^\)c ifarmcr's iUontl)lij bisitor. 



55 



tlie wliole Iffiulli vvillioiit tiirriirif;. How iiiucli 

 betlL'i' iliis liiiiil loiilis lliiiii tlie one |iii(ii'ly ili>iie, 

 ujkI llieli limv iiiiicli iiioiu |pri).-|iecl iil' ii ;;iiihI 

 cr"|>. Evri'v inch ol'fiiiinnil is ImiiUp, anil evi-iy 

 sod is tiM'Mi'd, ,'inil llrH wIkiIu land (iI'i'mmIs a neal 

 tinil woikinanliku a|>|ii'aniiic<'. ISiiI we liad thr- 

 pot(eii ti) strike a liininv ac-ror^s each end nl ihe 

 field, nliont a rod (iorii ihe lence, so lliat we may 

 Imve aiii|>le ronm lor ihe Icuiu to tuni, while llie 

 ends of ihe I'uiiows are even and uniroiiii. The 

 plough ninsi not lie sort'cied to cross ihii lineuii- 

 lil liirned out of the ^'roniid. 



Soine ot'onr readers may lliiid< it easier to irive 

 direilions than to do the v^tirk. Tosncli we can 

 only say, call on lis any clay in )i|onj;hiMi' time, 

 imd we « ill endeavoi- to satisly you that ue know 

 Enmelhin^' ol' Ihe use of |ilou^li, and that we have 

 spent more time lici«een ihe ploogh-huiidles than 

 in wriiini; liir piihlicaiioii. 



SInch inijiht he said ol' the propriety of deep 

 or shallow ploii;;hin;.', hut as there is not room in 

 this article we will only remark that in onr jod^'- 

 inenl deep plonyhin^ on almost all soil.- is hene- 

 ficial, especially aCier thai portion of the snhsoil 

 tnrneil ;o the snrliice has lieen some lime exposed 

 to the action of the frost and to the meliciralin^ 

 influences of the lifiht, heat, &c. We do not 

 consider it ceriain that the tirsi crop \s always 

 benefited In deep plonj;hing, hut that the soil is 

 permanently impi'oved hy Mich process there 

 caimol, we think, he the sli;.'htest douhi. The 

 subsoil plou^ih is, however, Ihe article best calcu- 

 lated to improve all our heavy anil releiiiive soils, 

 and il is hi>|ieil the lime is not I'txr ilistant v^ hen 

 it will lie in common use among liirmers as much 

 perhaps as Ihe conimon plough. It may not, and 

 probably will not, be found necessary to resort 

 to deep stirring of Ihe soil every year, but as often 

 ns oiice in every course of crops, or every three 

 or four years, great benefits would be derived 

 from this operation. 



Neither do we propose to discuss now to any 

 extent the merits of a flat or lapped furrow, al- 

 thi ugh imich dift'erence of o[iinion exists among 

 farmers on this subject. It seems clear that on 

 all wet or tenacious lands the furrow slice should 

 be lapped ; and we suppose the opinion also is 

 generally held, that on dry and porous soils flat 

 furrows are preferable. Of the correctness of 

 this last proposition our own convictions are not 

 very clear, and we continue on nearly all soils 

 to lap the furrow slightly, th;is exposing full one- 

 third more surface and leaving it in condition to 

 be acted upon hy the harrow with good eftect. 



That llieie has been very manifest improve- 

 ment in the practice of faiiiiers in ploughing 

 their grounds we have the best evidence in the 

 fields everywhere presented to our view, in which 

 the straight and handsomely turned furrows, the 

 smooth and unbroken soil, and other evidences 

 of skill and workmanship all prove that the s(ii- 

 ril of inquiry and id' improvement is abroad, and 

 that a ciiinplete change in this department of ag- 

 riculture is now taking place. 



We have already alluded to the very great im- 

 provements in Ihe manuliictnre of ploughs, and 

 would again say that without this advantage our 

 present slate of cullivalion would not have been 

 reached. There are many good ploughs in use 

 in different sections of the country, but the farm- 

 ers are slow to adopt ihein in place of old and 

 imperfect itiiplemenls. For illuslration of this 

 fact the writer would state that in the county 

 where he resides there are probably some twelve 

 or fifteen, or even more diflerent kinds of ploughs 

 in use, not more than five or six of which are any 

 where near up to the improvements of the age. 

 Of this latter class the difference in principles of 

 construction is so slight that there may, in fact, 

 be said to be no more than three kinds in use 

 which are really in accordance with the improv- 

 ed principles of construction. Could farmers see 

 and know the advantages of using a g-ood plough, 

 in place of the poor ones so generally in use, 

 they would at once discard four-fifths of the old 

 patterns, and endeavor to use none but a good ar- 

 ticle. 



