NEW ENOL-ANB FAMMEM. 



Published by John B. Russell, at M. 52 Mirth Market Street, (at the Agricultural Warehouse). — Thomas G. Fessemden, Editor. 



VOL. VII. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 1829. 



No. 40. 



HORTICULTURE. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



FINE NATIVE PEAR. 



Epargne Pear, in the vicinity of Boston, is by 

 most persons considered a native ; the tree having 

 thorns is thought to be further proof This pear 

 is one of our finest summer fruits, and is much 

 cultivated by a few of our best farmers. It will 

 not keep long, decaying sometmies soon at tht 

 core ; size and form like a middling sized Jargon- 

 elle, neck not quite so long, flesh rises a little on 

 one side of the stem — color dark green, covered 

 with some russet ; a brovvu blush on the sunny 

 side ; as it ripens turns yellow, flesh whitish, 

 very melting and juicy, flavor between our Jargon- 

 elle and Seckle. A great favorite with the mnr- 

 ketmen, sells high ; a great and constant bearei 

 where the tree has age — scions will not bear for 

 five, six, and seven years, then increase with their 

 age. Thfe character of the tree is strongly mark- 

 ed. You may know it at a great distance ; makes 

 very vigorous wood, tolerably firm, branches grow 

 strong and very upright, resembling the Lombardy 

 Poplar more than any other tree — blossom large, 

 and open — comes in eating the first of Septem- 

 ber. 



Among others, I have myself doubted if this 

 fine fruit was a native variety. I have lately vis- 

 ited tlie farm of Mr Goddard, in Old Cambridge, 

 and examined the trees. Mrs Godbard stated, 

 she had eaten fruit from the old tree in the pas- 

 ture sixty-five years since, which is now dead ; 

 suckers from it have sprung up, and shoots from 

 the first suckers are now growing and bearing the 

 same fruit as the old tree. Mrs G. also said, the 

 pears increased in size and quality every genera- 

 tion, (this is probably owing to their being placed 

 in richer land.) I cut fine, fair, and large scions 

 from a sucker ten feet high, growing under the 

 last generation, (probably will bear this season) 

 have compared them with the parent tree, and 

 find no difference in the wood. This evidence I 

 think so conclusive, a.-, tu leave no doubt with me, 

 in its right to be ranked a native fruit. Mrs G. in- 

 fiarmed me it was eall>d the Sugar pear. Differ- 

 ent marketmen have presented them in our mar- 

 ket for twenty years, calling them by names most 

 likely to produce a good sale for them. One of 

 them being told by a gentleman who had eaten 

 the fine Epargne pear of France, that the above 

 fruit resembled them, they immediately adopted 

 this name, and it is now only known by it in our 



market, and abroad, as the Boston Epargne 



As this appellation appears to be established, prob- 

 ably it is a good name for it, but our country must 

 claim the credit of producing this superior pear. 



Dorchester, March 27, 1829. S. D. 



FOR THE KEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



FRUITS, &c. 

 [Ejlract of a Letter from York Counly, Pennsylvania, lo the 

 Editor of the New lingland Farmer.] 

 A description in the New England Farmer, of 

 the newly originated varieties of jiears, as you he- 

 come acquamted with them would be accept- 

 able. 



And Mr Buel, or any other gentleman who has 

 a number of newly originated varieties of apjjlcs, 

 varying in their time of ripening, would confer a 

 favor by giving a short description of them, in the 

 Farmer. It is the opinion of many persons here, 

 and particularly further up the Susquehanna, that 

 orchards of natural fruit, last much longer than 

 where grafted trees are planted. But it appears 

 to me that if a good variety of newly originated 

 kinds, such as to keep up a succession in ripen- 

 ing could be |)rocured, that grafted trees of such 

 kinds would be found to make as lasting orchards 

 as when the seedlings or natural fruit is planted. 

 The date of the origin of many of the best kindS 

 of apples now cultivated is not known — and in the 

 orchard they may fail from the age of the variety 

 being great — and I think it is high time attention 

 was paid, by those capable, to provide a succes- 

 sion from new kinds. 



What is meant by boiling pears or apples ? 



What is the most proper and easiest manner to 

 proceed in planting an orchard, after the triangle, 

 diamond, or quincunx form — and what number of 

 hands, or what help does it require ? 



Your friend, 



York County, Pa, April, 1829. M. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



DISEASED SHEEP AND LAMBS. 



Mr Fessenden — Your correspondents, Messrs 

 Heynolds, and B. will please accept my thanks fur 

 their communications in your paper of the 3d 

 inst. I nnist beg leave, however, to difier in opin- 

 ion from them, in regard to the cause of the mal- 

 ad/ which affects, not only my own flock, but a 

 great proportion of the flocks in this region. 



