Year: 1872




Preparing Tree Seeds for Plantinq.-As
long as the cold, freezing weather con-
! tinues, hard shell seeds and nuts may
be prepared for planting next spring.
1t is very often the case that a few nuts
or other coarse seed have been laid aside
in the fall and neglected, until they
have become 80 dry that there would be
little chance of growing if planted in the
same condition next spring. All such
seeds and nuts desired for planting
should be soaked for few hours in
warm water, then mixed with sand or
soil, and placed out of doors where they
will not freeze, or at least remain cool
and moist until wanted for planting.
! Apple, pear, cherry, peach, plum, and
other fruit tree seed may be treated in
! this way with benefit. All the larger
species of nuts, as well as Usage and
other hedge plant seeds, require similar
] preparation to make them grow readily.


Milch Coaos.-A rural proverb says ::
That which comes out in the pail must
90 in at the mouth" and it is we'll
established fact that a large flow of milk
cannot be produced without abundance
of suitable food. A COW comfortably
wintered, and fed and watered with
regularity, will yield more milk than
one exposed to cold and irregularly fed,
even with plenty of the best provender
Bran or shorts, or any product of wheat,
is good for milk. Potatoes fed to milch
| COWS produce large quantities of milk
which is rich in butter. Pumpkins are
good, but the seeds should be extracted,
as they possess strong diuretic proper
ties. Careful experiments 60 to show
that green, succulent food is more favor.
able to the production of milk than dry,
and that of dry food the richest in nitro
genous matter best promotes the milk
secretion. A change of diet etoccasionally
is very beneficial to milch COWS as well
as to all other kinds of live stock.


Traasplanting Evsrgreens- is mis-
take to suppose that the same rules ap-
ply to evergreens as to deciduous trees.
The latter may be set out IN the fall or
spring as best suits the convenience
But evergreens very rarely live if trans
planted in the fall. Nor will they en-
dure to be moved very early in the
spring, like other trees. They are more
tender and less tenacious of life. Many
people, overlooking this fact, have trans
planted in early spring, and met with
ill success, even when great care has
been taken. The best time to trans
plant evergreens is late in the spring
Just at or before the period of active
growth. 1t is comparatively easy to
end of May, and no other time will an
swer as we'll. Another caution is to be
strictly observed, and that is not to ex-
pose their soft and tender roots to the
sun or the drying wind. This is far
more important with evergreens than
with other trees. Ten minutes exposure
of the fibrous roots to sun and winds is
almost sure death. Keep them covered
with moss or mating till ready to set
Massachusetts, Ploughman.


| Bee Feeder.-Make a frame say, six
inches square, of Stats one inch or
| more wide; cover this one side with
thin muslin, drawing the edges of the
cloth up all around the frame on the
outside, and tacking them to the top.
| Then make another frame of Stats half
an inch wide and six inches square.
| This is nailed on the bottom, leaving
the muslin between the frames. The
! feeder may be placed over any sized
more III tue hoilSy poaiu, "hSi' e'S
hees can readily pass under it, without
obstruction or having to climb several
inches. By removing the honey board,
it can be set on the frames but it will
then be necessary to lay something over
| the top.


The Best Breed Of Fowls.-What breed
shall I get? This is the question asked
by the beginner in poultry keeping, or
by him who is dissatisfied with the COM
mon fowls in his possession. and who
wants to try (" one of these cracked-up
breeds there is such hue and cry
about" Wereply as we have repeatedly
done. Do not expect that you can keep
any variety of blooded fowls with sue
cess under the ordinary random manage
ment. High bred fowls are capable OF
returning extra results for extra care;
but many varieties will perish if forced
to roost out of doors in winter, and pick
up meagre diet in the barn-yard, as
we have seen the common sort do. The
latter will live almost anywhere, but
will afford little profit or none at all. A
blooded breed chosen and managed
wisely will give greater amount Of
flesh or greater yield OF eggs, in pro-
portion to the grain consumed, than any
barn yard variety. But do not aim to
perpetuate the artificial fancy points in
the breed you may select, if you value
utility, but choose breeding stock with
sole reference to stamina.