100 



*^\)t JTarmcr's iHontl)lij Visitor. 



I'Imco (if eiiiployrneiit two pitcljers thus provided, 

 iiiid Willi lids or oovor.-' — lliu one lo coiituin wa- 

 ter liir drinking, tlie otiier (or eviiporalion— and 

 lie i-.in iilwiijK have a supply of cold water in 

 warm weather. Any person ran lest this liy dip- 

 ping a finger in walcr, and liiddiiii; it in the air 

 of a warm day ; after doing lliis three or lonr 

 times, he will find his finger imconilortahly cold. 



Salt for Plum Trees. 



A corri'spondent ol'ilie Maim: ('iiliivator states 

 that he came in possession of an estate on whicli 

 were many neglected phim trees, lie pruned 

 them atui they hlossomerl well, lint produced no 

 fniit. He then applied ahoiit two (piarts of salt 

 to a tree, plaeing it a foot or two from the tree, 

 early in March, when the snow is on.as liad heen 

 recommended, and he had an abnndant crop of 

 <lelicious IVnil. This mode was recotnniended 

 by Dr. S. A. .Shnrtlcrt; of Hrookline, in a coni- 

 inmiication to the Boston Cidlivator, two or three 

 years since. 



Dr. S. practices this plan with excellent snc- 

 cess. Some fruit growers have supposed that 

 the effect of salt was to prevent the cnrcidio from 

 coming out of the earth, where it remains <lui ing 

 the winler, ami that the salt should he s|iread 

 aromul the tree ;is far as the branches extend ; 

 but the experiment of Dr. H. proves that it is suf- 

 ficient to place the salt in a ring around the tree, 

 about two feet from the trunk, and his theory is 

 that a portion of the salt is laUen up by the roots, 

 and enters into all parts of the tree, lidiage, fruit 

 anil all, and gives it a healthful state, and tiiyea 

 to every part a distaste to insects. — Boston Ciitti- 

 ralor. 



From ilie American Agriculturalist. 

 To make Fruit Trees Thrifty. 

 In the month of March wash them as high as 

 a man can reach with one (juart of whale-oil 

 soap diluted in fifteen gallons of water; and if 

 in Aliril there are ratlerpillars, give them anoth- 

 er dose ; then put roumi the roots of the apple 

 and pear trees two or three shovels full of 

 charcoal dust or anthracite ashes ; to the peach 

 plum and nectarine trees, I have tried various 

 experiments, yet have hitherto been most phas- 

 e I with toliacco stems which are purchased at 

 two cents per bushel. Half a peek of stems 

 round each tree is sufficient. The roots are first 

 laiil bare ; the toliacco is then placed over them 

 mid covered with soil. To this, three or (tuir 

 shovels of anthracite ashes may he added with 

 advantage. The past spring I have tried on all, 

 save peach and nectarine trees — which were so 

 diseased by worms that i ordered them cut up — 

 an application of wiirm (not liol) coal tar from 

 the gas house. We first removed the earth from 

 the roots, picked out the worms, and then with a 

 painter's brush covered the trunk of the tree 

 eight inches u|i (ioin the roots, ."^fter this the 

 soil was immediately replaced about the tree. 

 The eti'ect was astonishing. In .May we a|)plieil 

 half a pint of iriiano as a top dressing' to each 

 tree, and thriftier trees, fuller of fruit, and with 

 a deeper, richer, and greener fijiiage, cannot he 

 seen. 1 mean to treat all my peaches in this 

 way, as the cheapest and best uiannerof protect- 

 ing them. Two peach trees I gave n|i last fill 

 as past all ho| e of saving. On these I tried an 

 I'Xperiineut ot' putting to each fifteen gallons of 

 niiiie. neiitrali/eil «ii|i a peck of plaster of Pa- 

 ris. The trees are now living, and llie leaves are 

 green ; but whether they will thrive well, remains 

 lo he seen. I think, bowevei-, the dose will ef- 

 lict a cure ; and if so, it is worth knowing. Von 

 shall liuve the result heieafler. J{. L. Colt. 

