Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1875-10-01
AsrienltmraI.

ROADS, AGAIN.-The Illinois State
Board of Agriculture is doing a good work
py giving it's attention to roads. Last year
prize OF Que hundred dollars was offered
Tor the best road-making machine, and re-
Gently, after some good competition, it was
awarded. 1t appears, however, that the
machines are only for digging, grading and
smoothing dirt roads, and this is all very
well so far as it gose. But we hope it will
not stop here. What we need in this
country is not only roads that we can soft
" travel over on a summers day, but one
that will stand the rains of autumn and the
frosts OF winter-one that we can use for
business at all seasons as well as for plea
sure for few months in the year.
We have so often given our views of the
road question that it is superfuous to re-
peat them here. But it is useful to keep
people in mind of good things, and espe-
cially is it excusabe to keep on,' when
that thing is go good, as sood road.
Ii other State Boards, State Agricultural
Colleges, and other bodies of weight in the
agricultural and commercial interests of the
several States, would take The matter in
hand as this of Illinois is doing, some good
might come. OF course they will not have
to deal with dlrt-roads only, but with roads
that are roads in every sense of the word
How would it do TO invite essays on GOOD
roads, and the best system of MANAGING
roads in our communities ?-Gernnpfo,rD
Telegraph.
TREE PLANTING. MANY a time we
have given our opinion in regard to the
best time to plant trees but ''liye and
learn" is motto every sensible person ap-
preciates, it may be expected that at the
approach of another planting season we
give our ideas of things in the light of the
most recent experience.
SO far we have leaned nothing to chance
our opinion, that as an Individual fact the
spring is the best time to plant trees in
general. The soil often gets wet and hard
about full-planted tree. and such hard
baked soil always dries out before others
not set so hard, and then there is often a
blowing about and lOesening of roots. IN
less very firmly 'staked, which is not often
done. Besides all this the cold wintrv
winds are destructive, and MANY trees that
have good roots, and may be well planted
die by tie sheer drying out of their iuices
by these cold, bleak winds.
For all there are some advantages in faI!
planting. In the spring almost everybody
whese living depends on the land has as
much as he can possibly do TO attend to his
crops in the proper time, and the extra
work like tree planting can only with diff
Guilty be properly done hence anything
that can be done at all in the fall, though
1t may not be as well, is an absolute gain.
1t is chiefly on this account that it is popu-
lar with so many people But it requires
more care The roots should be particu-
larry guarded against drying; the trees
should be firmly set, and if possible staked:
more earth may be put up against the
stems than absolutely required, so as to
guard against drawing out, and this earth.
raked offagain in spring, will be some pro-
lection against baking of the surface. And
then, If the pruning knife be freely used to
cut away weak or halfdead twigs, leaving
only the strongest, tolerably good success
may be had with fall-planted trees, and
some spring work saved thereby Ter
nlanto.cn Telegraph.