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The Fruit Garden.

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The principal operations in this department will be picking and storing fruit whenever it is in proper condition to do so; making preparations for filling up vacant places in the orchard and fruit garden. The preparation of ground for the reception of currants, gooseberries, strawberries, &c., should be completed as soon as possible. The formation of borders for grape vines should be proceeded with, and stagnant water must be carried off by drains. A stratum of stones should always intervene between the soil of the border and a cold, adhesive bottom. though these precautions may not be strictly necessary in all cases, there are but few instances where they can, with propriety, be dispensed with. In planting odd trees between old established ones, a hole of considerable dimensions should be made for the young tree, and refilled with new and fresh compost. In the preparation of soil for fruit trees we always endeavor to keep it as dry as possible, and choose a dry day for planting, in order that the soil may be in a favorable state for the growth of new roots during the Fall.

as little delay as possible. Those that have been potted for forcing, should be kept in a sheltered situation to insure their not being too much saturated with wet. Strong pricked out plants may still be potted with good success. Look well to the fruit room, and keep it cool and airy-examine the fruit frequently and pick out all that are decaying. In a well ordered fruit garden every kind of fruit should have its department, and instead of being, as they often are, a row of trees of all sorts and kinds, mixed up in the most heterogeneous manner, no mixture should be allowed; every kind should have its allotted place. Thus, pears on the quince stock; the same on the pear stock; apples on the paradise stock; the same on the wild apple stock; morello cherries on the mahaleb stock, to be grown as pyramids, the best of all methods. The various kinds of duke cherries on the same stock; heart and biggareau cherries on the common cherry stock. Plumbs whether as bushes, pyramids, &c., should all be separated and planted by themselves, and not planted without regard to system or order, as they have been and continue to be, in many places where planting is being done. When our minds become turned to improved fruit tree culture, we shall see all this, and our fruit gardens will then become patterns of order, system and

The present time is very favorable for relifting and root pruning such fruit trees as are too lux-profit. Fruit trees grown in pots should now be uriant, and require checking to produce a fruitful habit. In root pruning we prefer to lift the tree entirely, unless too large, to cutting off the roots as they stand. After shortening the roots proportionately to the growth of the tree, we spread them out carefully near the surface, and fill in with the fresh compost, on which is spread a mulching of partly decayed barn yard manure to prevent frost from penetrating the ground.

As time permits, haul out rotten dung ready to go between the rows of strawberries, &c.Whenever the dryness of the ground prevents lifting and transplanting, much may be done in pruning and thinning the tops, both of trees to be transplanted and of those which are permanently established. It will be found to be much more pleasant to do this now than in the depth of Winter-and it will, by the admission of light and air, tell much upon the fruitfulness of the tree, and quality of the fruit for years to come. Currants on wire or wooden trellises should now be well pruned in. Trained in this way they soon become full of fruit buds, and bear immensely in little room, and are easily protected from birds, &c.

Strawberries.-Continue to clean the beds and slightly stir the surface, and where new plantations are not completed, it should be done with

taken up from the borders where they have been plunged, the roots which have protruded through the bottom of the pots cut off, the branches properly pruned and trimmed, and the pots stowed away in their winter quarters-previous to which we prefer to give each tree a top dressing, rather than to defer it until Spring. The compost we use for the purpose, and which has answered our warmest anticipations, is rotten, or nearly rotten barn yard manure, chopped up into small pieces and well saturated with strong liquid manure for two or three days, and then used. From two to three inches of this top dressing will be amply sufficient. Form into a neat, shallow basin, the tree in the centre, so that the applications of water given may be retained. To every one of our friends who has a garden, however small it may be, we would say, at this season of the year plant fruit trees-apples, pears, peaches and all the small fruits in as great variety as practicable. If only space for one tree, or one dozen strawberry plants, plant them. The very variety of fruit at our tables expands alike our desires, our minds, and our hearts, and tend to raise us in the scale of civilization. The man with so few wants that nature alone will supply them, whatever peculiar excellencies he possesses, can, as a man, be little better than a barbarian. We