 Pulterson, N. J., June 5, 1845. 



Aliibamii and the Cotton Crop. 



It was not without inueli surprise that we noti- 

 ced a movement in Alabama last winter, for rais- 

 ing the price of eotlon by combinalion for di- 

 niinishing tin; product of that iui[)ortant staple! 



The futility of iilteinpting to " regulate" busi- 

 ness in this manner was signally exemplified in 

 the convention called by the originators of the 

 project. The proposition fell slill-liorn — that sa- 

 gacious l)ody not choosing to endow it with vi- 

 tality through the lireath of an approving reso- 

 lution. 



The movement was useful, however — useful in 

 the discussions it excited, and the efl'ccls it pro 

 diiced and is producing. The absurdity of the 



proposition stimulated the recoiniiiendatiun ol 

 means more consoiiant with the laws of trade 

 and common sense. The intelligence of the 

 convention emlorseil a more judicious course ol 

 action, when leconiiiiending ii dlversdij nf iiiiri- 

 cvlhiral prodiicis, :is ihe best means of piolrclion 

 against evils conseipient on undue leliance upon 

 a solilarv crop. " Let us turn atlciui'jii to sheep 

 husbandry for instance," said some ol the intelli- 

 gent Alabatniaiis ; " for millions of sheep may be 

 raised in the slate, even without seriously en- 

 croaching on our cotton crop, while helping to 

 lender us less exclusively dependent on that 

 crop, valuable as it is." " Let us improve our 

 stock of cattle ;ind liorses, also," said others; 

 " and why should we not raise at least provisions 

 enough to protect ourselves from slavish depend- 

 ence upon one sttiple produci, especially when, 

 by proper cnllivation, onr lands may be made to 

 produce all we can reasonably desire, in addition 

 even to our present cpiola of cotton." 



It was rightly resolved that every plantation 

 should produce for itself such a snp|)ly of need- 

 ful articles as would protect its domestic atTairs 

 from flerangement through the present loiter\- 

 like dependence upon the fortunes of a single 

 staple subjected to such vicissitudes as cotton : 

 .\iid indeed a new impul.se seems to have been 

 given to the s|iirit of Agricullnial Improvenienl 

 in Alabama, as well as in some other qiiarlers ol 

 the south ; fo|- never have we noticed a great! r 

 degree of awakening touanls any matter of im- 

 provement than has beiiii evinced on this sub- 

 ject, even within the last six months, in the news- 

 papers fiom that slate. 



We notice the matter now chiefly on the im- 

 pulse of an interesting account fi'om one of the 

 Agricnllural Societies concerning the liirming op- 

 erations of Mr. Cvlhoun, who has a large and 

 admirably managed estate in Alabama as well as 

 in South-Carolina, and who, it is but justice to 

 say, sets an example of fiirming worthy of all 

 honor among those who rightly ap|ireciate the 

 claims and dignity of Agriculture. 



As we have alluded particularly lo .Alabama in 

 this matter, it may be proper to add, alllioiigb 

 the reailer need scarcely he assured of the fiict, 

 lliat ihe notable project liir ■■regulating" the 

 price ami product of cotton found no fiivor with 

 Ihe Hon. Dixo.v II. Lkwis, whose name we have 

 heard menlioned among those most honorably 

 identified with .Agricultural Progress in the 

 South. — Albany J)rgus. 



Potatoes. — The use of barn-yard manures, 

 and animal matter of any kind, is likely to pro- 

 duce the rot. 'J'his maiime is better applied lo 

 grass or corn. Sod, before the grass is much 

 grown, ploughed up with plaster, ashes, or by 

 way of experiment, on a few hills, applied near 

 the stalks, after the first hoeing, will do well. — 

 Sod ground is the best ti)r producing sweet po- 

 tatoes. Medium sized seed is large enough. 



