r^^'^ZFaaxsxitsiiitsMi^ 



»j! i*q jaj*Bi ! 



^I)c iTarnicv's i!lontl)lt) biaitor. 



19 



Budding. — Budding is always to lie performed 

 when tiie bark peels freel}'. wliicli takes place 

 when the slocks are in a rapidly crowijig state. 

 Cherries and plums should always he budded by 

 the middle uf summer ; apples and pears often 

 continue growing rapidly a month later, and 

 peaches tnay bo done even as Into ns the com- 

 nienceni<:nt of autumn. 



Il is indispensable to successful budding, that 

 the stock be thrifty, and the shoot in which the 

 bud is inserted not more than a year or two old. 

 No skill can succeed in old or stunted stocks. 

 For the cambium or mucilaginous sidistauce be- 

 tween the hark and wood, which hardens into 

 the new wood, and which cements the bud to the 

 stock, exists oiily in suflicient riuantilies for this 

 purpose in fast growing branches. 



Every bud is an embryo plant, and the object 

 is to transfer this from one tree to another. To 

 effect this, it is only necessary that the bud be 

 ■cut smoothly from the shoot with a very small 

 portion of woo<l with it, and inserted under the 

 raised bark of the stock in close contact with the 

 cnnd)iuni. Provided the stock is thrifty and 

 growing; the bud smoothly cut oft, and closely 

 und eveidy applied to the stock; the cambium 

 uninjured by reinoving the barks ; and the bud 

 be kept to its place a iew days by a ligature of 

 moderate pressiue; ic is of little consequence 

 how the operation is performed, and there can be 

 little danger of lailure. 



Ihe common way of cutting the bark to re- 

 move it, is to make a transverse cut and loiigilu- 

 dinal slit, just through it, like the letter T. The 

 bud is then slid downwards under the bark, in 

 the Miiddle of the slit. The whole operation 

 should be performed with as little delay as pos- 

 sible. 



Whatever mode is adopted, the bark should al- 

 vvays be lifled by placing the knife at the edge, 

 and not by runnijigit unrfcr, as this always injures 

 tlie cambium. 



After the bud Is inserted, the whole should be 

 covered, except the bud itself, with a ligature of 

 moistened bass, corn husk, tow, or other soil 

 substance, boun<l round it with just sufficient 

 force to press the bud closely on tho stock. 



In about two weeks, or as soon as the ligature 

 begins to cut into the stock, it must be removed. 

 Early the following spring, the stock is to be cut 

 off a quarter of an inch above the bud, and in a 

 direction sloping towards it, and all the branches 

 and other bnds carefully removed that whole 

 nourishment may go to its growth. Sometimes, 

 (as in the apricot,) it is best to leave two or three 

 inches of the stock above the bud, to tie the 

 young shoot to, that it be not broken down by the 

 wind. 



DisFippoititment very often arises in budding 

 the peach and apricot from the buds, though well 

 set, being winter killed. This may he generally 

 avoided by observing on the tree whence the 

 buds are taken, on what part of the shoots the 

 buds have withstood the preceiling winter, and 

 selecting accoidiugly. These will commonly ho 

 found to be the earliest formed buds on the thrifti- 

 est shoots. 



Shoots cut for budding should always have the 



"leaves removed as soon as they are taken from 



the tree, about a quarter of an inch above the 



bud. They may then, if needed, be preserved 



several days in damp moss or cloth. 



Macedun, IVaynt co., .N". Y. J. J. T. 



Volcanic Eruptions at the Saudwich Islands. 



The Auburn Journal has been favored with the 

 following extract from a letter from the Rev. Ti- 

 lus Coan, dated 



Hii.o, (Sa.sdwicu IsLANUs) .May 16, 18J.3. 



God is not only working wonders in the moral 

 and civil, but also in the physical world around 

 vs. You have heard of the great volcanic erup- 

 tion near our station in 1840" Another scene of 

 a similar kind has recently taken place alioutthe 

 SHiTje distance from us, but in n different direc- 

 tion, and directly in the rear of our station. On 

 the lOlh of January of the present year, just at 

 the dawn o( day, we discovered n rapul disgorse- 

 luent of liqiiiil tire near the sunnnit of Manna 

 Loa, at an elevation of IJ.OOO leet above the sea. 

