NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



235 



ductiveness of the soil. How few comprehend the 

 fact that it is only the elements of bread and meat, 

 evolved during the decomposition of some vegeta- 

 ble or animal substance, that poison the air taken 

 into human lungs, and the water that enters the 

 human system, in daily food and drink! These 

 generate' pestilence, and bring millions premature- 

 ly to their graves. 



Why should the precious atoms of potash, which 

 organized the starch in all the flour, meal, and 

 potatoes consumed in the cities of the United 

 States in the year 1850, be lost forever to the 

 world ! Can a man create a new atom of potash 

 or of phosphorus when the supply fails in the soil, 

 as fail it must under our present system of farm 

 economy' Many a broad desert in Eastern Asia 

 once gladdened the husbandman with golden har- 

 vests. While America is the only country on the 

 globe where every human being has enough to eat, 

 and millions are coming here for bread, how long 

 shall we continue, to impoverish ninety-nine acres 

 in a hundred of all that we cultivate ? Both pesti- 

 lence ami famine are the offspring of ignorance. 

 Rural science is not a mere plaything for the 

 amusement of grown up children. It is a new 

 revelation of the wisdoin and goodness of Provi- 

 dence, a humanizing power which is destined to 

 elevate man an immeasurable distance above his 

 present condition. To achieve this result, the 

 lioht of science must not be confined to colleges ; it 

 must enter and illuminate the dwelling of every 

 farmer and mechanic. The knowledge of the few, 



For the New England Farmer. 



THE HISTORY OF THE APPLE TREE. 



1JY S. P. FOWLER. 



[continued.] 



The first agricultural work published in this 

 country, was entitled "Essays on Field Husband- 

 ry," by Jared Elliot, printed in 1760. 



But little was written in this country on the 

 cultivation of fruit trees, prior to the year 1817. 

 At this period Mr. Coxe wrote his views of the 

 culture of fruit trees in the United States of Amer- 

 ica. Dr. Thachcr published his American Or- 

 chardist in 1821. These treatises, although valu- 

 ible, particularly the one written by Dr. Thach- 

 er, recommend the open and severe method of 

 pruning, prevalent in England, by cutting out a 

 good portion of the branches, in order to admit 

 the rays of the sun, and a circulation of air. This 

 system, adopted by English cultivators, and prac 

 tised in this country for many years, is now to a 

 considerable extent abandoned, it being not neces- 

 sary in our sunny climate. Thirty years since, we 

 were accustomed to derive much of our informa- 

 tion in regard to the cultivation of fruit trees from 

 English writers on this subject. In regard to the 

 time of pruning, cultivators disagree. And to show 

 this disagreement, we shall give the opinion of 

 some of them. Mr. Hovey, in his horticultural op- 

 erations for February, 1850, published in his mag- 

 azine, says pruning orchards may be commenced 

 now, choosing good weather for the work ; by be- 

 ginning now, much valuable labor will be saved. 



no matter how profound nor how brilliant, can ft sho » ld aU be accomplished before ApriL The 



never compensate foi the loss sustained by neglect- 

 ing to develop the intellect of the many. 



No government should be wanting in sympathy 

 with the people, whether the object be the preven- 

 tion of disease, the improvement of land, or the 

 education of the masses. One per cent, of the 

 money now annually lost by reason of popular ig- 

 norance, would suffice to remove that ignorance. 

 — Anon. 



For the New England Farmer. 



PROFITS OF POULTRY. 



Mr. Brown : — As I have seen many statements 

 in regard to the profits of poultry, I made a trial 

 on mine the past year, ending March 1, 1852. I 

 commenced with 15 hens and a protector. I raised 

 265 chickens, which 1 sent to Boston market, ex- 

 cepting 30 of the pullets, which I kept through the 

 winter. My hens laid, from March 1 to October 1, 

 804 eggs; from October to March, 1284. Total, 

 2088 eggs. 



Whole amount sold from hens $142,37 



30 hens at 62V cents, retained 18,75 



One cord of manure 4,00 



Cost of keeping. 



$165,12 

 ...93,61 



Net gain $71,51 



My hens are a cross of the Cochin China and 

 our native breed. I will give you my method of 

 keeping. I feed my hens once a day with dough 

 made from corn and coh meal mixed with boiling 

 hot water, and once a day I give them oats. I 

 give them some kind of animal food three or four 

 times a week. Also, keep something constantly 

 b >fore them for making the shell. 



Truly yours, Timothy B. Bott. 



Southboro', March 10, 1852. 



American Farmer's Encyclopedia says, trees ought 

 not to be pruned in February and March ; this is 

 the season when most trees bleed most copiously 

 and injuriously. It causes canker, the wounds 

 turn black, and the bark, for perhaps several feet 

 below, becomes equally black, and perfectly dead 

 in consequence of bleeding. Downing says, we 

 should especially avoid pruning at that period in 

 spring when the buds are swelling, and the sap is 

 in full flow ; it brings on a serious and incurable 

 canker. From moderate pruning, which alone is 

 generally needful, says Kenrick, June and July, 

 during the longest days of summer, is the very best 

 time, for wounds of all kinds heal admirably at this 

 period. Thomas says, thinning out the heads of 

 old trees, or heading back for grafting, may be 

 performed in autumn or winter. Lindley, in his 

 Theory of Horticulture, says, the season for prun- 

 ing is usually midwinter, or at midsummer ; the 

 latter, for removing new superfluous branches; the 

 former, for thinning and arranging the several 

 parts of the tree. Manning, in his book of fruits, 

 says fruit trees, in this latitude, should not be 

 pruned in the fall or winter, or before the sap is 

 in motion, as they are at those times exceedingly 

 apt to canker. The proper season for pruning, 

 we consider, is immediately upon the swelling of 

 the buds, or expanding of the leaves, as at this 

 time the sap being in vigorous motion, the wounds 

 soon heal over. Cole, in his fruit book, says mod- 

 erate pruning should be done in June, July, or 

 August, though it will answer very well till De- 

 cember. If trees are pruned in July, August or 

 September, the wood will become hard, sound, and 

 well-seasoned, and commence healing over. We 

 should prefer October, November, or even De- 

 cember, to the spring, which is the worst season. 

 Loudon says, for all the operations of pruning, 



