22 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



August 8, 1828. 



From Ihe American Farmer. 



PLUMS. 



I have thought that some remarks, additional to 

 those which I made in your j)aper of last week, 

 on this line fruit, might have tlie elibct of induc- 

 ing those gentlemen practically acquainted with 

 the subject, to give the jmbhc the details of their 

 successful practice. My information is, for the 

 most part, theoretical, though foun<led, in some 

 degree, on observation. If, therefore, not entirely 

 useless, it is much inferior to what they can com- 

 municate. 



The mode ])ursued by your correspondent (H.B.) 

 of burjing the fruit that is imniTured and falls can- 

 not be so efficacious as paving ; for, in many in- 

 stances, the inhumation, so far from being fatal, 

 • would only assist the insect's natural ]tropensity 

 to hide itself in the ground. 



The plum tree is said to flourish in almost any 

 Eoi! where other fruit trees will grow. I have 

 hardly ever seen a young and iminjured tree of 

 that sort, whether in town ov in the country, that 

 was not healthy looking and vigorous, although 

 its fruit might never come to perfection. There 

 is nothing in our climate or soil, therefore, to pre- 

 ^ vent its thriving ; and all that remains for us, is 

 i^So devise some means of protecting its fruit. 



' If I were ni,-\king a collection of ajiricot, plum, 

 and nectarine trees, whether in the country or in 

 town, Ij sliould plant them near the house, for 

 greater ^security ; and if possible, in the yard, that 

 I might have a brick pavement under and around 

 them. I should also place them much nearer to- 

 gether than trees stand in such an orchard ; that 

 is, ten or twelve feet, or even in some cases, six 

 or eight feet ; and, although I should endeavor to 

 prevent them from grov.'ing very large, I would 

 pern[it them to ferm tall stems. In such an ar- 

 rangement, there would be several advantages. 

 You might have a greater number and variety of 

 trees in a smaller space — there woidd not he re- 

 quired so much paving — they would be more eas- 

 ily superintended, and would shelter each other 

 from the excessive heat of the sun. And the fruit 

 would not be so exi)0sed to beuig pilfered. 



Another method which I have begun to carry 

 into cflect, is to cultivate these sorts of fruit on 

 trellises; or, as they are usually cnWed, espaliers, 

 .standing in the open field or garden, where they 

 can be watched, and facing to the south. It is 

 not of much importance however, l.ow they front, 

 for the open trelhs-work admits the air and light 

 to penetrate and pass in every direction, and the 

 sun shines upon it from all its aspects. In this 

 particular, the simple espalier is preferable to tlie 

 wall, which in our climate, is generally too hot 

 and close. These es])aliers may be arranged in 

 rovvs of any length, one behind the other, twenty 

 or twenty-live feet apart ; and the interval may 

 be devo.'ed to the raising of various vegetables. 

 If any of your correspondents should desire it, I 

 will hereafter give you the details of construction 

 accompanied by a drawing. The esjialier need 

 not be confined to the fruits specified above ; but 

 will no doubt answer very well, in some places, 

 for the peach, the pear, and even the fig. For 

 the vine they arc commonly used, and are the best 

 way of cultivating grapes for the table. 



The principal advantages of this mode are these: 

 that it occupies less room — that you may pave 

 along under the trees at less expense — that, as 

 they are never suffered to grow higher than 



five or six feet, or seven or eight at the utmost, 

 every part of them can be easily reached, to pluck 

 oflf the fruit, to cut away dead and broken branch- 

 es, to remove and destroy any insects that may fix 

 upon them, and that they may be covered in the 

 late frosts and cold nights of the spring. Trees 

 of the kind of which we are now si>eaking, do not 

 require protection in the winter ; and hardly any 

 fruit that does, is worth cultivating on a large 



barley. In tlie poultry-yard is a small biiildin". 

 like a pigeon-house, in which the hens lay, with a 

 frame with nets to slide in before each hole : the 

 building is kept dry, light, and well ventilated : 

 and once a week the floor is strewed with fresh 

 ashes. When she wishes to procure chickens, she 

 sets many hens together, confining each to her 

 respective nest, by drawing tlie sliding net before 

 the hole; and they are daily let out for air, exer- 



scalc. There is much danger to be apprehended j cise, and food, 

 even to the hardiest plants, from late frosts in the ! As soon as the chickens are hatched they arc 

 spring, when they are in blossom, or their fruit is taken away, and the hens have a second lot ol' 

 tender, or their buds are just expanding ; antl a eggs allowed them to sit again, by which means 

 person who has not witnessed it, would be sur- they produce as numerous a brood as before. — 

 prised to see how slight a protection will effectual- IMrs D. puts the chickens in long wicker cages, 

 ly secure them. A mat, thrown loo.sely over the placed against a hot wall at the back of the kitch- 

