PUBLISHED BY J. B. RUSSELL, AT NO. 52 NORTH MARKET STREET, (at the AoRicuLTURiL Warehouse.)— T. G. FESSENDEiN, EDITOR. 



VOL. X. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST lO, 1831. 



NO. 4. 



MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT TREES. 

 Mr Pesse.nuen — Seeing in a late number of your 

 valuable paper, an extract from the 'Genesee 

 Farmer,' on the efficacy of the application of soap in 

 preventing the ravages of catorpilUirsand .'Uher in- 

 sects on fruit trees, I am induced to mention the 

 metliod which for four years past, I liave pursued, 

 with regard to my peach, and other fruit trees on 

 my farm. 



Tlie peach trees, 1 have anmialbj topped down, say 

 two tliirds of the previous year's growth, and liave 

 found that this operation, invariably, had given in- 

 creased strength to tlie stock, vigor to tlie lateral 

 and bearing branches, and protects the trees, in a 

 great measure, from the violence of the wind. At 

 every time of trimming, I have given them a wash 

 of soap diluted to the consistency of common paint 

 (and this has been repeated twice during the sum- 

 mer months) throughout the trunk and branches, 

 the branches from the manner of pruning, being 

 within reach of a short brusli. 



There has been in my neighborhood, this sea- 

 son, great complaints of a blight on the peach trees, 

 with a shedding of the fruit. On all of mine 

 (thus treated) no /)/i'£:?i( has appeared, and on those of 

 them which blossomed, there is now a fair quanti 

 ty of fruit. I can account for this difference in 

 ro other way, than by the manner of pruning and 

 frequent application of the soap ivash. 



Tlie tender shoots of some of my old, headed 

 down peach trees, were soon after their a]ipearance 

 attacked by green lice, and pismires; I made 

 the same application, which effectually remoied 

 them. 



The same has been done to my apple orqnaid 

 (with the exception of topping,) and I am fiily 

 convinced, that nothing can be applied, wbch 

 gives the bark so healthy an appearance, and so 

 smooth a surface as the above treatment ; the attsk 

 of llie smallest insects in summer is prevented by 

 the alkali contained in the soap, and the smoch- 

 nes3 of the bark prevents the deposit of tieir 

 eggs. 



I have likewise applied a strong decoction of 

 tobacco leaves which may be as effectual aganst 

 vermin, but not so beneficial to the health of the tee. 

 Your obt. servt. 

 DanverSj.iug. 3, 1831. Wm. P. Endicott 



winttr apple for farmers that we have. We have 

 scve-al of the celebrated kinds, as R. I. Greenings, 

 Spilzenburgh, Pearmain, &c. Last year was the I 

 heaing year, which is the reason I send no speci- 

 meis of the fruit. The scions marked Steele Sweet 

 are of a kind said, and I presume truly, to have 

 orifinated in this town, as they bear the name of 

 a fanily by whom they are su])|)osed to have been 

 firs raised. They keep much better than winter 

 apiles generally and are much cultivated here. 

 Tli;y are not so large and fair generally as the sam- 

 ple but we consider them for our use superior to 

 tht kinds that I mentioned we have. 



'he scions labelled Hart's Early Sweety are of a 

 kinl supposed to be a native of this part of the 

 cointry though I am not certain that such is the 

 fad It is not the earliest ajiple, but ripens how- 

 eve several weeks before fall apples generallv, 

 and is remarkably fair, large and fine flavored ; 

 thee is no uniform name fcr it, bnt I have added 

 thename of the man who I believe firat laised 

 it a an adjoining town. The tree grows with a 

 siiiUish bushy top and bears not very abundantly 

 tlicigh tolerahly so ; but I think it well worthy of 

 cuivation. I have put them down in the order I 

 slmld esteem them, and also of the proof of their 

 bong peculiar to this part of the country. Of the 

 firt I am positively certain that it is a new sort. 

 Tie second, there is not much doubt about, but of 

 thi third there is more. The two last more dis- 

 seninated and may have become know^ in otiier 

 pjrts of the country by different names. With my 

 bet wishes for success in the important objects in 

 M^ch you are engaged. 



Respectfully yours, &c. 



JVoie — The scions were ingrafted on thirty stocks, 

 six feet from the ground and have grown vigorous- 

 ly. Wm Prince and Sons. 



Lin. Bot. Garden, ) 

 July 29, 1831. j 



NEW FRUITS. 



Copynf a iPtter Trom Sheldon Moore, Esq. of Connecticut to Vm. 

 rinceanitSonsofllie Lin. Dot. Garden, dated ^Stii March, 331. 



