460 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



have this summer had three such cases, and have 

 cut off most of the tumor and wet the remainder 

 with spirits turpentine. The tumor in each case 

 has ceased to grow and has perished. In the first 

 instance the turpentine spread a little around the 

 sore, and destroyed the life of the bark as far as 

 it went. I was after that careful to wet only the 

 tumor. The sores were on trees that I set this 

 spring. None came on trees that I have kept for 

 a few years with the ground well manured and 

 salted. I esteem them a scrofulous disease of the 

 tree. — S. C. Hamilton, Buel, N. Y. — Genesee Far- 

 mer. 



FRUIT GROWING. 



The Farmer's Monthly Visitor, in urging the 

 people of New Hampshire to grow fruit, has the 

 following encouragement : — "In East Bradford, 

 Mass., about six rods from the Merrimack, stands 

 an apple tree fifty-four years old. It is a black 

 russet, and is surrounded on the north, west and 

 south by a barn, pig-stye and house. Its roots 

 pass under the barn and stye ; the hens and tur- 

 keys roost on its top. It is of course strong and 

 healthy as stimulant can make it ; its branches 

 almost reach the ground. Thirty-five years ago, 

 when that tree was nineteen years old, it produced 

 nineteen bushels of apples ■! These apples readily 

 commanded $1,50 per bushel. And for thirty-five 

 years it has not produced less than thirty-five bush- 

 els yearly — and one year as many as thirty-three 

 bushels ! We name the striking fact to show that 

 trees should be planted in every nook and corner 

 where they will have nutriment ; and if the fruit 

 be selected with great care, pleasure and sure 

 profit will arise from planting. 



" And farmers are sure to find a market. Why 

 in Manchester alone, it is estimated that five thou- 

 sand barrels of apples are consumed annually. One 

 confectioner here tells us that he retails at his 

 counter four barrels per week ; two hundred and 

 eight barrels a year sold by the copper's worth ! 

 and at one counter ! He also tells us that four 

 years since, during the peach season of two months, 

 he sold two hundred and fifty bushels of peaches — 

 something more than four bushels per day. Then 

 of peaches there must have been sold in Manches- 

 ter, in 1848, two thousand bushels ! Then of ap- 

 ples and peaches, there must be sold in Manchester 

 alone, not less than $12,000 worth annually. In 

 Concord, Nashua, Portsmouth and Dover, not less 

 than $5000 worth of these same fruits are consum- 

 ed in each town ; and in Lowell not less than 

 about $55,000 of these productions annually. This 

 market is now principally supplied from places 

 south of us. The farmers of New Hampshire 

 should supply much of this produce." 



To make a Horse follow you. — You may make 

 a horse follow you in ten minutes. Go to the 

 horse, rub his face, jaw, and chin, leading him 

 about, saying to him, "Come along;" a constant 

 tone is necessai'y. By taking him away from other 

 persons and horses, repeat the rubhing, leading 

 and stopping. Sometimes turn him around all 

 ways, and keep his attention by saying, "Come 

 along." With some horses it is important to whis- 

 per to them, as it hides the secret and gentles the 

 horse; you may use any word you please, but be 

 constant in your tone of voice. The same will 

 c luse nil horses to follow. 



For the Ifeu< England Farmer. 

 MUSK-MELON SEEDS. 



Mr. Editor : — Having been a constant reader of 

 your excellent paper ever since its commencement, 

 I take pleasure in saying that I consider it the best 

 family paper in the Union ; and so long as I can 

 "raise the wind," I intend to be a subscriber. — 

 Consider me a life subscriber. I now take some 

 six or eight different newspapers, but the New 

 England Farmer heads the corps. 



Enclosed you will find a new variety of musk- ' 

 melon seed, which I obtained from one of the plan- 

 ters on the Saluda River. They were brought 

 from the Island of Cuba last season, are of an ex- 

 cellent flavor, and of a mammoth size ; some of 

 them will compare in size to the imvrrowfat squash. 

 I could obtain only a few, and as I thought I would 

 not be selfish, concluded that some of my New 

 England friends would like to try them. If you 

 consider them worth the trial to plant, you can 

 do so, and thus forward the cause of* improvement. 

 Very respectfully yours, 



George T. Peckham. 



Graniteville, S. C, Aug. 5, 1852. 



Remarks. — That "every man has his weak spot," 

 is a proverb as. true as it is trite ; but weak or 

 strong, no man, who labors earnestly to do good, 

 whether in the field, at the bench, in the marts of 

 trade, or at the desk, can remain insensible to the 

 opinions of those for whom he labors. To us the 

 good opinion of those for whom we cater from 

 week to week is a "tower of strength," encourag- 

 ing us onward and upward in the noble work de- 

 signed by the Creator for a large portion of the 

 human family. We thank friend P. for his kind 

 words and act in sending us seeds. If fruit from 

 the seeds is found better than we now have, it 

 shall be scattered and known as Peckiiam's Cuba 

 Melon. 



MIDDLESEX AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 The following remarks are copied from the Mid- 

 dlesex Farmer, and we hope every farmer in the 

 county who is not a member of the society will 

 read them. Send along the V, brother Hildketh, 

 and the Diploma shall be forthcoming. 



"We thought when the offer was made by the 

 society last spring, of holding the Cattle Show and 

 Plowing Match in that town from which the most 

 new members would join the society, that there 

 would be quite a spirit of emulation awakened in 

 our farmers in large towns of the county. The 

 society needs funds, and had the farmers of Groton, 

 Framingham, Cambridge and Maiden, felt as great 

 a zeal in forwarding a cause devoted to their own 

 interest, as they do in pushing forward a political 

 candidate of this party or that, it w T ould not in all 

 probability have done them as much or even more 

 good. 



"AVe don't expect that we shall this year induce 

 the society to hold their Show in Westford by our 

 own individual exertions, but, Mr. Secretary, put 

 us down as a member and the $5 William shall be 

 paid over according to the bye-laws." 



