The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1862-05-28
fats for formers.
" Come gentle Nay,
Come with thy robe Of flower


aCone gentle May,
Come with thy robe Of Towers
Come ana bring forth unto the eye Of Gay,
From their imprisonng and mysterious night,
(Lssreses-
Merry May has been appropriately styled BY
poets, "the month of love "-the most delight
iul and happy month Of the entire year. Eve
rything nov looks lovely and gay. The out
stretching landscape never looks more lovely than
~ the present time; and the breezes are never
more pure and delightful The tender grass
comes creeping every where; and beautiful little
flowers are springing up, ~ it were unbidden,
In every lonely nook. The groves resound With
music, and the felds, in many localities, are dot
ted With beating fiocks and loving herds.
Here the plowmsn is turning up the fertile
soil for q crop of Indian corn. There the sower
10 scattering seed Of some kind. Yonder are the
drill, the harrow, the roller and the cod crusher
in active operation. There are long lines OF
ditch, and tile are placed beside them, and work
men laying them and filing in the earth. Tine
IL precious, business is urgent, and cares are nu'
merous at this season Of the year, and from
early dawn till the close of evening twilight, sue.
cessful farmers find many things which require
immediate attention.
Besides the regular routine in the field, there
are great many jobs for leisure hours, which
may be performed without interfering At all With
blowing. planting and other field labor, If they
are only thought of in time.
Pruning fruit trees ID too often greatly negIec'
ted. Let this re attended to when it is toe We,
90 pillow or plant, or to make fences.
For such work, one needs small sharp AZ, Z
sharp saw and a good knife. A large pocket
knife will subserve good purpose, but in ab'
sence Of good knife, take an old file, and gel
Q blacksmith TO make pruning knife-which be
will do for ten cen,s-wth the blade sharpened
like the blade of grain sickle Or . grass hook
II the blade be four or Eve inches long, after II
il curved, it will be long enough.
Pruning saws, which are fastened on the end
Of fork handle or pole, and used BY the ope
rstOr while standing on the ground, are some
times preferable to any other tools for pruning
fruit trees. They may be obtained At most hard
ware stores
After n tree has been pruned, cover The
wounds with rosin and tallow, Of eqssi parts
melted together in q small kettle, and applied
with paint brush.
Collect sawdust, chip manure, and scraping'
OF yards, and spread them around fruit trees foI
the purpose Of keeping the soil loose, and pro
noting the healthy growth of young trees.
With broad hoe, scrape the bodies OF frui
trees, and if the bark is already smooth, tie I
rag on the end of stick for . large swab, ant
apply thin soft soap to the bodies and limbs fol
Elk or eight feet above the ground.
In localities where the borer is accustomed Il
work in the yellow locust, shave of and scrapt
of all the outside or dead bark for six or eigh
feet high, and smear the bodies Of tbs trees with
pitch and taOw, applied with whitewash brush
II the pitch and tallow be heated to hot, it vii
spoil the brush by burning the hair.
REMEDY FOR BARREN YRUIr TRIES.
Some fruit trees will never produce any eoo1
fruit, and some will not bear even poor fruit.
had several such trees. and every effort failed
ne to make them bear. but this one. We cree
ted portable fence around each one, and KEEP
q pig or two in the enclosure. Fosr panel,
about sixteen feet long Of light board fence
were placed around tree, and simply nailed to
gether at the corners. After the pigs had beer
in that pen about a month, they were removed
to another tree. 1t this remedy fails to produc'
and regrafted, then let the trees be cut down.
Make high board pen around plum trees fo
young chickens, and keep them there until they
will not destroy or brighten away the curculio
and thus save a crop Of plums. The experimen
h worthy Of a trial, as it promises good re
suits.
Some people do their churning with sheep
and keep him tied to q tree or tethered in tn,
yard when he is not churning. Let him be tiet
to fruit tree-aiter protecting the tree 20 tina
he cannot gnaw the bark of-and zee II thi
means will not produce crop OF pluns, cherries
peaches or other fruit.
PREPARE FOR CROP OF BUcKwHRAf.
Tho idea lie quite too prevalent among man,
farmers, that the soil needs but one blowing TO
buckwheat. Bat my own experience on thi
point is, that there is no other crop Of grain tina
will pay better for twice blowing than buck
wheat. II the ground is sod ground, or wheat
oats or barley stubble, it ought to be plowsd il
May. II the sod is very tough, it should b,
plowed early ia MAY.
1t would be good practice-if there il not to<
much clay in the subsol-to plow it three o.
four inches deeper than usual. Then pillow thu
ground again about the first of July, or whez
the grain is to be sowed.
Where there are Canada thistles or other nox.
ious plants, the blowing should be deferred un
ill the last OF May, if there 10 nos much sod, b.
cause thstles will be much more supdued, if they
be allowed to grow a few inches high, before
the ground is plowed. than to pillow it before
such plants have grown any or but very little,
SOWING INDIAN CORN.
IL there not some poor place in the meadow
-an acre or two-where the grass will be very
light? Or will it not be convenient to fence Of
one or two acres Of soTe pasture field, where
there will be but little grass, for the purpose d
sowing corn for fodder next winter, or for feed
ing green next August or in September
At oil events, let q small plot Of ground be
thoroughly prepared at the last Of the present
month, and SOW broadcast or drill in corn for
fodder.
Where there will be but light crop Of grass
IL will pay well to pillow it all up and SOW corn
and, in case it is not needed for fodder, let it be
Flowed in, after it has attained full size. Tbil
b . very cheap aud good mode OF renovating IN
impoverished soil
HOW TO SAVE A cRorcHHD 5RUIr rlxI.
Notwithstanding all that has been said and
written against allowing tree of any kind "a
form a crotch. most people will persist in per.
hitting many young trees to grow with two
equal branches. thus forming . crotch, which ID
very liable to be split BY the wind, or BY large
burden Of fruit.
Procure O carriage bolt of the proper length,
end bore hole through the crotch, 90 that the
bolt may be seen at the junction of the limbs,
after il has been driven in. Put large washer
ct the head Of the bolt, and one at the nut, and
screw it up tightly. Many . valuable tree haa
been, and many more NAV be saved in this Vay