NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



215 



learned of others and the addition of my own ex- 

 perience, I am firm in the belief that a good ap- 

 ple tree set on good ground, if well cared for, be- 

 ing in a thrifty condition, in one year from the 

 time it is set, may be counted worth one dollar ; 

 and if properly taken care of for nine years more, 

 will gain a dollar each year — making a sum of ten 

 dollars ; and for the next twenty-seven years will 

 pay the owner the principal and interest and leave 

 him the tree at thirty years old nett profit. 



In selecting the kinds of fruit, I would select 

 some of every good kind, both early and late, 

 sour and sweet; but Baldwins I would make 

 the principal. I will not spend time to prove that 

 no man is too young to set out an orchard ; but I 

 will say a few words to prove that no man here is 

 too old to set out one. My own dear mother, 

 when she was between 88 and 89 years old, 

 wished me to send her four apple trees to set out 

 in the four corners of her garden ; I did so, and 

 she superintended the setting of them out and 

 helped with her own hands, and has lived to eat 

 fruit from one of these trees. 



By way of caution, I would say to nurserymen 

 who raise apple trees to sell, never deceive your 

 customers in the name of the fruit ; and to farmers 

 1 would say, never set out an orchard until you 

 are determined you will take good care of it ; for 

 that man who sets out an orchard and takes no 

 care of it, is to the society of farmers as the 

 backsliding professor is to the society of Chris- 

 tians. "Worse than a cipher. 



moral influence of planting a shrub or a tree, and 

 thus in that pleasant way add something to the 

 moral progress of the race. Trees promote health. 

 They break the winter wind, shield us from the 

 Summer sun, and breathe the air which we have 

 expelled and is poisonous for us to breathe again. 

 And then the heart that is oppressed by care or 

 softened by affliction finds sympathy and peace in 

 their gentle whisperings. 



Dollars and cents, in this connection, we say 

 nothing about — we desire to touch another chord. 

 Picture to yourself what charms you may cause to 

 cluster about your dwelling, and what true enjoy- 

 ment you may realize in their creation ; what 

 bonds of affection you may implant in the hearts 

 of your children, so that the seductions of wealth, 

 or the blandishments of courts or elegant life, shall 

 never alienate their love from the old rural flower- 

 embosomed home, and then you will be thankful 

 to him who first induced you to Plant a Tree. 



Remarks. — Friend Sheldon utters above some 

 sound doctrines in relation to the culture of trees, 

 and some excellent advice, which we trust none of 

 us will forget. 



PLANT A TREE. 



"A thing of beauty is a joy forever." 



There has been such a change in the views of 

 our people with regard to the beautiful, as well as 

 the profitable, that all who can control the merest 

 patch of land, proceed at once to do something 

 which shall both please the eye and gratify the 

 taste. How much better this than to see the back 

 yard cluttered with brick bats, old shoes, and the 

 cast-off rubbish of years. A man loves his wife 

 and children better for a pleasant prospect, espe- 

 cially if within the limits of that prospect they 

 may run and gather delicious and wholesome fruits 

 for the dessert or to offer their friends ; and they 

 certainly will love him better for surrounding them 

 with cooling shades and gratifying their tastes. 

 Here, then, is a moral effect not taken into account 

 when the old boots and shoes are ostracized — the 

 heart is sustained and made better as well as the 

 corporeal frame. 



It is a real pleasure for the child to say, "My 

 father set and cultivated this tree ; my mother 

 planted this rose-bush and trained it about this old 

 window-frame, where the Pewee has built its tiny 

 nest, and baby hands have scattered the fragrant 

 blossoms. And does not the parent reap another 

 joy in such expressions? Think, then, of the 



For the New England Farmer. 

 MORE ABOUT POTATOES. 



BY L. VARNEY. 



Mr. Brown : — By a notice on page 48 of the 

 current volume of the N. E. Farmer, it appears 

 that T. D. Merrtson, of Hill, N. II., claims to have 

 discovered the cause of the potato rot, and a cer- 

 tain remedy therefor. At least, I suppose friend 

 Merrison considers it an infallible remedy, from 

 the fact that he has presented his claims for the 

 "$10,000." I do not wish to infringe upon his 

 rights, nor upon those of any other individual, but 

 I will inform him that his theory has been in vogue 

 several years, and, with a view to test its correct- 

 ness, I tried some experiments last year, the re- 

 sult of which I offer for the benefit of others. 



I planted a piece of ground with potatoes, on 

 "the north side" of a shed, and on about half of 

 the piece I planted "two or three kernels of corn" 

 in a hill. In my corn-field I planted a bushel or 

 more of potatoes, a few hills in a place, so that 

 the potatoes were pretty well shaded. A part of 

 the same piece was wholly planted with potatoes. 

 On a third piece I planted potatoes at the north 

 side of a wood-lot. None of my potatoes rotted 

 badly. Those near the shed, and in the hills in 

 which corn was planted, showed quite as strong 

 symptoms of infection as those in the hills where 

 no corn was planted. So with those in the corn- 

 field ; some hills had but few sound tubers in them, 

 while in others there were but few decayed ones. 

 But very little, if any, difference was observable 

 between the potatoes growing amongst the corn, 

 and those growing outside of it. The third piece 

 gave similar results. Only a few infected tubers 

 were found, but those growing nearest to the 

 woods were not entirely exempt. 



Now I think I have given the shade theory one 

 fair trial, and as it did not entirely prevent the dis- 

 ease for which it is recommended, I would suggest 

 that the payment of the premium be delayed until 

 after another trial. I presume farmers will not 

 adopt any theory without practical proof. If, by 

 experiments carefully made, it is found that sheds, 

 board fences, or corn-stalks, are a sure preventive, 



