2S-1 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



aiARCII 14, 1838. 



(For the N. E. Farmer.) 



AGRICULTURAL MEMORANDA. 



Alllioiigli to the eye of the cursory observer the 

 suaiincr presents tlie best eviclciice of a good ag- 

 ricuhtiral district, and of good hiisUaiidry, exem- 

 plied in rich corn-fiehls, and abiindant crops of 

 grass and grain, — yet no season of the year is 

 devoid of distinctive marks, by a little attention 

 to whicli, one may easily aci]nire a good idea of 

 the s;!me. A few inoiitlis residence in the north- 

 ern county of New Hampsliire during the just 

 past vt'inter, enabled the write 

 soine precision the value of 

 even wliere summer struggl ^ 



■ to ascertain with 

 agricultural labor, 

 for existence as ii 



were amidst so many wintry months of the year. 

 The valley of the Connecticut so celebrated for 

 its fertility loses none of its value in agricidtural 

 productions throughout its entire* extent, even to 

 its head waters. At a computed elevation of more 

 than seven hundred feet from the level of its 

 mouth, the intervals of tliis stream and of its nu- 

 merous trihntaries in the vicinity of Lancaster are 

 noted for excellent farms. A prodigious aiul 

 heavy growth of white pine tiudjcr iutorspersed 

 with elm and bultcrnnt formerly covered them, 

 which have given way to the axe of the enter- 

 prising farmer. Thousands of magnificent trees, 

 and of 'first rate timber, then valueless, were de- 

 stroyed by fire, and v hen that was inefficacious 

 were rolled into the river, to be borne away from 

 the scene of toilsome enterprise. After these 

 richer tracts had been taken up, we find the hills 

 denuded of their forest growth and rendered ara- 

 ble. These farms comprise at the present time 

 some of the most productive and valuable. The 

 labor of tillage is greatly increased owing to their 

 rocky character. But as there is usually some 

 compensation for disadvantages in almost every 

 thill" else in the ccononiy of the world, so here. 

 What the farmer loses in fcrtili-y he gains in a 

 more favorable s'uson, avoiding on such exposures 

 and amid a free current of air those early frosts 

 so much dreaded and so destructive. Such a farm 

 is at this moment before me in recollection, clear- 

 ed from the primitive forest about forty years ago, 

 and still occupied by the worthy couple who set- 

 tled among these hills. The good man is strong, 

 vigorous and active and though mort thaLi seven- 

 ty vears of age, accompanied me one winter's day 

 in an excursion to the lofty hill top which rises 

 above liis farm. A panorama of beauty was 

 spread at our feet. Beneath was seen the tol'tu- 

 ous Connecticut now locked up in ice, with als 

 broad intervales ; beyond the grazing farms on 

 the bills of Vermont ; behind rose in majesty tlie 

 range of the White IMountains ; a little farther the 

 fine elevation of La Fayette, almost boundless for- 

 ests, a clearing, a farm house, a village, a quiet 

 and fairy lake, and other objects combined to pro- 

 duce a winter landscape of uncoimnon iulerest. 

 It is upon these hill sides that grain at present 

 seems to do best, although excellent wheat is still 

 grown on the intervales. Little alliMition is paid 

 to fruit, indeed by far too little. The best apple 

 orchardg are to be seen on the hill farm.', the trees 

 firm anil of good growth, but dwarfish and spread- 

 ing. No regard as far as I could learn has been 

 j)aid to the kind of fruit, and most if not all the 

 apples in this vicinity are of natural growth ; and 

 all I have seen exceedingly poor indeed, scarcely 

 fit for any other use than cider making. This 

 peglect seems unaccountable. There can he no 

 re»8oii why good fruit should not be sown, as it 



seems conceded that it is nseasy to grow a good 

 apple as a poor one. Neither can the climate be 

 any objection, for we are aware that excellent 

 fruit is raised in Canada and good orchards are 

 not tincoinmon in the interior of the State. A 

 little p,-iins taken to procure scions from below, 

 or what would he still better from a more north- 

 ern territory would convert the present condition 

 of this part of agricultural pursuits into a better 

 system. We fear that with all the diffusive infor- 

 mation of the present day, our fiirmers remote 

 from cities do not appreciate sufiiciently the im- 

 portance of orcharding. The exjierimenls, which 

 have been crowned with so much success in fat- 

 tening aninuds on fruit, will, it is to be hoped di- 

 rect attention, more to this subject. A farm seems 

 to be destitute of a great portion of its value in 

 our eyes, which does not possess its orchard. — 

 How little expenditure is necessary to set out a 

 few cherry trees, jiears, &c. producing a result at 

 once ornamental and useful. Agricidtural socio 

 ties could not do better than to give ]>remiums 

 and encouragements for the introduction ami 

 growth of fruits suitable to the farm. Hardy va- 

 rieties could he easily and successfully reared by 

 sowing the seeds o( the more valuable and tender. 

 Acclimation of the finer kinds is thus in a few 

 years brought about. We trust that our northern 

 agriculturists will look into this sid)ject more at- 

 tentive'y, as one highly promotive of their inter- 

 est. 



But what the fi'rmer of this vicinity loses in the 

 fruit orchard, he makes up in the sugar orchard. 

