1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



221 



Mr. Brooks, of Princeton, inquired as to the 

 profits of growing orchards — whether it would 

 pay ? The general expression was that nothing 

 could be done more advantageously on our farms 

 — but no one appeared prepared to present an 

 account stated. 



Mr. Dodge, of Sutton, spoke of his culture 

 of orchards, and of the decided benefit to be ex- 

 pected from such culture. 



Mr. Joel Lake, of Topsfield, spoke of his ex- 

 perience of twenty years in the culture of trees. 

 The first thing, he said, was to find the right place 

 to set them ; the next was to take good care of 

 them after they were set. This being done, 

 there was no doubt an orchard would pay, and 

 pay liberally, too. 



The President named several other varieties of 

 pears and apples particularly worthy of culture. 



Several other gentlemen narrated their expe- 

 rience. The meeting was prolonged to past ten 

 o'clock, and all appeared to be satisfied that their 

 time had been well spent. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 CULTURE OP KOOTS. 



Are roots, such as beets, carro.t", turnips, pars- 

 nips, &c. &:c., worth cultivating as feed for stock? 

 It had not occurred to me to think otherwise, un- 

 til I saw the suggestion in the Farmer of this 

 date (March 6th) — and forsooth because so large 

 a proportion of their substance proves to be loa- 

 ter. Admit this to be so, it by no means follows 

 that they may not be the best of feed. We have 

 vei-y imperfect ideas of the processes of nature, 

 by which the size of animals or the growth of 

 plants is advanced. We have no such Avell es- 

 tablished analyses as will enable us to lay down 

 certain rules on the subject. What though it 

 should prove, on examination, that potatoes 

 are composed of three-fourths parts of water — 

 docs this prove they are not fit to sustain animals 

 that feed on them ? and that the animals would 

 thrive just as well, on taking the same quantity 

 of water, in a diflerent form ? I think not. I 

 have seen animals that had constant access to the 

 purest fountains of water — but it never occurred 

 to me to think that water alone would sustain 

 animals. We know just about as much of an- 

 imal growth, as we do about soil analysis which 

 is in fact nothing at all, notwithstanding the puifs 

 of certain persons to the contrary. Essex. 



March 6, 1858. 



Pea Bug. — The editor of the Ohio Farmer 

 recommends every one to steep their peas in boil- 

 ing water, in order to kill the pea bug, and thus 

 lessen the reproduction of this insect, which all 

 lovers of peas detest. If all would do this, we 

 have no doubt it would soon lessen the preva- 

 lence of the nuisance. It is also suggested that 

 the remainder of the crop, or those not intended 

 for seed, be exposed to a slight kiln drying in the 

 fall or winter, to destroy the "bug." 



LETTER FROM THE SANDWICH 

 ISLANDS. 



[From our own Correspondent.] 



Makawao Maui, Hawail^n Islands. ) 

 December 15, 1857. \ 



Editors New England Farmer : — Gentle- 

 men, — The earth at Makawao and Kula, our 

 wheat- growing country, is now being "visited, 

 watered, and greatly enriched with tlie river of 

 God which is full of water." Blessed be His name, 

 giving doth not impoverish our heavenly Bene- 

 factor. How suitable that husbandmen, of all 

 others, may I not say, should feel deep emotions 

 of gratitude to God. How much of Him, so to 

 speak, do they see. How much is he doing for 

 them. Your readers are all familiar with the lines 

 of Pope which many a schoolboy in each eSbrt at 

 learning to speak has spouted : — 



"Ask to what end the heavenly bodies shine, 

 Earth for whose use ? Pride answers 'tis for mine ; 

 For me kind nature wakes her genial power, 

 Suckles each herlj and spreads out every flower. 

 Annual for me the grape, the rose renew 

 The juice nectareous, and the balmy dew." 



This is indeed ridiculous enough uttered by a 

 vain and ungrateful recipient of the divine boun- 

 ty. But substitute husbandman for Pride, and 

 give him a humble heart, a grateful temper, and 

 he may well adopt the language of the poet. 

 Surely for his use is the earth who cultivates it, 

 and for his special benefit do the heavenly bodies 

 shine, warming the bosom of the earth and caus- 

 ing it to bring forth abundantly for his suste- 

 nance. Who can deny that for the husbandman 

 more than for any other mortal, doth God cause 

 nature to wake her genial power, clothing the 

 fields with beauty and fruitfulness ? Is it not a 

 pity that so few of this class, numerous and 

 strong for labor, seem to understand the dignity 

 and importance of their calling ? I say, "so few ;" 

 for though I am happy in the belief that the 

 number is increasing, still I fear that multitudes 

 of farmers hold on to the cultivation of Ihe soil 

 •not because they delight in the employment, but 

 because they know of no other way of obtaining 

 a livelihood. They toil away like bond slaves, 

 and some of them, perhaps, determine secretly to 

 abandon their occupation, as soon as they can 

 find some other business more congenial to their 

 tastes. Is it not a pity that this noble, invigorat- 

 ing, God-given employment should be thus slight- 

 ed, not to say despised, by so many sons of New 

 England ; that so many of them should pine for 

 the city while the means of health and compe- 

 tence, with peace of mind and manly intelligence, 

 lie all about them in the SM'eet country air and in 

 the soil which may be truly said to have nour- 

 ished and brought them up from their birth ? 

 Who would exchange these for the heat and con- 

 finement and the temptations of a crowded city ? 

 Many have done so to their great loss. 



Need I then exhort your readers to be awake 

 to the importance of agricukural pursuits, or to 

 suggest that they educate as many of their sons 

 as possible in the mysteries of farming ? Even 

 should one-half of them choose a professional 

 life, it would be no disadvantage to them to un- 

 derstand the theory of fanning, and enough of 

 the practice, too, to carry with them to the pul- 

 pit, or to the bar, or to the sphere of the physi- 

 cian's practice, a vigorous constitution. The read- 



