1856. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



395 



pieces of barbarism are still but too common. A 

 tree so beautiful and lofty, and of such rare dimen- 

 sions, such an ornament to a bare hill-side, sacri- 

 ficed to the straightness of a -wall!" Had this tree 

 been sacrificed for the value of its root and bark, to 

 be used in the manufacture of small beer, I should 

 consider the motives that actuated its destroyers as 

 immeasurably superior to those of the leaden- 

 headed men, who set so high a value upon a math- 

 ematical line. 



I can name another instance that fell under my 

 own observation, in which a noble and valuable tree 

 was sacrificed to Gunter. In the town of Beverly, 

 four years since, there stood, about a quarter of a 

 mile from the E. R. R. station, a Tupelo tree, of 

 krge dimensions, about forty feet in height, and 

 probably one of the largest trees of this species in 

 Essex County. As the Tupelo is very slow in its 

 growth, I have no doubt this tree was 200 years 

 old. A new street was laid out through the field 

 where it grew. The street was named Rantoul 

 Street, in honor of the late lamented Robert Ran- 

 toul, Jr., who was in his youth an "admirable Critch- 

 ton," in all intellectual exercises, and in his ma- 

 ture years one of the most gifted orators and states- 

 men of the age. Had Mr. R. been consulted on the 

 point the tree would have been saved. But the 

 surveyors found that it would come about three 

 feet inside of the road ! It was therefore cut down, 

 though it was the only tree that was worth saving 

 that could be found near the street, from one end 

 of it to the other. 



The other case was one in M'hich a tree, manj 

 years since, was sacrificed to commercial feeling. A 

 gentleman interested in foreign trade was liindercd 

 in making observations with his spy-glass from hh 

 housetop, by a magnificent elm that stood in Bart- 

 lett Street, Beverly, intercepting his prospect of tlie 

 bay. He prevailed upon the individual in whose 

 land it stood, (an old gentleman well stricken in 

 years) to cut it down. For this service he paid him 

 ten dollars, "the price of blood." Had I been the 

 owner of the tree, I should as soon though. t of ne- 

 gotiating for killing one of the old men of my neigh- 

 borhood. But if I had taken the "pieces of silver'' 

 and consented to destroy the tree, after the deed 

 was done, I should feel myself under moral o!)liga- 

 tions to finish the series of enormities which I had 

 commenced, by hanging myself, like Judas, on the 

 next tree that could be found. Piiilo-dendkon 



A Profitable Vixe. — There is in the city of 

 Dayton a grape vine, which is standing beside a 

 well, over which it is trained on an arl)or ; well 

 trained, no doubt, well trimmed too, and in every 

 way well cared for by its excellent owner, Mr. A. 

 M. Clark. 



Besides those used by the family, fifty dollars 

 have been received by the owner this year, from the 

 sale of the surplus produce of this one grape vine, 

 at $3 per bushel. — Western Horticultural Review. 



Cd* We are informed that the writer of the ar 

 tide in our last, headed, "Agriculture in Massachu 

 setts," taken from the Boston Journal, labors under 

 an entire misapprehension of facts in his statements 

 with reference to the farm occupied by Messrs. Da 

 vis and Flint. These gentlemen had no intention, 

 in taking the place, of engaging in model experl 



mental farming, but simply of securing a quiet sum- 

 mer residence. 



FALL PLOWING. 



The advantages of Fall Plowing may be enumera- 

 ted as follows : 



1. In autumn, the team having become inured to 

 work through the summer, is more vigorous and 

 better prepared for labor than in the spring, and 

 other farm work is less pressing in its demands up- 

 on the time and attention than in that bustling pe- 

 riod. Let all the plowing be done which is possi- 

 ble in the fall, and still the spring work would give 

 abundant employment to the farmer and his teams, 

 in drawing manure, cross-plowing, cultivating, har- 

 rowing, &c. 



2. In the fall, low, moist lands are generally in 

 better condition for plowing than in spring lime. 

 We say generally, for this season low, moist lands 

 are decidedly moist, at present. Still, we cannot 

 hope for any better state very early next year, and 

 if plowed as they should be, wet lands w'ill sufi"er 

 very little from water through the winter. 



3. Stiff", heavy soils, plowed in autumn, undergo, 

 by the action of water- and frost, a more thorough 

 disintegration — clays are pulverized and crumbled, 

 and heavy loams and hard pan lands are acted up- 

 on in a like manner and with like benefit. 



4. Heavy, coarse swards, full of rank weeds and 

 grasses, can be better subdued by plowing in the 

 fall — their roots are more apt to die out, and far 

 less liable to sprout again than when plowed in the 

 spring. The turf is better prepared, by its more 

 advanced state of decay, for the use of the crops 

 which may be sown or planted upon it. 



5. Fall plowing disturbs the "winter arrange- 

 ments" of numerous worms and insects, and must 

 destroy a large number of these pests, and also their 

 eggs and larva?. This is a minor advantage, but one 

 worthy of consideration, especially on lands infested 

 with the wire-worm. 



Ihc principal objections to fall plowing are these : 



1. The loss of that fresh friable condition readily 

 permeal)le to air and moisture, and the consolida- 

 tion of the soil by long exposure to changing and 

 stormy weather. This, on soils of a light character, 

 is a very serious objection to plowing in autumn. 



2. Tlie loss of vegetable matter and the gases o 

 the same while in a state of decay, is another disad- 

 vantage. The latter is but a small loss, if the work 

 is done late in the fall, but often, on hill sides, a 

 large part of the soluble and floating organic matter 

 is washed away by the heavy rains of winter and 

 early spring time. The soil is also consolidated by 

 the same influences. Heavy swards thus situated 

 would sustain less injury than light swards or stub- 

 ble lands. 



The advantages and disadvantages of this prac- 

 tice may be appropriately followed by brief direc- 

 tions for performing the work. 



1. Do it in the best manner. 



2. Throw up low lands in narrow beds and cut 

 cro^s furrows and drains sufficient to carry off' at 

 once all surface water. This will obviate one great 

 objection to fall plowing. 



3. Plow deep and narrow furrows — such will 

 best secure the action of the ameliorating influences 

 of frost upon the soil. A rough broken surface is 

 better than a smooth one for this purpose. — Rural 

 JVcw-i-'orker. 



