292 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



JUXE 



Then shall we say "like produces like," or, shall 

 we say, "like produces like" in quality, but not in 

 size or color. We can say, and perhaps that is the 

 true meaning, corn will produce in a good season 

 corn, and that potatoes will produce potatoes, but 

 that they will produce the same in form or color, 

 we cannot say, when different varieties are planted 

 together. That some varieties of potatoes will nev- 

 er mix in any way, I as yet believe, but that there 

 are many that will, I know, and if a reader of your 

 paper doubts my authority in this statement, I can 

 show him a bushel or more of Jenny Lind or Cali- 

 fornia potatoes, raised from seed planted last sprin^ 

 of light red color, but which were planted close be- 

 side a field of Carters, and when dug last fall, were 

 as perfectly white in color as any Carters I ever 

 raised. In shape and size they are like the origi- 

 nal seed, and the quality remains the same, and in 

 my opinion ever would, if planted beside different 

 varieties forever. That they will mix in color as 

 well as Rohans, Pink-eyes, Early Blues, &c., &c., 

 and diminish in size, by being planted all varieties 

 within one hill or in the same field, I fully believe ; 

 but that they will change or mix in quality I am 

 yet to be convinced. Joseph Blake. 



Ashfield, 1856. 



THE HAPPY LOT. 



O, happy, blest of all his race, 



The man who tills the soil ; 

 Whose spring and harvest hopes in place. 



Come sweet'ning every toil. 

 Were mine a field of waving grain, 



A mead with "cattle sprinkled o'er ;" 

 A wood, to tempt the warbling train j 

 Before my house a grassy plain, 



Descending to some shore ; 



In joyous ease I'd spend my life, 



In spite of Fortune's frown ; 

 Nor e'er like Lot's unduteoua wife, 



Regret the noisy town. 

 Farewell, the counting-house and store, 



Amid the city's din ; 

 My eyes and ears be vexed no more, 

 With, "Lend me, Sir," without the door, 



And "Sir, your note,'' within. 



Lord help the man who spends his days 



In borrowing and lending ; 

 Dogged here and there a hundred ways ; 



Yet times are never mending. 

 Be mine the wagon, plow and spade, 



'Tis man's first destination. 

 With health and plenty more than paid, 

 I'd take my cheer, and shake my head 



At fools of rank and station. Pindab Hatiopt. 



Ivy. — By a little management you may have your 

 vy to cling perfectly. Whenever a branch grows 

 without attaching itself to the wall, cut off the loose 

 part close to a leaf beneath which the attachment 

 is perfect. Continue this process till the wall is 

 covered, and ever afterwards cut away all hanging 

 branches, or by the force of the wind they will de- 

 tach others beside themselves. When the ends of 

 growing ivy once lose their hold, they are never 

 still sufficiently long to bo able to attach themselves ; 

 but, by cutting away to the point of contact, they 

 are enabled to proceed tt) the new growth, and thus 

 hold fast. Cut off the hanging branches as soon 

 as seen ; for, by swinging about in the wind, the in- 

 jury is constantly increasing. 



For the New England Farmer. 



PURCHASING FRUIT TREES. 



Mr. Editor:— Why buy bad fruit trees? I 

 have bought and set within the last nine years, 

 about 400 apples, 175 pear, as well as cherry, plum, 

 and other fruit trees ; and experience has taught 

 me to keep away in future from buying any trees, 

 than such as are of the very best quahty. Indeed, 

 no farmer can afford to set and nurse a bad fruit 

 tree. I bought, nine years ago this time, 60 trees, 

 mostly Baldwins, of Dea. Leland, of Sherborn, pay- 

 ing him 75 cents each, and these trees were set on 

 about one acre in a lot of three acres, and are now 

 as fine trees as I have seen anywhere in my travels. 

 When seven years old, they produced twenty bar- 

 rels of as fine apples as can be found of the kind. 



The next sprmg — eight years ago — I bought 40 

 apple trees from a nursery thirty miles south, and 

 being somewhat particular about the quality, it was 

 agreed that I have my choice out of a large lot of 

 trees, at 31 cents each. These were carefully ta- 

 ken up, brought home, and set on the same lot 

 with the others, and have always been cared for in 

 a like manner. Yet they are so far behind the 

 Sherboi'n trees, that I would gladly pay five dollars 

 each, to make them equal to the first named, and 

 I doubt not there will be twenty dollars difference in 

 ten years more. Two years after this, I went back 

 to Sherbom, and bought 100 more like the first 

 named, and a few more have been bought of Col. 

 Wilder, of Dorchester ; his charge was one dollar 

 each, and altogether the cheapest tree I have ever 

 bought, never having lost a single tree, and all that 

 he has sold me at that price will prove cheaper in 

 the end than the Sherborn trees if given to me, or 

 the 31 cent trees, if the seller had given me ten 

 dollars each to take them for nothing. Now this 

 is my experience and judgment. 



The land on which these trees stand is good, and 

 of the same quality — all ha^•ing been thoroughly 

 under-trenched and drained. 



I have bought within the last four years 150 pear 

 trees of Marshall P. Wilder, of Dorchester, paying 

 him one dollar each, for standards (that is, pear on 

 pear roots,) and never lost a single one by re-set- 

 ting, or otherwise, and many of them gave fruit the 

 second year. All of them had fine, healthy roots 

 and trunks, and have made as much wood as could 

 be desired in the time. Four years ago, a man 

 came on from Long Island with a few hundred 

 quite as good looking pear trees as I ever saw at 

 any nursery, and after selling in Worcester and vi- 

 cinity at 50 cents each, brought to me a ])undle of 

 25 trees, and insisted that I should set them at the 

 side of my trees bought the year before of Col. 

 Wilder, and after much importunity, I permitted 

 him to leave them, which he did, and at this time, 

 the second year after, I have but four alive, after 

 bestowing quite as much labor on them as the oth- 

 ers. I this spring ordered enough from Col. Wil- 

 der at $ 1 each, to take their places ; and I have 

 this morning just finished pulling up the Long 

 Island trees and setting those that I have entire 

 confidence in. Now, Mr. Editor, whilst I feel sore 

 in mind, body and estate, particularly about this 

 last transaction in pear trees, I consider it my duty 

 and privilege to warn all my brother farmers never 

 to buy trees of a travelling agent at any price, as 

 they generally are the gleanings of a badly man- 

 aged nursery ; besides, if you have any reputation, 



