270 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



not think of cultivating it for this characteristic, and 

 it possesses no other. 



The Victoria currant is with me, as with most per- 

 sons who have cuhivatcd it, a very large, good cur- 

 rant, but not so early as some other varieties. The 

 AVhitc and lied Dutch are good, and Ijy some persons 

 thought to be the best. Mr. Knight's Sweet Red 

 may perhaps by some persons be considered a little 

 less acid than the "White Dutch, while others would 

 not admit it. I should not cultivate it for its sup- 

 posed comparative sweetness. The black currant, 

 marked No. 1, is Ogden's Elack Grape, a very fine 

 medicinal currant, indeed. Those I scud you are 

 not as large as usual, in consequence of the bushes 

 not being sufficiently primed. No. 2 is the Black 

 Naples, and by those who like the flavor of a black 

 currant, would be preferred to the BhiL'k Grape, but 

 is probably not so good for medicinal purposes. 

 No. 3 is the new Missouri Hack currant, and when 

 its fruit is ripe is pleasant to the taste. This currant 

 is not to be confounded with the Yellow flowering 

 ornamental Missouri currant common in gardens, 

 which it much resembles. 



We have several other varieties under cultivation, 

 some as yet not sufficiently tested as to their value 

 for general culture, and others, we think, will prove 

 to be more ornamental than useful. I would remark, 

 in closing this communication, that the Houghton 

 gooseberry is deservedly becoming a great favorite, 

 and I think we shall find it to succeed best when set 

 on the north side of a wall or fence, thus aff"ording it 

 protection from the rays of the noonday sun. 



Yours, &c., S. P. FOWLER. 



Danvers New Mills, Auff. 1, 1850. 



Rem.\kks. — We are much obliged to Dea. Fowler 

 for his valuable present of specimens. His accurate 

 experiments and nice observations give importance 

 to his opinions. The Morgan currant appears very 

 much like Cushing's Seedling, which we cultivate. 

 The latter bears more profusely than the Large Red 

 Dutch, but the berries are not quite so large. We 

 have not yet fairly tested it, as this is the first season 

 that it has borne with us. — Ed. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 RECLAMATION OF SWAMP LAND. 



Mr. Editor : Having become a subscriber of your 

 paper, I wish to inquire how to reclaim an old 

 swamp, which in the days of my fathers was covered 

 with pine, cedar, ash, and other timber common to 

 the eountrj'. In ditching and digging for muck, I 

 find decayed flags and other vegetables to the depth 

 of from two to six feet. It is covered with brakes 

 and wild grass, that are hardly worth mowing. I 

 wish to know how deep it is necessary to drain, &c. 

 Also, some remarks on the management of bees 

 would be acceptable. Yours, &c., 



S. J. GILBERT. 



Browningtox, Vt., J^dy 27. 



Rem.\rks. — In most cases there is a ttream of 

 water through the swamp ; this should be deepened 

 for a main drain. The depth of this drain should 

 depend on various circumstances. We have noticed 

 some cases in which it was necessary to cut the drain 

 five or six feet deep at the lower part of the swamp, 

 or where the water passed off, in order to have a 

 sufficient drainage. In other cases a few feet in 

 depth are sufficient. In some swamps there is but 



little descent at the surface, and a moderate fall must 

 be obtained in the main passage for water. 



After opening the principal drain, cut drains 

 around at the margin of the swamp to receive the 

 water from the high lands. If the swamp is small, 

 these drains, with a few to carry the water directly 

 from the marginal to the main drain, will be suffi- 

 cient. If it is a large swamp, it will be necessary to 

 make drains about three or four rods apart, and they 

 should run through springy places, if such there 

 are. 



When the land is well drained, the bushes, old 

 logs, stumps, &c., should be cleared up and burned, 

 and the ashes scattered. When the land has become 

 dry, plough it ; if too wet to plough, dig up and 

 burn the hassocks, brambles, weeds, &c. Whether 

 ploughed or not, haul on a few inches of gravel, 

 sand, or loam. Add a good dressing of manure, har- 

 row well, and sow to herdsgrass and redtop the 

 last of August or first of September. If you would 

 have clover, omit sowing it till the next March. If 

 the land is too wet to haul on gravel in the summer 

 or fall, attend to this in winter, when the ground i3 

 frozen. 



If the mud is only two or three feet deep, it is bet- 

 ter to sink the drains into the hard earth, as this 

 will give a much better drainage ; but if the mud is 

 very deep, the drains should be made a good depth, 

 as the water will drain off slowly through a mud or 

 peat soil, and the soft soil, that has almost floated on 

 the water, will settle much after it is drained off. 



SEEDLING CHERRIES. 



If we could raise some of the best varieties of 

 cherries from seed, without budding or grafting, as we 

 do many kinds of peaches, we should accomplish an 

 important object, both in getting more hardy trees 

 and saving the labor and risk of budding and graft- 

 ing ; which processes are more liable to fail in the 

 cherry than in other varieties of fruit, particularly 

 that of budding. — N. E. Farmer. 



If our friend Cole could visit our grounds at this 

 time, he would see that the important object which 

 he suggests can be accomplished to a considerable 

 extent. A very large per cent, of seedlings raised 

 from the pits of the Bigarrcau of Downing have 

 proved to be equal in quality to our most popular 

 varieties. In most instances they seem to be hybrids 

 between the Bigarrcau and Black Tartarean, though 

 generally inclining towards the former. Their periods 

 of ripening are equally various, extending through 

 the whole cherry season. None have ripened quite 

 as early as the Purple Guigne ; the Doctor comes in 

 with the early Avhite-hcart. 



Most of them have improved from year to year, as 

 the ti'ccs have advanced in age and size. A few 

 have run back to the diminutive mazard. 



In order that they may have a full investigation, 

 and that none be introduced prematurely to the pub- 

 lic, we have invited several of our best pomologists 

 to scrutinize them, and in due time descriptions and 

 reports will doubtless be made. We shall in no in- 

 stance put forward any of the varieties, but leave it 

 for the work of disinterested persons. 



We have some thirty or forty varieties in fruit at 

 this time, which, so far as we can judge, will range as 



