VOl.. XII. NO. 40. 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



317 



ON THE PRESERVATION OP TREES GNAW- 

 ED I5Y MICE. 



Two years ;i^<> we had a Drown Beurre pear 

 tree which stood in a snow-drift, and the mice 



gnawed olf all the bark ro I it more than six 



inches in length. Some time in the S[>rinir with a 

 half inch chisel we cut tin-re grooves, equidistant, 

 extending from the hark above, downward, into 

 the bark below, near the roots; ami accurately lil- 

 ted in three strips, which we took from the limb 

 of another pear tree. All the strips grew fist al 

 the upper ends, but only one at both ends. How- 

 ever it has saved the tree. 



We tried a similar experiment on an apple tree 

 many years ago which proved unsuccessful ; but 

 no grafting wax was then applied as it was in the 

 other ease. We are now satisfied however that em- 

 treatment of the pear tree inight have been more 

 skilful. The ends of the strips ought to reach 

 within the hark both above and below, not less 

 than an inch ; and particular care should he taken 

 that "the line of separation of the wood and the 

 bark should in both stock ami [strip] lie accurately 

 adjusted." We apprehend that owing to some ne- 

 glect of Ibis kind, the lower ends of the two strips 

 were not united. — Genesee Farmer. 



From tile Uenesee Farmer. 

 PEAS. 



The firmers of Great Britain have ascertained, 

 by many years' experience, that no other fallow 

 crops leave the ground in a situation so favorable 

 for a crop of wheat, as leguminous vegetables. At 

 the head of this class may he ranked the pea. 

 "To fallow, and at the same time, to have a shad- 

 ing and ameliorating mild crop growing on the 

 fallow," is the system pursued by the best farmers 

 of that country. 



Lime in the soil is considered indispensable to 

 produce this pulse in perfection ; and where it does 

 not exist in sufficient quantity, the application ol 

 gypsum will be found very beneficial. Nearly all 

 our western lands contain a portion of calcareous 

 matter, which is evidenced by the abundant crops 

 of wheat. As fill- as my experience goes, no other 

 crop so effectually subdues and pulverizes a heavy 

 clay soil, as peas. On such soil, fall ploughing i> 

 necessary. Early in the spring roll and harrow, 

 then sow two and half to three bushels of peas per 

 acre, and cover with the cultivator. When tin- 

 crop e es of!', the ground will be found remark- 

 ably mellow, and once ploughing will put it in tine 

 condition to receive wheat. 



By this management, I have raised 20 bushels 

 per acre, and my wheat on the pea ground was 



the heaviest on my farm. In England it is 



unci mm for a large fanner to have 50 acres ol 



peas, ami they find them the most valuable crop 

 for several kinds of stock. Some farmers may say 

 they cannot raise Indian corn in England, and i,n 

 Compelled to fallen their swine with peas. To 

 such I would remark, that a bushel of peas is 

 worth more than one of corn, to bring hogs for- 

 ward early in the season, and is raised with hall 

 the labor. 1 begin to leed my hogs with peas its 

 soon as they are mo old for Hie table, and find thai 

 all is greedily devoured but the straw. I uevei 

 had bogs u> thrive mj rapidly on any other kind ol 

 food. Corn is indispensable in the latter part ol 

 the season to give solidity to pork; but if we wen 

 to plant less corn, and sovv more peas, we shoulo 

 be gainers by the change. 



A celebrated writer on agriculture says, "A crop 

 of peas is so far from exhausting the land, that ii 



may be considered as an excellent and ameliorat- 

 ing manure." Another writer says, " vai ions crops 

 pulverize the soil, and to a great extent prepare it 

 for different crops. Peas for instance are pecul- 

 iarly calculated for preparing the ground for wheat." 



The pea bug (Bruchus pisi) punctures the pod 

 when very young, and deposites an egg. Very 

 lew- crops escape them, except such as are sowed 

 after the 10th of 6 mo. (June.) It will therefore 

 iie best fur every farmer to sovv a part after that 

 lime for seed, or to keep a sufficient quantity over 

 one year. The last method I have found effectual. 

 11', however, the farmer cannot procure seed clear 

 of bugs, let him heut water in a large kettle, and 

 dip the basket containing the seed into the water 

 when in a boiling state ; keep them in not more 

 than (inc minute, then throw them on a floor and 

 strew on plaster. 



I have sowed the small yellow pea, and the 

 marrowfat, but if I could obtain them in sufficient 

 quantity,, I should much prefer Bishop's new tarty 

 dwarf protifie pea, which I have found in my gar- 

 den to lie the most prolific variety. It seldom 

 attains a height of more, than twelve to fourteen 

 inches, and is of fine flavor. When in blossom, 

 they present a beautiful appearance. 



Ontario. 



From the Proceedings of N. York State Agricultural Society. 

 LETTER PROM EARL STIMSON TO J. BUEL. 



Galway, 18th Dec. 1833. 