say nothing against the man-quite the reversewho, well aware of the benefits and the pleasures from variety of food, voluntarily deprives himself of that gratification, in order that, by his self-denial and self-effort, he may obtain a desired object. But it will be more than we can accomplish to make the world believe that Concord grapes are no better than the wildings of the wood, or the improved varieties of apples and pears, than those grown in our gardens fifty years ago. The great Creator, in his merciful goodness, has presented us with a wonderful variety of the useful and beautiful, that we may · thankfully and temperately enjoy them all.

Those who are contented with the most com

mon fruits, when their means would command all the most select and desirable, can only

secure our respect, when we know the means thus saved are devoted to some noble purpose, such as helping those who, in this, our day, are in so much need of help.

MCCORMICK'S REAPER IN FRANCE.-By invitation from the Emperor Napoleon a private exhibition of the working of McCormick's reaping machine was made recently on the Imperial farm near Chalons, at which the Emperor was present, accompanied by Marshal Niel, Gen. Le Bœuf, and M. Tiperaud, Director-General of the Imperial Agricultural Estates.

The trial was a complete success, and gave so much satisfaction to the Emperor that he immediately gave orders for the purchase of three of the machines for use on his private farms, and earnestly expressed the intention of encouraging the adoption of the invention throughout France on account of its great labor-saving properties, and said that he would set the example by putting it into operation on all imperial farms.

Such distinguished attention as this has been shown to no other foreign exhibitor, and it is considered certain that to Mr. McCormick will be awarded the highest honors of the International Exposition.

COAL SCREENINGS FOR MULCHING FRUIT TREES. Coal screenings, or slack, is very much used in some places, as a mulch for fruit trees of all kinds. Straw and hay, etc., soon decay, but coal-slack will endure for many years, and being a non-conductor of heat, it keeps the soil warm in Winter and cool in Summer. It prevents the growth of weeds, keeps the soil from becoming baked, and also acts as a fertilizer of considerable power. Coal ashes and small cinders may also be used for a similar purpose with good effect.

The Flower Garden.

COLD FRAMES.-Upon the appearance of hard frost, the earliest opportunity should be taken to remove carnations, pinks, picotees, with other half hardy plants to their winter quarters. Cold, dry frames, raised a few inches upon blocks, to give a circulation of air beneath and among the plants, is one of the best situations for them, but very little water should be given such plants during the winter season, just sufficient to keep them from wilting; during every fair day additional air should be given by tilting up or removing the sashes entirely. Upon the approach of severe weather, the vacancies around the of protection given. But during a greater porframe should be filled up, and a moderate degree tion of the winter no covering will be required, as the plants will bear to be frozen without injury, if the lights are covered sufficiently to keep out the sun rays, when they will thaw gradually and slowly.

in beds and borders. Pot Hyacinths, Tulips, Bulbs, of all kinds, should now be planted Narcissus, Crocus, and Snowdrops, in succession, so as to prolong the season of blooming.

Carnations and Picotees, not yet rooted from layers, must be taken off the stools and planted under glasses; those, with a few fibres, may be potted; having made some root, they will soon gain strength. The good old fashion clove carnation may be propagated to any extent, from cuttings in the spring. Carnations will often be found infested with green fly during the close weather, at this time of the year, in which case fumigate with tobacco, at once, and again in a few days afterwards, when they will probably remain clean till they commence to grow again in the spring.

Chrysanthemums should be looked to so that they may have a fair chance of making a good bloom; give them clear liquid manure, and tie them up securely, as their blossoms being heavy often weigh down their stems, or cause small Stalks to snap with a gale of wind. Those grown in pots do not put into the house, so long as they are safe from frost, except any that may be required to bloom early.

