear this year pick 
them off. Keep the ground clear of weeds by use 
of the hoe, and cut the runners off. The plants will 
form large stools and next year give a good crop 
of fruit. As to varieties, the Wilson is the most gen¬ 
erally successful, but not the best. Jucunda is fine 
in heavy soils, and the Agriculturist in light ones. 
Each locality has some favorite sort. Near Boston, 
nothing docs as well as Ilovey’s Seedling, which 
being pistillate needs the Boston Pine or some other 
with perfect flowers to be planted near It. Beds 
that were covered last fall should have the straw 
or other mulch removed fronr over the crowns. 
Currants are easily raised from cuttings, and 
rooted plants may be had at moderate prices. Cut¬ 
tings should have been made earlier, but in many 
places will do well if put in now. See page 88 last 
month. Versailles and White Grape are the best, 
but have some at any rate. Old and neglected 
bushes may be made to produce better fruit and 
more of it by cutting out a good part of the old 
aud stunted wood, and leaving an open, well-bal¬ 
anced bush. Spade in good manure around them. 
Blackberries and Maspberries, See last month’s notes. 
Gooseberries are propagated the same as currauts. 
It is useless to try any but American varieties. 
Grape Vines that have been covered should be 
placed upon the trellis. Plant vines of some kind. If 
there is room for any thing,plant a grape vine of some 
kind. See page 144 for treatment of young vines. 
Figs may be tried by those who have sheltered 
places in a mild climate; cover them in winter. 
Kitclicii Crarrtcn. 
No matter how rich the garden may be thought 
to be, most things will be benefited by more ma¬ 
nure. Regular market gardeners use from 50 to 
100 tons of stable manure, or its equivalent, to the 
acre. See last and previous months for hints on 
preparation of the soil, hot-beds, cold frames, etc. 
Plant in rows, as far as possible, as this is much 
more convenient in working than the old-fashioned 
way of dividing up the garden into small beds. 
A marker will be found very convenient in laying 
off the rows. It is made like a heavy wooden rake, 
with teeth 12 inches apart on one side and 9 inches 
apart on the other. By dragging this along the 
prepared ground, lines for planting are marked. 
Seed-beds will be needed by those .who do not use 
glass for starting their plants, and for plants for 
later crops. The soil should be rich and light, of a 
nature that will not become compacted or caked. 
Many failures with seeds are due to the inability of 
the delicate plant to force its way through the heavy, 
baked soil. Sow here all plants that are to be trans¬ 
planted, such as cabbages, celery, sweet herbs, etc. 
Varieties. —It is of great importance to have good 
seeds of good kinds. Do not delay getting at once all 
that may be needed. See last month, pp. 90 aud 102. 
Asparagus and Mhubarb. —Remove the litter, and 
fork in a good dressing of manure. In places far 
from the sea a liberal saltjng is beneficial to aspar¬ 
agus. Make new beds as previously directed. 
Beans. -Plant bush sorts as soon as danger of frost is 
past. Limas should be left until the ground is warm. 
Beets and Carrots. —Sow early sorts in drills a foot 
apart, or in two-foot drills with radishes between. 
Cabbages and Cauliflowers. —Transplant from cold 
frames and from liot-beds; in the latter case the 
plants must be properly hardened by exposure. 
Sow seeds in the open ground in well-prepared beds. 
Celery.— Sow in seed-bed in rows 8 inches apart. 
Chives. —Divide clumps and number new plant¬ 
ings, putting the small bulbs 6 inches apart. 
Cress or Peppergrass. —Sow a small quantity every 
ten days to keep up a supply. Dust the young 
plants with air-slaked lime, if insects trouble them. 
Cucumbers may be had quite early by planting 
seed in frames from which other plants have been 
removed, giving, of course, plenty of manure. 
Egg Plant. —Sow seeds in hot-bed, which should 
have a covering of mats on cold nights. 
Garlic. —Sets obtained by breaking up the 
bulbs are planted G inches apart in foot rows. 
Horseradish. —Plant as directed on page 23, (Jan.) 
or between the early cabbages, to occupy the ground 
after that crop comes off. Drop straight pieces 
