The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-03-05
FARM. GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD
Orchard and Garden Notes,

FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD
Orchard and Garden Notes.
ROBINS AND CHERRY TREES. Careful
experiment has shown that robins viii
not trouble cherry trees or fruit OF any
sort, so long as they can get worms OF
insects, such as beetles or grubs.
MANURE FOR THE GARDEN A gener'
ous supply OF the best and finest Of the
manure should be kept for the garden.
No other part OF the farm pays 80 well as
this for tie iberality. Half an acre oi
well-kept garden will supply large
family with vegetables and small fruits
the year round, and the money value ol
this cannot be less than 5000 III the year.
This source of income is rarely consider.
ed in calculating the returns from the
farm, but it really amounts to ten pei
cent. on the large sum Of $4,000; and
what farmer ever thinks OF valuing his
garden at that sum of money.-Er.
PLANTING OLD FRUIT CANs.-Prac.
tical tests in the matter of irrigating
plants by means of old fruit cans
punctured with pin holes and sunk in
the earth near the roots of the growing
strawberry, tomato or rare Towering
plants, as the case may be, leave no
doubt of it's success in small plots
which admit of the labor of sinking the
cans and keeping them filled with water
during times of drought. The holes in
the can are to be made of such size that
when the vessel is filed with water the
fluid can only escape into the ground
very slowly; thus a quart-can properly
arranged will extend its irrigation to the
plant through a period of several days.
In fancy gardening, where few choice
plants are in process of growing, the
fruit-can irrigation plan will be found
preferable to the ordinary methods OF
watering on the surface of the bed
New York World.
BUDDING TREEs.-" No specified time
can be given for budding fruit trees,
says an agricultural editor, "as the op.
Grafton must be performed when the
stocks are in proper condition. The
budding must be done when the stocks
have nearly but not quite finished their
summer growth, and while the bark on
them parts freely from the wood. If
budded too early, there is danger Of the
bud being overgrown and smothered;
and if the operation is performed too
late, and after the sap has ceased flow
ing, the buds will not unite to the stock.
If the season is wet, and the stocks con.
Time to GROW vigorously until late in
the fall, the budding is deferred accord
ingly; but the experienced nurseryman
can tell at a glance when the stocks are
in the best condition for budding, al
though it would be difficult for him to
impart the knowledge to others, except
in practical way, and on the ground
where the operation is to be performed.
PEACH ORCHARDS have just ex.
amined two peach orchards containing
1000 trees each, planted four years ago
the coming spring out of the same lot
of trees. Orchard No. 1 has been
planted in corn every year since it was
set, while No. Q has been planted in
potatoes, beans and pumpkins. The
first orchard has made but small
growth and the trees seem to lack
vitality, and from an experience Of
many years I should say that it will
never attain sufficient growth to pro-
duce a profitable crop. The other
orchard has made a splendid growth
and the trees are of sufficient size to
bear a large and profitable crop.
From twenty years experience as a
fruit grower, I have come to the con-
clusion that the size, health and value
of fruit tree depends largely on the
treatment it receives during the first
four years after it is planted in the
orchard, and that this is particularly
true of the peach. I do not think a
peach tree which once becomes stunted
can ever be made profitable Waldo, in
Practical Farmer.
Choice Dairy Butter Cows.
Choice butter dairy COWS are the
exception rather tEan the rule, though
it costs no more to keep good ones than
Door ones, and the former are eminently
more profitable. There are many Nho
cannot tell a good COW when they see it,
while others are very careless in the
matter. To improve your stock OF COWS,
it is necessary to constantly weed out
the DOOR or inferior ones, and breed and
keep only those which have proved
themselves to be worthy of your care.
Experience has, time and again, demon.
strated that grade COWS have In many
cases proved better dairy animals than
pure.blooded ones, though this excel.
fence is undoubtedly due to the admi1.
ture of the blood of the thoroughbred
with that of the choice common stock,
the strength and stamina OF the latter
increasing and intensifying..the desira-
BILE qualities of the former. This is not
derogatory to the merits Of the thorough
bred, but rather in it's favor, for without
it you could not so readily secure the
many advantages which are almost al
ways sure to result. The service Of
pure-bred bull of some better breed
costs but little compared to the benefits
secured, and all farmers should avail
themselves OF it, even if they have but
two Or three good COWS to be served,
remembering, however, that the calves
must have the best of care, food and
attention to fully develop the desirable
qualities.
Household Hints.
Keep your salt and pepper boxes on
little shelf back of or near the stove
and save your steps.
To bake potatoes quickly, pour boil
ing water over them and let stand a
minute or 80 before putting into the
oven.
Glass vessels in cylindrical form may
be cut in two by tying around them a
worsted thread, thoroughly wet with
spirits of turpentine, and then setting
fire to the thread.
If you wish to clarity sugar and water
that you are about to boil, it is we'll to
stir in the white of an egg, while cold;
if put in after it boils, the egg is apt to
get hardened before it can do any good.
Always get your material for break
fast ready over night; fix the fire already
to light, fill the tea-kettle, grind the
coffee and prepare the potatoes, and
thus you can sleep half an hour longer
in the morning.
A roast of beef is much nicer if, when
Won mt IL into the nan to bake, you set