Pork. — The chief point in raising pork [irofil- 

 ahly, is loj'eeilpi^s wellfiom their biitii, and never 

 lo allow Ibem to receive a check. J'hey should 

 be shoved from Ihe start, and never be allowed 

 to be kept through a whole winter. The Kn^'- 

 lisb, or Kastei II markets, now prefer hogs weigh- 

 ing not over one hundred anil seventy-five to two 

 hundred potnids. — IK Farmer. 



Shett KAistNU IN Illinois. — We were lately 

 visiled by a l'"reiicli (jenlleman, Mr. Picfpiel, who 

 informed us that a French ('oiiipany has just been 

 lijruie.l in .laspcr county, Illinois, lor ihe pnrposi! 

 of raising wool on a large scale, coiitemplating 

 keeping several thousand 'sheep. They have 

 bi!en so fortunate as to liavi: procured Mr. (ieorge 

 riower, of Albion, Illinois, the most skilliil and 

 experienced sheep raiser in the West, to be at 

 their bead. The liither of .Mr. I'^lovver was the 

 first importer of ihe Merino into lingl.ind from 

 Spain during the Peninsular war. Mr. I'lovvi'r 

 has a fine flock of his ow n, and lately sold his 

 wool at the l''.!ist for fifty cents per pound. — H'csl- 

 trn Farmer. 



Chinese Cultivation and Implements. 



We passed the batteries which bad so recently 

 been the scene of such dreadful slanghler, ami, 

 slemming a strong current, proceeded rapiilly up 

 the river. The country through which it wound 

 its way, was n pel feci fiat as far as the eye 



could reach, and in as high a state of cnlli- 

 vation as the market-gardens around London; 

 small farm-houses stood in every direction, neatly 

 encircled with flower-gardens, the whole present- 

 ing a perfect pieliire of wealth, ferlilily, imiiisliy 

 and comfort, and when we wire infoimed, — a 

 circumstance we had every re;ison lo believe per- 

 fectly true, — that the .-time slate of things existed 

 not only llnoiighout the whole of this, but of all 

 ihe neighboring provinces ol" any one, which, as 

 regards extent, would make a handsome kin^'- 

 ilom for an Kuropean polentale, some slight idea 

 may he formed of ihe endless internal agricul- 

 tural wealth of the Chinese empire, and the billo 

 concern the Kiiiperorof this mighty country has 

 been accustomed lo bestjvv on foreign nations, 

 their comiiM'ice, trade, or any thing else ciuicerii- 

 ing them. Numerous Implements of agriculture, 

 which we suppose to be only known to the most 

 scientific and highly iiisliucled iMiropcaii nations, 

 were discovered in great niiiiibers, and in con- 

 stant use among tliem, from the plough ami coiii- 

 iiion harrow to the winnow ami thrasliins ma- 

 chine, willi which scarcelyany lariii house, how- 

 ever small, was unprovided. .Adiled to which, 

 for the purpose of irrigetloii, scarcely tiny field 

 that did not possess ils chain pump, liir the pur- 

 pose of iriigaiing their crops by drawing water 

 fiom the lower levels, with comparalively small 

 labor lo themselves; from which mode 1 have 

 not the least doubt those at present in use in our 

 navv or merchantmen were taken. — .Inon. 



For the Farmer's Monthly Visitor. 

 .fleteorological Observations at Concord, 



'J'lil.ni (It siin-ri^c and 2 o^ilock P. j}l. 

 BY A. CHANDLER. 



*: Cluiru(ter of CVoiirf*-, etc. 



An "Old Suit." 



Last October at Worcester, we sat and listened 

 to a very good discourse on .\gricnliiire from our 

 friend Capl. Sleeper, editor id' the Hoston Kve- 

 ning Joinniil. In the cap'icily of a news caterer 

 and poliiiii.in, the Captain has advanced from u 

 small Weekly in a New llampshirc village to a 

 respectable Daily in the commercial emporium 