The ploughing matches at onr Stale Fairs have 

 been well allended, and much good work done, 

 I)ut there seems to be still room for improvemeni. 

 I think I speak the sentiments of many plough- 

 men in Oneida when I invite those wlio desire 

 to see specimens of skill, or who may choose to 

 try their hand with our boijs at the plough, to at- 



lend the ploughing match at Utica, in September 

 next. E. CoMSTocK. 



Rome, X. Y., March, 1845. 



Grafiiii?. 



The operation of gralilng is an admirable pro- 

 cess IIS to its importance, as it at]'urds u very con- 

 venient mode of changing the most austere fruit, 

 to the finest that call be hiuiiil in the country, and 

 this change i:j made in a short lime, and with a 

 liiile expense. With a small package of scions 

 and a liltle Ironhle, a large tree can be changed 

 and soon abomi<l in the new frnil. We will iiaiiiK 

 one amouL' the many thousands of instances of 

 the rapid produclinn of new IVnit hy grafting, and 

 this pirhaps is one of the must woinlerful, and 

 among the hugest stories that can he told. We 

 have it liom the owner, whose veracity is un- 

 douiiled. 



We saw in 184.3, an apple tree on the tiirm of 

 Morris Eauies, Esq., of Dover, Ms., slaiiding ilia 

 fine liicaiion on the baiiksof Charles river, which 

 had been grafted seven jears previous, with ihe 

 Porter apple, which was in 1835. In 1838 it bore 

 7 barrels; in 1S40, 11 barrels; in 184-2, 14 bar- 

 rels. In this case all Ihe limbs were cut off at 

 once, but not so near the trunk as usual ; they 

 were cm off near the ends where they were of a 

 small size. Two hands were a day and a half in 

 grafting it. 



Trees to be grafted should be in a thriving 

 condition, and it is but little use to graft a tree 

 th.-it does not grow liisi ; if the natural grovMh be 

 not vigorous, it cannot he expected that scions 

 will flourish well. 



As to the time of grafting, some have been 

 about this business fi>r a moiilh, and it may be 

 continued two nionlhs or more longer. Some 

 commence very early in order to get the business 

 out of the way, on account of urgent liusiness 

 that comes on afterwards. Others commence 

 early and continue late, as they have a great deal 

 to do. The most liivorahle time for the scions 

 to take well, and get a good growth, is when the 

 buds are swelling into leaves, but the scions will 

 take as well for a month or two afterward.s, but 

 will not of course grow so large the first season. 

 Some cultivators on grafling very thrifty trees 

 have set in June, to prevent too nipid a growth, 

 and consequent exposure to winds the first sea- 

 son. 



It is a disputed point whether (ilay or grafting 

 cement is best. Cement is most convenient, and 

 with il grafling can be done with greater expe- 

 dition, and it is generally used. There is no 

 doubt that the tallow in the cement is injurious 

 to the wood, but if the stock he vigorous it will 

 soon heal over and the effect from the tallow will 

 be slight; but if long in healing, the wood will 

 turn black. If the weather continues very dry for 

 some time after grafting, scions will not take so 

 well when set in clay. A nurseryman informed 

 us that he lost many last sfMing owing to the dry 

 weather in April. 



There are different ways of i)repnring cement, 

 some use turpentine, others use linseed oil. It is 

 commonly made of beef's tallow, beeswax and 

 rosin. One lb. of taJlow, two lbs. of beeswax, 

 and tioiu three to five lbs. of rosin. When the 

 rosin is very hard and black, that is of a poor 

 qnalily, 3 lbs. will be sutHcient, hut if it be of a 

 light color, and almost transparent, .5 lbs. may be 

 used. A good general rule, and easy to be re- 

 membered, is twice as much beeswax as tallow, 

 an.4 twice as much rosin as wax — thus, 1, 2, and 

 4 parts. 



We doubt not that by experiments we may 

 make a cement that will answer all the purposes 

 of grafling without any injury, even if the stock 

 be long in healing; but in making experiments 

 we should do it in a small way, until we learn the 

 value of the new com|iosilion. 



Air. Edward Marsh, of Quincy, informs us 

 that he has used Ireeswax and sweet oil for a ce- 

 ment ; he did not weigh ihe different ingredients, 

 proporiioned them so as to make the cement of 

 a suitable hardness. If our readers succeed in 

 forming a cement w holly of vegetable substances 

 that answers a good purpose, we should be pleas- 

 ed to hear from them on the subject. 



