58 



^[)c JTarmcr'B i^tontl)lu llisitor. 



edy. VVliat greater, and yet cheaper luxury does 

 tlie fiirnier and lii!S household enjoy, than that of 

 fiuit? How little time is required, to plant a 

 tree ! Hut the hare plantiufr, let it he renieniher- 

 ed, is but part ot" the duty ; suhsetpient rare ami 

 protection are re(|uisitc ; and he who plants and 

 protects, will liardly miss the time or the ex- 

 pense, and inay enjoy in cheap and wholesome 

 iuxmies, the reward of his care. When within 

 reach of a inarUet, what product of his fic^ld or 

 garden is more profitalile ih&n good fruit? — Ed. 

 JFarmer's Cabinet. 



Cambridge, March G, I84G. 



In the ppringof 1841,Ihad a Washington plum 

 tree hadly aft'c;cted hy a wart upon the main stem, 

 commencing a liltle above the lower branches, 

 exactly in a fork formed hy the stein and one of 

 the principal limbs, extending about three inches 

 on the limb and about ten inches up the stem, 

 and covering quite one-half of the bark for that 

 distance. Amput.ntion seemed the only thing to 

 he done, and had it been merely a limb which 

 was diseased, I should have cut it ofl' without 

 hesitation. But the part most aff'ecte<l was the 

 trunk itself. While considering what I had bet- 

 ter do, the appetency of the plum tiee lor salt 

 occurred to me, aufl I reasoned thus : if the plum 

 tree was found to flourish best in those soils in 

 which the muriate of soda (common salt) aboun- 

 ded, which appears to be a well established fact, 

 then, disease of this tree miijlit arise from the 

 absence, or an insulticient supply of tliesalt, and 

 if so, the tree could only be restored to a healthy 

 state by furnishing to the soil what it so essential- 

 ly lacked. I accordingly salte(f the earlh about 

 the tree. But here a serious dilficcdiy presented 

 itself. The case is that of ii valuable tree, and 

 the disease is upon the very trimk, and may soon 

 girdle it. The question arose, carmotihe canker 

 lie arrested and possibly cm'ed, hv a direct appli- 

 cation of the brine to the part affected, while the 

 perujunent remedy is provided by the slosver op- 

 eration of dry salt applieil to the roots ? 1 re- 

 solved to make the exiierimcnt, which ] did in 

 the following manner : Having cut out the ex- 

 crescence with some care, 1 washed the wound 

 with a strong solution of salt and water, and 

 awaited the result with not a liltle anxiety ; for I 

 confess I bad my fears that the lotion might have 

 been too powerful, and hy absorption, prove in- 

 jurious instead of being beneticial to the tree. All 

 apprehensions of this sort, however, were speed- 

 ily removeil. The wound began to heal, and the 

 canker, though not entirely cured, was materially 

 checked. As the wound continued to heal, the 

 wash was freely applied several times during the 

 summer. 



In the spring of 1842, I again used the knife, 

 cutting out whatever canker bad appeared since 

 the first operation, and applied the same wash as 

 before. During that season, the new wounds 

 gradually closed over vvilliout any further appear- 

 (Uice of the wart, and the part was thus restored 

 to a perfectly healthy coiulition. From that lime 

 to the |)resent, the tree has shown not iIk; slight- 

 est symptom of the old disease. It has been reg- 

 ularly washed with some solulion of salt, once or 

 twice every year, in 1844 and sijice ; salt-ley (the 

 liquid remaining in the sdap-hoili'r's kellle afler 

 the rcMuoval of the soap.) being substituted for the 

 pure brine. 



In the spring of 1844, the wait again made its 

 appearance on several of niy young damson Iri^^s. 

 'I'lic: ilisi'ase being <'onfinetl lo small limbs, and 

 having Tiearly girdled thern before I discovc-red 

 it, I should at once have cut llicm off, but for ibe 

 dc^sire to pursue my ex|i('riinenl w iib salt in a dil- 

 ferent way. I proposed lo ascertain ils elfrci up- 

 on the wart itself, while still comiecliMJ wiib ibe 

 tre(\ For this pnrpo.-e, I lasicucd a pciruns sub- 

 stance around each warl, anil kept it hlh'd wiib 

 ley, which was couiplc;trly saluraled wilh sail. 

 Here lie! effect was e\en more reinarkabh' than 

 in the first experiin<:nt. In a few weeks, the 

 warts v\ere completely destioyed, and cracked so 

 as to be easily pi('ked ofl' leaving the adjiiining 

 bark and wood perleclly sound. Hn(di are llie 

 facts, let cnridul anil assiduous eullivalors eonlln- 

 ue to record and publish their observations. Let 

 iimateiirs, es|iecially, he invited lo make idl their 

 experiments wilh a strici regard lo science, not 

 always having an eye to ihe immedinti; profit of 

 a garden, but more frequeully to the <li>JCOvery of 

 truth and the good of postorily. 



