Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1880-04-06
From the April American Agriculturist.] ]
Practical Hints for April.

B0rtey.-A fine condition of the so
is Indispensable for this crop. Old ba
ley growers know all about this, br
many want to grow barley because it
a profitable crop when successful. ]
will succeed in any good, well prepare
soil, but mellow clay loam which ca
be brought to good tilth-. is to be pre-
ferred. But good crops of bright graf
may be grown on lighter loans if i
good heart. 1t may be made an excel
lent soiling crop to follow clover, and a
a change from oats. We prefer to SOY
thickly, say q bushels per acre, bu
opinions vary in this respect, and ,fron
Il to p bushels is the eirange.
Oats.-Early sown oats in our ho
climate are, as a rpie,l better than tn
late sown. Our climate is not so favor
allie for oats as the cooler northern ant
northeastern ones. There cats are heav,
and plump, and seed from Canada, No
va Scotia, and New Brunswick will pro
duce well for two or three yesra. By
using seed from these northern locafi
ties, oats may be grown in the Middl,
States weighing. from 35 to As lbs. pc
| bushel.
Corn.-This is one of those crops
which require warm soil and which
suffer from late frost. But the ground
may be prepared in season to help on
the planting afterwards. AS good a
crop may be grown on stubble as on SOD
if the right method is followed andthis
is simply to give sufficient manure and
thorough cultivation. 100 bushels per
acre may be produced, and this means
double or treble pay for the same labor
For larger crops than this have been
grown, and of late years. thanks to the
general diffusion of scientific knowledge
through the best of the agricultural Jour
nails, the average yield of this grain has
been doubled. Ayield of IS or 80 bush-
els is now secured where 80 or 40 bushels
used to satisfy farmers. The use of fer
tlIzers and good methods of cultivation
have effected this; but the same means
may be made available for even larger
yields, and one should never stay salts
fled with large crop, but try for still
greater ones. The time of planting
of course varies with the latitude, and
these remarks apply when corn-pIant-
ing is in season.
Coaos-Garget and abortion trouble the
dairymen. We believe in prenvention.
The former may surely be prevented by
due care. AS soon as the udder contains
milk, it should be relieved by drawing
off part of it, if there is any tendency
to hardness. These diseases are often q
consequence of weakness. A fat ami
NAL may be weak for want Of food
When cows time approaches and the
feed is suddenly reduced, disturbance of
the system is caused. Circulation be-
comes irregular, and congestion occurs
in the most susceptible organs The
udder is the principal one of these at
this period, and an attack of garget Is
very sure to occur. This may not al
ways be so, but long experience and OBJ
sarvatiop c0nvinces us that it generally
is. The remedy is obvious.
SaOine.-COrn is high, but so is freight,
and as 800 lbs. of corn may be carried in
pork barrel, it is o question if it will
not pay to feed so cent corn to cent pigs.
Every bushel of corn fed relieves the
market of a surplus, and makes the re-
mainder more salable. This is to be
considered. Also the fact that there is
a kind o. pig that may be fed the most
profitably and that one kind is the one
to discover and choose. Hereafter farm
ers will sdue their profits in all proba-
bility, just as is done in other manufac-
turing business. Animals are living
farm machines.
ORCHARD AND NURSERY.
Whoever sets out an orchard Of course
does it with the expectation of return
in fruit. No one plants corn or potatoes
without first considering if the land will
give him crop; if the soil is not in the
proper condition he knows that he must
make it SO, or lose his seed and his la.
bor. Much less than corn and potatoes
can fruit trees make crop on nothing.
The trees will struggle along, do the
best they can, but such orchards do moi
pay, and run out" early. Unless the
land is sufficiently fertile for an ordina-
ry farm crop, it should be made SO; nc
soil too wet for such crops will answer
for fruit trees, which to succeed need
well drained land. The ploWing should
be as deep as the character of the soil
will allow, and the sub-soil plow may
generally follow the other with benefit.
The Trees.-It is assumed that the
trees were ordered some time ago; they
should be at hand ready for planting
1t is the custom at nurseries to take ur
and heel-in large stock of the kinds Of
trees most called for, this retards the
growth, and allows them to fill late or.
ders. If there is nursery near at hand
it will pay to make bargain, if posi-
bic, to help dig the trees yourself, and
thus secure larger share of the roots
that belong to them. If trees, in long
journey, become dry and shriveled, bury
them root and branch, in mellow earth
for few days, when they become plump
again. In unpacking the trees, look to
the labels, as some may become detached
and would otherwise be lost.
Preparing the Trees body
wishes to get al he can for the money,
and the nurserYmen send much larger
tops to the trees than the pruned root:
in their new positions can support. II
Is safe to shorten the branches
one-third or one-half, but it should bt
done with judgment and reference to
the condition of the roots. AT the same
time pare smooth any broken or man
gled roots.
Planting. In setting tree take time
to do it properly; spread the roots even
ly and to their full length, and so work
in the soil among them that there will
be no hollow places. Water may bt
used to carry the soil among the roots
not dashed in by the pailful, but show
cred from watering-pot. Do not staml
the soil down around the roots, but firm
it carefully with the foot. The tre'
should be set no deeper than it stood il
the nursery.
Crops soil of young orchart
may be kept in cultivation until tn
trees begin to bear; grain should neve
be grown, except Indian corn, but po
tatoes and root crops are the best.
Mseots.-Destroy the eggs of the Ten
Caterpillar, which are to be found il
small closely fitting rings or bands nea
the ends of the smaller twigs, and ma,
be cut away. Many insects harbor be
meath the loose bark of trees, and b,
scraping this off and wash the trunl
and limbs with solution of soft soar
much good may be done. To proven
the assent of the wingless females of tn
Canker Worm, use heavy brown pape
bound closely around the trees trunk
and then smear with cheap printer
ink or tar. The bands will have to b
re- coated at frequent intervals throug
the season.