NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



521 



a fine Isabella grape, in a bearing state. They 

 both grew finely ; I never sawa more thrifty peach 

 tree. In about two years, the grape-vine, as grape- 

 vines are apt to do, got hold of the doctrine of an- 

 nexation, and manifested a disposition to embrace 

 in its long arms all that joined it; it shot its feel- 

 ers about among the limbs of the peach tree, and 

 in a few weeks its folds, anaconda-like, were en- 

 twined around all the brandies, hut as is often the 

 case in ill assorted matches, this seeming felicity 

 did not long continue. A few half grown imper- 

 fect grapes only were found among the peach 

 leaves. The next year the vine was suffered to re- 

 main in the same condition, asa matter for observa- 

 tion ; the result was the same. While the rest of 

 the vine was heavily loaded with fruit, that portion 

 which was supported by the peach tree yielded few 

 grapes, ami none of them perfect. 



This fall I have had occasion to notice a field of 

 potatoes, of perhaps an acre; tomatoes came up 

 plentifully in the spring, having been mixed in the 

 manure. The man was directed, when he hoed 

 the potatoes, to cut up the tomato plants, and to 

 leave only now and then one. But they were very 

 thrifty, and John thought it was too cruel to cut 

 them up, and he had not the heart to see them 

 '•kilt" with the hoe, and so many of them were 

 suffered to live. The consequence has been, that 

 there was a great abundance of tomatoes, and a 

 very small abundance of potatoes, and small pota- 

 toes at that. In those parts of the field where 

 there were few tomatoes left, the potatoes yielded 

 a tolerable crop; but where the tomato plants 

 were numerous, the potatoes were scarcely worth 

 digging. Now it may be said that the tomatoes 

 overshadowed the potatoes or exhausted the soil; 

 but this does not explain the matter satisfactorily ; 

 for potatoes will often yield a good crop among 

 corn, winch certainly overshadows them and ex- 

 hausts the soil to as great a degree. I might men- 

 tion many similar facts, had I time and space. 



My general remark is this. There are many 

 plants that are incompatible with each other. 

 There is an aura, an effluvia, arising from one plant 

 that operates as a poison upon other plants. One 

 plant will wither and die in the presence of anoth- 

 er. Some plants are more highly sensitive than 

 others, and manifest more readily the influence of 

 the neighborhood in which they reside. 



Now, Mr. Editor, here is a wide field for ob- 

 servation, and a field which has been but little cul- 

 tivated. It is important to know, not only what 

 soils are suited to certain crops, but what crops 

 and plants are suited to each other, and what are 

 incompatible with each other. If you are about to 

 settle your boy in business, you would anxiously 

 inquire, by what influences will he be gurrounded? 

 Will there be any thing to counteract all the good 

 advice you may give him, and all the watchful 

 care you may extend over him. Just so if you 

 are about to set out a favorite tree, or a valuable 

 plant, you want to know whether there is any 

 plant in the immediate vicinity that will injure its 

 growth, or prevent its fruit from attaining perfec- 

 tion. We sometimes fail to obtain the results that 

 we expected in horticulture, without being able to 

 assign any satisfactory reason. Perhaps the fail- 

 ure is owing to unfriendly neighbors, who exert a 

 blighting influence upon the character and success 

 of the stranger plant. 



The influence of flowers upon each other and 



the influence of the colors of surrounding objects, 

 is well known to florists, and those who are en- 

 gaged in producing varieties and hybrids avail 

 themselves of these influences. If these influences 

 are so manifest in the domains of Flora, why 

 should they not be felt in those of Ceres and Po- 

 mona? Yours, j. k. 

 Concord, Mass., Oct. 8, 1852. 



CATTLE SHOW AT FRAMMGHAM, 



Being absent in New Hampshire at the time this 

 festival was held, we were, of course, unable to 

 attend its Exhibition and its feast of good things. 

 We understand that it surpassed any of the for- 

 mer shows in that beautiful and enterprising town, 

 and has gi\en a new impetus to the noble cause 

 for which the gathering was called. The ladies, 

 ever foremost in good works, provided the dinner, 

 at which some three or four hundred sat down, 

 and many could not be accommodated with seats, 

 the pressure was so great. The day was pleasant, 

 inviting large numbers from the surrounding 

 towns, and the exercises were enlivened by the ex- 

 cellent music of the Natick Band. From a re- 

 port in the Traveller, we find that the first busi- 

 ness was the plowing match. Sixteen teams were 

 upon the ground, and the plowing was done in a 

 creditable manner, by plows from different mak- 

 ers. At half-past ten there was a trial of work- 

 ing oxen, which lasted until near twelve. At 1 

 o'clock the Society marched to the Unitarian 

 church and listened to an eloquent address by 

 Rev. Mr. Bodwell, of Framingham. The singing 

 was of the first order. After the exercises of the 

 church were through, the society marched to the 

 tables to dine. The President of the Society, Pat- 

 ten Johnson, Esq., made some brief and appropri- 

 ate remarks, the blessing of God was invoked, and 

 then came 



"The feast of reason and the ilow of soui," 

 including a speech from the Rev. Mr. Phtps. 



The company sat at the table until near 5 

 o'clock, listening to speeches, music and toasts. — 

 Upon the premiums being announced, the first, on 

 ox team in plowing, was given to A. Haven — 

 plow, Ruggles, Nourse, Mason & Co.'s improved 

 double sod and subsoil. 2d, J. S. Wheeler — plow, 

 same as above, No. 73 1-2 ; 3d, John Johnson — 

 plow same, No. 73 1-2; on horse teams — 1st pre- 

 mium to Col. Hastings — Prouty & Mears' plow ; 

 2d, Buckley Moore, plow, Ruggles, Nourse, Ma- 

 son & Co. ; 3d, II. Eames, plow, Prouty & Mears. 



In the stock exhibited there were some fine Suf- 

 folk swine ; a boar, 18 months old, the property 

 of Abner Haven, another two years old belonging 

 to A. S. Lewis, were fine animals. There was a 

 beautiful boar pig 3 months old, the property of 

 S. 0. Daniels, and a large hog exhibited by Jona. 

 Coolidge. The next time they celebrate, "may 

 we be there to see." 



