NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



MAV30, It-SS. 



AND gardener's JOURNAL. 



I , , , 1, ;, the first season of eight I We sliall add some minutes from a former eoramuni- 



last w.nler, 1 have not t '^ ^"^ ,,^^,^ „,„, ^^ ^r Lowell in the N. E. Farmer of 1831, Vol 



successive ones m which the l ujcn ucco | 



through unhurt. 



Boston, Wednesday, May 30, 1838. 



(KurlliP. N. E. Farmer) 



" STATE OF THE SEASON. 



RoXBURY.May 2), 1838. 

 For many years, I published in the New England 

 Farmer, a comparative statement of the season but for 

 the last twoor three years 1 have suspended U,beUev.ng 

 that it was read without interest, or not read at all. But 

 many persons have expressed a regret at my omission 

 of the publication, and this )ear, >n particular, I have 

 been so surprised, a, the shortness of people's memories, 

 and at the peevish complaints oflhe coldness and bacU- 

 wardnessof the spring, that I h.ive resolved to renew 

 .„y old practice. 1 liavo been asked this y.ar, often, Is 

 not this the coldest spring you ever knew.' My an- 

 swer has been, NO. Did you ever know a spring so 

 backwa.d? yes, many. 1 -" '^'^'-"y P.'^^l' °^';^- 

 ion of this spring and its prospects. Dunng 3- 3 ears 

 residence as a cultivator on this spot, 1 have never 

 known a single spring the promise of which was so air 

 ,to,heFarmer-the market gardener-and the Poi o - 

 gist, or raiser of Fruits. Every plant has gone through 

 the winter well, and the fruit trees are loaded with b os- 

 soms The season is among the late ones, and thcr.Jorc 

 hailed by the cultivator as propitious. We dread pre- 

 mature heat, and an early blossoming "f the trees. 1 

 would be tedious to copy all my record for 32 years, I 

 shall therefoie select examples of late and early seasons 

 and compare them with the present one. 



The following trees began to blossom on the days set 

 under their names in the year here under stated. 



Cherry. 

 1813 May 20 

 1815 

 1816 

 1817 

 1818 

 1838 



10 

 G 

 f) 

 17 

 15 



Peach. 



May 5 



May 15 



Plum. 

 May 14 



May 21 

 " 15 



Pear. 



May 22 



May 1 

 " '24 

 " 14 



Apple. 

 May 14 

 »' 6 



May 17 



Let me remark , that I have noted, that ,n 1817 which 

 „as an early year, there were daily frosts which killed 

 clover and the shoots of all the forest and fruU trees fr.m 

 the 13tli to the aOtli day of May inclusive. 



The^ame was true in 1824; Cherries blossomed on 

 the l.t of May ; Plums, Pears, and Peaches on the 4th ; 

 hut I'have minuted, that on the 6th of the same year, 

 the shools of all tender trees were killed by frost. Every 

 careful observer knows, that it is no trifling frost, which 

 can affect trees. The cold on the ground is many de- 

 grees greater, than it is at some feet above the ground. 

 The earliest seas.m 1 have recorded, was that of 1827. 

 In that year, Apricots flowered on .lie 12th of April; 

 Peaches on the ICnh; Cherries on the 21st; Plums on 

 the 26th of the same month ; yet on the same years, Ap- 

 ples did not open till the 12lli of May owing to a spell 

 of cold weather, which checked the flow of the sap. 

 will here repeal, what I have often remarked, that all 

 the seasons, earlv and late, are nearly on a level on the 

 10th of June. The vegetation is so much more rapid, 

 wl en ehccked in the early months that it overtakes the 

 seasons which open.d |„ematurely. It is very familiar to 

 every one, th.it in Uussia and Canada, the seasons are 



as forward as ours, by the heginnin;: """'/^^P,, , 

 , ,/,!„ JOHN LOWELL. 



Broomhy Vale. jv^ni. 



N B Let it be remembered, that in all eases, 1 speak 

 only ofappearances on my own little farm. I compare 



We feel ourselves highly indebted for the foregoing 

 interesting document, winch not having been received 

 until our last paper had gone to p. ess, has been necessa- 

 rily delayed. It will he welcomed by every intelligent 

 and philosophical observer ; and it will be particular y 

 welcomed by the agricultu.al community in this vicinity 

 as an evidence of the improved health and continued in- 

 terest in this great pursuit of one of the best and most 

 efficient friends which the agriculture of Massachusetts 

 has ever had; and who^e public spirited, and disinterest- 

 ed services in this cause have been productive of the 

 o-ieatest benefits to horticulture and agriculture, through- 

 out the state and country. There is no department of 

 agricultural improvement, which has not been essen- 

 Ihilly served by the active, and generous labors of this 

 devoted friend K, the public welfare. In the introduction 

 and cultivation of new and improved variet.es of plants 

 and fruits, the improvement of our live stock, the 

 awakening and maintaining a generous zeal for agricul. 

 tural improvement, a desire for agricultural 1-owle ge 

 „„d a spirit of exact and philosophical experiment, ,n 

 endeavors to render the profession of agriculture respec 

 table and respected, in efforts to diffuse agricultural ,n or- 

 mation, in the support of agricultural V^'^"'^;'^'^'^'^^'''^ 

 establishment of the botanical garden and the horticul- 

 tural society, in getting up and maintaining with unaba- 

 ted spirit cattle shows and ploughing matches, and ,n 

 promoting every where a taste for rural ^f '-7" ""'' 

 embellishments there is no gentlemen to who,., the com- 

 munity is more deeply, may we .rotsay in truth, so deep- 



Iv, indebted. 



