270 



Another ohjerlidii is, tlie fiiniicr is always hiisy 

 in May or June, anil if the trees are neglerted at 

 a leisure time in the year, they will proliably not 

 lie trimmed at all. A third and last ohjeetiou that 

 I shall make is, that without great eare in cutting 

 the Tiranohes, the bark will be started and many 

 of the buds and blossoms injured. 



The composition which I used last spring, 

 to cover the end where the limbs were cut, was 

 made of the following ingredients, viz. one quart 

 of linseed; halfjiint of japan ; one jiound and a 

 half of Spanish brow?i ; fpiarter of a pound of 

 bees- wax; half pound of rosin ; and two pounds 

 of tallow. The three last mentioned simmered 

 together, and mixed with the paint, when hot, and 

 put on with a painter's brush, when warm. Where 

 wounds were covered last spring with this compo- 

 sition, it remains on, and has, so far, proved a com- 

 plete preventive from check or rot, and the wounds, 

 without exception, are healing over. 



I have frequently observed that it was the prac- 

 tice of grafters to cut oft" too much of the tree, 

 when the scions are put in, and to set the grafts 

 too nigh the centre of the tree. My practice is, 

 when I wish to engr.ift a tree, to selgct out from 

 four to six or eight outside branches, the number 

 varying according to the size of the tree, which 

 are cut oft' at some distance from the body, ac- 

 cording to discretion ; having this in view, how- 

 ever, to save as much of the old wood as possible, 

 so as to save time in forming the new top, which 

 is engrafted ; and the remainder of the tree is left 

 untouched until the next spring. Then the 

 branches are removed around the scions, an<l 

 more sap flows into the grafts ; which ])ractice is 

 continued from year to year until the old wood is 

 all removed, and the wlioh' tup formed anew. 

 This conimonly takes place from two to four years, 

 according to the size of the tree. By this man- 

 agement you have an entire new head to your tree, 

 open in the centre, which answers two valuable 

 purposes, one to let in the sun, which gives health 

 and vigor to your trees, the other convenience in 

 picking the fruit. Yours, with respect, 



15. WHEELER. 



Framingham, March 2, 1S.'!2. 

 N. B. The composition mentioned above, I 

 have found excellent to paint all kinds of agricul- 

 tural implements. It fills up the joints and pores 

 of the wood much better than conuuon paint, and 

 is a complete preventive to rot. B. ^V'. 



NEW ENGLA^D FAUxMER, 



March 7, 1832. 



4. What kinds o'f stone — of what shape and 

 size — are most suitable for the erection of stone 

 dwelling-houses? 



5. How much hewing and hammering would 

 comfort and decency require that split blocks of 

 stone should undergo ? 



C. What are the most important advantages or 

 disadvantages of building with stone in New 

 England ? 



By the Editor. In the New England Farmer, 

 vo\. VI. p. 209, may be found some excellent re- 

 marks relative to the subject of the above queries, 

 by our able correspondent, .1. M. Gourgas, Esq. ol" 

 Weston, Mass. It would add to our numerous 

 obligations to Mr Gourgas, if he would resume this 

 to])ic with jiarticular reference to the above queries. 



i?si^jy aEr-iJ2.iis?3) siisisiia^iQ 



Boston, Wednesday Evening, Harch 7, 1832. 



QUERIES RELATIVE TO STONE BUILD- 

 INGS. 



Mr Editor — At the instance and request of 

 several frieiids, I have taken the liberty to address 

 you the following queries, concerning stone dwell- 

 ing-houses. If agreeable and convenient to ])ub- 

 lish and answer them in your useful publication, 

 you will, by so doing, render a very accejitable 

 service to the public and confer a special favor on 

 many of vour patrons, besides obliging vonr friend 

 and humble servant,- A DIN BALLOU. 



Mendon, Ms. March, 1832. 



QUERIF.S. 



1. Are stone dwelling-houses more or less 

 healthful than wooden ones ? 



2. W^hcrc stone is plentiful, are they more or 

 less expensive .' 



3. How nuich less of wood and timber, finishes 

 a stone dwelling-house than a wooden one of the 

 aame general size and style .' 



FARMERS' WORK FOR MARCH. 



Take opportunity before the hurrying season 

 comes on, to select and purchase such neat cattle, 

 sheep, pigs, seed-wheat, potatoes for ])l.uiting, &c, 

 <is will be likely to prove most valuable on your 

 farm, having in mind the following maxim, viz : — 

 Choose those animals and vegetaliles to propagate 

 from, that possess the qualities which you wish 

 might distinguish their ofl'spring in Ihe greatest 

 |)erft'ction. Fanners are too a|)t to sell oft' their 

 best stock to the butchers, and keep the poorest to 

 breed from ; and to gather their seeds from vege- 

 tables, which were permitted to go to seed merely 

 because they were worth but little for consuniplion. 

