1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



231 



institution, cannot fail to produce the most happy 

 influences upon our rural population. It has our 

 hearty sympathy, and warm wishes for success. 



The pleasure of addressing this class, the oth- 

 er pupils of the institution, and the citizens gen- 

 erally, was reserved for us for the evening — this 

 being the first lecture of a series, several of which 

 are to be upon agricultural topics. 



Our stay in town was made agreeable by kind 

 attentions from all with whom we came in con- 

 tact, and especially by the cheerful hospitalities 

 of Gov. CusHMAN and lady, whose guest we were 

 during our brief, but highly interesting visit. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE SEASONS. 



How beautiful is Spring ! Every one hails it 

 with joy, as it conies decked with lovely flowers, 

 and with green robes for all the vegetable world. 

 All Nature, animate and inanimate, is subject to 

 its influence. Birds return from Southern climes 

 to enliven the scene with their cheerful melody. 

 The various animal tribes express their delight, 

 each in its own peculiar manner. Man. too, par- 

 takes of this universal joyousness. The young 

 are jubilant, the eld are electrified, and in a meas- 

 ure rejuvenated, and a grand chorus of admira- 

 tion ascends from every valley and every hill-top. 

 This is the season of promise. 



Summer succeeds. The seed has been com- 

 mitted to the earth, the tender blade is shooting 

 forth, and careful culture and training are needed 

 to insure a crop. Anxiety oft takes possession 

 of the mind, producing a salutary efi'ect by induc- 

 ing a greater degree of watchfulness. Occurren- 

 ces beyond our control may sometimes blight our 

 prospects, yet upon our own exertions, mainly, 

 depends a renumerating harvest. A little neglect 

 is often highly detrimental. This is the season 

 of HOPE. 



Autumn follows, when the promise of Spring, 

 and the hopes of Summer, are to be realized. If 

 we have sown in good soil, and have cultivated 

 the tender plants with proper care, imploring, the 

 while, with grateful and prayerful hearts, the 

 blessing of benignant Heaven, we shall now re- 

 ceive an abundant harvest. This is the season of 

 FRUITION. 



Winter, the season for contemplation, soon 

 arrives, with its icy blasts and howling storms, 

 but he who has acted well his part in the preced- 

 ing seasons, will be prepared for this. Plenty 

 has crowned his labors ; his garners are full, and 

 he may sit quietly and comfortably by his own 

 fireside, undisturbed by wind or storm, and un- 

 scathed by the pinching hand of want. He re- 

 flects upon the past, anticipates the future, culti- 

 vates his intellect, and, with the eye of one who 

 has done his duty, 



'•Looks through Nature up to Nature's God." 



In contemplating the vicissitudes of the sea- 

 sons, he can exclaim with the poet of Nature, 

 "These as they change, Almighty Father, these 

 Are tiut the varied God. The rolling year 

 Is full of Thee." 



Bloomfield, C. W. 



L. Varney. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 APPLE OBCHAE.DS. 



"When doctors disagree, who shall decide ?" 



Mr. Putnam, of Danvers, tells us through the 

 Farmer, that he, and his neighbors, have prac- 

 ticed pruning their apple trees in the spring, for 

 the last fifty years, and as yet have discovered no 

 injurious effects by so doing. But t)ie editor 

 comes out with a good, sound, philosophical ar- 

 gument, to prove that the spring is, of all sea- 

 sons in the year, ihe worst time to prune appie 

 trees. I believe the editor is right, because ne 

 gives his reasons, backed up by long experience, 

 and that experience tried by both rules is worth 

 more than a whole volume of theories. This is 

 the kind of evidence I like, proved by practical 

 experience. Theories are good enough, when 

 proved and made to be facts. It is posj.ible that 

 trees in a good soil, may be practiced upon in 

 the manner friend Putnam has done, and not on- 

 ly "still live," but give signs of good treatment, 

 jet that does not prove that trees thrive best, 

 under such treatment. People are strongly at- 

 tached to old customs, and are ready to follow 

 them, without thinking whether they are right or 

 wrong. I once thought, like many others, that 

 the spring was the proper time to prune apple 

 trees. 



But a few years ago, a man came along with 

 the N. E. Farmer, and told me that if I wished 

 to take one of the best agricultural papers in the 

 country, to just put my name on his book, and my 

 wishes would be gratified. The man looked hon- 

 est, and I took his word for it, and put my name 

 down. I have since learned by reading the Far- 

 mer that the man told the truth. The Farmer 

 told me to leave off that unnatural practice of 

 bleeding my trees in the spring. I took the ad- 

 vice, and that has paid me for the paper ever 

 since. But that is only a small part of what I 

 have learned by reading the Farmer. If I find 

 some articles published in it, written by corres- 

 pondents, that do not seem practical or true, I 

 think them of some value, because they call at- 

 tention and thought upon the subject, and by 

 that means facts are ascertained. 



A man stated some months ago that he raised 

 an enormous crop of wheat, by planting it in 

 hills. The story was incredible, it seemed an im- 

 possibility. But, if it was one-half true, it was 

 valuable information. Because, if it is discovered 

 that a better yield of wheat can be produced by 

 planting in hills or drills, it is an important fact. 

 As we are now upon the wheat subject, allow me 

 a few words upon this head. Why is not wheat 

 more generally raised in New England ? Is it 

 not a profitable crop? Some say it is, others say 

 it is not. Here they disagree again. But there 

 is Mr. A., who raises a good crop of wheat every 

 year, enough for himself, and some to spare. 

 But, there is Mr. B., right by his side, who says 

 he can't do any thing with it ; it will rust and 

 mildew, and is a very uncertain crop, it don't 

 pay. Now where is the trouble ? I rather guess 

 Mr. B. don't take the Farmer. (By the way, I 

 wish the Farmer would say much more upon 

 wheat-growing.) Wheat is one of the staple ar- 

 ticles of food in our country, and its cultivation 

 should be well looked after. It is successfully 

 raised in most all parts of New England, and es- 



