v36 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



[August 20, 



DR. SPALDING'S ADDRESS. 



[Concluded from page W.] ' 



Cropping. — A rotation ofcrops is important to 

 the Farmer. Land is less likely to be exhaust- 

 ed by a judicious change of crops, than where 

 Ihe same crop, from the same, field, is taken 

 year after year, for any considerable length of 

 time. The utility of change appears to be 

 pointed out by Nature herself. We witness the 

 different growth of trees, as well as that of plants 

 which she is continually exhibiting to our view._ 

 Examples of this kind may be seen in most of 

 the pine growth about us. The great plains 

 ietween this and Nashua Village— naturally cov- 

 ered with pine— no sooner have been cleared off, 

 and suffered to grow up again, than a different 

 species of trees have appeared, mostly oak. 

 And in different soils from the above, different 

 species of wood are known to succeed each oth- 

 er in rotation. — Much the same is said of many 

 plants. They are either extending themselves 

 by their fibrous roots, or creeping by viny 

 threads to different spots. Some seeds are so 

 constructed as to be navigated by the waves ol 

 of the sea from Island to Island of great distance 

 without injury to the power of germitaation ; 

 while others are wafted by the winds on downy 

 wings to still greater distances. Some of the.-e 

 are extremely noxious ta husbandry ; for the 

 destruction of which too much pains cannot be 

 taken. From the neglect to de.slroy a single 

 Canada thistle, a whole farm has been over-run 

 with this hostile weed. Much the same may be 

 said of the white* weed and of many others. 



Deep Plonghing. — This practice is essential to 

 good farming. Farmers in general have been 

 too much opposed to it. Many of them seem to 

 suppose, or to say, that by deep ploughing the 

 surface of the ground is buried too low; that 

 nothing will grow on vvhat is turned up ; and 

 (hat the land is more likely to dry and burn; — 

 especially as it regards our light, sandy soils. 

 But every oi^e, who has tried it, knows the re- 

 verse to be true. It is possible that in some 

 very sandy soils, a first crop may not be so good ; 

 but future ones will be belter. By deep plough- 

 ing, such soils are rendered capable of sustain- 

 ing both drought and moisture much better. 

 For in plentiful or excessive rains, the soil, thus 

 broken and pulverised, more readily absorbs the 

 water, and is in a lit condition to retain it long- 

 «r for the support of the plant. The roots also 

 can penetrate deejier, and spread wider in search 

 of nourishment, which is most generally carried 

 down in such soils. In all our soih, we need not 

 be afraid of ploughing too deep. By this prac- 

 tice, our liocs will be used with much more ease 

 to Ireep doun the noxious weeds ; our crops will 

 be of a better quality ; and our soils improved 

 and made more productive. 



A field or farm to be rightly managed must 

 have good fences. A judicious farmer will be 

 particularly attentive to construct good fences, 

 and always to keep them in repair; as, by so 

 doing, he not only secures his crops; but the 

 good will of his neighbour, an essential 'object 

 In farming. 



Good manap-ement also implies order and 

 neatness. Every part of farming business should 

 be begun, and accomplished in ils proper season; 

 and tliere should be order and neatness in and 

 «bout all our buildings and all our business. — 



'' (yjfrj/taal/uiiium Ijcutarflfiemn.i/i . 



We must all be sensible how illy it becomes us, 

 and how uncomfortable it makes us, to suffer the 

 windows of our houses to go unmended, the clap- 

 boards and shingles to remain clattering, and the 

 binges, and latches of our doors half off. — Be- 

 sides It is not good economy. All sur farming 

 utensils should be of tlie best kind, and of the 

 most convenient form — and they should have 

 proper places provided for them, with the old 

 motto — "A place for every thing, and every 

 thing in its place." Much time and labour 

 would be saved by this management. How bad- 

 ly and slovenly, and what want of economy it is, 

 to see carts, wagons, ploughs, and h;irrows, ly- 

 ing all winter exposed to the weather! Most 

 farmers, who keep chaises provide places for 

 them. And why not for their sleighs and their 

 sleds? 



Connected with good management and good 

 farming is a good orchard. Not an orchard bare- 

 ly for the purpose of making cider for ordinary 

 use. But one from which we c.in make a liquor 

 of more value than m'lch of th" wine, which is 

 vended at Ts6d or 9s per gallon. One' of choice 

 fruit. And with this subject I wi^h to consider 

 many of the excelleni fruits, nulural lo our soil 

 and climate ; — Not only the apple, the most use- 

 ful ; but the pear, the peach, the chi-rrv, &c- all 

 of which ure produced in as great perfection 

 and profusion in this, as in any oth.^r country, — 

 and many of which might, by a little pains, be 

 brought to hiffh perfection even in thiscouitry. 

 Many of us have seen the large and elegani ap- 

 jde of iVIr. Kingsbury of Francestown ; the fine 

 winter fruit of New-Boston, Bedford, and many 

 other places in this vicinity. But some suppose 

 that the worst apples make the best cider. You 

 may jixt as well sup|)ose that the worst jjrain 

 will make the best bread. Or that the mo*t 

 miserable calves and colls, will make t'le finest 

 cows, oxen, and horses, — and so on to every spe- 

 cies of production. The fact is, the best ol eve- 

 ry kind should always be selected. The best 

 animals, the best seeds, the bfsi trees, friiils, &c. 

