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SALT CURES DISEASES IN THE PLUM. 



REMARks. — The grasses referred to by 

 our correspondent, are favorite lawn grasses 

 in England. We have seen them tested 

 in two cases only in this country — both on 

 very liqht, dry, sandy soils ; and in these 

 they did not prove to have greater power of 

 resisting the droutii than the Red Top and 

 White Clover. They were not, however, 

 deep or trenched soils, and we should con- 

 sider them, especially the Crested Dog's-tail 

 Grass, worthy of a further trial here, with 

 that advantage. 



" Common Meadow Grass,'^ Poa pratensis, 

 is also a native of this country, and is well 

 known at the West as the " Kentucky Blue 

 Grass.^'' It is said to make a fine lawn in 

 light, rich, deep soils.* The Hard Fescue 

 Grass and Sweet Vernal Grass are also na- 

 tives of this country. 



We would recommend a trial of a mix- 

 ture of Crested Dog's-tail Grass, Kentucky 

 Blue, or Common Meadow Grass, and White 

 Clover, for the light sandy soil in question. 



The grub, of which our correspondent 



complains loudly, is easily destroyed by the 

 application of salt, at the rare of si,\ bushels 

 to the acre. Let the land be stirred, and 

 one half applied now, and repeat the same 

 process in the spring, and this insect will 

 disappear, and the soil will be greatly bene- 

 fitted for the growth of grass. 



There is no danger of making a light soil 

 too deep. But if the subsoil is meagre and 

 poor — gravel, for instance, use the subsoil 

 plow to deepenandi stir it thoroughly rather 

 than reverse the soil and subsoil much by 

 trenching. The deeper the soil, the deeper 

 the roots will extend, and the less suscep- 

 tible will they be to surface drouths. A 

 moderate annual top-dressing of salt — say 

 three bushels to the acre, will improve wiry 

 lawns, on light soils, more than any other 

 application. The salt not only acts as a 

 manure, but gives the soil greater capacity 

 for attracting and retaining moisture. Next 

 to this we must repeat our recommendation 

 of the very frequent use of the roller. — 

 Ed. 



Salt Cures the Diseases of the Plum. 



BY DR. S. A. SIIURTLEFF, BOSTON. 



Dear Sir — On looking over your valuable 

 periodical, I discover my name referred to 

 by Mr. J. M. Ives of Salem, and also by the 

 editor, in connection with the application 

 of salt to the Plum tree. As this is a sub- 

 ject interesting to all cultivators of fruit, I 

 beg leave toofTer you some few notes of my 

 experience relating to it. 



In 1839, my plum trees were covered 

 with the black fungus, commonly known as 



* Seed of this grass may be bad at Allen's Agricultural 

 Warehouse, New- York. As there is little demand for the 

 other lavi-n grasses, they are rarely to be found at the shops of 

 our seedsmen, but may be ordered through them of Charl- 

 wooD, or any of the leading English dealers in seeds. 



the black knot or wart. At the same time 

 they cast their fruit, so that I did not get 

 specimens enough to decide the genuine- 

 ness of the kinds. Observing in several 

 gardens that had been made on salt marshes, 

 that the plum trees, in every case, were un- 

 usually vigorous and healthy ; that they 

 produced full crops, and did not cast their 

 fruit ; I was led to the conclusion that salt 

 was a preventive of the disease, and that 

 it also destroyed the curculio. 



The next winter I gave each of my 

 plum trees a dressing of about two 

 quarts of salt. I directed mv man to put it 