Cyclamens-these beautiful spring flowering plants should now be taken into the house, and have every encouragement to grow for bloom, keeping them near the light as possible.

Fuchsias are blooming most beautifully since the change from warm, to moist, moderate weather. They may be kept in bloom until very late in the season, by keeping them close.

Plants going out of bloom should be kept exposed to the sun until danger of hard frost, and left unpruned till the time for taking them in doors, then cut them in slightly and place them in any moderately dry place, either fight or dark, until they commence to grow next spring. Revise the whole stock of plants in pots as opportunities offer, remove worms from pots, and renew the drainage where it has got stopped up, and prepare for the casualties of winter. Greenhouse plants that have been standing out

should now be taken into the house.

Deciduous trees should now be planted. In planting them we do not wait for the falling of the leaf, we take them up and dispose of them as required; the transplanting will do them more good than harm. Forest trees, ornamented shrubs, roses, and all such things, should be procured and planted at once, and from this time every day gained is a real gain for the future well-doing of the trees, which, if the weather continue warm, will commence to make roots immediately. But it may grow cooler any day, and the longer planting is delayed the longer will it require for the trees to make fresh roots, on which their success next year will depend. Never plant when the ground is in a very wet state, if it does not come to pieces readily, wait a few days. Meanwhile see that the roots of the trees do not suffer by sunshine or drying winds.

Evergreen shrubs may yet be planted, when, if the earth continue warm, and the air moist, they will make fresh roots at once. This is also the best time to make alterations in flower gardens, shrubberies, &c. Not the least occasion as we have said, for the trees to be quite at rest before removing them. If they are still growing, and are to be removed, the sooner they are lifted the better, if only to put a stop to their activities.

TO KEEP TIRES ON WHEELS.-Hear a practical man on the subject: I ironed a wagon some years ago for my own use; before putting on the tires I filled the felloes with linseed oil; and the tires have worn out and were never loose.My method is as follows: I use a long cast iron heater, made for the purpose; the oil is brought to a boiling heat, the wheel is placed on a stick, so as to hing in the oil, each felloe an hour.The timber should be dry, as green timber will not take the oil. Care should be taken that the oil is not made hotter than a boiling heat, or the timber will be burned. Timber filled with oil is not susceptible to injury by water, and is rendered much more durable by this process.

Planting Asparagus in the Fall. Among the many valuable ideas for which we have vanity enough to think the horticulturist is indebted to the Gardener's Monthly

transplanting trees just before, instead of after the leaves fall, stands prominent. This is but "Fall planting." November setting out is really winter planting.

Every year as we note observations and make experiments, we can see that this early Fall practice will yet be applied to many valuable purposes we now have little idea of. Within the past two years we have watched experiments made by several gentlemen on planting Asparagus in August, and the result is a remarkable

success.

The ground is prepared as for a crop at any other season, and after cutting off the green tops of the young seedlings the roots are set precisely as in Spring planting. They push new roots at once, and make eyes so strong that even from one year old seedlings, some Asparagus-but not, of course, very strong--has been cut the following Spring,-and where two year old roots have been used, a full crop has been cut in the same time—a result no one expects from Spring planting.

In this region the plan has taken strong hold of gardeners, and Asparagus planting is likely to take rank at once with the Strawberry as a regular August operation.

It will, of course, be best in such cases to cover the beds, after they have once become frozen, with some kind of litter, not to keep out frost, but to prevent thawing and freezing until the natural Spring season comes; or the plants may be thrown out.

The same is true of Rhubarb and many root

plants. If put in early so as to have time to put out a few fibres before winter comes they will push out very strong next year and a season of growth is saved thereby.-Gard. Month.

Dr. Trimble stated before the New York Farmers' Club that since the introduction of the English sparrow, the canker worm in New Haven and in other places has disappeared; also that the worm has another enemy, a parasite, so small as only to be seen by the glass, that lays its minute eggs in the eggs of the canker-worm. Others ascribed the decrease of the canker-worm to the cold winds and rains of the past Spring, which occurred after the eggs commenced hatching.

