NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



317 



of this spent bark, and wishes me to try some of it. 

 Now, if any one of our good farmers will inform me, 

 I shall be much obliged. 



Will some of our mechanics have the goodness to 

 give a plan of a sweep horse-power ? I wish to build 

 one in my wood-house to saw my wood with. 

 Very respectfully vours, 



B. F. CONANT. 

 Lyme, N. H. 



Remauks. — Mix spent tan bark in layers with 

 liberal quantities of lime, ashes, potash, or other 

 alkalies, and let it remain until it becomes old and 

 mellow, losing its tannic acid, or astringent principle. 

 This may require a year or two. The preparation of a 

 compost, as mentioned by our correspondent, will be 

 a good mode, but it must remain some time, that the 

 tan may become partially decomposed, and lose its 

 astringency. 



If tan be thrown into a heap not so deep as to pro- 

 tect the centre from the modifying influences of heat, 

 air, and rain, it will become partially decomposed in 

 a few years, and make a good manure, particularly 

 for trees and shrubs ; but it will be the better by 

 mixing lime or ashes with it, and forming a compost 

 with mud, peat, or loam, and a little animal manure. 

 Soap-suds, sink- water, and urine wiU make valuable 

 additions to any compost heap. — Ed. 



For the Neio England Farmer. 

 ON RAISING PLUMS. 



Friend Cole: In No. 17 of your paper, I noticed 

 an article under the caption *' To protect Plums," in 

 which the writer informs us he once owned a farm 

 two years, and had had some experience in the cul- 

 ture of the plum. The first j'ear he had no ripe fruit. 

 The second year he hired a man to trim his orchard, 

 who inquired if he should trim the plum-trees: he 

 replied, no ; he had concluded to cut them down, as 

 they bore no fruit ; but being told they would bear 

 well if trimmed while in full bloom, he consented to 

 let them stand, and had them trimmed accordingly. 

 To his astonishment he had a great supply of fruit 

 of the best quality for two years, when he disposed 

 of his farm ; and he goes on to say, he had no doubt, 

 by jiruning as above described, they would continue 

 to bear as long as they lived, and that the pruning 

 added to their longevity : that, instead of its being 

 the insects which cau'^c the plums to fall, it Mas 

 owing to the top of the tree being too large. 



I should suppose, l)y the above, that its author was 

 not acquainted with that species of insect which 

 destroys so much fruit of different kinds, especially 

 the phun ; it ho had born, he would not have ad- 

 vamed >uch crude mitioiis as the above. 



In the same paper. ^Mr. J. Day, of Boxford, states 

 that he saved his plums by applying salt to the earth 

 around the trees as far as the branches extend ; in 

 one case, he put a peck of salt to one tree. I think 

 if he Hi>plies the same quantity another year, he will 

 find neither plum nor tree alive. I judge by what I 

 have seen in this place, of the application of salt for 

 three years, without saving a plum, but to the injury 

 of the trees. 



In this town there is an unusual quantity of plums 

 this year, although their (quality is somewhat injured 

 by cracking ; some kinds rot liad also. Is not our 

 good crop owing to an open winter, such as the last, 

 which destroys many insects ? and to the late and 



wet spring ? Some have syringed their trees with 

 salt brine, and others with sulphur water, and all 

 have an abundance of plums. 



Being in the employ of ^Vllen Rowe, he desired me 

 to take care of his plum-trees. I consented, and com- 

 menced syringing them, soon after the fruit began to 

 set, Avith sulphur water and whale-od soap ; but the 

 practice which was most successful, and best adapted, 

 in my opinion, to stop the ravages of the curculio, 

 was shaking the frees, while a cloth the size of a sheet 

 is held under the branches completely around the 

 trees. I went through the operation lor weeks, oi 

 shaking, sometimes once and sometimes thrice a day. 

 The last time 1 found any curculio was the 18th of 

 July, up to which time I destroyed more than one 

 hundred and fifty of them. This is the first year 

 that plums have been perfect on the trees. Smith's 

 Orleans cracks some, and the Washington rots on 

 the trees, owing, perhaps, to the season being un- 

 usually wet. The Beurre Diel pear cracks bad oh 

 the quince and on the pear stocks. 



From plums put in a vial August 1st, that con- 

 tained the larva, there are now perfect curculios. 



Potatoes are rotting very much. 

 Yours respectfully, 



BENJAMIN BOYNTON, Jk. 



Remarks. — Pruning plum-trees will cause them 

 to produce finer crops ; but the pruning should be 

 done in the same way as that of the peach, by head- 

 i7ig in. All stone fruit should be pruned in this way, 

 excepting a few limbs may be cut at the trunk while 

 the tree is young, to give it proper height and 

 form. — Ed. 



For the New England Fanmer. 

 PLOUGHS. 



Mr. Editor : As I was passing through the city 

 of Poughkeepsie, on the east bank of the Hudson, I 

 noticed a plough with a mould-board about eighteen 

 inches long, (or half the usual length,) and with but 

 one handle, with a pin about twelve inches long 

 through the upper part. I inquired of the propri- 

 etor of the store before which it was placed, the pur- 

 pose for which it was there. He answered, " To he 

 sold." I asked if such ploughs were salable in that 

 region ; he said, " Yes, there was no demand for any 

 other." They had sometimes attempted to sell the 

 I)loughs made in Massachusetts, with two handles, 

 and long mould-boards, but the farmers there did 

 not like them. On looking at the land in and about 

 the city, I could not sec that it varied essentially 

 from the land in the counties of Norfolk and Worces- 

 ter ; where, I am confident, ploughs of this de- 

 scription would be thrown one side, as of no value. 

 IIow does it happen that cultivators of the soil are 

 so dilatory in adopting improvements ? If I do not 

 mistake, these cast-iron, short mould-boards were 

 first introduced by Wood, of Western New York, 

 for which a patent was obtained about thirty years 

 since, a renewal and further extension of which has 

 been sought the past season. But that they can be 

 as valuable, and as conveniently managed with one 

 handle as with two, is to me highly imiirobable. I 

 confess I was struck with astonishment, that there 

 should be a region within one hundred miles of New 

 York or Boston, where modern improvements had so 

 imperfectly penetrated. I had supposed the Eag.'e 

 of Ruggles & Co., and the Centre Draught of Prouty, 

 had taken possession, more or less, of every corner 

 of our land. 



t>cpt. 10, 1850. 