 top of the trellis, and hanging to the ground ; or en fire, and within them has artificial mothers, un- 

 even leafed branches set up against the tree, will der which the chickens run. These mothers arc 

 generally suffice. If you have water at a proper made of boards, about ten inches wide and fifteen 

 elevation, it is also very easy to irrigate trees or i inches long, supported by two legs in the front, 

 vines planted in this way. : four inches in height, and by a board at the back 



For the culture and training of fruit trees on j two inches high. The roof and back are fined 

 trellises, ample directions arc given by Forsyth ; with lamb-skins, dressed with the wool upon 

 and M'Mahon, each of whose treatises every man j them, and the roof is thickly perforated with 

 should possess who wishes to have good fruit. ] holes ; they have no bottom, but have a flannel 



In selecting a site for an espalier orchard, a sit- ; curtain in front and at the ends for the chickens 



I 

 I 



nation would be the best, (I think) in which the 

 trees should be exposed to the sun only until about 

 three o'clock in the afternoon ; for I am persuad- 

 ed that many of the disasters that occur to our 

 tree.s, are occasioned by the intensity of our sum- 

 mer suns. This protection might be afforded by 

 planting the trehis within the afternoon shade of 

 a wood or a line of buidlings ; and, in some de- 

 gree also, by giving it a proper front 



to run under ; which they apparently do by in- 

 stinct. The cage is kept dry and clean, either 

 with sand or with moss, and is of a proper size 

 for fifty or sixty newly hatched chickens. 



AVhen a week old, they are carried together 

 with their artificial mother to a grass-plat, in fine 

 weather ; and the mother is kept warm by plac- 

 ing a long narrow tin vessel at the back, filled 

 with hot water, which will retain its heat for 



much gratified. 



An Amateur. 



If these observations should be u.seful to any ; three or four hours at a time ; and, towards eve- 

 person who is anxious to be informed, I shall be '. ning, they are removed back again to the hot wall. 



I When three weeks old, they are put into a small 

 room appropriated to that purpose, which is fitted 

 [ up with frames similar to the artificial mother, 

 j placed round the floor, and with perches conven- 

 I iently arranged for them to roost upon. 



When Mrs D'Oyley first attempted to rear poul- 

 try in this way she lost several, owing to the root' 

 sufficiently ventilated ; 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 1828. 



ALMANACK FOR 1829 

 The public arc informed that the .New England of the mother not bein 

 Farmers'' Almanack for the year of our Lord 1829, and experienced many losses fi-om improper food. 

 By Thomas Green Fessendeiv, Editor of the untU she thought of getting coarse barley-meal, 

 New England Parmer, is in jiress, and will speedi- and steaming it until it became soft ; with which, 

 ly be published. The favourable reception and and with minced potatos, they are fed alternately, 

 extensive circulation of this Calendar for the cur- and are frequently excited to eat by pellets of 

 rent year have induced the Author and Proprie- dough that are thrown to them, 

 tor to commence the requisite preparation for an Upon this food the young chickens are stated to 

 enlarged and improved impression, calculated for grow surprisingly, and soon become fit for the la- 

 the year 1829. Communications of useful and in- jble or market ;' and Mrs D. conceives that her 



teresting articles for this jiopular and widely cir- 

 culating Diary, are respectfully solicited and will 

 be gratefully acknowledged. They may be sent 

 by ))rivate conveyance, or post paid, directed to 

 the Editor of the New England Farmer, or Bowles 

 & Dearborn, Washington street, Boston. 



POULTRY. 



The following easy and economical method of 

 rearing poultry has been communicated to the 

 London Society for the Encouragement of Arts, 

 &c. by Mrs D'Oyley, of Sion-hill, near Northaller- 

 ton, who received the Society's silver medal for 

 the same. Where poultry are reared expressly 

 for the market, this method is certainly deserving 

 of attention. 



Mrs D'Oyley keeps a large stock of poultry, 

 which are regularly fed every moriung upon 

 steamed potatos, chopped sniafl, and at noon upon 



method might be pursued near populous towns 

 with immense profit. A young person, it is stat- 

 ed, of twelve or fourteen years old, might bring 

 up some thousands in a season ; for hens may be 

 get four times in the year, and be made to rear 

 two broods at each setting. The [iroper heat of 

 the wall is 80 degrees of Fahrenheit's thermome- 

 ter ; and the troughs for the food are placed with- 

 out side the cages, from which to the artificial 

 mother, a small quantity .should be filtered, in or- 

 der to point to the trough. 



Agricultural Memoranda. — In Saxony, the shep- 

 herds have no fixed wages, but are allowed a pro- 

 fit on the produce of the flocks. From the adop- 

 tion of this arrangement, the sheep owners derive 

 great advantage, as the shepherds have no induce- 

 ment to deceive them ; but on the contrary are 

 interested in taking care of the flock. How far 