Gentlemen — Herewith you will receive scbns 

 of three sorts of apples together with a specitien 

 of the fruit of one of the kinds, viz. the Stele 

 Sweet. The scions marked .1/oorc's Greening are 

 from a seedling tree, the only bearing tree nov in 

 being; many scions have been taken from it \ith- 

 in a few years. It is a young flourishing tree the 

 only very valuable kind from an orchard of per- 

 haps 75 trees or more. It is uniformly a reat 

 bearer each alternate year. The fi uit is of fair 

 size, pleasant, though not of the highest fivor, 

 very fair, and keeps remarkably well : it is alittle 

 apt to be defective at the core (not to rot) Ut on 

 the whole we consider it rather superior t' any 



STONE BRIDGES. 



Mr Fessenden — I wish to say a few words on a 

 subject of some importance which I have not seen 

 discussed in the New England Farmer; and in 

 this day of improvement I have thought it strange 

 that all have been silent on the subject. I allude 

 to the great importance of good and permanetit 

 Stone Bridges. It is well known that in travell 

 over our country roads we are constantly passing 

 streams of water, even the smallest of which re- 

 quires a bridge for passing; we shall find most of 

 them built with wood, an article more costly now 

 than fifty years ago : we also frequently know of 

 damages and accidents caused by bad bridges, and 

 sometimes a large fine for the town to pay. Now 

 I would recommend to ail the towns in the Com- 

 monwealth to build from year to year as they be- 

 come able, good Stone Bridges. All our towns 

 have rocks and stone in abundance and have 

 men that are able to e.xecuto the work ; the small 

 bridges may be covered on the top with flat or 

 split rocks — and over the ne.xt larger streams the 

 bridge should be built with an arch the dimensions 

 to correspond to the quantity of water in the 

 spring of the year. Streams like Charles or Con- 

 cord River, would require two or three arches. — 

 Our well informed farmers are well satisfied that 



rocks make the best and cheapest /cncVs' qn our 

 farms, and if that is the case, .S<onc Briilges will 

 be found to be the cheapest in the end. — No doubt 

 P good stone bridge well covered with gravel will 

 last a thousand years. I think upon reflection 

 this will be found to be an important suhject and 

 well worthy of more attention than it has hitherto 

 received. A Constant Reader. 



IMPORTANCE OF EARLY SOWING. 



Mr Fessfndf.n — Ilaviiffi noticed for a number 

 of years past that late sowing or planting seldom 

 answered as well as early, my belief has been 

 more strengthened of late by the following facts. 



On the 15th July, 1S30, I sowed on a piece of 

 round of about one and an half acres, si.x pecks 

 of buckwheat, and the same quantity of rye, mixed 

 and sowed together; I also at the same lime 

 sowed clover seed in the chaff on the same piece, 

 and harrowed the whole in. The clover took and 

 grew well ; tlie buckwheat was harvi;sted at the 

 usual time, but owing to the severe drought it pro- 

 duced but an indifferent crop ; the rye grew large 

 and branched out full, some of the stalks, were 

 more than eight feet long, a number of the stools 

 produced sixty, eighty, ninety, and one, one hun- 

 dred and ten .stalks with one hundred good ears or 

 heads. One stool was taken up on the 2d instant, 

 and shelled on '.he 9th, and counted liy two re- 

 spectable witnesses, and the number of grains was 

 seven thousand ,wo hundred and eighty five, and 

 measured about half a pint from a single grain. 



If you think thj above worth publishing you can 

 give it a placeie the New England Farmer. 

 • ^ -.JX.o^\^.. Setii CorcH. 



Kingston, Ulster co. JV. Y. July 20, 1831. 



Mr Fessenden — I have noticed in the New 

 England Farmer, vol. ix. jiage 38S, that to put 

 charcoal about the roots of Peach Trees wotdd be 

 a preventive against insects, worms, &c. I have 

 thought it proper to state that my trees are all 

 planted on newly cleared and well burnt land, and 

 I find most of them are more or less affected with 

 worms at the root, so that I fear charcoal may not 

 prove infallible, though my case is not decisive. 



.iugust, 1S31. 



It is intetesling for farmers who raise Silk 

 Worms, to know, that Cocoons, by being kept 

 lose considerably of their weight. A person who 

 made fifteen pounds this season, after keeping 

 them a Cuw weeks, found them reduced to twelve. 

 This is occasioned by the dissolution of the dead 

 chrysalis, which at last is reduced to jiowder. It 

 is therefore the interest of those who have cocoons 

 on hand, to dispose of them as soon ns possible, 

 otherwise they will suffer loss. Cocoons do not, 

 like wine, improve by age ; on the contrary, the 

 longer they are kept, the harder they are to reel. 

 — .3mec. Daily Adv. 



The Rochester Republican states that 50,120 

 acres of wheat were cut in Monroe county, New 

 York. This, it may be observed, was the product 

 of one county, and if taken at 20 bushels to the 

 acre, and the average price one dollar j)er bushel, 

 thereturn for wheat alone must e.xceed $1,000,0001. 

 So much for canals. 