For the "American Farmer.”

Surface Manuring. CLIFTON, Fairfax Co., Va., Aug. 22, 1867. Messrs. Editors:

on the surface, has been thoroughly soaked by a rain, its capability for fermenting is gone. Many of our farmers certainly have observed the looseness of their soil several weeks after they have turned under fresh manure, a sign that the fermentation of the manure under the surface of the soil has co-operated with the soil to its benefit. What I have said above is with regard to fresh manure. The article referred to says: "Should the plain, practical farmer want any further proof that there is no loss by fermentation of any of the valuable constituentswhat he considers the strength of the manurethe vastly greater effect of, and benefit received from rotten manure, ought to be more than enough for his satisfaction." Has the writer of this article bore in mind, how much fresh manure it takes to procure one load of rotten? Manure, by being put in a pile, loses, in 81 days, 26 7-10 per cent.; in 254 days, 35 7-10 per cent.; in 384 days, 37 5-10 per cent.; and in 393 days, 52 8-10 per cent. Take an average of 37 per cent. lost before it is applied to the land, and you can make your calculation. By using the fresh manure from the stable, you would have been enabled to manure three times the area as if retained for rotting. I do not pretend to say, that the durability of the fresh manure is equal to rotten, but being enabled to produce as good a crop on thrice the area with fresh manure, the material for manure is increased and you enabled to return it to your soil every other year, whereas, by allowing your manure to rot away, you would not be able to manure oftener than every sixth year. The view taken in the article referred to, about turning under manure, is not correct. It states: "It also appears that when manure is ploughed into the soil, there is comparatively little chance for it to be thus prepared and brought to the plant, but that the roots have to find and use it as they best can. Hence it will be seen that, when manure is ploughed under, the roots of plants cannot as soon, nor as throughly receive the benefit of it, as when diffused through the surface soil by the rains; while being covered with several inches

Rainy days, I think, are not only an improvement to the farm, but also to the farmer's mind. At least I, whenever such a day makes its appearance, am always tempted to pay particular attention to the spiritual part of our business, reading over my agricultural journals and books. Doing so to-day, as it is raining, I came across the July number of the "Farmer" from 1866, and found a decidedly able written article on “Surface Manuring," although I cannot endorse it fully. I remember now distinctly that, when I read the article, more than a year ago, I felt tempted to make some remarks, and not having done it then, I determined, at once, to do it now. Before advocating "surface manuring," a thing important for some sections of the country, but dangerous for others, all the advantages and disadvantages, in regard to location, climate atmospherical influences, ought to be well considered and set forth to the public. The statement in the article, that surface manuring is practiced to a great extent in England, proves the correctness of my remark in regard to atmosphere, as the air of England is naturally very moist. If you go to the interior of France and Germany, you will find surface manuring mostly confined to meadows. We must not forget to bear in mind, that our climate is entirely different from that of the old country in general, our soil being subject to a bot sun, severe droughts, and torrents of rain not known in Europe. It is with "surface manuring" as with most every thing in farming, it is subject to modifications, according to different agencies acting differently under peculiar circumstances present at the different sections of the country. The advocates of surface manuring will mostly be found to reside near coasts of large bodies of water, or in such sections of the country where the air is mostly damp. I agree with them, that under the peculiar advantages they have in atmospherical respect, the system of surface manu-often six or eight-of soil, there is compararing in the fall, and turning it under in spring, is practical and to advantage, although I contend that, the earlier the manure can be turned under, shallow, the better it is. It certainly is better to have the process of fermenting and decomposition take place under the surface of the soil, then on top. - We avoid at the same time any loss by heavy rains, which cannot be prevented, even if the land is perfectly level. Furthermore, as soon as the fresh manure, spread

