Year: 1861

This month is frequently marked by clear,


brlgh, cold skies-weather useful in drying


up moist earth saturated by the melting SHOWS


OF April, and for preparing the soft earth for
spring crops Drained land will now assert
its superiority. 1t will be ready for the seed


almost Immediately after the disappearance


of the snow. 1t will speedily become mel


low and warm-a atfording genial seed bed.


We have had long winter; and will hope,


and may perhaps expec, the month of May


to be beautifully fne. But coId harsh winds,
at this season. succeeding cold rains occasion.


ally render the soil especially where undrain-
ed, dry and hard. and difficult to work or
piow, This will be short and busy season.
PIoughng, sowing and planting should be
going on necessarily. Everything should be
full of life and activity. Crowds of birds
visit us. But frosty nights, too often pre-
vail, while cold drying winds check vegcta.
tion, and May is generally dry month;
though moisture is never deficient, after the
melting of tie snow in winter. No month
in the year demands as much activity as the
month Of May. If he does not SOW, he will
not reap; and if not applied in time, the
labor required for after culture will be great
ly increased. 1t is desirable hat fall plough.
ing should be finished, if possible, in good
time-the land well drained, and the furrows
cleaned out, and, this done, the soil will be
in good condition for spring sowing. II far
mers would adopt thorough draining and fall
poughing more generally, sowing and plant
ing, as rule, might be finished before the
e bo


When the spring sowing and planting extend
into the month of June, the chances OF good
crops is very doubtful, unless in a most fa-
vorable season-nelthcr very moist nor very
dry. When the soil is too long and deeply
covered with snow, the plant often suffers by
exclusion from the life giving influences of
air aud light; ana when the snow covering
disappears, the surface shows patchy and un-
equal.


Unpropitious and unsettled weather in
May will not onIy delay labor, but the plow-
ed soil will become partially overrun with
weeds before the seed is sown. Late seasons
i'll consort with small capi al and high priced
labor. Early sowing of wheat would be
most desirable, could we be assured of its
escaping the ravages of insects. 1t is we'll
to get the sowing over this month, except tur-
nps and bucAwheat, which may be sown
throughout June, and up to the middle Of
July. If Indian-corn be planted too early,
we have, often, great growth Of straw, but
the grain light When peas are sown as q
preparatory crop for lall-wheat, they should
be sown as soon as the ground can be got
ready, as they are easily inju'cd by frost ;
and the sooner they are harvested, there will
be the more time to prepare for wheat. Po-
tatoes may be planted any time from the mid
die of April to the middle OF July-but the
produce is best when sown moderately early.
The tubers will make their growth before the
mid. summer drought. Potatoes grown on
dry sandy soils are often small, and by no
means productive crop but they arc gene.
reilly very productive on deep soils, rather
damp than dry, having a large proportion of
vegetable matter. Potatoes grown for the
table must be carefully selected, and are by no
means such abundant bearers as the larger
variaties for stock feeding The doubtful
struggle between winter and summer is now
ended, and, on every hand VIC find indca-
tions of earnest work Our springs are al
ways long and lingering, and the complaint
of backwardness, co d and wet, together or
alternately, have been made periodically ever
since the settlement of this promising ccun-
try. The prevailing winds arc from the
north. west and northeast and the chilling
breath of winter is still felt after We have
been congratulating curse YES that they grey.
beard has taken his departure.





After this long reign of cold and wet, the
seed time is confined to very few days