160 



NEW E-NGLAND FARMER. 



to graft the pear on that stock ; he concluded to try 

 the experiment, and called on me to do the work. I 

 cut his trees about one foot from the i,TOund, and set 

 in the Kartlett pear; they united, and grow reinark- 

 ablv well. I have this morning measured one of the 

 grafts, and find it nine feet high ; branches spread 

 six feet ; the tnmk or body, five inches in circum- 

 ference one foot above the stock on which it Mas 

 grafted. 



In trying experiments, if wo do not siiccood well 

 in everv case, there may be some good result from it. 

 ilespectfuUy yoiirs, JM. L. HAYES. 



F.VUMINGTOX, March, 18.50. 



Remauks. — Many experiments have been made in 

 grafting and budding the common wild black cherrj' 

 with our cultivated varieties, but we have heard of 

 none that have succeeded. "VVe think that no cherry 

 that produces its fruit in strings, will be a good stock 

 for those varieties whose fruit grows in bunches, or 

 singly. The wild black cherry, in the texture of 

 its wood and bark, in the quality of its fruit, and 

 time of ripening, is widely dilfcrcnt from aur culti- 

 vated kinds. 



The small, rcd wild cherry, often called the- iiigcon 

 cherry, in its w^ood, and manner of growth, very 

 much resembles some of our cultivated varieties. 

 The fruit resembles our soft-fleshed, acid cherries, 

 and ripens about the same time. This may be val- 

 uable as a stock for budding or grafting. — Ed. 



For the Neio England Farmer. 

 THE BLIGHT UPON GRAIN. 



Mr. Cole ; We have frequently noticed, in agri- 

 cultural papers, the A-arious causes attributed to blast 

 upon grain, and thus far we have never seen any 

 decisive or conclusive evidence given ; but of the 

 many causes or reasons, the barberry seems to receive 

 rather more than an equal share of denunciation. 

 AVe think the cedar has a bad effect upon grain. 

 Some kinds of grain were scarcely ever known to 

 blast; for instance, the Bedford oats were once 

 thought to be entirely free from blight, but they 

 have been visited, and that too, it is presumed, by 

 some fell destroyer yet unknown. 



A friend of ours, who was accustomed to raising 

 these oats annually, attributed the l)light to the cedar, 

 as there was no barbciry near, but the cedars were 

 numerous, and sometimes bordering upon his grain 

 field. He went to work and cut them down, and 

 afterwards purchased new seed, which ho sowed and 

 cultivated as he had jireviously been accustomed to 

 do, and no blight appeared. Whether it was the 

 cedar that caused the blight, we arc unable to say ; 

 we therefore leave for the reader to judge. AVe think 

 that the cedar is equally as injurious as the bar- 

 berry ; we therefore recommend the cxtirjiation of 

 both, when bordering or standing near grain fields. 

 Neither of them is of intrinsic value. 



A VOK'E FROM " THE HILLS." 



WoBUKX, April 2, 18J0. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 TRANSPLANTING EVERGREENS. 



Mil. EmxoR : There are many different opinions in 

 relation to the time and method most favorable for 

 transplanting evergreens. My friend S. relates the 

 following incident in his experience, which seems 



truthful, practical, and suggestive of good and useful 

 results. He says, being warmed by the singing of 

 birds, and the genial influences of spring, (as we all 

 are, or ought to be,) into the true spirit of iree-plant- 

 ing, he went with some friends to a forest for ever- 

 greens. They were nearly supplied, and had nearly 

 finished the taking up of a pretty large tree, when 

 the approach of a shower drove them home. The 

 tree remained till the next year, and was then taken 

 up, and transplanted with others from the same loca- 

 tion ; and is now, after a lapse of four or five years, 

 almost the only one of some fifteen or twenty, alive 

 or worth preserving. 



He says, that the roots cut off the previous spring 

 had been partiallj' covered with earth, and had sent 

 out such quantities of new roots, feelers, &c., that its 

 growth seemed hardly to be checked ; nor was the 

 diminution of its freshness and vigor at all apparent. 

 Many valuable fruit and ornamental trees are sacri- 

 ficed every year, for the want of care, skill, and 

 patience, in planting. Yours truly, S. 



Andover, April 16, 1850. 



For the New England Fanner. 



EFFECTS OF THE WINTER ON FRUIT 



TREES. 



Friend Cole : Th.e past winter was very favorable 

 for fruit trees in this region. Snow came on early, 

 before the ground was much frozen, and remained 

 over four months, effectually protecting trees and 

 shrubs in the nursery and elsewhere. A few warm 

 days, of late, carried the snow nearly off; and as 

 there was but little frost in the ground, the sap soon 

 commenced flowing, and the buds began to swell ; 

 but on the night of the 12th, we wore greeted with 

 a severe north-east snow-storm, followed by piercing,, 

 cold north-west winds. This produced a sudden con- 

 traction of the bark, and cx^jansion of the sap, caus- 

 ing the bark to burst badly. In cutting scions yes- 

 terday, I noticed many trees in the nursery, which. 

 Averc nearly spoiled from this cause. The injury has 

 been greater on low or moist ground ; the bark cracks 

 from three to six inches above the ground. 



Respectfully, S. N. TABER. 



Vassaluorough, Me., \th ino. 17, 1850. 



GRAFTING COMPOSITION. 



It is rather late in the season to offer new receipts 

 for grafting cement, but it is a suitable time to make 

 trial of new modes of making it, preparatory to cor- 

 rect action another season. 



Mr. E. W. Osborne, of South Weare, N. IL, makes 

 grafting composition in the following manner, and he 

 says that it is excellent, and very conveniently 

 worked by wotting the hands : — 



1 pound best bar or brown soap, 



1 do. beeswax, of good quality, 



2 pounds good rosin. Rosin of a very dark or 

 black color is not so good as the light-colored. 



Melt all together, and work thoroughly, as shoe- 

 maker's wax. 



The following composition is used by some nur- 

 serymen, and preferred to that in which there is tal- 

 low : — 



1 pint linseed oil, 



1 pound beeswax, 



6 pounds rosin. Melt, and work thoroughly* 



