NEW ENGLrAMB FAMMEH 



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"Published b,j John B. Russell, at .Vo. 52 JVurlh Market Street, (over the ^gricxiUurcd Jfarehouse).— Thomas G. Fessendek, Editor, 



VOL. YII. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1828. 



No. 16. 



HORTICULTURE. 



FOR THE NEW KNGLAND FARMER. 



lURIOUS FACTS AS TO THE PARIS AND LONDON 

 FRUIT MARKETS. 



The facts as to the markets of Paris, are taken 

 from an article on the fruit and vegetable markets 

 of Paris, by M. Masson, Coiimiissary General ; 

 published in the Annales d'llort. de Paris, April. 

 1828. 



" In order to form an idea of the [(reduction, 

 with which horticulture enriches the Paris mar- 

 ket, says M. Masson, it is necessary to begin with 

 ihis market ut the end of March, and the first fif- 

 teen days of April. At this period and whilst you 

 still sec a parade in the fruiterer's shops, of fruits of 

 great beauty, preserved at great expense, the mar- 

 Icet is almost naked. A few baskets of apples little 

 esteemed, are scattered thinly about, and seem to 

 wear the sad livery of winter." 

 Prices in March. 1823. 



Apples. Calville blanc per hundred, 40 francs 

 or nearly eight cents each (much dearer than or- 

 anges). 



Pears. St. Germain, 80 francs per hundred, or 

 16 cents a piece. 



Grapes. Chasselas de Fontainbleau, per lb 

 3 francs, or 57 cents. 

 ,gpi-il, 1828. 



Apples. Calville blanc, per otie hundred, 110 

 francs, or 22 cents each. 



Pears. St. Germain, per hundred, 140 francs, 

 or 26 cents each. 



Prices at Covtnt Garden, London, March 13, 182S. 

 Apples. Nonpareil, 15 to 36 shillings a bush- 

 el. Average, $5,50 a bushel. , Golden Pippin, 

 average price $10 a bushel. 



Hot house Grapes (new crop) $10 a pound. 

 [On Feb. 9, 1828, grapes (last year's crop) were 

 sold from .33 cents to 06 per pound.] 



The January price of Onions in Covent Garden 

 is 44 cents a bushel ! ! best quality of potatos for 

 table average $15 a ton, which estimating the 

 bushel at 75 lbs. (a great allowance) would give 

 for the ton 26 bushels, and make the price per 

 single bushel 57 cents. — Asparagus, in January, 

 plentiful and cheap at from 22 cents, to 160 cents 

 per hundred. — Savoy cabbages at from Is 6d to 

 3s jier dozen, or from 3 to 5 cents per head ! 



Apples, in February, from 3s 6d to 10s 6d per 

 10 quarts, and pears fiom 2s Gd to 10 per ditto, or 

 about, on an average, 133 cents per 10 quarts, or 

 $4 a bushel. These Enghsh prices are lower 

 than the French ; and, than ours, by retail. 



Though asparagus may be had in London in 

 .Tannary, at a price as low as it brings here in the 

 first ten days of May, yet it does not appear in the 

 Paris market till the middle of April, and then the 

 price is about one dollar fifty cents per hundred, 

 nr much dearer than the average Covent Garden 

 price for the same article in January. London is 

 2j degrees to the north of Paris. 



But the most remarkable fact relates to the 

 grape. In Paris the grape begins to appear to- 

 wards the end of September, and becomes abun- 

 dant in October. " It is (says M. Masson) to the 

 superb Chasselas of Thomery that the preemin- 



ence is due, acquired by the care with which it is 

 cultivated, and the intelligence by which that care 

 is directed. [In this tribute he agrees with the 

 authors of the Bon Jardinier.] 



"The culture of the Chasselas is A-ory produc- 

 tive. It gives us pleasure to see, that it is extend- 

 ing, particularly at Montreuil, where there will be 

 a rivalship with Thomery, favorable to the con- 

 simiers. The cultivator ought to be well reward- 

 ed, but 57 cents for two pounds and an half of 

 gra))cs, is exorbitant, and ought to produce com- 

 petition." 



This price, it will be perceived, is given for the 

 Chasselas in Se|)tember, and October in Paris. 



In London, new grapes are sold at $10 per 

 pound, in January. By the first of May, they fall 

 to $1,33 to $3 per pound. And from July to 

 Sept. 4, they are quoted at from 4 to 7 shillings 

 the dozen pounds, or from 8 to 13 cents a pound. 

 Thus the London forced grapes appear 2 months 

 before those of Paris, and are sold at half the 

 price ! ! 



[I have no doubt that in 10 years from this day 

 Boston will be supplied with forced grapes, in 

 July, at 20 cents a pound, every year, and to the 

 full demand.] 



FRUITS IN FRANCE. 



