The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-04-19

s@"@ ie''OioUsS HI 'iniIIhSS51 VIC SpiOutiuS
of the seed is hastened by placing the
boxes under glass in hot bed, and STIR
ring the seed occasionally. AS soon as
the germs begin to appear, they should
be planted.
The ground for the seedlings should
be rich, and should be put in the best
possible order by deep blowing, rolling
and narrowing. Stretch a line and open
the drills with pointed stick, an inch
deep. or a marker may readily be made
TO open three or four drills at time.
Fifteen or eighteen inches apart affords
sufficient room for the drills. but in Or
der to save labor in hoeing, We prefer to
put them thirty inches apart, so as to ad-
NIT the passage of the cultivator. Those
who plant them on very extensive scale,
use the ordinary wheat drill, removing
every alternate tooth. Sift the sand
from the seed, and drop them SO as to
average half an inch apart. A great
amount of labor may be saved in the
work of wedding and hoeing the young
plants, if care is taken in covering
the seed, to raise sharp ridge one inch
high Immediately over them. In plant
ing on small scale, this may be done
with til. hands, but where more extern
sive planting is required. a wooden or a
steel scraper may be made in the form of
a hoe, leaving notch in the form re-
quired for the ridge, bending the sides in
an angular direction, SO that in drawing
or pushing it over the rows the seed may
be covered. forming the ridge as requir-
ed. Ii the weather is favorable, in
eight or ten days the young plants will
&c started TO near the level OF the ground;
then with a fine rake remove the ridge,
and with it thousands of weeds will be
destroyed. which, if suffered to remain
until the plants are large enough to be
hoed, will require much labor in weed
ing. This raking not only kills all the
weeds along the rows, but breaks the
crust and leaves the surface in the best
possible condition to promote the growth
of the young plants. With this dressing
in advance, nearly one-thrd of the
amount of the labor of cultiyating is
saved. The ground should now be kept
clean and mellow, and this may chiefly
be done with the cultivator. Ii the sea
son is favorable, and the work of cult
yation well done, the plants will be of
suitable size to set in the edge row the
following spring.
DIGGING THE PLANTS.
The plants may be taken up in the fall.
or they may remain in the nursery until
spring. It is we'll to dispose of the
work in the fall. The plants may be
kept in dry cellar, slightly filled in and
covered with earth or they may be
buried in the field, in alternate layers of
plants and earth dry situation should
be chosen.
Before the plants are taken up, it is
best to cut off the tops to within six in
ches of the ground; this is done most
expeditiously with scythe or sharp bri
ar hook. The plants may be turned
out with common two horse plow ; but
where large crops are grown, subsoil
pillow, with sharp steel share, and the
wing or moldboard removed, is run un-
der the rows. and cuts off the tap roots,
and loosens the plants, SO that they may
be gathered up with care, and counted
and packed as the work progresses.
PREPARING THE GROUND AND SETTING THE
| PLANTS.
The ground for the hedge-row should
be broken up ten or fifteen inches deep,
and ten or twelve inches wide, with the
common plow and subsoil plow. If the
land is in grass or otherwise foul, the
blowing should be done in the fall. re-
peated in the spring, and rolled and har-
rowed fine, leaving the surface slightly
rounding on the line of the plants.
| April is the most suitable season for set
ting the hedge.
The plants should be shortened both
top and bottom to about nine inches in
length, leaving bat one inch of the top;
they should then be assorted, snd those
of uniform size and vigor set together !:
the largest should be set on the poorest
ground. Stake off the ground, and
draw line where the row is to be set.
An iron pointed dibble is a good imple-
ment to open the holes with. This may
be made an inch or more in diameter,
and pointed it should have cross
piece for aiandle at the top. and pro-
ljecting arm twelve inches from the bot
tom, TO aid in inserting it with the foot.
| 1t was formerly recommended to set
the plants ten or twelve inches apart in
the row, but from later experience. six
Tor eight inches Is found wide enough.
Some hedgers advise setting the plants as
close as four or six inches. The strong
er the land. The nearer the plants should
be set. Open the hole perpendicularly,
and insert the plant halt an inch deeper
than it stood in the nursery. leaving hall
an inch of the top above the ground.
Care should be taken to fill the hole,
bringing the earth in close contact with
the whole length of the loot, from the
bottom upwards this is best done by
|. entering the dihble the length of the
plant short distance from it. erowding
the earth towards the root. and with the
: | foot press the surface around the plant.
i The planting may also be done with the
spade. making IN opening for the roots
: and closing it in the same way IS with
!, the dibble.
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