The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-02-23

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lFrsn The Planters Banner.l p
Gardening should now be attended to promptly
whenever the soil and weather will justify II.
Never stir the sod when IL is wet The d,tches
should all be cleaned out and the wster should
not be permitted to stand 10 any part Of the gar
den. The soil should be thoroughly spaded %
the depth Of foot. a. least. The surface sh,uld
he thoroughly pulverized with . rake. Daring
this month continue 10 plant onion sets. shalots.
garlic, leeks, beefs. cabbage. carrots, cress 70
qnette, mustard, lettuce. English peas, parsnip.
spinach, seakale, Jerusalem articboke. suckers
from the common artichoke. and late in the month
plant Irish potatoes. But the above. except the
onion tribe, mustard and roquetfe lettuce should
he planted sparingly, always reserving sn abdn
dance OF seed FOR March planting. since most
tender plants before March are Fsble 20 suffer
from beating rains, severe frosts, or cold
and long continued wet weather. Work
INTO the ground. as much well rotted ma
nnie as possible, and rotted leaves. much
lssshed ashes. rotten turf, scraping of the yard
snd dropping of hen roosts.. In sowing seeds in
drills lay aplank, eight inches wide, across the
bed by the first row, to stand and work on, to be
removed as each drill is planted. Standing on
this plank, with hne rake. rake all the little
Jumps from the surface where each drill Is to be
made. Sow the seeds In mellow EARTH cover half
An inch or less, then lay the plank on the drill
and walk across il after il is covered. Plant beds
should now be prepared for spring plants. A
bed six or eight feet square. we'll spaded and
mixed foot deep, and covered to the depth OF
three or four inches with fresh earth mixed
thoroughly with old manure, with muck added II
convenient, will make good plant bed for cab
bsge, peppers, tomatoes, egg-plants, lettuce or
say otber seeds. The south side should be six or
eight inches lower than the north side. few
Few pianke or pickets should be laid by the side
OF tiis plant bad To eesss 10 in eft bat ns
rain or severe freezes. or very cold wet weather.
Strawberry plants may still be set out, but they
do best IN October. Plant in q very rich, moist
soil, well drained. assh se ~ 81
FRUIT TREES AND sHRUBBERY.
Pruning. January is a good time to trim rose
bushes. Prune OF all the deformed and stray
Cling branches. Cut the sprouts from around
the roots, cut out stocks and branches that grow
too thick and crowd each other and cut back the
tops. If the bushes are four or five feet high,
cut them down TO three feet, except running
roses; these should be thinned out to one or two
stocks from the ground, and the upper branches
should be thnned out where they ere too thick.
This lie a good time for transplantine rose bushes
and other shrubbery.
Fruit Trees.-Continne to dig the grass from
around fruit trees to the distance of four or five
feet. Do not spade the ground near fruit trees,
or disturb the soil by planting aud cultiyating
crops too near the trees, except melons and
vines that do but little harm in their proper sea
son, while the orchard is young. If the soil is
poor round fruit trees manure it. II q fruit tree
runs too much TO wood transplant IT,. This is
complete rootpruning, and prevents the too
abundant growth Of wood. Another mode Of
rootpruning Is to cut circular ditch around it
two feet distant from the tree, one or two spades
deep, according to the depth OF the roots.
1fdnspldnfing.-M people think orange
trees and other evergreens do best to transplant
them in september or October; others, who are
equally successful, prefer the spring for tram
planting. II good large ball of earth is taken
up with an orange tree, or any other tree, aud il
Is transplanted carefully and well 1t will live and
do well transplsnted any time between -ep tember
and April. Peach and other trees oughtto be trans
"a Ac|rN lI.n L. H..
time. JsDusry is good month for trsnspIanting
any kinds of trees. vines, shrubs, or bushes ia
this country. In transplanting never d. IL in
hurry, and always do il well. A cloudy day Is
the best time for this work. II the sun shines,
take one tree up at q time, wet its roots, ana
cover them with earth as soon IS 1t can be well
done. Save as many OF the small roots near
body OF the trees as possible. 10 setting the
tree out, one person should hold il upright viii Q
another straightens out all the roots and fills 10
fine rich earth without clods or lumps; aud when
the space is nearly filed up with earth. water
should be poured IN till the earth around the
roots Is covered. This brings fine wet earth 10
contract with the smallest roots. Then stake the
tree firmly 80 that the hardest winds cannot work
it loose, tying it to the stake in such a manner
that the bark will not chafe. Then level up
around the tree with dry earth, and let II alone to
live and grow 10 due season.
Ctdttnqs-Cuttings nom rose bushes, grape
vines, figs. ounce, pomegranate. etc may be
made and planted in Jsnuary, but they would nave
done better earlier 10 the season, though they may
do tolersbiy well as late as March, il the season
and soil are favorable. Plant cuttings ia RICH
mellow, moist but not wet soil. Grape cuttings
and most others. may be foot in length. and
should be three quarters of their length or more
In the ground, the soil pressed firmly around them
and mulched. Cuttings are apt to suffer In the
April drouth II not carefully mulched and some
times watered. 49,. .i..s..- I...I.. Ia IS ,...t..
.Layers-PropagatiH by layers is much surer
than cuttings. Scoop out hole in the earth
under vine, three inches deep, aud fasten part
of growing vine TO the bottom, pressing the
earth on II upon a level with the surface around.
This will take root by the next winter, when the
vine may be separated on the side next to the
mother root and the new roots and vine trans
planted TO another place. Layers of branches OF
shrubs Of any kind may be made IN the same
manner.
Grafling-Msy be done 10 February or March.
and even later from CRAFTS just cut from the tres,
or prepared in the fall and kept in a damp, moist
place. The best grating WAX Il made OF three
rosin, melted together sad worked ike molassss
candy. Budding is done when the bark slips,
from June 10 October. or
Fr7ming-Grapevines ought to be done early in
January, or before. Leave three or four good
eyes on all the new growth, cutting off the super
fuous part near o bud. The last years growth Of
the grapevine produces the fruit buds for the
coming year. Peaches, apples, pears, plums>
ounces, etc, may be prunec any time before the
buds swell; hut we believe this Is the best month
for the work. In pruning fruit or an ornamental
tree, cut back all struggling branches, have an
eye to the symmetry Of the tree, cut out super
fuous branches where they are too thick, and cut
out old and unthrifty decaying branches. Young
trees should be SO trimmed that it will not be
necessary TO saw of large branches In after years
1t Is good rule with most fruit trees from year
TO year, to cut back each winter or spring one
half OF the previous years growth. Fruit. leaves
and branches want air and ROOM and where they
are crowded the pruning knife should let In sun