The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-01-16
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD
Orchard and Garden Notes.

fruit-growers in the neighborhood, get
their experience. If one is in q new
country, where information of this kind
cannot be obtained, the next best is the
opinion of nurseryman of good reputa-
tion.
For family use, the orchard should
contain varieties from the earliest to the
latest, the greater number of trees being
of good keeping kinds.
For market fruit, the selection will
depend upon whether the market is near
at hand or the fruit is to be shipped to
a distance. One near town will find
snowy early apples, which do not keep
long or transport we'll, more profitable
than later kinds.
Protect young trees from large ami
mails by care Of fences and gates.
Trap or shoot rabbits; smearing the
trunks with blood or raw meat of any
kind will keep them off.
If cions have not been cut, do it now
in mild spell; label and store in saw
dust, moss or sand, and keep in cool
place.
Make channels to carry off surface
water wherever needed.
Cart out manure to the orchard.
If there is any one respect in which
farmers-take the country through do
not live up to their privileges, it is in
the matter of small fruits. The table
of the city mechanic is better supplied
with these fruits than that of many a
wealthy farmer. We hope to see the
time when every farmers family shall
have their fill of fruits, from the begin
ming of strawberries to the end of grapes.
The succession in small fruits is:
Strawberries, raspberries, currants,
gooseberries (usually sold green, black
berries and grapes. OF course, there is
some tapping, the late varieties of one
kind coming in with the early sorts Of
the next. Those who have had no ex-
perience in these are at loss how to
begin. If one has the money to invest,
plantations may be made this spring;
but many, whose means are restricted,
would like to make beginning; such
may purchase few plants of each
variety, and propagate them to obtain a
supply for planting. This will, Of
course, take time and cause the loss of
a year with strawberries, and of two or
three years with the shrubs.
Whatever of pruning has been omitted
should be completed on mild days.
Coarse manure may be applied around
currants and gooseberries; the soluble
portions will find their way into the soil,
leaving the rest as a mulch in hot
weather.
The plow and spade, wherever the soil
is not too wet, may be kept at work in
mild weather, and thus facilitate tie
spring operations.
Implements should be overhauled and
put in order and the stock replenished.
Extra plow-points, cultivator teeth, and
duplicates of parts likely to be broken,
save many half days work.
Overhaul the stock of seeds. If in
doubt as to the vitality of any, there is
time to test them by sowing in pot or
box of earth in warm room.
Provide a supply of pea brush and
bean poles.
Make markers of various widths, and
dibbles.
A well.made wooden reel for the gar
den line is better than the weak iron ones
sold at the stores.
Labels or marking. stakes should be
provided; have these SO large that they
cannot be hoed up without some trouble.
American Agriculturist.
Fruit Tree Borers.
Let not our readers forget that much
of the weakening of our fruit trees is
owing to absolute starvation, caused by
the workings of stem borers. The sup.
ply of sap upwards is cut off by every
hole which they make, and is Just so
much put in the way of the tree getting
all the food:it needs. It is of no use to
manure trees, and keep our eye on all
other cultural details, if these rascals
are permitted to continue their depre-
dations. This is one of the best sea
sons of the year to look after and de-
stroy them. The egg laid during the
summer has now developed to q consid-
erable worm," and it is working its
way down between the bark and wood
or even into the wood, so as to get
comfortable quarters for the winter.
Their presence can be readily ascer-
tanned by noting little fresh looking
matter like saw-dust near the tree at
the surface of the ground, which the
larva eject in their boring course. To
destroy them get trowel and dig away
q little from the stem, so as to find
exactly the opening of the channel made
by the insect, and then thrust down q
piece of stiff wire upon it, which will
generally end it's days.
To many this looks like considera.
BILE job; but a smart hand can gel
through with several hundred trees 9
day in this search, as the fresh dust
affords an unerring clue to the direct
whereabouts of the marauder.-Rura
World.
Health Hints.
A writer in the Farm, Journal cures
dyspepsia by a swallow or two of vine
gar after each meal.
The best drink for renewing the pow.
er of endurance that we have tried is
simply hop tea three or four days old,
strained and put away with a little
sugar.-EG.
Three cures for sore throat are recon-
mended by New York paper, as fol
lows (D Gargle the throat with solu
ton of salt and water. (2) Gargle
throat with chloride of potash and
water. (3) Keep small lump of gun
camphor in the mouth and swallow the
saliva do the same with chlorate o.
potash.
There is no simpler or better remedy
for frost bites than the following: Ex
tract the frost by the application of ic'
water till the frozen part is pliable
avoiding all artificial heat then appl,