1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



309 



perceived ; but this makes no exception to the 

 principles for a general rotation. Sooner or later 

 this substance will be exhausted, and there would 

 then be a complete failure. 



A single crop of wheat may so deprive the soil 

 of one of its mineral constituents, that another 

 crop of wheat would not grow upon it, and yet 

 the soil may still contain abundant mineral con- 

 stituents for the production of a good crop of 

 clover or turnips. There is no fixed period for a 

 complete rotation. Four, five or six years, is the 

 usual time, unless it be for lands that may ad- 

 vantageously remain a longer period in grass. 

 Rotation may be prevented by keeping up an an- 

 nual supply of the fertilizing agents of the soil 

 equal to what is taken away by the plants. 



Farms were formerly divided into meadow, 

 plow or tillage land, and pasture, and each section 

 was permanently used for these specific purpo- 

 ses, till the meadows were covered with moss, and 

 the tillage ground was so impoverished as to 

 yield inferior crops. The Flemings are the first 

 known to have made rotation a fixed part of their 

 system of agriculture. They insisted that where 

 it was practiced, the land did not need rest, and 

 it was this system which gave their husbandry a 

 pre-eminence over that of every other country at 

 that period. In Scotland, it has been pursued 

 with the very best results. It was also introduced 

 into England, and has become general there, and 

 it is now constantly gaining advocates in this 

 country. I should be pleased to hear more on 

 this subject. J. E. WiGHT. 



Hatfield, Mass. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 PEARS ON QUINCE STOCKS. 



Mr. Editor : — I have read with interest the 

 various suggestions that have recently appeared 

 in your pages on this topic. It would seem, ear- 

 lier fruiting can be attained by the use of the 

 quince stock, and when it is particularly desira- 

 ble to test the variety, this process may be worth 

 following. But when the purpose is to secure 

 permanent trees of superior character, I have 

 seen nothing that commends the insertion of 

 pear scions upon the quince. On the contrary, 

 lam apprehensive that those who have purchased 

 such trees from nursery puffs, will be doomed to 

 have their hopes disappointed. 



It is said pear scions set upon apple stocks, 

 will flourish for a few years and then decay. If 

 this be fact, it is a good reason why it should not 

 be done. Without question, pear scions will 

 grow well on pear stocks. This being so, those 

 who would have pears in greatest perfection, 

 should be careful to start right in their culture. 

 In this, as most other things, "the best way will 

 be found as good as any." * 



May 8, 1858. 



Rejl\rks. — We do not quite agree with our 

 intelligent correspondent in regard to this mat- 

 ter. We can show him pear trees on quince 

 stocks that have been bearing for more than 25 

 years, frequently a barrel of pears each, in a sea- 

 son, and that promise now to bear well for 25 

 years to come. They are set only 8 or 10 feet 



apart, and have proved themselves a capital in- 

 vestment. Plant pear trees on pear stocks if you 

 please, — but unless already enjoying an abund- 

 ance of pears, do not hesitate also to use the 

 quince stock. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 HOW TO OIL A HARNESS. 



We all know that it is of great benefit to oil 

 our harnesses, yet many of us neglect to do it, 

 because we regard it as a dirty job ; but it is easy 

 enough, if done right. My process for doing it 

 is as follows : — First, I take the harness apart, 

 having each strap and piece by itself; then I 

 wash it in warm soap-suds. I used to soak it in 

 cold water for half a day, as others did, but I 

 find that warm water does no harm and much fa- 

 cilitates the job. When cleaned, I black every 

 part with a harmless black dye which I make 

 thus : — One ounce of extract of logwood, twelve 

 grains bichromate of potash, both pounded fine ; 

 upon that I pour two quarts boiling rain-water, 

 stirring until all is dissolved. When cool it may 

 be used. I keep it on hand all the time, in bot- 

 tles. It may be applied with a shoe brush, or 

 anything else convenient. If any one objects to 

 the use of this blacking, fearing that the bichro- 

 mate of potash it contains would injure the leath- 

 er, I would just say that this kind of potash will 

 not injure leather, even when used in a much 

 larger proportion. The blacking generally used 

 contains copperas — a sulphate sometimes made 

 of oil of vitrol and iron, and it is found that it 

 will eat out the life of leather, unless used with 

 great caution. AVhen the dye has struck in, I 

 go through with the oiling process. Some have 

 a sheet-iron pan to oil in, which is better than 

 anything ; but I have a sheet of iron nailed to a 

 board ; it is about two by three feet square. This 

 I lay upon a table ; I lay a piece or part of the 

 harness upon this, and with neats-foot oil ap- 

 plied with a paint brush, kept for the purpose, I 

 go over it, oiling every part ; and thus I proceed 

 until every part is oiled. The traces, breeching, 

 and such parts as need the most, I oil again. For 

 the last oiling I use one-third castor oil and two- 

 thirds neats-foot oil, mixed. A few hours after, 

 or perhaps the next day, I wipe the harness over 

 with a woolen cloth, which gives it a glossy ap- 

 pearance. AVhy I use some castor oil for the 

 last coat, is, because it will stand the effects of 

 the atmosphere, the rain, &c., much longer than 

 neats-foot oil, consequently the harness does not 

 require oiling so often, by its use. One pint of 

 oil is sufficient for one harness. 



The common way of oiling a harness, is to ap- 

 ply as much neats-foot oil containing lamp-black 

 as the leather will take up ; then washing off 

 with castile soap and water. This way is not so 

 good as mine, because it makes the harness smut- 

 ty, and also the soap that is used contains baril- 

 la — a strong alkali, which cuts up and feeds upon 

 the oil in the leather, and the weather, especially 

 if rainy, soon renders the harness stiff and un- 

 yielding as before ; the wax in the threads is al- 

 so destroyed, and the stitching gives way. I 

 have experimented with different kinds of oil, 

 and find that the kind, and the process, I now 

 use is the best. J. Hart. 



Portsmouth, jY. K, 1858. 



