News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-03-19
FARM AND GARDEN.
sEAsONABLE HINTS ABOUT WORK
FROM THE "AMERICAN AGRIi UL-
TURIST' FOR MARCH.
Live Stock N0tes-Orchard and Fruit GAR
den-Kitchen Garden

LIVE Stock NOTES. This is trying
month for live stock, and they will need
extra care until the pastures produce
sufficient heritage. All animals should
be kept from exposure to the long, cold
storms. We have seen many focks and
herds that were obliged to be In deep
mud continuously through the spring.
The yards should be properly drained,
and the floors of the sheds and feeding
rooms kept dry. Horses have heavy
work at this season, and need to be fed
and groomed accordingly. Much de-
ponds upon the driver; let him be pa
tient and gentle. Fretting horses are
never doing their best. Mich COWS thrive
when kept clean and fed with an abund-
ance of wholesome food. Let the milk
ing be done by careful hands, otherwise
new COWS will be spoiled, and old ones
dried off. Early lambs, with their dams,
need warm pens. As the days grow
warmer, the ticks get more active. Dip
the infested sheep in one OF the prepa-
rations sold for the purpose. For llce
on calves, pigs and fowls, nothing is
better than grease or kerosene. Speak
now for June pigs. Give broodlng hens
clean nests, with food close at hand. Be
an ''early bird" in the spring.
ORCHARD AND FRUIT GARDEN.-To
many readers this month is the end OF
winter, rather than the beginning OF
spring, and may be devoted to COM
pleting unfinished winter work. Those
who propose planting, whether an
orchard or but a few trees, should lose
no time in sending their orders to a
nursery. Losk out for those glib
tongued tree .snts, who pretend to
represent nu sery in good repute, but
fill their orders with refuse stock, which
they buy wherever they find it, and
label it to suit. In an orchard to supply
fruit for market, do not have too many
kinds. For near market, early apples
are likely to be most profitable. An
orchard to supply the family, should
comprise varieties from the earliest, to
those that are the longest keepers. Land
for an orchard should be the best on the
farm, instead of the poorest. Prepare it
by manuring, blowing and narrowing as
soon as it can safely be done. When
nursery trees arrive, do not be in a
hurry to plant Heel in the trees, and
take time to plant carefully. Neglected
peach trees grow ll-shaped, with long
limbs which often break. If each spring,
half to two-thirds the length of the
shoots of the former year is cut away,
the result will be a compact head, and
more and better fruit. Prune large
limbs on all kinds of trees before the
buds swell. Grape vines not pruned
last fall should be attended to at once.
Dlonk oTI Hlooly harriao nc
soon as the soil can be worked. Grating
is often done too early, and the cions
long exposed to drying winds will
perish; wait until the swelling of the
buds. If cions are not already secured,
cut them before vegetation starts.
Canker-worms come out early. Apply
protection to the trees now. The sim
plest is a band of thick brown paper,
foot or more wide, tackled around the
trunk. On this paint band of pine-tar,
which should be renewed if from any
cause it does not remain adhesive.
KITCHEN GARDEN. Plants wintered
in cold frames must be hardened by ex-
posture every day, and at night also, if
the weather is not severe. They may
be set out whenever the ground can be
made ready. Hot-beds may yet be
made. Start seed potatoes for the
earliest crop. If the supply of seeds
has not been ordered, attend to it at
once. AS early as the ground can be
made ready, plant out onion sets and
potato onions, and horseradish sets. If
the soil is in proper condition, SOW seeds
of beets, early turnips, radishes, lettuce,
cress, parsnips, spinach, satisfy, and
other hardy vegetables, including peas.
Sow seeds of asparagus, and plant roots
as directed. If a new planting of rhu-
barb is needed. make it early. Gut up
old roots, securing bud to each piece.
and plant ~ highly MANFRED soil, four
feet aparse was. provide or put in
order tools aid implements, make boxes,
crates or other market packages, and
have all properly marked. Manure
should be accumulated. Take care that
the heaps do not get overheated. Secure
bean poles, and pea-brush before the
foliage appears. Roots and bulbs from
which seeds are to be raised, should go
into the ground as soon as it can be
made ready.