NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



257 



run past the plate their Avhole size, about eighteen 

 inches or two feet. 



The square end of the rafter is, I think, a decided- 

 ly ornamental feature of the otherwise plain eaves. 

 The verge-boards I have represented in the heaviest 

 style that is admissible, because any but substantial- 

 looking ornaments are out of place on a farm-house, 

 and as a kind of example to operate against the other 

 extreme — Himsiucss. The only finish necessary for 

 tlie roof projection, is, that the roof-boards over the 

 projecting part should be of inch and a half stuff, (to 

 prevent the shingle nails from coming through,) 

 planed on the under side, and matched. The eavc- 

 trough might be of tin and nailed to the roof, or 

 formed by nailing a narrow board to the edge of the 

 lower roof-board. The ceiling of the porch should 

 be made in the same way as the roof projection ; the 

 posts of six inch stuff, made octagonal by trimming 

 off the corners, the top and bottom being left square. 

 The front door I have represented in the drawing as 

 pointed. As, however, there is no other feature of 

 the kind in the house, I have come to the conclu- 

 sion that it looks ambitious and out of place, and I 

 beg leave to have the reader consider it square. To 

 the chimney I have sought to give an ornamental 

 effect, by capping it with two slabs of stone. 



I will conclude with a few words in regard to the 

 interior finish. In all parts of our country ]nne is 

 the material most used for the interior wood-work of 

 dwellings, and it is a common practice to cover it 

 with white paint. How such a practice could ever 

 have obtained among an intelligent people, I cannot 

 understand. Its warm, lively color, when freshly 

 planed, is peculiarly adapted to give rooms a cheer- 

 ful and smiling expression. When we know that 

 this pleasing tint can easily be preserved, and ren- 

 dered even more soft and bright, by varnish, at no 

 greater expense than would be incurred in giving it 

 a good coat of paint, can we help being surprised 

 that its beauties have been so long carefully con- 

 cealed by the cold glare of white paint ? Besides, 

 the color of the pine, as brought out and pre- 

 served by varnish, harmonizes with furniture much 

 better than any paint, and would of itself add much, 

 apparently, to the furniture of a room. Darkened 

 and mellowed by time, it would, at length, with the 

 inmates of the house, assume that sober, though still 

 cheerful, expression, which gives to age one of its 

 greatest charms. 



While on this subject, I will say a word about 

 black walnut, which, where the intention has been 

 to varnish, has been used more than any other wood 

 for the interior finishing. It has been much used in 

 cabinet work, and is one of the most beautiful of our 

 native woods. Its dark, rich shades impart to the 

 lofty apartments of mansions a statelj' and appropri- 

 ate dignity ; but for the rooms of ordinary residences, 

 its sombre hue renders it quite inappropriate. And 

 were I to have the choice of two evils, I would pre- 

 fer white paint with its glare, to black walnut in its 

 gloom. F. J, SCOIT. 



Toledo, Ouio. 



SALT FOR FRUIT-TREES-FATAL EXPER- 

 IMENT. 



FuiENi) I!\TETiAM : For the information of your 

 readers, I will relate a disastrous incident that has 

 happened to me. Having learned, from agricultural 

 papers and otherwise, that common salt is a good 

 manure, especially for fruit-trees, and also a pre- 

 ventive of injury by insects, and being determined 

 to have a good orchard of the best fruit that I could 

 get, I had procured two hundred fruit-trees, mainly 

 apples, but some pear and peach ; and in planting my 

 trees, I threw into the hole, and touching all round 



the roots of each tree, about half or three quarters 

 of a pound of salt ; the result was, that the salt 

 killed every tree around which it was put. 



The sap carried the salt up to the very top buds 

 of the tree, so as to be tasted in them. Some per- 

 sons have thought that it might not have been the 

 salt that killed the trees; but there can be no mis- 

 take that it was the salt that killed them, as I had 

 planted six trees before the salt was brought into the 

 field, and one other tree was missed and no salt was 

 put about it, and these seven trees not salted are 

 alive and growing finely. 



I do not wish to discourage people from using salt 

 as a manure, but to caution them against using it as 

 freelj' and in the manner that I did. I think that if 

 salt be mixed with rich mould soil, or manure, and 

 not allowed to touch the roots of the trees, and es- 

 pecially not in large quantities, in its crude state, it 

 may be used with safety and advantage. 



On the 22d and 23d insts. the fruit in this vicinity 

 was greatly damaged by frost, but not all killed. 

 Wheat looks well. Our meadows are very back- 

 ward. Corn is coming \\\} badly, on account of the 

 dry weather and frosts. Early-planted corn and 

 potatoes arc much injured by the frost ; so are beans, 

 cucumbers, and garden plants generally. 

 Yours very respectfully, 



JOHN FOSTER. 



Cumberland, Guernsey Co., 0., May 28. 



Remarks. — We truly sympathize with friend 

 Foster in view of his misfortune, and thank him for 

 the caution which his experiment affords to others. 

 If he had observed what was said on this subject 

 in our paper last year, (p. 218,) we think he would 

 have not made the mistake he did ; and, in fact, we 

 have never, to our knowledge, seen the practice 

 recommended of applying salt to newly-planted 

 trees ; especially should it not be apfilied in the soil 

 directly in contact with the roots, as in its crude 

 state it is poisonous to vegetation ; while, in a di- 

 luted state, (dissolved by rains and incorporated 

 with the soil,) it is found beneficial, applied in mod- 

 erate quantities to trees of bearing size. — Ed. 

 — Ohio Cultivator. 



FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BOARD 

 OF AGRICULTURE OF THE STATE OF 

 OHIO. 



We have received this report, which makes a good 

 volume, of nearly 300 pages. It is truly gratifying 

 to sec how rapidly agricultural improvcmont is jiro- 

 gressing in Ohio. Nothing shows it better than the 

 increased size of these reports, coining, as a great 

 bulk of its contents do, from the several counties, 

 and giving a good history of the leading crops in 

 each, by actual residents. For accurate information 

 as to the real condition of agriculture throu^'h the 

 state, we consider this volume entirely ahead of cur 

 own more bulky Transactions. 'ITie state of Ohio 

 will owe an immense debt to a few men, wlio have 

 stuck to the Board of Agriculture until they have 

 succeeded in arousing a feeling among the farmers 

 that will make them second to those of no other 

 state. We predict for their great fair at Cincinnati, 

 on the 11th, 12th, and 13th of September next, an 

 exhibition that New York might well be proxid of. 



And why should not Ohio be foremost among the 

 first ? There is no state in the Fnion that possesses, 

 to so great an extent, all the elements of boundless 

 prosperity that she does ; and we hope her citizens 

 will not allow her resources to remain long undevel- 

 oped. The first great step towards it is to build up 

 her agriculture. The real wealth of this world lies 

 within a foot of the surface of the eaith. If any 

 man doubts, let him dig. — Wool-Grower. 