 But we believe that more jiains have been taken 

 to improve their breeds of animals among those 

 who arc men of skill and science in tiie arts of 

 cuhivation, than to improve their sorts of vegeta- 

 bles. Still it is of (piite as much importance to 

 introduce on a fiirm or in a garden, Ihe best kinds 

 of ])lants, seeds, roots, &c, as it is to keep the best 

 breeds of animals. 



Look to your water courses, clear out obstruc- 

 tions, an<l change their directions if necessary, so 

 as to distribute their contents to the best advan- 

 tage over your mowing lauds. By a little attention 

 in this particular you may oftentimes derive great 

 advantage from the wash of the highway, barn- 

 yard, and other receptacles of manure. 



rRn.MNG FRUIT TREES. 



According to the o])inion of some able and ex- 

 ))erienced cultivators it is quite time to trim your 

 trees of all sujieitluous shoots, branches, &c. But 

 care should be taken not to cut away too many of 

 the branches of a tree at a time. Mr Wheeler's 

 article, jiage 2(itl, in this day's paper, appears to us 

 very correct and judicious on this to[)ic. His o[)ii 

 ions are coincident with those of a writer in tli 

 Genesee Farmer, who states, " It has been my 

 jiractice for several years past to prune in autumn 

 and winter, applying a coat of boiled tar and brick 

 dust, or of common paint immediately to the 

 naked wood ; and I have been led to believe that 

 no time is more favorable." 



FENCES 



Shoulrl be surveyed with a critical eye, and all 

 defects rectified before your cattle take advantage 

 of anything out of joint in that department of the 

 cultivator's province. " A stitch in time save 

 nine," and a little seasonable fence making or 

 mending may save more loss and trouble than 



couM be calculated by the most able Professor of 

 Malheuialics that ever made a ligme. Train your 

 domestic aninials in the spring in the way they 

 shoidil go, and in sununcr an<l atituinn they will 

 not depart from it. But if they are once siifl'ered 

 tocoMunil Trespas.ie.<ion the Freehold, trying to" cor- 

 rect their waywardness will be " taking the hul Iby 

 the horns." »■ 



Post and rail fences are, probably, more used in 

 New England than any other ; and are, perhaps, in 

 many cases justly preferred. Mr Preston, ot 

 Stockport, Penn., recommends to set posts with 

 the top part in the ground ; and asserts, that they 

 will, in that position, last three or four times as 

 long as when they are set with the butt ends down. 

 He also advises, in making i)ost and rail fences 

 always to place the rails with the heart side up. 

 Souic farmers cut their posts so long, and mortise 

 them' in such a manner that when the lower ends 

 have become rotten they can turn them upside 

 down, and it is said that they will last nearly as 

 long again, when managed in that maimer. 



OATS 



Cannot be sown too early in the s])ring, after the 

 ground is thawed and become dry enough for |pw- 

 iiig. Three bushels of seed, according to Deane, 

 is the usual quantity sown on an acre. This quan- 

 tity will be rather more than enough on a rich soil ; 

 if the soil be poor the quantity of seed should be 

 greater. 



Oats have strong piercing roots, and are called 

 hearty feeders, so that they can find their nourish- 

 ment in stifl' soils ; and for the .same reason they 

 sometimes produce great crops, when sown after 

 one plongliing. Some recommend cross jilough- 

 iiig and harrowing for oats, but when sWard laud 

 is well turned over, the sod ought not to be dis- 

 turbed until at least two crojis have been taken 

 from the field. Gypsum is said to bean excellent 

 manure for oats. 



A very fine sjKcimen of the Rhododendron ar- 

 boreuin, a native of India, is in flower at the Green- 

 house, Charlestown Vineyard. It is considered 

 the most beautiful of the genus; and it is believed 

 this is the first time it has flowered in this vicinity. 

 It is well worth the observation of amateurs. 



The committee of the 3Iassachusetts Horticul- 

 tural Society, on the products of the kitchen gar- 

 den, have awarded the following premiums for the 

 [last season : — 



For the best early Peas, to N. Daven- 

 port of Milton, .$2,00 



For the best earJy Potatoes, to Sanuei. 

 Po?;d of Cambridgeport, $2,00 



For the best Lima Beans, to Richard 

 Ward of Roxbury, . * ' $2,00 



For the best Mushrooms, to N. Daven- 

 port of Millon, $2,00 

 By onler of ihe committee, 



DANIEL CHANDLER, Chairman. 



His Excellency Levi Lincoln, Governor of 

 this Commonwealth, has, with the advice of the 

 Council, set apart Thursday, the fifth day of April 

 nejt, for Fasting and Prayer, throughout this State. 



The Hereford (Eng.) Journal mentions that 

 18,000 tons of iron in rails, are being made in 

 Monmouthshire, for the United States. >■, 



To Corrkspondents. Several able and useful arti-" 

 cles written for the New Engl nd Farmer, unavoidably 

 postponed. 



