206 



NEW ENGLAND FARiMER. 



of stock in the land, and should it be low, an attempt 

 will be made to winter an unusual amount; and 

 should we have a long, cold winter, some will find 

 that early in spring their cattle are not worth the 

 value of the hay that they have consumed. 



Rijc is good, but a part of the crop has suffered 

 from the unfavorable weather at harvest. 



Wheat. — It is too early to determine how far this 

 crop will be affected by the great evils, rust and the 

 grain worm. 



Indian Corn is rather backward, but it is growing 

 luxuriantly, and gaining rapidly upon the season. 



Potatoes have had a fine season, and they are 

 making a good growth. From the last of June to 

 the present time, August 8, we have had frequent 

 rains, and generally warm, muggy weather, just the 

 kind that predisposes potatoes to rot, and in many 

 cases they are becoming affected, in some localities, to 

 a considerable extent. Bright weather, like the pres- 

 ent day, may check it. Though we do not consider 

 warm, wet weather the primary cause of potato rot, 

 yet we regard it as one of the principal predisposing 

 or secondary causes, and one which is indispensable 

 to its production. 



Fruit. — Small fruits, such as strawberries, goose- 

 berries, currants, raspberries, whortleberries, and 

 blackberries, have been abundant, and this market 

 has been well supplied with them for two months. 

 They are delicious and wholesome, and fill an im- 

 portant place between the late apples and the early 

 apples, pears, peaches, plums, and grapes. Owing 

 to the cold, wet weather in May, the crop of cher- 

 ries was very light. There is a fair prospect for a 

 middling crop of plums. Pears vary from empty 

 trees to those that are breaking down under their 

 loads, where the negligent cultivator has omitted to 

 thin the fruit. See Mr. Ives's communication, show- 

 ing that while the cold, wet weather totally de- 

 stroyed all prospect of a crop from some varieties, 

 others wholly escaped. The prospect for pears is 

 generally pretty fair. The Bartlett, the leading 

 pear in this section, is rather thin, which led some 

 to suppose that it would be large and fine, but there is 

 a blast upon it in many places, giving it a rusty 

 appearance. There is a prospect of the largest peach 

 crop ever raised in New England. Some cultivators 

 have expended much time in thinning their fruit. 

 The apple is the most important fruit, as we obtain 

 large crops with little expense, and it is in use nearly 

 the whole year, both for the kitchen and for the 

 dessert. Apple-trees blossomed full, and there was 

 a prospect of one of the greatest of crops ; but in 

 warm situations in this region, and generally farther 

 south, the blowth was before the cold, wet weather 

 had passed, which caused great injury. But on high 

 lands, and farther north, the trees did not blossom 

 until we had pleasant weather, and excepting partial 

 injury from the pelting of heavy storms, the season 

 is favorable, and as is usual in crien years, we shall 

 have a good, though not very great crop of apples. 



Farmers, as well as all others, have abundant rea- 

 sons for gratitude to Him who givetb rain and sun- 



shine, seedtime and harvest ; and while we eat the 

 fruits, may we remember whence every good an'd 

 perfect gift comcth. 



SOWING GRASS SEED - IMPROVEMENT 

 OF GRASS LANDS. 



August is a very favorable season for sowing grass 

 seed, especially when it is wet. It will answer to 

 sow very early in September, but the sooner it is 

 sown after the 1st of that month, the better. Omit 

 the clover seed until March, as it is liable to winter- 

 kill when sown late in summer or in fall. 



Grass lands that need renovation, and are too wet 

 for tillage, may be improved by ploughing, thor- 

 oughly inverting the sod, and laying it over smooth 

 and even ; then manure the land well, and harrow 

 thoroughly, first lengthwise, then obliqueh', so as 

 not to turn up the sod. When finely and deeply 

 pulverized, and the surface made level, sow grass 

 seed, and then use a very light harrow or brush har- 

 roAv. 



If grass lands are smooth and level, and free from 

 coarse, wild grass, weeds, bushes, &c., they may be 

 improved by a good top-dressing, without ploughing. 

 In some cases lands have been kept in high condi- 

 tion in this way for twenty j'ears, at small expense, 

 and the crops have been large. Under this manage- 

 ment, good grass land will furnish means not only 

 for its own renovation, but a still larger amount of 

 manure for the improvement of other lands. 



WATERING LANDS. 



A loamy soil, that is much watered, soon becomes 

 hard, the surface is glazed, rendered in a great meas- 

 ure impenetrable to the air, and consequently it is no 

 longer capable of affording, in dry weather, the neces- 

 sary nourishment to the plant. The sources of its 

 fertility are obstructed. This may be better under- 

 stood by some of our readers, when we state on the 

 authority of Sir Humphry Davy, that a soil in the 

 greatest degree absorbent, exposed to the atmosphere 

 till it becomes dry to the touch, still contains mois- 

 ture equal to one eighth part of its whole weight. 

 This is discovered by subjecting it to a lieat indicated 

 by 300° of Fahrenheit's thermometer. Now, all 

 water not chemically combined, but only " adlicring 

 to parts of the soil, is in constant use in vegetation,'" 

 and the one eighth part referred to is of this kind. 

 If we estimate common fertile soils, however, as con- 

 taining only one twelfth part, then in four hundred 

 pounds of soil, even when it is dry to the touch, wc 

 shall haye thirty-three pounds of water in store for 

 the use of vegetation ; and it is particularly worthy 

 of notice, that such soils, when deprived of a portion 

 of this by plants, procure a fresh supply by con- 

 stantly absorbing water from the atmosphere, where 

 it exists in the state of vapor. In effect, a good soil 

 is a perpetual fountain, even in dry weather. From 

 these statements it must be evident that unless tlie 

 ground is frequently cultivated, and kept mellow, so 

 that between its particles the air can pass in, the 

 latter cannot impart the moisture which it holds in 

 solution ; but when the soil is frequently broken, 

 minutely divided, and prevented from conglomerat- 

 ing, it will ac(iuire and retain moisture. — Selected- 



