NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



25 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE PLUM TREE— FROSTS. 



Mr. Brown : — Will you please clear up a dif- 

 ficulty for me 1 



In the "American Fruit Book," it is said, "The 

 plum is usually most productive in hollows, and 

 low, rich, moist soils, not being liable to kill in 

 the bud, like the peach and apricot." Is it to be 

 understood, that it is not liable to injury in the 

 blossom from Spring frosts? (a.) I have searched 

 many authors, but have arrived at no satisfactory 

 conclusions on this point. My soil is low and 

 frosty, where the peach succeeds very indifferent- 

 ly, and the apple is sometimes destroyed by frosts. 

 If the plum is free from this drawback, I could en- 

 ter upon its cultivation with great delight (b.) 

 This tree I believe generally blossoms earlier than 

 the apple and pear, which makes me distrust itshard- 

 iness. So little fruit is produced on the plum in 

 this vicinity, it is impossible to tell whether frosts 

 or curculios do the mischief in low situations. 

 Jarring, I think effectual against the curculios ; (c.) 

 other remedies I have not seen tried. 



Sterling, Cl. g. 



Remarks. — (a.) The plum is more hardy than 

 the peach, and of course, not so liable to be injured 

 by the extremes of weather. It loves a deep, 

 rich, and somewhat moist soil, while the peach, as 

 a general thing, is productive on high ground, 

 with a soil inclining to sand or gravel. In the 

 town of Lincoln, in this State, where the peach 

 crop is certain, and some of the finest are produced 

 which come to this market, the soil is light, and 

 sandy or gravelly, and they are usually cultivated 

 on the hills. But if the soil of these hills were a 

 deep rich sandy loam, there can be no doubt the 

 crops produced would be more abundant, and per- 

 haps of better flavor. 



(b.) The plum will undoubtedly succeed better 

 on the soil you describe, than the peach, so far as 

 cold and frost are concerned. If you can avoid the 

 curculio and black wart, we have no doubt you 

 may cultivate the plum to advantage in the loca- 

 tion you describe. 



Much misapprehension prevails, we think, upon 

 this question of injury to fruit trees, buds and blos- 

 soms, by frost. And this seems the more evident 

 from the different views entertained in different lo- 

 cations. In this vicinity it is very generally be- 

 lieved if the mercury falls below 13° or 14° below 

 zero, it is fatal to the peach. This may be cor- 

 rect — it would require a series of the most careful 

 observations to set it down as a fixed fact. There 

 are few persons so much interested in the subject 

 as to give it the necessary time and attention at a 

 season when the mercury is several degrees below 

 zero. 



It seems to us, however, that the difficulty 

 arises, not so much from the intensity of the cold, 

 as from the sudden extremes which take place, 

 either in the fall or spring, when the ground is 

 not frozen. These changes are sometimes very 



great — being some 30° or 40° in the course of 

 twenty-four hours. Genial suns and showers have 

 set the sap in motion, the buds or blossoms are 

 swollen and tender, having partially thrown off 

 their winter dress, when the wind suddenly hauls 

 into the northwest and rushes upon them with cut- 

 ting sharpness in this unprotected state perhaps for 

 one or two days. They become chilled, perhaps 

 frozen, and the little black spot at their centre 

 which may be found upon examination, is sufficient 

 indication that their vitality is gone. 



After the earth has taken a three or four months' 

 repose, she wakes from her refreshing nap, and 

 like a strong man who stands in the field ready for 

 his labor as soon as the light from the east scatters 

 the shades from his paths, is ready to give new 

 life and growth to the numberless plants which are 

 waiting for her recuperative power. The sun's 

 warm rays are received into her bosom, and vege- 

 tation begins its new existence. Grape-vines in a 

 warm exposure will throw out tender shoots, and 

 while thus courting the early warmth, will be over- 

 taken by one of thn sudden and extreme changes 

 which we have mentioned above, be frozen, per- 

 haps, or so chilled as to make a healthy recovery 

 impossible. 



These extremes being certain — for we believe 

 they occur every year — it becomes us to seek some 

 remedy against the injury they do us. In planting 

 fruit-trees, this may be done in a considerable de- 

 gree, by giving them a high, northern exposure. 

 There, the heat would not affect them so much, 

 and the extreme would not be so great. Vines and 

 plants may be protected by matting hay or straw, 

 as a very slight covering will in most cases pre- 

 serve them. 



(c.) Last season we raised a perfect, crop of apri- 

 cots. The curculio commenced puncturing them, 

 but dry lime was sifted over the fruit and trees, 

 and they ceased their mischief. The lime was 

 applied several times; beside this a brood of chick- 

 ens were fed under the trees. The curculio, how- 

 ever, was not so troublesome any where about here 

 last year, as usual, so that what we have consid- 

 ered a remedy may fail hereafter. 



ERRORS IN COMPOSTING FARM MA- 

 NURES. 



The farmer's manure heap is usually the recep- 

 tacle for every substance that has served its origi- 

 nal purpose ; but it is a mistaken idea that every- 

 thing thrown in there will serve a useful purpose. 

 We may, however, just say here that this error 

 has considerably influenced farm practice. Belief 

 in the alchymy, rather than the chemistry of the 

 farm-yard, has led some persons to cart soil into 

 the manure yard, and to carry it back again with 

 the dung to the very field from which it was taken ; 

 adding materially to the bulk and expense of the 

 manuring. They presumed that they added to its 

 value, but the effect of the earth upon the farm- 

 yard manure would be merely to retard decompo- 