There are various modes of grafting, adapted 

 to different circumstances, and the time has been 

 when it was necessary to describe them in works 

 on agriculture and liorticulime, as many cultiva- 

 tors of fruit had no other method of learning ; 



but now in every town, and in many sections in 

 every neighborhood, are persons well acquainted 

 with this process, from whose practice and iu- 

 slinclions any one can harn more readily than 

 Irom descriptions. The process i.-i simple, and 

 very readily learned and easily perforiiied. — Bos- 

 ton Cidlivalor, Jlpiil 19. 



Valuable Recipe for Whitewash. — Take 



about a peck of unslaked Louisville lime, and 

 slake it in hot water ; add to llii.s, while hot, alioiit 

 six pounds of lard, or any hoii.se grease; llieii 

 put in about two pminds of iibie, and if for nice 

 inside painting a pomid of Spanish whiting, and 

 a fi.'W handsful of salt. Apply it on wdiile hot. 

 This recipe was obtained from Mr. John Noble, 

 of the Deimisou llou.se, Cincinuali, who has been 

 very succe.ssfnl with this on his biiildingi'. No 

 rain or dampness has any effect to darken this 

 whitewash at any time. 



To Raise Fi.ne Melo.ns. — Holes two feet 

 bro.id, twenty inches deep, filled one foot wiih 

 garden ruhliish and unroited maiiure.s, beat down 

 b.ird, and watered two or three buckets' fiill, then 

 filled lo Ihe lop with rich soil ; on this spread one 

 inch of fine compost, or well rotted manures, 

 compact, hut not hard ; stick lire seeds, say twen- 

 ty or thirty to a hill, the upper end of the seed to 

 be a lillle below the surface of the compost; 

 brush over the hills with the band to fill (i|i th« 

 holes; then cover the hills with an inch of clear 

 sand, and often watered ; hills ten feet apart, 

 three plants lo the hill left, thinned when the 

 plants have six leaves, then take off the centre 

 shoot with a sharp penknile, and when the side 

 shoots are six inches long, take off all but three ; 

 secure these to the ground with cross slicks. — 

 ffestern Gardener. 



From the VVcBtern F'.Trroer aiul Gardener for April. 

 Garden 8eeds. 



It is time that seeds should be selected. Good 

 seeds are the very first requisite for a good gar- 

 den : soil and culture cannot tnake good crops 

 out of bad seed. 



1. As a general rule, hiy your seeds. The rea- 

 sons for it are so many and so good, that you will 

 certainly do it, unless economy prevent; but it is 

 better to economise elsewhere. 



In the first place, seed-raising is a delicate busi- 

 ness ; and f()r many reasons will be better done 

 by those who make it their business, than by those 

 who do not. A reputable seedsman never dreams 

 of raising, liimself, all the seeds which he sells. 

 For example, one sort of seed is let out to a 

 fiirmer, who contracts to raise it in a given soil 

 and manner, and at a distance from all otherseeds. 

 One man raises the beet seed j another man, very 

 often hundreds of miles distant, another sort. — 

 I'eas are sent to Vermont and to Canada, where 

 the pea-bug does not inlijst them. Some seeds, 

 for which this climate is not favorable, are im- 

 ported from Italy, from Giiernsev, just as flower- 

 ing bulbs are liom Holland. \Ve suppose this 

 to be true of Landretli, Thornbiirn, Prince, Breck, 

 Risley, &c. In cases where seeds are raised 

 upon the premises of t!ie seedsman, ihey nie put 

 on different parts of the farm, as far apart as pos- 

 sible. 



These precautions are indispensable to the 

 procuration of the best seeds of esculent vegeta- 

 bles. Species of the same genus, with open flow- 

 ers are so easily crossed, that, il grown contigu- 

 ously, they cannot be kept pure. AW cucurbiiaceous 

 plants, such as squashes, pumpkins, melons, cu- 

 cumbers, gourds, &c., will mix and degenerate 

 if planted even in the same garden. Let any one 

 who wishes to see how it is done, watch the bee 

 covering itself with golden pollen as it searches 

 for honey in the cells of tlie flower, and darting 

 off to another, mingling the fertilizing powder 

 of the two. In a single morning, ciicumbera will 

 be mixed with each other, and with canteleupes ; 

 squashes will be crossed, and in the next gene- 

 ration will show it. Where Ihe organs of flow- 

 ers are protected, as in the pea, Iiean, &c., by a 

 floral envelope, insects do not mix their pollen. 

 I have never known pnra beet seed raised in a 

 private garden, which bad more than the single 

 kind in it— or when another garden was near 

 which had other sorts. 



We prefer, generally. Northern seeds to those 

 raised among us. A mere change of soil and 

 climate is often .advantageous to seeds. But, be- 



