294 



NEW t:NGLAND FARMER, 



MARCH 27, 1833. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 27, 1833 



FARMER'S AVORK. 



Pruning Trees. In pruning apple-trees, and 

 other standard trees, we are directed by Mr. 

 Knight to render the point of the external branches 

 thin and pervious to sun-beams so that the internal 

 parts of the tree may not be wholly shaded by the 

 external parts. The light should penetrate into 

 the tree on every side ; but not any where through 

 it. When the pruner has judiciously executed his 

 work, every part of the tree, internal as well as 

 external will be productive of fruit ; and the in- 

 ternal part in unfavorable seasons will rather re- 

 ceive protection than injury from the external. 

 A tree thus pruned, will not only produce much 

 more fruit, but will also be able to support a heavier 

 load of it, without danger of being broken, be- 

 cause the weight of the part will be near the limbs 

 of the tree, and not suspended from small twigs at 

 a distance from the centre. 



Each variety of the apple tree has its own pe- 

 culiar form of growth to which it has a perpetual 

 tendency, and will in some degree assume in defi- 

 ance of the pruner. Something maj', however, be 

 done to correct what is naturally defective. When 

 the growth of any variety is weak and reclining, 

 the principal stem should be trained to a consider- 

 able height, before it be allowed to produce branch- 

 es ; and if any of these take a horizontal or 

 pendent direction, they should be regularly taken 

 off. One principal leading stem should be encour- 

 aged almost to the summit of the tree to prevent a 

 sudden division into two large boughs of nearly 

 equal strength ; for the fork which these form is 

 apt to divide and break, when the branches are 

 loaded with fruit. All efforts to give young trees 

 a round and regularly spreading form, while in the 

 nursery, will be found injurious in the future 

 stages of their growth. Large branches should 

 rarely or never be amputated. 



There has been some disagreement among or- 

 chardists relative to the proper season in the year 

 for pruning fruit trees, Loudon says, "for all the 

 operations of pruning which are performed on the 

 branches or shoots of trees it would appear that 

 the period immediately before or commensurate 

 with the rising of the sap is the best." 



Col. Pickering observed " My practice has been 

 to prune in the spring beginning when the buds 

 have scarcely begun to swell, and ending before 

 the expansion of the leaves. But I never leave 

 "stumps," of limbs. Every branch that is taken 

 away is cut close or even with the stem or limb 

 where it grew ; and the healing of the wound 

 commences and proceeds kindly as vegetation ad- 

 vances." 



A writer for the Genesee Farmer, of the 9th 

 inst., with the signature B. who we believe is a 

 •well known practical and scientific cultivator to 



whom American agriculture is indebted for many 

 valuable essays and exemplary improvements, after 

 quoting from " Useful and Omamenlal Planting," 

 proceeds as follows : — 



"Remark. In this extract we have an illustra- 

 tion of the application of science to practice. It 

 teaches, — 



"1. That the pith is necessary to the production 

 of buds and radicles (fibrous roots ;) emd that these 

 are both annual. 



" 2. That when a branch is taken off close to 

 the bole ot body of a tree, no re-production of 

 shoots takes place ; but that shoots will spring 

 from the spurs or stumps of limbs. This indicates 

 the propriety of cutting always close to the bole. 



"3. That midsummer pruning, when the sap is 

 for some days quiescent is the most effectual in 

 preventing the growth of new shoots, and in 

 speedily covering the wounds with new bark ; and 

 that the reverse of this happens when trees are 

 pruned in spring, autumn or winter. 



"It cannot but have been remarked, that 

 orchards pruned in spring or fall, especially if the 

 labor has been omitted some years, or performed 

 in a careless manner, become unsightly and unpro- 

 ductive, from the innumerable sprouts or shoots 

 which succeed the operation. I have two succes- 

 sive years pruned my orchards in July after the 

 grass or grain in thera was cut, and have reason 

 to be highly gratified with Jiiy innovations upon 

 the old practice very few shoots were subsequent- 

 ly produced, and the wounds were nearly covered 

 by new bark before autumn. The operation of 

 pruning to be well done, should be performed an- 

 nually, or at farthest biennially, when the knife 

 will be the principal instrument required, and the 

 wounds so small as to heal readily." 



(^uajitilies of soluble or nutritive matters afforded 

 by different vegetable substan-ces ; Mangel fVurtzel, 



ifC. 



