440 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



elaborately, as seen by the writers cited, the 

 claims of the Poa nervata, represented in the fine 

 cut, above, to the name of Fowl-meadow grass, 

 it is hoped that both farmers and botanists, will 

 hereafter distinguish between the "Yankee grass," 

 and the Dutch grass, calling the former, as has 

 been clearly illustrated is its rightful claim, and 

 not the latter, The True Fowl-Meadow, one 

 of the best, if not the most valuable indigenous 

 grass of the American continent, and being sur- 

 passed by few if any exotics. 



ANTHRACITE ASHES. 



It is, perhaps, not generally well known, that 

 anthracite ashes — long considered worthless to 

 vegetation, and an injury to the soil — are endued 

 with properties rendering them somewhat valua- 

 ble as manure. Those who reside in the vicinity 

 of cities and other places where this coal is used 

 as fuel, and where the ashes can be obtained in 

 large quantities and at small cost, will find this 

 article a matter of importance to their farming 

 interests, if properly applied. All ashes act fa- 

 vorably on plants in general, and should never 

 be thrown away. 



Dr. Dana says, in his "Muck Manual," that 

 from 4 to 8 pounds in every 100 parts are valua- 

 ble to the farmer ; and that the composition of 

 anthracite ashes is very nearly that of soil de- 

 prived of its geine. 



In referring to some carefully made analyses, 

 Prof. Norton, of Yale College, said, "they ena- 

 ble the chemist who has studied these subjects, 

 to say at once, and with confidence, that this ash 

 is of some value as a manure, and should by all 

 means be so applied in cases where it can be ob- 

 tained cheapl)." 



"In looking at the nature of these results," he 

 adds, "we may draw the general conclusion, that 

 in the ash of anthracite coal, we have in every 100 

 pounds, from 4 to 8 pounds of valuable inorganic 

 material, of a nature suitable for adding to any 

 soil requiring manures." 



WB KNEVST IT "VSTOUIiD RAIN 



We knew it would rain, for alt the morn 



A fpirit, on slender robes of mist, 

 Was lowering its golden buckets down 



Into the vapory amethyst, 



Of marshes and swamps and dismal fens — 

 Scooping the dew that lay in the flowers. 



Dipping the jewels out of the sea. 

 To sprinkle them over the land in showers ! 



We knew it would rain, for the poplars showed 

 The white of their leaves — the ember grain 



Shrunk in the wind — and the lightning now 

 Is tangled in tremulous skeins of rain ! 



T. B. Alcrich. 



I^"^ Do you not expend time enough each year 

 running after your neighbors' tools to pay for a 

 complete outfit? Some men do, and exhaust the 

 patience and respect of a good neighbor beside. 



For the Neic England Farmer. 

 THE PEAR CULTURE. 



I must be permitted to say that the frequent 

 discussions in the Farmer upon the comparative 

 value of the pear and quince as a stock for the 

 pear scion, have aflForded me amusement rather 

 than instruction. They show that prejudice and 

 ultraism still influence to a great extent those 

 counsels which ought of all others to be eminent- 

 ty practical. If after so many years of trial, 

 under so many difficult circumstances, the proper 

 culture of the pear is still an open and unsettled 

 question, what point in the theory of farming 

 can be considered as fully established ? I had 

 supposed, until the discussions alluded to made 

 their appearance, that there was very little dif- 

 ference of opinion among fruit-growers on the 

 subject. I had supposed it to be conceded that 

 both systems of culture have their advantages ; 

 and certainly I have seen nothing as yet in the 

 arguments of j our correspondents to satisfy me 

 that such is not the fact. 



In my view, the whole matter depends upon 

 the circumstances of soil, climate and the desires 

 of the cultivator. In the more northerly parts 

 of New England, the quince cannot be trusted 

 to survive the inclement winters, and some more 

 hardy dwarfing stock, like the thorn-plum, is un- 

 doubtedly better. On a very dry and gravelly 

 soil, the quince does not flourish, even in this 

 latitude. On the other hand, the pear stock sel- 

 dom produces good fruit upon a wet, clayey soil, 

 however well the tree itself may flourish. As a 

 general thing, a ferruginous soil is good for the 

 pear, but not good for the quince stock. But 

 most of our Massachusetts farms combine such 

 a variety of soils, that some portions of them 

 may be found adapted to both modes of culture. 



If a man desires to leave a rich legacy to pos- 

 terity, and has a soil adapted to the purpose, he 

 can hardly attain that object more eff"ectually than 

 by setting out a large orchard of standard peal 

 trees. It may take twenty, thirty or even fiftj 

 years for them to come to full maturity ; but it 

 less than the shortest of these periods they will 

 pay for theraeelves. But if the farmer has neg- 

 lected to cultivate a taste for fruit-growing, as 

 most do, until gray hairs admonish him of a close 

 proximity to the grave-yard, and still desires to 

 enjoy some of the fruits he has neglected before 

 he changes this sphere for another, his best chance 

 certainly lies in the direction of the dwarf nur- 

 sery. 



Again, in many of our small gardens there- 

 are little spaces where dwarf trees may flourish, 

 while standards would be cramped for room. On 

 the other hand, with a larger space to be filled, 

 the pear stock would form in a few years a beau- 

 tifully ornamental tree. 



I believe it is conceded that the quince stock 

 produces almost invariably the largest and most 

 highly flavored fruit. But then there are certain 

 varieties, important in making up a good collec- 

 tion, which will not flourish on any other than 

 the pear stock. Under all these c rcumstances, 

 therefore, I think if the cultivator will only ex- 

 ercise an intelligent judgment, he will find both 

 systems of pear culture good in their place, and 

 will adopt either or both according to the partic- 

 ular purpose which he desires to accomplish. 



Somerville. E. c. p. 



