96 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



rablc injury. The addition of some ferruginous substance to 

 the ashes, if the soil is not well supplied with iron, would do 

 well. A quantity of cinders from the blacksmith's shop, such 

 as fly from tlie hot iron when beaten, (oxide of iron,) has been 

 suggested by Professor Nash. The soil in which my orchard 

 stands, is well supplied with iron, and for that reason I applied 

 none. Tlic application of compost manure, to be spread under 

 the trees, as far as their roots extend, is also necessary on 

 sandy, gravelly soils, that do not contain much organic matter 

 or loam. A compost of equal parts of chip, barn, and hog- 

 yard manures, will make one of the best applications of the 

 kind. I would also recommend the grafting of those trees 

 that send up new and vigorous limbs, and which do not already 

 bear good varieties of fruit. I have grafted several, and they 

 arc in a flourishing condition, although the scions are not yet 

 old enough to produce much. 



Leverett, September 27, 1853. 



Statement of J. E. 6f A. C. Marshall. 



Our peach orchard consists of eighty-five trees, and contains 

 thirty varieties. Nearly all of the trees bore fruit the present 

 Beason. A part of the land is a rich, gravelly soil, and the 

 remainder, loamy. It was ploughed and planted, two years in 

 succession; then sowed with oats, and seeded, previous to 1847, 

 when we commenced setting our trees. We have conthiued to 

 add new varieties. When we set our trees, we put three or 

 four shovelfuls of well rotted compost manure into each hole, 

 and mixed well with the soil. We have not since used manure 

 around tlie trees or upon tlie land ; but we hoe, the first sea- 

 son, and keep the ground clean and free from grass, for a space 

 of two and a half feet in diameter. We have put some lime 

 and ashes mixed together, around the trees once or twice. 

 We have lost no trees by the borers, nor have we been troubled 

 with them at all. Our hens and chickens have had free access, 

 wliich we think may have been a preventive. We have culti- 

 vated five liundrcd nursery trees between the standard trees, 

 on a part of the land. The remainder has been mowed, and 

 two crops of hay taken oflf annually. We estimate the entire 



