192 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



ik^ 



PLAlfriKG TREES ON PRAIRIES. 



Messrs. Editors: — A lonesome place is the prai- 

 rie wisliout trees, shrubs, or rocks to fence the field or 

 furnish shade i'or man or beast. The plantintr of the 

 peach will prove, I doubt not, profitable both for 

 fruit and fuel. It grows rapidly here, and through 

 ordinary winters in most localities resists the frost suc- 

 cessfully. Few kinds of timber will grow the same 

 amount of fuel in so short a time and with little care 

 as the peach. 



The cotton wood grows readily and rapidly when 

 cuttings are stuck in the soil, and soon forms consid- 

 erable shelter for animals. Groves of these could be 

 grown in low places in a short time, so as to protect 

 animals considerably. These also furnish fuel rapidly, 

 and in a few years form stately trees. In many places 

 this species of wood has grown in fifteen years to six 

 inches in diameter and thirty to forty feet in height. 



For the growing of fence posts, the locust is the 

 most vigorous and certain grower, and when put out 

 upon a well pulverized soil, soon makes a handsome 

 tree. Where timber is the object, the locust after 

 the first year should be closely pruned of ail side 

 shoots. This will cause them to grow tall and straight. 

 It is not so long a job as many imagine to grow fence 

 post, or even rails in this way. 



The western farmer should pay as much attention 

 to the planting of trees as of corn, and give them as 

 close attention as he gives his most remunerative crop. 

 If the prairie laud holder looks not to the growing of 

 timber, the broad acres which he may leave to those 

 who come after him will be of little value. 



Illinois. Jno. Sanfield. 



Starting Early Plants.— As very few of your 

 readers will make a hot bed to start plants for early 

 fruits, the following may be of service. On reading 

 an old Iowa Fanner, (which by the way is a good 

 pajjer,) I noticed a rather ingenious, as well as (to me at 

 least) a new method of forwarding plants, such as cu- 

 cumbers, melons, &c., simply taking the flat turnip 

 and dig out the fleshy part, leaving the shell, which 

 is to be filled with soil, and place in a box, (an old 

 raisin bos will do,) filling in sufficient to hold the 

 cups in position steadily; plant the seeds in the cups, 

 which may be placed out as soon as the weather will 

 permit, and not disturb the roots of the plants in the 

 least Tomatoes may also be started in the same 

 way, and the fruit obtained earlier than by the old 

 process of pulling and transplanting. This is not a 

 good and seasonable article, I am well aware, but 

 having recently seen it, the suggestion appeared to 

 me practicable, I concluded to give it to you to pub- 

 lish or light your cigar. D. 

 Gaies. 



HoETiccLTCRE IN Oregon.- — Tree planting is still 

 carried on very enthusiastically in Oregon, as Califor- 

 nia buyers still take all the apples they can get at from 

 five to ten dollars per bushel ; all the last crop are 

 gonoj and I understand some are willing to enter into 

 engagements for the next season. There is also quite 

 a trade carried on in nursery trees to that market, 

 I have heard it intimated by nurserymen at three 

 millions of trees this' season. This I think is too 

 large a number, but still it is considerable, with signs 

 of tte increasing. J. M. 



^ Salem, O. T.\ 



Sulphur to Kill Rose Bugs. — When visiting 

 and around Richmond, Ind., last autumn, I was 

 lighted with the abundance of splendid roses that e^ 

 met my view, and which seemed then to be in th 

 glory. I enquired of several if the bug had not vis 

 ed them. The reply invariably was, " oh yes, but' 

 destroyed them with sulphur." The plan for so doii 

 was to put sulphur (the hard) on a plate under 1i 

 bush, and set on fire, and then cover something 6\ 

 the bash while the fumes lasted. I remarked thats^ 

 phuroiis inhalations must agree with the bush, for tb 

 appeared extremly healthy, a few of the under lea^ 

 only dropping off. M. S. B.» 



Aurora, JV. Y. 



i 



A List op Good Petunias. — Prince of Wales' 

 large, dark purple. Hermione — large, lavender a 

 white striped. Glory of America — small, but Y< 

 pretty, striped. Alfred — bright salmon color, 

 good form and substance. Beauty of Torkville 

 bright pink, white throat, very pretty, Great W 

 tern — large and fine. Hebe — veined, very handsoi 

 Amazon — dark, purplish crimson. Eclipse — yt 

 fine. Enchantress — large and showy. The abc 

 will be found to comprise a superb collection of t 

 showy bedding plant, and may be relied upon 

 length of duration and beauty of bloom 



Rochester, JY. Y. W. T. Goldsmith. 



Spare the Owls. — In the March number of 1 

 Genesee Farmer, I observed an article headed, " 

 Catch Owls." The plan proposed, I doubt not woi 

 be very efficient for the purpose; but from the 1 

 quent complaints made by your correspondents of i 

 destruction of fruit trees by mice, I should think 

 more advisable for all keepers of poultry to prcpi \. 

 a place for them where they would be safe from ov 

 and let the owls live to destroy the mice. 



A Subscriber. 



To Raise Large Onions. — Sow the seed at 1 

 usual time in the spring, very thickly, and in pc 

 soil, generally under the shade of a fruit tree; and 

 such situations the bulbs in the autumn are ran 

 found much to exceed the size of a large pea. Th( 

 are then taken from the ground and preserved till t 

 succeeding spring, when they are planted in ro 

 fourteen or fifteen inches apart, and a foot apart 

 the rows, and they afford plants which differ or 

 from those raised immediately from seed in possess! 

 much greater strength and vigor, owing to the qua 

 tity of previously generated sap being much great 

 in the bulb than in the seed. The bulbs thus raisi 

 are often of greater size; and, being more matui 

 they are with more certainty preserved in a state 

 perfect soundness through the winter than those rais* 

 from seed in a single season. 



" Pliny says, the Romans sowed the seeds of Bat 

 with maledictions and ill words, believing that tl 

 more it was cursed the better it would prosper; an 

 when they wished for a crop, they trod it down wit 

 their feet, and prayed to the gods that it might n( 

 vegetate." 



■ I M 



Hoe all your crops as soon as the drills can be di 

 tinguished. Recollect that more weeds can be de 

 troyed in an hour when young, than in a day whe 

 they have obtained a good foothold. 



