American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-02-24
Chr farmers department.
The Field,

ty.
See that your manure heap is in
creasing, and haul few loads of the
best well decomposed on to the poor
est spots, so as to give the air time to
assimilate it with the soil.
Compute how much extra fertili-
zing material you need, and investi-
gate the wants of your. soil, so that
you may know what kinds to apply.
Donot neglect ordering too long,
but have every thing ready for active
operations as soon as the weather is
settled enough to permit it.
Lay out your plans for cropping,
consider the kinds Of soil you are
possessed of, and what crop will sue
ceed best on each. Follow the rota-
tion system, thus secure crops and
renovated soil.
Select your seed, and be sure that
you get good sound healthy material,
or else all your time and labor will be
thrown away. If you have not pre-
served sufficient for your wants, order
of some reliable scotsman immedi-
ately, or else you may have to wait,
and take the second best quality
Decide now what crops you intend
growing, and of your capability of
doing oproitably.
Look to your implements and see
that they are all in working order;
that your plows are whole, and pro-
vided with extra shares and screws !;
that the harrows are well toothed and
duplicated that the cultivator, plan
ter and coverer are in good working
order that mowers and reapers are
well sharpened and taken care of.
Some recommend plowing now, and
surface plowing and pulverizing in
spring, but the condition of the land
should decide this question.
If in want of help, now is the time
to engage it, as in a few weeks all
dood hands will be eagerly sought
after, and one good man is better than
many bad ones.
Good soil, good seed, well cultiva-
ted and gathered, produce good crops.
THE ORCHARD.-At this season
can conveniently be performed the
very necessary and important works
of pruning, scraping and rubbing off
moss and other parasitic plants, and
of manuring the ground where wan
ted.
The best method of destroying
moss on young trees, is to rub all the
branches affected in spring or autumn
or in both, if necessary, with a hard
scrubbing brush and soap-suds. Where
the trees are cankered, (which arises
from animalcules or, very minute in
sects or worms of various kinds, it
is best to cut out the whole cankered
part, to the sound wood, and give the
affected part good washing with a solu-
ton Of fone drachm of corrosive sublimate
dissolved in gill of gin or other spirits,
and this incorporated with four quarts Of
soft water. Peach trees which are an
noyed by worms should, toward the end
of this month, be carefully examined, and
where any are found, picked out with the
point of knife; but great care should
be taken not to lacerate the bark If the
trees should be broken or wounded, they
should be protected and bound with graft
ing wax or some other protective materi-
al.
Where needed root pruning should
now be attended to. This is necessary
when the trees begin to show sickly
pinkness upon the leaves, the fruit incli-
ming to ripeness before it has acquired its
full growth, and the bark becoming dry,
hard and disposed to crack. The pruning
can be done with mallet and sharp CHS
ell, and the places well secured with good
covering of manure. If the ground be
wet, place few fiat stones under the pla-
ces where the roots were cut off. This
will prevent the young roots about the
cuts taking perpendicular direction.
LIVE STooK.-Horses should be well
looked after at this time. Being let stand
in the stable for want of employment a
great portion of their time, it is important
that their beds and floor should be kept
dry and clean, or the scratches and nu-
merous hoof diseases will be the result,
with stiffness of joints and muscles. His
food is also an item demanding special
attention. Cut food is far preferable to
the long crude hay or fodder, and proper
ly prepared will go twice as far. Exam
inc his shoes and see that they are well
fitted, and nailed securely
Cattle generally should be looked after,
as very little care and proper shelter are
well repaid by the recipients, in strength
and agility. If you want good crop of
wool, take care of your sheep now; or if
you want an abundance of spring lambs,
see that they are properly sheltered, and
not stand shivering behind some hay NOV
or fence
BOILED FRUIT PUDDING.-Take
enough flour for crust; add dry to
the flour little salt and saleratus
made fine I; wet with sour cream; roll
boiling water and boil two hours. If