We have thought it would be interesting as mat- 

 ter of philosophical inquiry to subjoin some notices 

 ofthe progress of vegetation taken many years earlier 

 than any with which Mr Lowell has furnished us. 



The following are from Observations of the Progre s 



of Vegetation made at Cambridge from 1-93 .0 1-90 .n- 



elusive by James Winthrop, Esq. F. A, A. and F. H. fe. 



Time of Blossoming. 



1793 1794 1795 



April 29 April 29 May 10 



.1 noticing the state of that season which he considered 

 earlier upon the whole than any, which had occurred 

 for seventeen years. Blossoming in 1831. 



Cherries, April 23. 

 Pears, May 1. 



Apples " 6. 



We add the minutes of the season of 1829, which wrb 

 considered a very late season. 



Asparagus cut. May 1. 



Apricot blossomed " 3. 



Cherry " " 9- 



Pear " " 14. 



Apple " " 15- 



We hope these minutes, which we know will be read 

 with great interest, will be the means of inducing many 

 Olheis to keep exagt records of the state of the season 

 and the progress of vegetation; and of inducing many, 

 who, we know have long been in the habit of making 

 such observations, to favor us with their journals.— 

 This we respectfully ask of them as a substantial public 

 benefit. 



Plant. 



Apple, 



Pear, 



Plum, 



Peach, 



Cherry, 



1796 

 May 4 



April 16 

 " 20 

 " 17 



19 



23 

 93 



,. 7 



April 27 



May 6 



April 30 

 '• 23 



" 27 



To this we shall add a memorandum of the ripening 

 of several fruits and esculent plants, as it occurred m 

 the garden of the same gentleman. 



^■uit. 1793 1794 1795 1-96 



Asparagus, Aprrl.15 April 20 April 20 April 24 

 Strawberries. May 27 May 27 June 11 June ^3 



June 



Pease, 

 Cherries, 

 String beans. 

 Raspberry, 

 Turnips, 



Aprii-nts, 



Nectarines, 



Peaches, 



Plums, 



Melons, 



Grapes, 



Gooseberries, 



Currants, red, 

 white, 

 black, 



Juni 



Aug 



28 

 29 

 15 

 26 

 20 

 1 



June 27 



Aug. 15 

 Aug. 



(1 



'< 30 



July 3 

 July 24 



Aug. 20- 



Aug. Aug. 29 



>° 15 ■ " 20 



" 28 Sept. 12 



July 16 July 



June 25 June 29 



« 25 " 25 



July J6 Aug. 



MECHANICS FAIR AND EXHIBITION IN PORT- 

 LAND. 



We have receiveil a Circular from the Maine Me- 

 chanic Charitable Association, announcing their inten- 

 tion to bold a Fair and Exhibition for Premiums in the 

 city of Portland, on Monday the 24th of September 

 next. We are very glad to see this movement and hope 

 It will prove eminently successful. We cannot gather 

 from the Circular whether its doors are open to compe- 

 tithm to the mechanics and manufacturers of other states 

 than Maine, as this is not distinctly stated ; but we are 

 disposed to infer that this will be the case ; and the ex- 

 hibition of the improvements and inventions ofthe citi- 

 zens of other states, will serve to stimulate the enter- 

 prise and ingenuity of its own people. The articles may 

 be received between the 1st and 20tli of September. 



The principle of Emulation, though to be rejixted in 

 .ill matters pertaining to morals and religion, when ap- 

 plied in all matters of business or art, in n.cchanics anc 

 a..rici»ltnre. engendeisno malignity and never fails to k 

 productive of the best results. The exhibition of th. 

 l-ist year in Boston, so various, curious, magnificent, an. 

 brilliant as it was, diffused an immense amount of use 

 ful information, awakened and encouraged an honoiabl 

 pride, which every patriotic citizen feels in the im 

 provements of the community in « hich he lives; im 

 parted a vast deal of pleasure ; brought noble contribu 

 ti'ons to the cause of charity, and gave an impulse tome 

 chauical enterprise, invention, and industry, which wi 

 not fail to result in new abridgments and alleviations . 

 human toil, in a vast increase of the productive pow, 

 ofthe Commonwealth, and in multiplied and multifor 

 contributions to the useful arts, to the comforts, the ei 

 bellishmeiits, and the innocent luxuries of life. 



Sept. C 

 " 6 

 » 3 



Aug. 27 

 " 17 



July 



June 20 

 " 28 



OIUCK, J - . . _ 



The above tables it will be seen are quite imperfect. 



;:^,: ::::;:::::: ::^:rr: ::;J::Ze. \ .. .. .cord, are very vamable and interesting 



Tulips —Mr Walker has again opened, at his gard- 

 in Roxbury, his beautiful cxhibiti.m of Tulips. I 

 has we believe, pursued the culture of this beauti 

 flower with greater care and success, than any otl 

 person in this vicinity, and the result is more strik, 

 than any one who has not seen exhibitions of the kii 

 can well imagine. We do not hesitate to reconim* 

 this beautiful show as well deserving of attention 

 Daily Mvcrliier. 



