232 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 





Now I would leave all the land to woods not 

 convenient to till, or fertile enough to yield good 

 pasturage. By so doing a great addition would 

 be made to the wealth to be enjoyed by the next 

 generation. 



There can never be another period while man 

 exists upon the earth when coal-fields and peat 

 bogs will be formed by a luxuriant vegetation. 

 It is but a needed economy to save the woods, 

 and allow as many trees as possible to grow for 

 the future, AV. D. B. 



Concord, Mass., Marcli, 1858. 



For the New England Farmer 

 EXPERIMENTS WITH PEAS. 



Mr. Editor : — Last spring I received from a 

 friend the following new varieties of peas — a 

 description of which I send you, together with 

 samples of the same. 



Daniel O'Leary. — Planted May 10th. First 

 mess gathered July 13th. It does not seem to 

 be a good bearer. 



Harrison's Climax. — Planted May 12th. First 

 mess gathered July 22d. Very productive and 

 delicious, and bids fair to become a valuable va- 

 riety. Wrinkled and much resembling in ap- 

 pearance the Champion of England. Height 2^ 

 feet. 



Ilarrison^s Alliance. — This, with the one above 

 and two following, were planted at the same time. 

 First mess gathered July 20th. It is a wrinkled 

 variety of a straw color, fine quality and nearly 

 equal to the Climax. Height 2^ feet. 



Harrison's Perfection. — First mess gathered 

 July 20th. A very good pea, and like the others, 

 great bearers — one vine producing seventeen cods. 

 Partially wrinkled and of a straw color. Height 

 2^ feet. 



Harrisoii's Glory. — A green variety, partially 

 ■wrinkled, of splendid foliage, good quality and 

 much promise. First mess gathered July 22d. 

 Height 21 feet. 



Dwarf Green Mammofh. — Planted April 29th. 

 First mees gathered July 30th. It does not 

 seem suited to our climate. Many of the cods 

 were imperfectly formed, and in most instances 

 contained but three or four peas in each. The 

 expectation Avhich Ave had formed of it Avas far 

 from being realized. Height 2i to 3 feet. 



Wane's King of the Marrows. — This is a pea 

 of high character, but its growth has been so wild 

 and luxuriant that Ave have not been able to fix 

 its period of maturity. Two feet and a half Ave 

 Avere told was its usual height — but in our grounds 

 some of the vines measured nine feet and a half. 

 One of the largest and finest peas. 



Of all the European varieties which we have 

 ever tested, none (everything considered) seem 

 so well adapted to our climate as the Champion 

 of England. It often fails, however, in very dry 

 locations. Rich, moist land is its delight, and on 

 such only can it be grown in its greatest perfec- 

 tion. A decided advantage is gained we think 

 b) sticking peas. They continue longer, are 

 sweeter, more prolific and less liable to mildcAV 

 than those suff'cred to lay on the ground. From 

 July 10th to Oct. 20th, we were by successive 

 planting enabled to pick a mess of peas every 

 day. Yours truly, Andreav Lackey. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 FLAX—POTATOES AND PEAS. 



Mr. Broavn : — Last summer I accidentally met 

 Mr. John Boyle, Avho is mentioned below in an 

 editorial notice from the Mercantile Jouryial of 

 Jan. 5th, 1858, published at Belfast, in Ireland. 



Mr. Boyle is a very intelligent man, of Irish 

 birth, now residing at Leeds, in England, where 

 he is employed by a company to introduce the 

 culture of flax. He and I had "walks and talks" 

 together through old Ireland, and I have recently 

 received from him a letter making inquiries about 

 the flax culture in this country, and the prospect 

 of success if he should come here. We cultivate 

 very little flax hereabouts, and if you or any 

 reader of the Farmer can give any information 

 on the subject, I should like to see it j)ublished. 

 Mr. Boyle also sent me the paper from which I 

 cut the following, worth noticing for the singu- 

 larity of the leading thought, if nothing more. 



H. F. French. 



Exeter, N. H., Feb. 15, 1858. 



THE POTATO DISEASE. 



We publish in our seventh page a very im- 

 portant letter, addressed to the editors of the 

 Leeds Mercury, pointing out an easy, and, as the 

 writer reports, effectual remedy for this destruc- 

 tive malady. Our attention Avas drawn to this 

 letter by Mr. John Boyle, of Leeds, Avho knoAvs 

 Mr. Jackson well, and has every confidence in 

 his report. We strongly recommend our agri- 

 cultural friends to try Mr. Jackson's plan next 

 spring, as Ave have no doubt of it leading to sat- 

 isfactory results. 



REMEDY FOR THE POTATO DISEASE. 



To the Editors of the Leeds Mercury : 



Gentlemex : — In your supplement of the 28th 

 November last, you have an extract from a letter 

 in the Agriadtural Gazette, respecting the inser- 

 tion of peas into potato sets, with a view to coun- 

 teract the disease which is and has been so very 

 prevalent in the growing of that very important 

 root. Eleven years ago, Avhen that disease had 

 made its appearance, and was exciting a great 

 deal of consternation in the minds of both pota- 

 to growers and consumers, I made the same ex- 

 periment. I do not lay any claim to originality. 

 I believe it emanated Avith an English farmer in 

 Belgium, and Avas the result of the merest acci- 

 dent. Some idle boys in his field, Avho ought to 

 have been setting potatoes, amused themselves 

 by thrusting hard peas Avhich they had in their 

 pockets into the sets Avithout the farmer's knowl- 

 edge, and planted them in that state. The farm- 

 er's attention was directed to the fact by his im- 

 mense yield of the peas, growing in connection 

 with his potatoes, and his astonishment Avas still 

 greater Avhen, on taking up his crop, these Avere 

 all sound and free from disease, while he was suf- 

 fering very much in other parts of the field. By 

 making inquiries amongst his servants, he dis- 

 covered how the circumstance had arisen, and com- 

 municated the Avhole facts to the English newsi)a- 

 pers. Mr. Joseph Bower, chemist, of Hunslet, 