Sir Humphrey Davy constructed a table exhib- 

 iting the proportions of nutritive matter contained 

 in different vegetable substances. By this it ap- 

 pears 1000 parts North American wheat has 955 

 parts of soluble or nutritive matter ; Norfolk Barley 

 920 ; oats 743 ; rye 792 ; common beans, 570 ; dry 

 peas 574 : potatoes from 260 to 300 ; red beet 

 148; white beet 136; parsnip 99; carrots 98; 

 common turnips 42 ; Swedish turnips 64. It 

 would seem that beets, including probably the 

 mangel wortzel, one variety of the white beet, are 

 greatly superior to other common root crops in the 

 quantity of nutriment they yield to the bushel, as 

 well as the number of bushels to the acre. 



Mangel Wurtzel, however, has been objected to 

 as food for cattle on account of its gorging or clog- 

 ging their stomachs, in such a manner as to induce 

 disease. But when this has happened, it is believ- 

 ed to have always been tlie consequence of injudi- 

 cious feeding. Lawrence's Farmer's and Grazier's 



Guide in treating of the uses of this root observes 

 that " From all the observations it would appear 

 that mangel wurtzel is a valuable, nutritious root, 

 well adapted to the feeding of cattle, and one from 

 which no injury need be apprehended, when pro- 

 per care is taken in feeding the stock with a mod- 

 erate quantity daily. Like clover, turnips, and after- 

 math, it abounds in rich nutritious matter, and 

 when used for food must like them be accompa- 

 nied willi a proportion of hay." 



A writer in the Genesee Partner of the 9th inst. 

 observes that " It is stated by those who have had 

 experience in the cultivation of mangold wurtzel, 

 that a crop can be raised with the same labor that 

 is necessary for a crop of potatoes ; and tliat they 

 can be preserved in cellars, or elsewhere by keep- 

 ing them from frost through the winter, and that 

 they will retain their nutritive qualities through 

 the succeeding summer. Although we are oppos- 

 ed to a general innovation in agricultural pursuits, 

 yet we recommend a fair trial of the cultivation 

 of mangold wurtzel, for the benefit of stock farmers. 

 It is desirable to find out the cheapest article with 

 which farmers can supply their stocks with green 

 or succulent food during our most severe winter 

 weather. Cabbage and turnips are likely to be 

 destroyed by insects which renders those crops too 

 uncertain. Potatoes require boiling, but all things 

 considered are at present the most valuable crop 

 for the above purpose in general cultivation, so 

 that experiments should determme between them 

 antl mangold wurtzel." 



ITEMS OF INTEIililGENCE. 



Speeches of Messrs. Calhoun ajul Webster. We are glad io 

 perceive that Messrs. Beals &. Homer have published in a 

 pamphlet form, these famous and able speeciies. Both should 

 not only be read but be studied by every person, who would 

 understand the principles of our government, and the duties aa 

 w'cll as tlie rights of the United States in their collective and 

 separate capacities. The collisions of these able champions 

 elicit light, which like fire of Itie flint would have remained latent 

 had there no opposition existed between them. Cool com- 

 mentaries on the Constitution of the Unian, the delegated and 

 reserved rights, the powers inherent in the government of Uic 

 twenty-four States, and those which belong to the government 

 of each of these United States could u^t so well explain the 

 mechanism of our political structures as these etVorts to destroy 

 and to preserve the great fabric of " Liberty secured by Law." 



BajiJc of the United States. A writer for the N. Y. Daily 

 Advertiser says this Institution like pure gold seems to lose 

 nothing by close scrutiny. It goes through tlie ordeal intended 

 lor its destruction and comes out unscatlied aud undiminished 

 in real value. 



South Carolina. The Columbia (S. C.> Times states that 

 Jlessrs. Drayton, Blair and Mitchel, the three South Carolina 

 representatives, who voted for the Enforcing Bill were burnt in 

 efligy in that town "by the indignant citizens " on the evening 

 of the 13th inst. 



The inhabitants of Northampton, at a town meeting holden 

 on the 18th inst. resolved to instruct the Selectmen not to appro- 

 bate any persons as retailers of ardent spirits in that town ex 

 cepting practising physicians. 



South Carolina Convention. The Comhiillee of the con- 

 vention to whom the subject was referred liavc reported in 

 favor of making null and void the nullifying ordinances together 

 with the laws wliich have been passed in consequence of their 

 existence. 