 I Ins eniplioii iucri-a.so^l from dav to day, (or se- 

 veral weeks, pouring out vast floods of fiory lava, 

 which tproad down the side of tl«j itioiiiiHiin, 

 and flowed nfl' in broad and hnruiug rivers, 

 throwing a terrilic glai-e upon the heavens, and 



filling those lofty mountainous regions with a 

 sheet of light. 



This spectacle comiuued Ironi week to week, 

 without any abatement, till tho molten flood had 

 progressed twenty or thirty miles down tho side 

 of the mountain and acioss a high plain which 

 stretches between tho bases of Maima Lou and 

 Manna Kae. It was not till after many weeks 

 that I was able to visit this .scene of terror and of 

 sublimity. At length in company with I\Ir. Par- 

 is, the missionary of Kan, (a station south of Hi- 

 lo,) I made the attempt. We penetrate<l through 

 a deep f )rest stretching between Hilo and the 

 mountain, and reached the molten stream as it 

 flowed over those vast and high regions lying at 

 the base of the mountain. Hero we were able to 

 ap[)roach the fiery stream and dip up and cool its 

 bui-uing fluid, as we woidd approach the bank of 

 a river and drink of its waters. l'"rom this we 

 followed the stream to the top of the moinitain, 

 and foiuni its source in a vast crater, amidst the 

 eternal snows of those wild and heaven-desola- 

 ted regions, down the sides of the mountain ; 

 the lava had now ceased to flow upon its surface; 

 but it formed for ilself a subterranean duct, at 

 the depth of fifty or one hundred feet. 



This duct was encased with vilrifactiou as 

 smooth as glass.and down this fearful chamiel a ri- 

 ver of fire was rushing at the rate of fifteen or 

 twenty miles an hour,from the summit to the foot 

 of the mountain. This siTliterranean stream, we 

 saw distinctly through several large ajiertures in 

 the side of the tnonntain, while the burning flood 

 rushed fearfully beneath our feet. Our standing 

 above it was like standing on ice upon a river 

 where the liqifid flood flows under your feet. 

 Our visit was attended with peril and inconceiv- 

 able fatigue, but we never regretted having made 

 it, and we returned deeply affected with the ma- 

 jesty, the sidilinfity, the power and love of God, 

 who " looketh on the «arth and it tremhlcth, who 

 touchelh the hills and they smoke;" whose |)re- 

 sence melts the hill, and whose look causes the 

 mountains to flow down. 



Lime as a Mannre. 



Much labor has been exhausted in trying to 

 ascertain the best method to enrich and prepare 

 the ground to receive the seed so as to produce 

 the l)est crop. After using the various kinds of 

 dressing that have yet been discovered, none 

 have proved better than Lime, when used on land 

 where corn is planted. Lime has in itself nniny 

 valuable properties. It gives a suitable degree'of 

 heat to cause immediate vegetation ; it guards it 

 from worms, insects and animals that often de- 

 stroy one half of the first planting; it causes an 

 early and rapid growth that ripens the grain be- 

 fore the frost appears. When lima is used for 

 other kinds of giain, it has the same effect as on 

 corn ; it has also the valuable quality of guarding 

 it against mildew. No grain sown on land so 

 prepared will suffer from this greatevil by which 

 so many valuable fields have been destroyed. 



The best method of using lime is, to mix one- 

 eighth part with old barn manure, then to be 

 placed in the hole with the corn. When used 

 for other kinds of grain, it should be spread on 

 the top of the ground after it is ploughed, and 

 harrowed in vviih the grain. No one can ftdly 

 estimate the value of lime for this purpose unless 

 they try the experiment. The average difference 

 in a crop is from one-third to one-half more by 

 using the lime. It is also almost the only sure 

 preventative of vermin on fruit trees in this sec- 

 tion of the country. Lime placed about the body 

 of the tree early in the spring, will prevent their 

 increase. Slacked lime mixed with soap and 

 water, used as v.ash on the parts of the tree 

 where those insects have deposited their eggs, 

 will destroy them entirely. This has been i)roved 

 by the writer. 



In many parts of England they (estimate the 

 value of their laud in some jiropurtion to the 

 nearness of access to lime kilns, on accoimt of 

 its valuable properties when used for tiressiug. 

 Farmers should turn their attention to the stib- 



ject. A CLOSE OBSERVER. 



Agricultural Readers. 



