284 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



For the Nnc Enffland Fanner. 

 PEACH-LEAF CURL. 



Mu. Editor : On the 29th of ^lay last, I made an 

 excursion from this place to Marshfield ; the morn- 

 ing was rainy, but the day was a favorable one for 

 traA'cUing. On my Avay I was exhilarated by the 

 splendid exhibition of Nature in her efforts at orna- 

 menting the fruit-trees with an uncommon mantle 

 of blossoms. I should think at Marshtield they were 

 three or more days in advance of the fruit-trees in 

 Wilmington. The 30th and 31st days of May, and 

 the 1st day of June, were very cold, uncomfortable 

 days for the season ; the winds from the north-east, 

 driving the clouds from the ocean, with the chilly 

 air charged with mist from the icebergs drifting from 

 northern climes, made an overcoat a necessary ap- 

 pendage to add to one's comfort. On the 1st day of 

 June, some of the fruit-growers at Marshfield saw 

 indications of blight commencing upon their peach- 

 blossoms, which boded unfavorable omens to a 

 coming crop. On my return home, I found our own 

 peach-trees had been very roughly handled by the 

 wind. 



After the abatement of the storm, and the weather 

 became mild, the young peaches began to show 

 themselves, and the curl of the peach leaf com- 

 menced, and progressed rapidly until nearly every 

 one existing upon the trees during the storm was 

 completely crimpled. We examined the curled 

 leaves, and could discern no indication of animal life 

 in any form upon them, nor have we up to the pres- 

 ent time. The leaves upon the peach-trees previous 

 to the May storm have been gradually dropping 

 from the trees to tliis time, and are nearly all fallen 

 off; and those now upon the trees are mainly from 

 new shoots, and appear green and healthy. There 

 may be different causes for the curl in the peach-loaf, 

 but I I'ccl confident that the cold northerly and east- 

 erly winds in the month of May produced the blight 

 on the leaf, followed by the curl. The violent and 

 long-continued cold winds caused stagnation in the 

 minvite sap-vessels of the leaves, which produced 

 premature decay and falling off, as in autumn. 



The bodies and leaves of trees have their sap-ves- 

 pcls for the same purpose that animals have their 

 blood-vessels; whatever takes place to the injury of 

 either, in such manner as to destroy the circulation, 

 will jjroduce disease or mortification of the attccted 

 part, as well in trees as in animals. 



As there has been considerable discussion upon 

 the peach-leaf curl by writers on the subject of fruit- 

 trees. I thought it possible tliat some light might be 

 shed by the above remarks, which were carefully 

 made from observation. With much resi)cct, 



SILAS BROWN. 



Wilmington, Auff. 1, 1850. 



Hemarks. — The views of Dr. Brown are the same 

 as our own, in regard to the blast on the peacli-leaf. 

 It came too suddenly and extensively to be the work 

 of insects, and at a season that is unfavorable to their 

 propagation and operations. It could not be caused 

 by the eifccts of the winter on the trees, for the 

 \\intcr was favorable, and we had young seedlings 

 seriously affected in the leaves, while every part 

 of the tree, both root and branch, was i)erfectly 

 sound. — Ed. 



Emulation looks out for merits, that she may exalt 

 herself by a victory ; Envy spies out blemishes, that 

 she may lower another by defeat. 



For the Neiv England Farmer. 

 FARMERS' DAUGHTERS. 



Mr. Cole : Important as it is that farmers' daugh- 

 ters should be trained to fill the places of their 

 mothers, it is almost wholly neglected. Since it has 

 become fashionable for young ladies to be sent to 

 boarding-schools as soon as they arc of a suitable 

 age, but very little is done in the way of training 

 them for the more important stations in domestic 

 life. AVhat a sad neglect ! Do farmers' wives ever 

 think of this ? Have they never considered that 

 their places are to be filled by others, when them- 

 selves are worn out with the unceasing toils of the 

 varied labors of the kitchen? Farmers' daughters 

 can be as easily trained to make profitable wives for 

 farmers now-a-days as they could fifty years ago. 

 Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers saw mat- 

 ters in their true Ught. They did not send their 

 daughters to fashionable boarding-schools to learn to 

 make butter and cheese, &c., &c. Instead of this, 

 they took them under their own charge ; and well 

 did they perform their tasks. They were sure to 

 give them instructions in each and every department 

 of household affairs, — thus fitting them for stations 

 they Avould soon be called to fill ; and while they 

 did this, their education in other respects was not 

 neglected. Tliat there should be boarding-schools 

 for young misses is very essential, but that every 

 farmer's daughter should be sent to such schools, to 

 the exclusion of every thing appertaining to the 

 duties of a wife and motlier, is quite a ditt'erent mat- 

 ter. So long as the great and imijortant business of 

 agriculture is carried on, (and that will be as long as 

 the world shall stand, ) so long will there be need of 

 agricultural women, — women who have been brought 

 up and trained on the farm, and received a proper 

 education as connected with the farm-house. We 

 see no healthier women in our country than those 

 brought up on the farm. This is evident from the 

 fact that they have more exercise in the open air — 

 one very necessary feature as regards the health of 

 individuals. Mark the contrast between the board- 

 ing-school miss and the country farmer's daughter. 

 One has bright eyes and rosy checks ; the other, 

 dull, sunken eyes and pallid cheeks. 



O, give me back the good old days of our grand- 

 mothers — days when girls were willing to wear 

 homespun frocks, and enjoy exercise in the morning 

 air. Were things managed as they were in tiiosc 

 days, how few would go down to premature graves 

 victims of consumption ! It is true that tliere liave 

 been great changes, great and important changes in 

 the different modes of agriculture ; but in regard to 

 the training of farmers' daughters, the change has 

 been indeed a sad one. A. TODD. 



Smithi'ield, R. I. 



For the New Eiitjland Farmer. 



REMARKS ON, AND CULTURE OF THE 

 GENUS TAMARINDUS. 



Mu. Editor : This genus contains two species, one 

 from the East, and the other from the West Indies ; 

 Avhich have both been long held in high estimation 

 by many people, on account of the acid, yet sweet- 

 ish taste of the fruit, which, after some preparatory 

 processes, is rendered agreeable to the jndate, and 

 of much service in medicine. 



Tamaritidus indica, or East Indian tamarind, is a 

 tree of great magnitude when fuU grown, often ex- 

 ceeding fifty feet in height, with corresponding 

 branches. The season of its flowering is generally 



