News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-04-15
FARM AND GARDEN.
Interesting seasonable Notes About April
Work.
From the American Agriculturist.l

Work.
from the American Agriculturistl
April is a busy month from Prince
Edwards Island to Puget Sound. When
spring comes in the high northern latl-
tudes, 1t is upon us at once. 1t is winter
one day and almost summer the next.
The heavy SHOWS draw the frost from
the soil, so that when this disappears
the ground is ready for the pillow. While
snow lasts get out the manure, the work
goes so much quicker and easier on run
ners than on wheels. One of the earliest
| jobs is narrowing winter grain. The
advantage of thorough narrowing with
a smoothing harrow is so great that it
pays not to SOW grass in the autumn,
but at the time of narrowing in spring.
Grain sowed broadcast by itself should
always be narrowed several times. Null
titudes of weeds are thus killed, and
| the stirring of the soil Is great advan-
| tage. Grass sown by itself will almost
uniformly give satisfaction. The earlier
spring grains are sown the better. For
| age crops, such as peas and oats, spring
rye, wheat and vetchcs or peas, should
be put in in succession once IN two
weeks. Certain seeds of root crops are
very sensitive to dry weather. Parsnips
must be sown very early; an admirable
crop for milk, and for neat cattle. Man
gels and sugar beets are best put in
early; but carrots at any time before
middle of summer. The tendency of
good practice is to grow more roots,
green forage, and fodder, either for cur
ing or ensoiling. Do not let manure
heapsheat; work them over, or get them
under ground. April, throughout the
country, may be depended upon for sew
eral weeks of blowing weather, though
it be showery.
LIVE STOCK NOTES. Battle the horaes
shoulders with cold water or brine as
quick as the collars come off, before the
sweat begins to dry, and rub off the
collars and saddle pieces with moist
cloth. This will prevent sore shoulders.
All changes of food should be gradual,
but in proportion to the work. Heavily
taxed muscles make demands on the
stomach; hence, increase the food after
work begins-never in anticipation. A
horse fed up before he is called to work
gets soft and fat. Be careful to protect
horses from drafts when warm; rub
down, blanket, or let them stand in
close stables. Cows at calving need
little care, the less the better if in
loose box or the open field. ''Fussing'
over them is always provocative of inju-
ry. Give no grain, but loosening diet
of bran for some days, and gradually in
crease feed as feverish symptoms pass
away. Keep calves growing thriftiIy;
skim-milk with little linseed meal
scalded and added to i: as a substitute
for the cream, is just as good for them
as whole milk fed from the pail. Sheep
must be kept in dry yards or there will
be danger to their feet. Ewes with
lambs should have grain daily, at least
until they come to pasture. Swine
Those who buy young pigs for feeding
should buy none but half-bloods by a
Berkshire, Yorkshire, Poland or other
pure sire. They grow faster and fatten
with less feed. Poultry. the
stock of fowls as soon. as this years
to old turkeys and old geese, they get
used to the ways of the farm and are
worth much more as breeders than
young ones. Ducks also are good till
three years old. A turkey is in her
prime at five, and goose at twenty.
ORCHARD AND FRUIT GARDEN.
soon as trees, shrubs, etc., are received
from the nursery, heel in, i. e., temper
arlly bury their roots at once. When
this is done, planting may be done at
leisure. >. Prepare the soil well by deep
working with spade or pillow. In ten
years six properly planted trees will be
worth more than dozen that were set |
as if they were posts. In digging nur-
sery trees many roots are cut off. Off
set this by shortening the top, cutting
back each branch one-third or one half |
-. Unfruitful trees need manure at the
roots, and opening or thinning out of
the head &. If there is no strawberry |
patch on the farm, make one. Never
mind the kind; p ant that which can be |
most readily had. Any is better than
none. Sc with currants, raspberrics |
and blackberries; make beginning. |
Every farmers family should have all |
the grapes it can eat. Plant q dozen
vines of the Concord now, and after
wards consider what better varieties
may be planted. The Concord will pro-
duce tolerable grapes in abundance, and
create taste for something better.
KITCHEN AND MARKET GARDENING
are tender, and hardy; we
can leave the parsnip in the ground
through the severest winter, while the
carrot is easily killed by frost. So with
seeds; some may be sowrSs as
soon as the ground can be
and others must not be
sown until the soil is warm. We for
ward plants by starting their seeds I'M
der glass, either in greenhouse or bot
bed. For small garden, boxes of soil
of suitable size, and three or four inch
es deep, placed at the kitchen or other
windows, will afford a supply of plants.
Sow in such boxes, early cabbage, cauli-
flower, lettuce, and later, tomato and
other tender plants. See article On early
peas. Besides the methods there sug-
gested, we have for early peas, and the
earliest potatoes, nailed boards together
like cave troughs, to cover the rows at
night; when turned back in the day
time, they protected the plants from the
winds, and reflected heat upon the rows
-. Hot-beds for starting plants should
begun about six weeks before it is safe
to risk the plants in the open ground
Provide a supply of bean poles,
pea-brush, and treliises for tomatoes.
Do not forget succession crops of rad
dishes, lettuce, ETC., of which the sea-
son is cry short; SOW weekly until hot
weather.