 It takes no more time, and no more food for tlie 

 support of a good horse, than for a miserable 

 one. And it requires no more room, nor any 

 better soil to support a good tree, than a bad 

 one. And what eye is there, that is not deiifht- 

 ed with the ap|)earance of a noble ox, or an ele- 

 gant horse; what palate, that is not regaled and 

 gratified with the taste of a fine peach or a de- 

 licious pear? While the reverse is hateful, 

 sickening, loathsome. — Then let us set about a 

 reform ; and instead of the most miserable, b^t 

 us select and cultivate the most elegant, useinl, 

 and choice of eveiy kind. Instead of the lual.h- 

 some poplar about our houses and gardens, let 

 us place the apple, the pear, Ihe peach, the 

 cherry, the vine, &,c. .^nd instead of sending 

 to the Wns't-lndies, the East-Indies, anil all ever 

 the world for an unnatural, deleterious, and ex- 

 pensive exotic, — let us be content to enjoy the 

 healthy, delicious, and cheap I'ruit ot our own 

 country, and of our own larms. 



The pleasing, the elegant art of engral'linj, 

 of making the fruit of one tree grow upi>« anoth- 

 er, cannot willingly be past over here in sih^nce. 

 jit is too much ncglccieil in this country. The 

 1 novelty ol' seeing upon the same tree, a variety 

 ! of fruit, differing in size, shape and (1 ivour, 

 I would, one might suppose, excite to the prac- 

 tice. But more especially are we surprised at 

 Uhis neglect, when the choiof;st fruit of almost 



every kind can be so safely, and so easily con- 

 veyed from one part of the country to another, 

 and from almost any part of the world, in tuigor 

 bud, and made to produce so precisely the same 

 choice fruit, on stocks, which, if they bore at all, 

 bore but a mean and indifferent fruit. The ex- 

 cellency of this art is, that we are not only as- 

 sured of having the same, but we can have it 

 much sooner, and in greater profusion than ia 

 any other way. It is well known that I'rom the 

 seeds the process is long, and the kind uncer- 

 tain. Although most species of fruit grow bust 

 upon stocks of their own kind ; yet a consider- 

 able variety of fruit may sometimes be made to 

 grow upon the same stock. It is said that a va- 

 riety of plum, peach, nectarine, apricot, &.c. will 

 grow on the wild jilum-stock. That the apple, 

 pear, ijiiince, «SiC. will succeed on the hawthorn. 

 That Ihe peach can be united with the rose in 

 such a way as lo produce a peach-tree bearing 

 roses; but that it will not bear peaches. We 

 have all, or roost of 8- perhaps seen the pear 

 growing upon the apple and quince stocks, and' 

 producing fine pears ; but they are apt lo derajr 

 and die sooner than on their own stocks. The 

 wild cherry, it has been lately discovered, af- 

 fords a good stock for the tame. This however 

 lias been denied by some ol our most experi- 

 enced engrafters. A late writer on ihis suliject 

 says, " 1 can assert from repeited ti isiis, Loth by 

 budding and grafting that an union cannot be ef- 

 fected." But this gentleman labours under a 

 mistake in Ihis, for there are now growing in 

 this neighbourhood, a considerable variety of 

 English cherrv-Irces ingratted upon wild stocks. 

 And from repeated trials within these three op 

 fdur years past, upon the same kind of wild 

 stocks, there can be no doubt, but they will suc- 

 ceed well. The grafts were inserted upon Ihe 

 wild stocks near the ground, in order that the 

 roots might shoot from the scion if necessary. 

 Tliis has in fact taken place ; and some of ihem 

 have risen to a height of eight or fen feel in the 

 sjiace of three years. These look healthy and 

 vigorous. VVIi.it renders this discovery more 

 valuaiile is, that there is a profusion of this wild 

 cherry in all parts of the country, and it appears 

 adapted to every soil. There is but little doubt 

 that we sliail soon be sble to produce as fine 

 English cherries from these wild stocks, as can 

 be proiliicod tiom the mazzaril, or from any ofh.« 

 er stocks. This wild stock is the variety, which 

 so univer'^ally springs up on recently burnt 

 grounds — is one of the earliest flowering trees 

 in the spring; and bears a small red cherry of 

 an astringent taste and quality. 



Speaking of this pleasing and useful art, nn 

 elegant writer says — '■ I cannot dismiss this sub- 

 ject without inviting the attention ol' the ladies 

 thereto. If the tree of knowledge was forbid 

 them, the book of knowledge is not. Surely to 

 know something of grafting is more worthy of 

 their regard, than many of the transient amuse- 

 ments of fashion. liuiiiMn fishion, like a Prote- 

 us is ever changing. What is laste to-day, is 

 ridicule to-morrow. But the fashions of Nature 

 are eternal as truth, and bestow blessings wiih 

 an unsparing hand, on those who search them 

 sut ! The Rose will not only graft and bud well 

 to its own genus ; but will take on those of adif-. 

 ferent one; by which the plain fruit Iree is con^ 

 verted into an inimitHble flowering shrub. Per- 

 haps there is no employ or amusement, bettei; 

 calculated to weaa the mind from sorrow than 