 The rock or sugar majile attains a luxuriance of 

 growth which might be expected from the nature 

 of the soil. '1 liese stony and rocky lamis though 

 difficult in tillage, are nevertheless fertile. Sugar 

 orchards are not uncommon. Some of these con- 

 tain three hundred trees, or more. From one of 

 the former six hundred pounds of sugar may be 

 expected, the average produce of two pounils to a 

 tree. Orchards hereabouts, have been thus pro- 

 ductive for thirty years. Indeed it is jiresuniable, 

 that there is no definite limit to their powers. It 

 is a common notion that the sap thickens with 

 the age of the tree, anil thus i.4 more saccharine. I 

 have no means of proving this; and the assertion, 

 presents a quere of some interest to the jihysiolo- 

 gist. Two tons of sugar are made in other places 

 where the orchards are mor<! extensive. The 

 sugar commands the average price of 10 to 12 1-2 

 cts. per pound. The incisions to procure the sap, 

 are made by the axe instead of the auger, the for- 

 mer being considered preferable. This we should 

 question, if any I'egard is to be paid to the dui-a- 

 bility of the tree, 'i'lie consequence of the deep 

 cut with the axe, is a wound long in healing and 

 when healed, the injured part is rendered much 

 weaker, and liable to decay. Plugging the boied 

 trees after the sugaring, would pi'omole their more 

 ready closing of the wounds of the auger, and 

 thus render the tree la|-ger sized than otherwise. 

 Many trees are destroyed l)y the efiect of high 

 winds in breaking those, which have been fre- 

 quently tapped, or rather nicked with the axe. 



During tlie several past sirnrmer-s, owing to the 

 coldness of which, little Indian corn was raised in 

 the Atlantic states, none could be expected i.i this 

 region. Frosts ai-e not unfrequenl at the critical 

 pcuiod of riperiing. Attention to getting the ear- 

 lier northern varieties has sectrred crops notwith- 

 standing the unpropitous characte-.r of the seasons. 

 A return of more genial summers is confidently 



expected. No difliculty Irad been previously ex- 

 perienced in producing fiill and abundairt cropsj 

 Fields of six and seven acres virtirally devoted to 

 '• the golden grain " were not uncommon. Neitheri 

 was it then necessar-y, to be careful aboirt the sort! 

 or vanity. The twelve rowed produced as welH 

 as any other. Other grain has been snbstitiitedi 

 by the cautious farmer, who had learned by ex- 

 perience not to depend on so jirecarious a returw 

 for his la'rors. Our summers cannot continue t« 

 be so cold ; and though it behooves the agricultu- 

 rist to prepare for the worst, yet more favoiablei 

 seasons ti-.ay he anticipateil ; those good old fash 

 ioned hot and brilliant summers, when our corn- 

 fields would pr-oduce tlieir " thirty and fifty fold.'' 

 Whether there be cycles or periodical changes in 

 the weather, is a questioir to be solved by meteo- 

 rologists, nor unworthy their attention; and al 

 thoirgh a warmer summer and a better corn cro| 

 has been prophesied from year to year and thi 

 prophecy has fiiiled, yet hope, that firm friend t< 

 all, establishing its augury on the rude notions o 

 traditional lore, promises from so mild a winter i 

 corresponding hot summer for our next. Bu 

 until better and surer data, such as scientific expe 

 rience can lay dowtr for guides, be prociried, wau 

 lion in the selection of the enrlierand better kind 

 of seed, and attention to the character of the soi 

 will be the safer anil surer modes of procertui'e. 



The other grains with the exception of wlieoj 

 do well. 'Jhe latter has been troubled with " tli 

 fjy," an insect unknown to me, nor have 1 bee 

 able to ascertain much of its habits and characte j 

 Its depredations ar-e fearful, attacking the youtM 

 head and destroying most if not all the grain : »{ 

 that the crop is greatly injured. Some fiehls seeuj 

 more infested with it than others, and until expel 

 iments be made to avoid its ravages or ascertai 

 its economy it will j^iove a serious disturbanc 

 To this end, late sowing has been practised ; an 

 considered a good method, but subjects the grai 

 however to the earlier autumn frosts at a peric 

 in growth little calculated to resist them. Wire 



s genei-ally sown in the sjiring and there is litt 

 winter grain raised. Experience has shown th 

 the spring is iirost favorable, as the long and coi 

 tinired cold destroys that sown in Aittumn. Tl 

 usual yield of wheat at present is about twen 

 birshel to the acre. Of oats, a friend assured n 

 that he had produced on an acre eighty busheli 

 and a still more extraordinar-y instance was givi 

 of eigbty-foirr birshels oir something less than tl 

 sibove quantity of land. The average yield is co 

 sidered about thirty. 



The existence of cereal plants in high northei 

 latitudes, constitittes one of the most inter-estii 

 facts in the |>henouiena of vegetation. 1 hat tl 

 earlh should be periodically cover-ed with an i 

 most endless variety of luxuriant grasses, exact 

 adapted to the necessities of animals and nic 

 and as it becomes expended in its energies for o 

 species, adapts itself for arrother, cannot but e 

 cite our admiration. As we proceed to still mo 

 northern regions, the capacities of man are coi 

 cident with the nature of the productions of t 

 soil. In the absence of grain and of the giass' 

 there is a similar absence of the effects of civilii 

 tion. The Laplander wiih his rvirrdeer gathers 

 mere sulisistcnce from the pulverulent liche 

 which cover his barr-en pastirres in the lieu of t 

 beautiful and cheering herbage ; and the Esqi 

 maux, imnrured in liis hut of ice, or in his snip 

 cabin is scar-cely elevated above the inferior en 