Tln> hay salted when put in the barn, was all 

 expeniled before yeaning comtnenced. While fed 

 on that, my sheep were in good condition. The 

 man who assisted in dividing the flock into the 

 several yards, at the commencement of winter, 

 having occasion to handle a part of the flock some 

 of the last days of January, observed, the sheep 

 were as heavy, and in as good condition, as when 

 driven to the barn. There is little doubt but too 

 much salt may be forced on animals ; but these 

 sheep licked it, when offered them, when fed on 

 the salted hay. Two years ago, my flock was 

 kept, on experiment, through the winter on 1 lb. of 

 hay and a gill of corn to each sheep daily — they 

 came out in good order, with heavy and tight 

 fleeces. Every lamb was reared. Soon after my 

 salted hay was gone, many of the sheep began to 

 grow poor and feeble ; too large a numlrer of the 

 older ones died ; several of the lauibs, yeaned last, 

 may, and some in the prime of life. Dissection 

 showed, that death was caused by what, ive farm- 

 ers, call drying up of the manifolds ; it will amount 

 to dyspepsy in the human subject. Having be- 

 come satisfied that a change of food was absolute- 

 ly necessary to preserve the lives of the flock, and 

 not having a supply of succulent food ; the next 

 best substitute, in my opinion, was Indian corn. 

 About one-half the full allowance of hay was dis- 

 continued, and for nearly four weeks H gills have 

 been given to each sheep daily, with occai^ionally 

 a mess of potatoes. Since this change in diet, the 

 sheep have evidently improved, but one or two 



having grown feeble since. No success atteudetl 

 the eflbrts made to save the lambs disowned by 

 the dams. Yeaning is nearly completed, and al- 

 though there is a less proportion of hard udders 

 for some days past, there is lack of nourishment 

 for the lainbs, and a great proportion die. 



Nearly all the flocks in this region are affected 

 in the same way as mine. No man has tcld me 

 his flock, fed oti hay, is in usual good condition. — 

 Almost the only flock which has done well on 

 yeaning, to my knowledge, has been kept on a 

 gill of corn to each daily, and so much clover that 

 the stalks have been left. A near neighbor with 

 a small flock has improved it of late by a quart of 

 potatoes to each sheep, and so much clover that 

 the stalks are refused. Those who have fed most 

 on other food than hay, so far as my inquiries have 

 extended, have had the best success. Although 

 there are some few, who have escaped hard udders 

 with hay, but have poor and feeble sheep with 

 great loss of lambs, and more or.less sheep. The 

 young cattle in this region are many of them af- 

 fected with the hair falling oft" from various parts 

 of the bodj', about the head have appeared warty 

 excrescences, and eruptions similar to the ring 

 worm on the human body, and are to be seen in 

 a great part of the farm yards. The stock, though 

 bountifully fed, is not in the usual good condition, 

 at this season of the year. 



The above are facts which hare been learned 

 by sad experience, and the most diligent inquiries 

 in my power to make. They are offered for pub- 

 lication us \v-;ll to receive as to give information. 

 If among your numerous correspondents, any one 

 is able to assign a better reason, than the one of- 

 fered by me, tliat the malady is occasioned by the 

 unwholesomeness of the hay grown and cut in a 

 very wet season, and in great abimdance, the pub- 

 lic as well as myself will be benefited by receiv- 

 ing it. 



The prorimate cause of all this evil is dcrange- 

 iTient in the digestive organs ; whatever may be 

 the exciting one. JOHN BARSTOW. 



Anson, 1th April, 1829. 



P. S. April 8th — I have this morning examin- 

 ed a small flock of native and mixed sheep. The 

 owner says his hay was all secured in good weath- 

 er, yet there was but one day that any gum was 

 found on the scythe. The sheep were full fed on 

 the hay alone, until they grew so poor that extra 

 food was necessary to preserve their lives. More 

 than half his lambs are dead. Several udders are 

 in a stale of ulcci-ation, with small pustules, not 

 unlike the chicken pox. Several of the lambs 

 have very sore moutljs, and the blood was drop- 

 iiing from the mouth of one about 8 weeks old. 



B. 



FOB TUE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



INDIA RUBBER USEFUL IN PRUNINCS 

 AND GRAFTING. 



Mr Fessf.nuen — The following fact, disco»- 

 ered by me, may not, perhaps, be useless to ait;- 

 riculture. Last year I cut ofT a native grape 

 vine, v/hich had been set out four years, and wa.i 

 vigorous, in several places, on the first ascending 

 of the sap, about the first of May. I bound tli« 