Ill the oaaly |)trt of oiu' experience ns publisher 

 of an agricukural paper, we Ibund that the r<-:;d- 

 ers of f.[icU journals could be divided into nvo 

 classes, one of which read, with jnofit, th*'. other 

 with very little ifsisy. Of course we do not 



Include in either of these classes, those farmers 

 who already know every thing, despise all agri- 

 cidtural reading, and treat the idea of any im- 

 provement in husbandry with the most profound 

 contempt. The number belonging to this class 

 is much reduced, but specimens are occasionally 

 met with. 



Farmer A. belongs to the class of readers that 

 receive and peruse agricultural papers with liitia 

 profit. The reason is, he does not sufficiently 

 exercise his own judgment in reference to tha 

 details of farming. He reads a statement that 

 such a farmer was eminently successful in the 

 cultivation of such a crop; the growing or fat- 

 tening of such or such an animal : or the man- 

 agement in general of a farm on tlie principles 

 of rotation ; and he determines at once to do tha 

 same. He does not stop to inquire whether his 

 soil is suited to the particidar crop he wishes to 

 grow, whether it is too wet or too dry, too light 

 or too heavy, rich or jioor, but pursuing tha 

 course pointed out by the successful farmer, he' 

 miserably fails in his crop, or his animals, and 

 frequently throws on tho publication, or its cor- 

 respondent, the blame which fairly belongs to 

 himself. 



Farmer B., on the contrary, Is one of a class of 

 readers that find a decided profit in the perusal 

 of agricultural papers. He takes the .same pa- 

 pers as A., but wholly escapes the mistakes into 

 which A. is constantly falling. The reason is to 

 be found in the fact that he e.xercises his judg- 

 ment in managing his farm ; and is fully aware 

 that a course of husbandry that would be suc- 

 cessful on one kind of soil, or one particular 

 location, would be ruinous on another. Because 

 a great crop, or fine animals, have been produced 

 under certain circumstances, he does not go onto 

 infer that they will be so in all, and it is in thi,<i 

 discrimination and adaptation, that the cause of 

 his success is found. He reads, compares, re- 

 flects, and decides whether a course is sifitable 

 for him, his soil, or circumstances, before he 

 adopts it. His agricultural reading fiu'nishes him 

 the tneans of doing this correctly, and in that he 

 finds a great advantage. 



Agricultural publications are not intended to 

 supersede the use of the judgment in matters of 

 practice, among those who receive them ; their 

 great office is lo enable the farmer to judge cor- 

 rectly as to the proper course for him lo pursue; 

 to bring to his notice all improvements in hus- 

 bandry and agricultural implements, that he may 

 choose wisely for himself; to show what has 

 been done by others, and the way it has been 

 done, that if in the same circumstances, and it is 

 desirable, he may do so too; and to excite to im- 

 provement by showing it is [iracticable and prof- 

 itable. The firmer must do as do men in other 

 cases, obtain all the light and information possi- 

 ble by reading, and then reflect, reason, decide, 

 and practice for himself — .lib. Cult. 



For the Farmer's Montlily Visitor. 

 Preservation of Leather. 



Mr. Editor: — In a lute number of tho Visitor, 

 I noticed an enquiry from one of your subsci-iliers 

 upon the subject of preserving Leather from hard- 

 ness and cracking. I am pleased that some one 

 bus inti-oduced so important a subject for the pub- 

 lic, for I am aware that moro loss is sustained by 

 neglecting leather than every one sup|)oses; and 

 I feel that some abler pen might be employed up- 

 on the subject than mine. But if I should give 

 you some hints on the subject, that you may think 

 worth publishing, you have the liberty. 



We all know that Leather that is exposed to wa- 

 ter and weather will of course become hard, and 

 cracks when it is not pioperly attended to. Ma- 

 ny of oiir farmers apply tallow and rosiu to their 

 thick boots to prevent them from soaking water, 

 and thus render thein hard; arid they crack to 

 pieces before they ai-e half worn out Oil has the 

 quality of softening Leather more than any other 

 article; but it i-enders leather [torous and admits 

 water. Now we want an article to render leatli- 

 er solV, and prevent the water frort! peuetrating. 

 Tho less oil that can be ap|!ite<{ to leather so aa 

 to retain its softness, the better, — for oilstig too, 

 much is injurious to the work, as well aa the 

 leather. 



Fioni experienco i would recofii«ssrid same 

 c/,T!H{iositioH that has the property of rauderiug 

 leather soft., uud ytl iini>crvio(-is t** water. I iiav* 

 made trial of teiejaJ kindeatid fixuid aayseifweH! 



