Connecticut western news., 1879-05-14
FARM AND GARDEN.


 says: "The question of the time for pruning is one that must be settled in- dependently for each locality. The most obvious effect of late as against early pruning may be thus stated: The first onset of the flow of sap in the spring always tends to start first the buds fur thest from the stock. Hence, if left un- pruned those buds which in spur-prun- ing are intended to form the bearing shoot will be later in starting than in the case when the cutting back has been done before the sap movement begins. This late pruning often carries the ten der shoots beyond the reach of late frosts or cold weather, that might otherwise have injured them. There is strong evi- dence to the effect that the fruit of late- pruned vines will generally ripen as early as that of the early -pruned, and that the quality is often superior" CHICKENS. Mrs. A. D. Colburn writes: "Tell the people not to murder their chickens in their attempts to cure them of gapes. If after feeding they mix the dough (corn meaD up for the next feed Ing time so that it can stand several hours the chickens will not be troubled with that disease. Feed them sour milk, or curd from the milk. I have not had a case of gapes in my poultry yard for sixteen or seventeen years, and believe
 it's absence is due to the above plan of feeding."
 AN OLD APPLE TREE.-An apple tree
 standing in MT. Delos Hotchkisss s
 door-yard, in the northwestern part
 of the town of Cheshire, Conn.,, is
 thought to be the largest in the
 United States. Its age can bs traced by
 8 family tradition to 40 years at least,
 and it may be twenty or twenty-five
 years older. It is at the present time of
 symmetrical shape, and the trunk is
 nearly round, without scar or blemish
 on it. There are eight large branches l five of these, MT. Hotchkiss says, have
 been in the habit of bearing one year,
 and the remaining three the next but when the Centennial year came, the old
 tree, which must have attained the prime
 of ordinary apple-tree life before the
 nation was born, expanded it's blossoms
 into complete crown of glory, and bore
 fruit all over the tree. MT. Hotchkis: has had crop of 85 bushels of fruit il one year from the five branches, and hi predecessor had havested crop of III bushels from the same five branches The dimensions of the tree are Girth 3 IA feet inches height, 60 feet; ant 3 the spread of the branches is six rods.- l NeD Eaglo'ad Farmer.
 BROOM CoRN-How TO RAISE IT, 3 Broom corn requires nearly the sam
 quality of soil and mode of culture a l Indian corn. It thrives best on flat 5 loamy, or river bottom land, but vii grow satisfactorily on any fertile soil Corn stubble or clover sod precede s with advantage.
 After thoroughly pulverizing tn :, ground in the spring with the harrow
 mark out the rows, three and one-half o four feet apart, and if possible SOW th seed with common garden drill, ol wanting that, drop the seed as evenl , as possible by hand. When the plan is two inches high, run backward an forward between the rows with two horse harrow, to kill the weeds, loose the soil, and give the corn start. Mes people plant too thick, and hence n U damage will follow if some of the spear U are torn up. After this, treat as ordinar corn.
 The next thing is to prevent the brus l' falling down and growing crooked. Thi U is done by bending down the corn a 10 soon as the heads shoot out. Be carefU u not to bend the stalks so low that tn '' tops will touch the ground, or so muc ? that the joints fracture, else the COT '- will be ruined. Go over the groun 'es and repeat the process until the head
 are all out.
 ,' When the seed has matured, cuttin
 must begin. The brush should be GU IL just above the upper joint, and the les '0 removed. Take two rows, and, afte cutting the brush, cut the stalks nes u the roots, and lay them crosswis 10 between the rows to serve as bed fo !. the brush, so as to keep it fror mildewing. Then bundle the stacl ' Let the stacks remain for two or thre -' weeks, until the corn is perfectly dry u Haul to the barn and thrash. A ma O and boy can clean several hundre
 pounds in day.
 NI,o o1io+v ;o ,,roFo7o l1
 its yield exceeding that of other varieties }: The crop is easily managed and highl n remunerative. Rural.
 g Cow PEAs-R. H. Allen, New Yorl l. says of COW peas that their use is rapic le ly increasing in the Northern State le especially fsr green manuring. O se good soil simply run out" no manul s, is required. On barren land some fe D. tilizer is desirable to secure 8 crol n though not essential. Repeated crol st ploughed under will insure degree v- fertility upon any soil. The Southel g practice of putting in the seed at u d last hoeing of corn and ploughing { le soon as the corn is cut up is advised | h MT. Allen as an excellent one.
 l. TOMATOES IN THE GARDEN.-As SOC le as the ground is warm and danger fro g. frosts is past tomato plants should le transplanted in good soil, four feet apa s. each way. The land best suited for u or early crop is rather light sandy loan in Stiff, strong soil bears productive cre s. but it will mature later. A little quic nt fine nnannre in each hill will be found