Twelfth Agricultural Meeting at the State 

 House in Boston. 



At this meeting, the subject discussed was the 

 " management of sheep, swine, and horses." Mr. 

 Calhoun in the chair. 



Mr. Biickminster thought fanners were ambi- 

 tious of making their stock too large. He prefers 

 a small or middle sized horse to a large one. 

 They are better formed. Large horses are more 

 apt to stumble, and become lame, and generally 

 cannot perform so much work in proportion to 

 the quanlily of food which they eat. He could 

 not see the advantage of raising hogs which would 

 weiiib six hundreil pounds, but preferred one 

 weighing about four hundred, with small bones. 

 So also with sheep. 



Mr. Morton, of lladley, usually keeps from one 

 to two hundred sheep. They are of the Spanish 

 Merino variety, having fine wool. This variety 

 he thought the most prohlahle. Sheep should 

 be short-legged, thickset, and well wooied under 

 he belly. He thought two sheep weighing one 

 hundred each, as profitable as one weighing two 

 hundred. On grain land which has been worn 

 down, sheep are the most profitable stock which 

 can be kept. Thirty sheep could be kept on a 

 worn out fiehl, where two cows would fare slim. 

 They will subdue briars, Johuswort, and other 

 noxious weeds. Mr. Morton described his meth- 

 od of managing sheep. He has hovels lor them 

 to lay under, in the centre of his field — one to 

 every fifty sheep. They are very fond of laying 

 in the shade, in summer, during the greater part 

 of the day. He tlioiight the manure saved in 

 and about the hovels, compensated him for the 

 expense of building. These hovels should be 

 built in spring, before the shei^p are turned out, 

 as, if they get a habit of laying in the shade of a 

 fence, or tree, it is difficult to make them change, 

 and thus their manure is scattered about. A lit- 

 tle hay or salt might be put in the hovels at first, 

 lo attract them. He thought sheep woidd do as 

 well without water as with. Indeed, he had had 

 sheep fat quicker in a pasture without water. The 

 only way lie could account for this was, that they 

 would feed all night, w bile the dew is on llie grass, 

 instead of sleeping. He bad sheared on an ave- 

 rage lliree pounds and three ounces of wool to 

 each slieep. Farmers are too apt to sell the best 

 lambs to the butchers. 



As to hogs, he agreed with Mr. Biickminster, 

 that large ones were not the best. So also with 

 horses. He thought the best feed for shoals was 

 a mixture of corn and rye, or corn and buckwheat. 

 It was a bad practice to keep pigs short until a 

 certain time before killing, and then lalliiig them. 

 They should be always fat. Their pens should 

 be dry and warm. 



l\lr. Morion thought that in rearing sheep, and 

 other stock, farmers were too apt to breed in and 

 in, or, in other words, breed altogether liom one 

 lainily, witboul crossing. Great advaiilages have 

 been deriveil from imported sheep, hy mixing 

 the breed.<. Sheep will do best of any stock upon 

 meadow or [,oor hay, and will make as much ma- 

 nure as any. They should be properly bedded 

 and boused in winter. In answer to an impiiiy, 

 Mr. Morion slated that he feeds his hogs three 

 tilings a day. 



Mr. Biickminster stated, in answer loan inqui- 

 ry, that the Mackay hugs were a very line bleed. 

 They have small headsaiid very small boiies,and 

 are well formed. It is said there are few, if any, 

 of the true breed in exi.slence. The geiiileinan 

 from vvhuin llii^y deriicd their name, was a liuin- 

 ber of xears m perltH'ling the breed, by I'rossing, 

 picking out the finest, &i'. A great slir has been 

 inaile about llie ISerkshlre hogs, hul fiirmers in 

 this vicinity do nol think very highly of llie breed. 



Mr. ('i)le slated ihal there Wi'ie some hogs in 

 Cambridge which are said to be of the pure Mac- 

 kay breed. Al any lale, their form, &:<•., is as 

 godd as nuy ill the couulry. He ihuught that in 

 some parts of the couulry, a|iples were as cheap 

 as any loud for swine, and w hen mixed w ilh ni'^al, 

 bran or pumpkins, the sheep will grow widljiiul 

 hitteii U|iiiii il, 'I'lie apple.s shuiilil he bulled. — 

 He had foiiiid llial hogs preferri'd apph's which 

 hud biMui bd/eii, mill iheii thawed. IMr. Cole iii- 

 i|iiireil wheilMU' hogs would not require inun! food 

 when lliey worked in Ihe manure heap, than w lieu 

 shin up in the pen ; and also whether tin! pork 

 is as good when they are suffered to wallow in 

 hllli, as when confined in a clean pen. 



