The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1840-04-21
IL In e NJ M INN er.
From the Boston Cultiuator.
FARMERS WORK FOR April

OF Maine we seldom commence this labor till
May, and in some parts of New Hampshire and
Vermont grain sowing and corn planting are
commenced in the week.
1T is of great importance to us no, to be crowd
ed with too much business at trne-to have
succession of employments to keep us always
busy but not hurried. In this respect our own
state has greatly the advantage of those who lie
north Of us.
We devote great portion Of April to sowing
May is our planning month--June is the
month for tlage-July for huying-August for
harvest.-ln September we have more leisure
than in any portion of the summer season; and
boys have an opportunity tor setting traps and
snares, after finishing their stent in cutting corn
stalks-but men, not disposed to he idle, can
improve that month to great advantage by col.
ecting manures--hy ploughing or building
stone wall.
Spring grain should be sown as early as the
ground will permit. And even oats, which
some think may be sown late without injury,
are never SO heavy when sown early. These
English grains come to US from colder Innate
and when their growth can be matured before
the sulry weather of July overtakes the crops
other cases.
Buckwheat, nillet, and othes grains that are
natives of hot chimes, must be sown at n differ
ent season. a neighbor of ours made total
failure in mile, in consequence ofsowing too car
ly. His land was rich and he sowed as late as
May, but it was too early for miIe,.
We SOW one bushel a nd half of wheat or
rye to the and three bushels Of oats-two
bushels of barley sometimes
bushel of buckwheat is sufficient seed for
acre, at first; but when follow with buck
wheat half bushel is sufficient.-One peck of
millet seed is an abundance for an acre.
In all these cases if the land he quite rich
less quantity should be sown for the stocks will
be larger and each one require more room. We
gain nothing by sowing very thick. One kernel
of wheat and rye will often lave twenty stalks
growing from it, and each Of these stalks with
Il head full say twenty kernels, the whole would
produce four hundred fold.
Teach kernel sent up one stalk with II head
of forty kernels, we should lave forty fold,
which is rather more than we usually get in the
Eield, though we often see as much on PAPER
FENCES,
"a "f'1er ,,no has his fields all fenced with
s:,.vne wall may sit still halfthe month of April
and laugh ut him who is obliged every spring
60 sharpen his birch stakes anew, aud to pro-
Auee fresh set Of withs TO tie his Gecayed
posts and his struggling rails Stone walls for
farm, whenever they can he had; for as our old
friend Prince, tse A irican, said, "J deg JaH
down dey he dare,' and any one can re-
place stone on wall
ho
fences are often found next best,-a, least grow
ing posts may easily he reared, and these give
fence durable character. Rail fences, OH ex'
tensve plains, .are extremely exposed to be
blown over by the winds. A row OF trees,
therefore, by the side of them, will often cause
them to stand many years longer than when
they have no company.
Natural hedges by the wood side should by
all means be encouraged, and a sufficient num-
Der of standards should be Topped down before
the leaf puts out.-Some prefer March, wheh
the snow crust will bear them up, to lop down
their hedge trees; but in such cases we un'
tormly lop trees 100 high from the ground, ana
the cattle find tn cir way underneath. To lop
standard well many cuttings must be made in
it betw cen one and two feet from the ground
that the tree may NOT break off short--let the
side opposite that which is to be cut be bent
like au OK bow.
MANURES.
Compost may be prepared during this month
for planting time. II our horse manure has
been thrown out of the stable INTO a heap we
cannot he too early in mixing it with loan', or
peat, or some cool substance, -o,herwise more
than half its value is destroyed
In our latitude compos,s may be prepared
from any of the winter manure IN season iof
any OF The root crops or for cortland when
they wanted TO he spread on the surface and
narrowed in they answer much better purpose