There is, however, a part of Mr. Masson's com- 

 I niunication as to the Paris market, which is more 

 i interesting to us — 



'The peacli has disappeared, and also the beau- 

 liful plums (says Masson) towards the end of Sep- 

 tember. These are soon replaced by the Beurre, 

 (pear) the Doyenne, ^5/. Mchael). The Mouille 

 bouchc, (moulh water) the Roupelet, the Poire d' 

 Angleterre — and some other pears of the season. 

 One is astonished to see no longer but few melt- 

 ing pears — we no longer find the Sucre vert, the 

 Sucre musque, the Besi de la Motte — very few 

 Chaiimontelles — very few Culotte de la Suisse — no 

 Royale d' llyver — no Virgouleuse, and it is to he 

 deplored, no Colraars. These three last species 

 would fetch (in September observe) from ten sous 

 to two francs (thirty-eight cents) a piece — and yet 

 these fruits are neglected.'!" 



This is an entirely new view of the state of 

 pears in France. It should be remembered that 

 this is WTitten by a commissary of the markets of 

 Paris, and inserted in the official work of the new 

 Horticultural Society of Paris. Its facts must be 

 authentic. Is it then to be wondered at, that 

 these delicate pears fail with us, and that the 

 French gardeners are seeking with avidity after 

 the new varieties of Belgium and of England ? 



Do not these facts give great color to Mr. 

 Knight's opinions, that the old varieties are wear- 

 ing out ? Do they not enhance our obligation to 

 that gentleman for his presents of the new varie- 

 ties ? and can we be too vigilant and too assidu- 

 ous in spreading them ? 



The pear is, after all, far the most valuable fruit 

 for the table. Its almost infinite varieties — the 

 great length of time which its several varieties en- 

 dure (from August 10th, to May) — its wholesome- 

 ness — the longevity of the trees, all conspire to 

 render it the most valuable table fruit. I do not 

 compare its usefulness with the apple which un- 

 questionably is more useful on the whole. 



The pears, which we now have, were introduc- 

 ed by the Hugonots, who on the revocation of the 

 Edict of Nantz fled to this coui.try. The original 

 trees are in some instances to be found in the gar- 

 dens laid out by the FANCEiLs,the JoiioNNOTS,and 

 others, and nearly all which we now have, may 

 be traced to them. Within the last thirty years 

 extensive im])ortations have been made from 

 France ; but a large proportion grafted on quince 

 stocks are dead or decaying. Of fifty pear trees 

 imported from Vilmorin, eighteen years since, I 

 have only eight or nine miserable sickly plants 

 alive. The loss at Mr. Preble's garden has been 

 still more severe. Our true policy is to raise 

 Jicalthy pear stocks, and speedily engraft thein 

 with all the now varieties. J. L. 



Ro.xbuni, JVov. 3, 1828. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



FOOT ROT IN SHEEP. 



The following mode of treatment is recommend- 

 ed for this most troublesome disease in sheep, by 

 a very intelligent and highly distinguished gentle- 

 man residing in Vermont, in a letter to his friend 

 in this city. This gentleman was among the first 

 who introduced the fine woolled sheep into this 

 country, and is now the owner of a very large 

 flock of the finest wooled sheep, many of v/hicli 

 were imported direct from Saxony, and are of the 

 purest blood. The opportunities this gentleman 

 has had, both in Europe and in this country, for 

 investigutiny t'K- causes and »-ffects of tliis disease, 

 renders his advice invaluable ; ami evwy wool 

 grower should preserve these directions as a rich 

 legacy from one of his country's benefactors. 



" By great attention with dry, liilly, sound pas- 

 tures, the constitution may be so improved that 

 we may ultimately eradicate this vexatious and 

 injurious disease. My remedy has been as fol- 

 lows : When the sheep were only slightly aflect- 

 ed, to put on one, two or three dressings of blue 

 vitriol, powdered fine, either dry, or mixed with 

 olive oil to the consistence of soft salve, and when 

 the foetid smell has subsided, dress with white 

 lead, thinly mixed with olive oil. When olive oil 

 is not at hand, hogs lard will answer or even dry 

 white lead. If the disease is bad and has taken 

 deep hold between the horn and sensible part of 

 the hough, there is no remedy short of paring 

 away the liorii as far as it appears unsoun<l, and 

 cutting away the livid flesh, when apply the 

 blue vitriol us above, until the fcetid smell has sub- 

 sided, when finish the cure with white lead. The 

 sound flesh may readily be distinguished from the 

 diseased, by the former's bleeding freely, and the 

 blood and flesh having a bright and lively appear 

 ance, like a fresh cut in a healthy part of the 

 body, whrieas tlie diseased part will be of a 

 greenish brown, or hver colour. At this season 

 of the year, when the horny part of the hough is 

 pared oft", it will be necessary to put on a boot 

 made of sheep skin, and moderately tied with a 

 woollen string, round the fetlock joint, to defend 

 the hough from cold and dirt. The boot ought to 

 be daily washed in strong soap suds, and every 

 four or five days replaced with a new one. The 

 sheep ought to be dressed every morning, and be- 

 fore each dressing, the diseased part ought to he 