Mr. Morion thought slionts would do Iwlter 



where they could get round to root, than shut up. 

 Many keep hogs near a horse stable, and throw 

 in a litile loam with the manure which is thrown 

 out. The hogs will work it over, and [ireventthe 

 manure burning up. He did nol think this prac- 

 tise injured the flesh. 



Mr. Clarke, of Sherburne, keeps his hogs at 

 work, and thinks they do as well. One of his 

 neighbors gives his bogs boiled apples and pota- 

 toes, wilh great succes.s. 



Mr. Buckniinsler thouglit it well in some cases 

 to turn hogs into the orchard. They will destroy 

 the worms around the roots of trees, and eat the 

 small apples which fall. They also eniich the 

 soil. 



Mr. Magoiin of Pembroke, had tried applesnnd 

 potatoes for hogs, and lliought the mixture equal 

 to potatoes alone. He had also given sweet ap- 

 ples. He is very particular in selecting a slioat, 

 taking care that it has small bones, and is snug 

 built, &.c. lie considered slieep as profitable as 

 any slock that could be kept, where there is a 

 suitable pasture. 



Mr. Glazier, of .Ashhurnham, had a good opin- 

 ion of apples fi)r horses. He thought ihein worth 

 as much as oats. Hogs will do well upon apples, 

 but he was inclined to think it more profitable to 

 teed them to horses. In choosing a horse he pre- 

 ferred one wilh short legs and body. He had ob- 

 served tl at a horse which masticated grain so 

 that none could be discovered in the manure, 

 would generally work well. He makes bis horse 

 work at night by giving him jileniy of litter to 

 trample upon. He also makes his hogs work in 

 making manure. 



Mr. Magoiin said that he considered apples very 

 good to liitlen horses, hut ibey would not do so 

 well for working horses. They would require 

 grain. 



lAlr. Cole thought that il hogs worked, thcv 

 would want sonielhing mors substantial than ap- 

 ples. Many b.ive doubts whether it is not better 

 to shovel over their manure, and let their bogs 

 lie still. Mr. Cole thought they would require 

 more food when they worked. In rearing horses, 

 he thought it much belter to train a horse lioin a 

 colt, so as not to be under the necessity of break- 

 ing him. For instance a colt might he hilclied 

 up when young, when the mare went out for a 

 short distance, instead of being allowed to follow 

 her. He would soon become accustomed lo the 

 halter. He thought there was no danger of in- 

 juring a colt hy using him when young, lie had 

 diawn as much wood wilh calves, in proportion 

 lo their weigbl, as oxen would draw, and that 

 too, without hurling them in the least. Colls 

 might be aceii^tomed to labor without any more 

 danger. 



Mr. Leonard, of MarshfieUf, had a poor opin- 

 ion of large hogs. He prefers two hogs weigh- 

 ing three bundled pounds each, to one wiighing 

 six himilreil. The meal is much finer. He thought 

 sweet apples boiled and mashed, and mixed with 

 meal, excellent for hogs. Hoili'd puiiipkins might 

 be Mibsliluted for the meal, lor a change. He 

 thought the profit of sheep depended upon the 

 paslure. They are much more profitable in a 

 poor paslure than cows, as they would get a much 

 heller living. But if Ihe pasture is good, cattle 

 are the most prolilable. 



Mr. Calhoun, the I'resideut of ihe nicetiii<r, said 

 that he had been reqiiesled hy an association in 

 New York to call Ihe allention of this meeting 

 lo Ihe .\lpacca sheep, eflbrls fur iulroducing 

 wliich were being made in th.it Slate. It is 

 thought ihal they are widl adapted lo our climate. 

 They are natives ot'tlie moiiiilaiiis of South Amer- 

 ica. Th ir size is t irge, — larger than any other 

 variely. Their wool is from eight to twelve inch- 

 es lung, and of the very (iiiest quality. They are 

 very kind and docile — will stand ;ill kinds of wea- 

 ther, aiiil are siibjeel lo few diseases. The Al- 

 paccas have been inlroduced with yreat siieecss 

 in I'.iigland, on the mouiilainous pans of Pcot- 

 lauil, and found to do well upon browse, and 

 eoiiise meadow hay. An association has been 

 formed in New York, and a consiilemble sum of 

 uioiiey raised lo iulroduce this varieiy into this 

 couulry. 



Ml. Uuckminstersnid that lio considered sheep 

 great eaters, and conseipienlly not profitable. — 

 He thought that fwe would eat as much as one 

 cow. 



Mr. Morion ilitTered from Mr. Buckininster. — 

 He would ns soon wiiilor one hundred sheep as 



