1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



455 



New England as well as here, growing in rich 

 earth beside fences, or in thin woods. 



The prospect for crops is good, yet, owing to 

 the open winter, considerable grain is winter- 

 killed, especially on flat land. All kinds of fruit 

 trees will bloom well, and this was the case last 

 year, but apples were scarce. Considerable at- 

 tention is paid to raising fruit, but old orchards 

 are much neglected. A good supply of small 

 fruit is raised here, though grapes are not so 

 plenty as is desirable. I should be glad to try 

 the Concord grape, if I could obtain a root ; I do 

 not know of one in this region. L. Varney. 



Pidou, a W., 5th Mo., ISth, 1858. 



Remarks. — We regret that this communica- 

 tion, with one or two others which we shall pub- 

 lish, was mislaid. We are always glad to hear 

 from friend Varney, and shall be more careful 

 with his next letter. 



I^or the New England Farmer. 

 THE OAKES COW. 



Mr. Editor : — I have copied for your month- 

 ly journal a letter from the venerable JosiAH 

 QuiNCY, which I accidentally found among my 

 papers, to-day. The notoriety of the object about 

 which he wrote, as well as the eminence of the 

 writer, will secure the attention of many a grati- 

 fied reader. In these days when objects of fancy 

 are leading astray our judgments, let us be care- 

 ful not to rub out old land-marl:s. If my recol- 

 lection is right, in the volume of Agriculture for 

 Massachusetts, as compiled by Mr. Secretary 

 Flint, for 1854, page 280, will be found a portrait 

 of this celebrated animal. I also think he said 

 Col. Jaques, of Somerville, last owned her. If 

 any doubt remains on these points, fortunately 

 for the community, Messrs. Quincy and Jaques, 

 both "still live" — although verging close on 90 

 years. Very truly yours, 



May nth, 1858. J. W. Proctor. 



[copy.] 



Sir : — The subject of the Oakes Cow has been 

 out of my mind for at least thirty-Jive years. I 

 bought her for my farm use, (in 1816, I believe ;) 

 her milk produce was satisfactory to my farmer, 

 but neither her milk nor her butter were kept 

 distinct from what my other cows produced. I 

 regarded her as a very good cow, which by high 

 feeding, and special attention, might be made to 

 produce an extraordinary quantity of milk. I 

 raised no calves from her, and had no knowledge 

 of her origin, and have no recollection what be- 

 came of her. Yours respectfully, 



JosiAH Quincy. 



Note. — In the 4th volume of Agriculture of 

 Massachusetts, is a specification of the product 

 of the Oakes cow, viz. : — 484^ pounds of butter 

 in one season, besides one quart of milk a day 

 for the use of the family. 



Agitating Plants. — It is a remarkable fact, 

 according to "the chemistry of the world," that 

 trees which are regularly shaken every day in 

 the greenhouse grow more rapidly and are 

 stronger than others which are kept unagitated. 

 — Hogan. 



For the New England FarTner, 



THE CURCULIO— "WARTS ON PLUM 

 TREES— PEAR BLIGHT. 



Mr. Editor : — I have noticed, within a few 

 years, that much has been published in your pa- 

 per and others, about the wart on plum trees, 

 and the curculio, or plum weevil. The wart still 

 continues to rage, and the trees are fast giving 

 place to other trees of more sure growth and 

 fruitfulnesR. To all human appearance, that 

 beautiful fruit, the plum, is likely to become ex- 

 tinct. 



I commenced cultivating the plum about 15 

 years ago. I believe then the curculio and the 

 wart were but very little known in this country. 

 My trees grew smooth and handsome, and I had 

 plums in abundance, for a few years. Then came 

 the curculio, apparently few in number, stinging 

 the fruit, and depositing its egg, which caused 

 the fruit to fall prematurely, and they have every 

 year increased. Then came the wart, which 

 was increased with the increase of the curculio. 

 After much eff'ort to discover the cause of the 

 wart, I have come to the conclusion that it is 

 caused by the curculio, and if we can destroy that 

 insect we shall again have smooth trees and plen- 

 ty of fruit. 



I have been troubled very much with what 

 some call sap-blight on the pear tree ; mostly con- 

 fined to the trunk of the tree, but recently, that 

 or some other blight has commenced at the top 

 of some of my best trees, I first discovered it by 

 seeing the leaves turned black and the fruit with- 

 ered up. I have taken off" several tops, down 

 some four feet. I wish to inquire if this is some- 

 thing new, for it has never been so with my trees 

 before ? Peter Wait. 



Danvers, August, 1858. 



Remarks. — The blight spoken of is no stran- 

 ger to pear raisers. It is a disease, or difiiculty 

 not yet provided with a remedy. 



Hoofs of Young Horses. — We saw recently 

 an instance of the ill eS'ects resulting from the 

 neglect to shorten the excessively long hoofs of 

 young horses. A colt, with unusually long hoofs, 

 had, in his play, stepped upon some hard sub- 

 stance, and broken ofl' the hoof of one foot to the 

 quick. The accident was attended with some 

 bleeding and excessive lameness, the poor fellow 

 being unwilling to put his foot to the ground. 

 Ten minutes' work would have saved the animal 

 much pain, and the owner might have had the 

 profit of three months' growth, instead of having 

 it arrested for that period. 



But the occasional breaking off of a part of the 

 hoof is but a trifle when compared with other 

 mischiefs resulting from the same cause. When 

 the toe is too long the strain on the fetlock-joint 

 is greatly increased, and permanent injury to 

 the suspensiry ligament of the foot often follows. 

 Young horses frequently have windgalls, and 

 other evidences of sprains, before they are put .to 

 work, and in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred 

 these are where shortening of the toe has been 

 neglected. On some gravelly and stony land and 

 hard roads the hoofs will wear fast enough as 



