398 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



CELERY PLANTS. 



Is there any danger of getting too much, or too 

 strong manure, especially liquid, around celery 

 plants after they get fairly to growing ? (a.) 



Do they require more water than most other 

 plants ? (6.) 



Do you draw the soil about the stalks until they 

 are nearly grown ? (c.) 



Why not set the plants upon the top of the 

 ground and then hill up ? (il.) 



Thorndike, Ms., 1856. J. B. Thomas. 



Remarks. — (a.) There is. A liberal, not an 

 excessive, manuring, is all the plant requires. Es- 

 pecially, unfermented, liquid manure should not be 

 freely applied. 



(6.) When first transplanted celery requires wa- 

 tering and a soil quite moist ; after that, perhaps 

 no more moisture than beets or parsnips. 



(c.) For winter use, there is no need of drawing 

 the earth about the plants, until within two or 

 three weeks before frost is expected, say about the 

 first of September, and then do it at once, keeping 

 the leaves carefully gathered up. 



(d.) A slight trench of three or four inches we 

 regard as more convenient than a level, or a trench 

 of a spade's depth. Without any trench it is diffi- 

 cult — without removing a large amount of earth — 

 to cover the stems of the plants ; and with a deep 

 one the earth is constantly roiling down and ob- 

 structing the young plants. 



CEDARS AND OTHER EVERGREENS. 



In reply to your question "what ails the cedars," 

 I would say, that althou,i^h not living in a cedar 

 country, I o'iserved a similar ap])earance with oth- 

 er evergreens, especially the hemlock, quite early 

 in spring. I at first attributed it to the extreme 

 cold of the past winter, ')ut on further investiga- 

 tion I found the windward side of the tree was most 

 discolored, and tho-e trees which are rigid, like the 

 common spruce, and not easily whipped about by 

 the wind, w-ere mostly fi'ee from blight. 



In this section we had an unusual number of 

 high \nnds late in winter and early in spring, and 

 the snow was in many jilaces, even at a distance 

 from any trees of this variety, tliickly strewn with 

 small hemlock boughs and twigs, and I have come 

 to the conclusion that the destruction of the ever- 

 greens is the effect of very severe and long con- 

 tinuous winds, when the leaves and small branches 

 were frozen so as to prevent their natural freedom 

 of motion. Wm. F. Bassett. 



CROPS IN CHESTER CO., PENN. 



The harvest is mainly gathered, excepting oats. 

 Grass was light, owing to dry weather. Wheat is 

 an average crop. Corn is backward, partly owing 

 to being late planted and wet spring. Some sup- 

 pose the cause to spring from sowing corn taken 

 from the bin, that was gathered before it was fairly 

 ripened. Early potatoes here are an entire foil- 

 ure, and if there is not rain soon, the late ones will 

 be cut off. Our pastures and fields are nearly 

 burnt up. r, 



Louisville, Chester Co., Penn., July 19, 1856. 



LAxNGSTROTH'S BEE-HI\'E. 



The price of these hives varies from $2 to $6, 

 according to the manner in whicli they are made. 

 The $6 hives are double, but they are not so con- 

 venient as the single hive. 



Langstroth's book on bees, we believe is for sale 

 at the book-stores in this city; perhaps at the 

 Warehouse of Nourse, Mason & Co. 



APPLE TREE BORERS. 



!Mr. Brown : — Will mulching apple trees in- 

 crease the working of the borers in them ? I had 

 a number of small trees in my garden, around 

 which I put some straw, last spring to the depth of 

 about 4 inches ; on taking them up this spring, I 

 found but very few that did not contain borers, 

 and many were entirely destroyed, having the whole 

 centre taken out, and it is very difficult to find thera 

 without taking the tree up by its roots. Perhaps 

 you, or some of your correspondents, can tell me of 

 some remedy that will keep them out. 



BARREN GRAPE VINTS. 



I have a grape vine of a productive kind, taken 

 from a productive vine, and grows with other vines 

 that produce well annually, which blossoms full 

 every year, and yet has never born a grape — and 

 also those taken from this by layers are like it. 

 Can any of the readers of your valuable paper tell 

 me the reason, or give a remedy ? 



Middlebury, Ft. 11. W. SHELDON. 



Remarks. — We are inclined to believe that 

 mulching trees close to the stems is an invitation to 

 the borer ; that is, other things being equal, he will 

 take the mulched tree in preference. In mulching 

 it is not necessary to place the material near the 

 stem — it is better to place it over the tender roots 

 farther off. Then in the winter this mulching in- 

 vites mice, and must be removed. 



The grape vine spoken of is undoubtedly what 

 is called a male vine. They are not rmcommon — 

 blossoming, giving out a delightful fragrance, and 

 setting the fruit, but never perfecting it. 



STRAWBERRIES. 



G. p. Sanborn, Esq., of Chelmsford, has picked 

 from sixteen square rods, or one-tenth of an acre 

 of ground, 450 boxes of strawberries, this season, 

 which were sold in this market for 25 cents per 

 box. Being at the rate of 4,500 boxes per acre. 



Lowell, July 5, 1856. A Subscriber. 



MORRILL HORSE. 



Is there a horse known as the Morrill Horse ; if 

 so, where kept, and what is his pedigree ? 



Bridgewater, JV. H. J. w. b. 



Will I. G. W., of Marlboro', N. H., inform me 

 through the Farmer to what variety of plum the 

 scion that grew nearly twenty feet in one season 

 belonged — and into what variety of stock it was 

 grafted? M. M. J. 