Dear Sir, In reply to yours of the 23d Novem- 

 ber, requesting some information in regard to the 

 difference between good and bad farming, I submit 

 the following facts : 



When the land was first cleared in this town, 

 being about forty-five years since, its timber con- 

 sisted principally of beach, maple, elm, ash and 

 bassvvood. The soil produced good crops of all 

 kinds; but the farmers neglecting to save and ap- 

 ply their manure, the consequence was that then- 

 crops decreased, and in about twenty-live years 

 the land would not produce more than one half as 

 much on an average as when it was first cleared, 

 and this half cost them more labor iban when the) 

 got Double the quantity of grain or grass. 



The land I now till, at first would not produce 

 on au average more than fifteen or twenty bushels 

 of corn, ten or fifteen bushels of wheat, barley or 

 rye, and from half a ton to one ton of hay pel- 

 acre. I commenced making, saving and applying 

 my manure in the most economical way on tin 

 s uf ice, and ploughing shallow ; and in ten or 

 twelve years 1 found I had brought it back to its 

 original state of fertility, My practice has been 

 to turn over the sod in the fall or spring, spread 

 eight or ten tons of barn-yard manure on an acre, 

 .md lluu plant with corn ; and to follow the corn 

 with barley and glass seeds, putting three pounds 

 clover and four of timothy seed on an acre ; then 

 let it lay two years to grass : then to go over with 

 the same rotation of crops; and my third rotation 

 was first wheat, second corn, third barley to seed 

 Id.wn with, applying about the same quantity ol 

 manure every time 1 turned over the sud. Ill this 

 way, in the course of twenty years, I got some of 

 uy fields to yield from eighty to one hundred 

 inshels of com, thirty-five to forty bushels ol 

 wheat, fifty to sixty bushels of bailey, and limn 

 • wo and a hall to three and a halt tons of hay pei 

 icre, and with less labor, except in harvesting, 

 .ban when 1 did not raise only about one-third oi 

 one-quarter as much. I know from my owu ex- 



perience, that it does not cost one-half, if more 

 than one-third as much, to raise a bushel of grain 

 by good husbandry, as it does by hail manage- 

 ment. 



The farmers have much improved their farms 

 in this town since our State Agricultural Society 

 was organized, and of course their crops have in- 

 creased in proportion. 1 hare no doubt that the 

 money which wis appropriated by the State to en- 

 courage agiic.ilture lias increased the tvealth of this 

 county more than twenty per cent a year since, 

 yet there seems to be a want of enterprise with 

 our farmers in promoting their true interests. 

 The crops in this town were generally good the 

 last season, except corn, which owing to the unu- 

 sually wet and cold season, did not yield more 

 than one-third or one-half a usual crop. I planted 

 a field of four acres, which was in my high- 

 est state of cultivation. Occupied as a pasture I 

 turned over the sod about the first of July, and 

 planted it two feet eight inches apart, vvidi eight 

 rowed yellow corn. When the stalks were fit to 

 cut I had the curiosity to ascertain the weight of 

 the corn and stalks on an acre, and found that I 

 bad 3S,000 lbs. and 26,000 ears of corn. This 

 was the heat ii st growth 1 think, that I ever raised 

 and I have no doubt that there were 150 to 160 

 bushels of corn when fit io crib. 



Respectfully, yours, Earl Stimson. 



TO RENDER LEATHER, &c. WATER PROOF. 



Take 100 ills, of the best linseed oil; add 1J 

 Ibs. acetate of lead, 1J lbs. of calcined amber, 1£ 

 lbs. white lead and li lbs. very fine powdered pum- 

 ice stone, well ground and mixed together — must 

 be boiled in the oil for ten hours, over a moderate 

 lire to prevent the oil from burning. This var- 

 nish should be of such a consistence that, wbeu 

 mixed with a third part of its weight of pipe clay 

 it will be as thick as treacle. It is left to settle 

 eight days, and is then passed through a lawn sieve. 

 The next process is to grind, in a solution of strong 

 glue, as much pipe clay as amounts ill weight to 

 a tenth part of the oil employed, and to mix it to 

 the consistence of ointment ; adding the varnish 

 by degrees and stirring it well with a wooden spat- 

 ula or stick. This varnish must be repeatedly 

 stirred, lill it become perfectly fluid ; and then the 

 desired tint is given by adding a fourth part of the 

 color, ground in oil. 



The linen must be stretched upon a wooden 

 frame ; and the composition applied upon it with a 

 large spatula, 3 inches broad mid 9 inches long. 

 The frame is then inverted, and the operation re- 

 peated upon the other side of the cloth : It is then 

 left to dry for a week, and separated from the 

 frame for use. — This cloth may be used for covers 

 for carriages, &c. 



For leather and skins, the same composition is 

 used, but to give to the surface a smooth and bril- 

 liant appearance, the following varnish is employed, 

 'fake 5 Ibsi oil of varnish, and an equal weight of 

 well clarified resin; boil them together until the 

 resin is dissolved ; then add 2 lbs. oil of turpentine, 

 having the color to be given to the varnish ground 

 in it, and passed through a lawn sieve. This var- 

 nish to be applied with a brush. When the varnish 

 is thoroughly dry, it must be rubbed even with a 

 pumice stone and water, and then washed clean. 

 Two or three coats being applied, and each suffer- 

 ed to dry two or three days, produces a brilliancy 

 qual to that of Japau lacke» — French paper. 



