1859, 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



451 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 



WINTER-KILLING OF TREES. 

 In a recent number of the Fanner, one of its 

 most closely observing correspondents offered 

 a few suggestions relative to statements which I 

 had made in relation to the winter-killing of 

 fruit trees iu Maine. His suggestions are im- 

 portant, and in the main, correct. He is, how- 

 ever, mistaken in supposing that the killing al- 

 luded to was effected by the hard frosts of au- 

 tumn. One proof is found in the fact that no 

 loss was suffered in any grade of nursery trees, 

 in any situation below the surface line of the 

 snow as it lay at the time when the thermometer 

 sunk to the fatal point. The rapid growth of the 

 Baldwin is not the only cause of its winter-kill- 

 ing. I cultivate other varieties which make more 

 growth than the Baldwin, which are not injured 

 by cold that causes mercury to congeal. The 

 Baldwin is a tender variety, I fear too tender for 

 '•eliance in Maine, But I agree with your cor- 

 espondent that it is not best to be discouraged, 

 or another generation may pass before we have 

 another winter as fatal as the last, and that two 

 years preceding. At any rate, the Baldwin must 

 not be forced too hard in its culture in northern 

 latitudes. J. S. Swift. 



WHEAT — TOP-DRESSING, 

 Can you give me any information with regard 

 to a kind of wheat called weevil-proof winter 

 wheat, and whether it is true to its name or not. 

 I hav-- often thought that if there is such a kind 

 of grain that would be suitable to our climate, it 

 would be a blessing to us farmers to have it to 

 cultivate. There is also another kind of grain 

 called Speltz, a kind of wheat, I believe ; the 

 heads grow very long, and when threshed, the 

 kernel remains in the shuck. I had a few ker- 

 nels of each of these kinds sent to me in a letter, 

 and I sowed them in my garden ; I see no signs 

 of weevil about them, but how it would be as a 

 field crop, I do not know. 



Is there anything that would make profitable 

 top-dressing for grass land where there is not 

 enough manure to go over all ? Would lime, su- 

 perphosphate of lime, guano, or any of the nu- 

 merous fertilizers, be profitable for such ? Should 

 all top-dressing be put on in the fall ? 

 Barnet, Vt., Avg., 1859. Some Anon. 



Remarks. — We have never heard of the wheat 

 you speak of. 



A top-dressing for grass land of clear yellow 

 loam is valuable. Lime would undoubtedly be 

 useful, but whether it would be profitable, would 

 depend upon circumstances. So with super- 

 phosphate and guano. 



TO "A LOVER OF GOOD PICKLES." 

 My plan is to select cucumbers of small size, 

 throw them in cold water a few hours, place in a 

 small tub; cover with vinegar that is not very 

 strong— in about two weeks pour it off and re- 

 place with good vinegar that has been scalded, 

 skimmed, sweetened slightly and spiced with 

 ginger, cassia-buds, lemon-peel, &c. Pour the 

 vinegar over the fruit while hot ; when cool, set 

 it in the cellar and stir often enough to prevent 



a scum forming over it. Should the vinegar be- 

 come fiat, replace it with more prepared in the 

 same manner. I have so preserved them the 

 last two or three years, and find no difficultv in 

 keeping, unless placed upon the dinner- table". 

 Futney, Vt.,Aug. 8, 1859. H, E. H. 



CROPS OF THE SEASON. 



I just now met my neighbor Huntington, and 

 inquired of him as to the prospect of the crops 

 of the season. He said he should have very lit- 

 tle, comparatively, for the market— full three- 

 fourths of his onion crop having been destroyed 

 by the maggot. I asked him what he thought of 

 the use of guano, as a preventive of the mag- 

 got. "Nothing at all," said he. "The best onions 

 I have, are on a part of the Whiltridge lot, 

 where I applied no feriillzer of any kind. It hap- 

 pened in this way — my manure gave out before 

 1 got through planting, and I thought I would 

 try the remaining rows without any manure at 

 all. I shall have more good fair onions on these 

 rows, than on all the rest of the lot. I give you 

 the facts as he stated them." There is no mar 

 among us, whose word would go farther than 

 that of Benjamin Huntington. 



Aug. 4, 1859. South Danveus, 



THE WILD CARROT, 



Can you inform me the most ready way to ex- 

 terminate the wild carrot, so called ? 



Chilmark, Aug., 1859. John Hammett. 



Remarks. — Where the wild carrot has become 

 quite numerous, we doubt whether it can be ex- 

 terminated short of plowing and cultivating the 

 ground with other crops. If the land is well 

 plowed, manured and cultivated, and given a 

 crop of potatoes or corn, and then properly 

 seeded to grass, the grass will be quite likely to 

 take precedence of everything else, 



TWO years' OLD PICKLES, 



Henry J. Durgin, Shaker Village, N. H., 

 has sent us a bottle of pickles which he stales 

 are two years old. They are hard, sound and 

 fine flavored. He also states that it takes but 

 forty- eight hours from the time they are taken 

 from the vines to make them perfect. Any one 

 desirous of knowing his process may communi- 

 cate with him as above. 



The Massachusetts Dog Laav. — Our legisla- 

 ture, at its last session, passed a pretty stringent' 

 dog law, which we hope has gone into vigorous 

 operation. In some towns we have been gratified 

 to see that its provisions have received decided 

 action, and that there is an evident diminution 

 of that worse than worthless property. Read the 

 extract below. 



What our Dogs Cost us. — We extract from 

 the Assessor's returns to the County Auditor, 

 says the Belmont (Ohio) Chronicle, the amount 