tively little chance for rains to dissolve, bring it to, and diffuse it through the surface soil, where it is mostly needed." Now, if it is desired to manure for a crop, the soil has to be well prepared by deep ploughing and harrowing. If this has been done, haul and spread your manure and turn it under, not more than three inches, sow and harrow. The writer is mistaken if he considers manure necessary for the first start of the young grain. The proof of this assertion

you will find by sowing any kind of seed in the most miserable, poor soil. By moisture and atmospherical influence it will germinate and grow quite brisk for a certain period. This proves, that manure is not essential for germinating and the first growth. But as soon the roots require more nourishment than they find in the surface, they will extend downwards in search of it, and find it in the manure turned under. Our object should always be to induce downward tendencies of the roots by manure and subsoil ploughing, as this enables the plants to withstand drought and other hardships. A plant, persuaded by manure to run its roots near the surface, never will have the capacity to endure unfavourable seasons as well as the other. Nevertheless, there are circumstances under which surface manuring is advantageous. For instance, on meadows, not subject to inundation; on young grass after the grain has been removed; and on wheat, if circumstances have prevented manuring before seeding. In the first case there is comparatively a small waste, as meadows generally are moist, and the manure being applied in the fall, the moisture of the ground, and the dampness of the atmosphere combined, retain the greatest part of the fertilizing agents. In the second case, it depends entirely upon the season how much of the fertilizing qualities are retained. Excessive drought will carry off the greater portion by evaporation, but if tolerably wet season sets in, it will be mostly preserved for the young grass. The advantages to the young grass is so great, that we are justified in running the risk. In the third case, it is even desirable on level land, if the wheat is tall enough to cover the ground, and thereby preventing any great waste of the manure by washing. The advantage by surface manuring wheat is, that you are enabled to haul your fresh manure as it is made and spread it. By this process you are enabled to manure a much larger area, and have the benefit of manure produced after seeding. I cannot close my remark on the article without mentioning the final point put forth, "that surface manuring is nature's mode." There are thousands of things, nature's mode, which have been improved by sciences. Nature, and all that is found within the world, was created for the benefit of man. Man was created with endowments above all other creatures, and everything was made subject to his free will and judgment. If we had contented ourselves to follow nature's mode, we would to-day be savages and not a civilized people.

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The article in your last number, from the American Stock Journal, contains truths about selecting cows, which can be disputed by no There is, meanwhile, one thing not mentioned, viz.: the system of Guenon in selecting and judging cows. This system is comparatively very little known in our country, and still it is of the highest importance, for everybody who keeps cows, to be familiar with it. Also, in this assertion, I am led by experience. In 1852, the Danish government sent a gentleman of the veterinary department to France, to be instructed on this subject. After returning, the government sent him through the country, from dairy to dairy, to instruct such gentlemen as might desire to obtain information on the subject. I then happened to be travelling in Europe and in Denmark at the time this gentleman made his round. He stopped at a friend of mine, where I was visiting, and during one week made excursions to various other estates where large dairies were kept. It was my good luck to accompany him, and being present at the examination of about five hundred cows. It was, indeed, astonishing to see how close he was able to tell the yield of milk of each cow, according to the signs of the Guenon system. Ever since, I have made this system my guide, and I can say that I very rarely have been mistaken. The only trouble is, that it requires considerable study to acquire the necessary knowledge, if every one has to teach himself by book; whereas, if a teacher, master of the subject, was sent by the government through the country to give instructions, any man, with good common sense, by being present at the examination of two or three hundred cows, would be able to gain the knowledge, required for his own private use, in one week.

Our government spends millions in bricks and mortar, and, I think, it might be able to spend a few thousands on a thing of so great importance to our agricultural fellow-citizens.

L. A. HANSEN. CLIFTON, Fairfax Co., Va., August, 1867.

It is said there are 2,548 acres in hops in

Well, gentlemen, in spite of all my remarks, Sauk county, Wis. Last year there were but 888.

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