NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



139. 



sound so long.''' And if this lie true of oaks, why 

 not of fruit tre.ps ? We li;ive I'rcinienlly seen 

 sclf-pliiiiteil apple trees, cherry tref ^, tc. which 

 were vigorous, thrifl_v,ami fniilfnl, Ihoiisjh little 

 or no care or culture was hestoweil upon llicm. 

 We are sensible, however, that this mode o( 

 raising- fruit trees is not in accordance with the 

 generally received theories on this subject, and 

 that Iruil trees, liy Etiiopoan cnllivalors, are 

 usually (tc'ce (rans/)/(»i(c'.', — once IVom the seed- 

 bed iiilo the nursery, and again from the nurse- 

 ry into the orchard. This mode of (irocediirc 

 is said to accelerate the growth of the plants by 

 causing llictn to put forth a greater number of 

 fibrous roots, than they would, if sulTercd to re- 

 niain in the places where their seeds were sown. 

 Uut, even if their growth may. by such means, 

 be accelerated, we doubt whether the process 

 is favourable to the longevity ai' the tree. If you 

 wish your tree to attain a vigorous and iVuitful 

 old age, you will take care that a due proportion 

 be retained between its roots, ami stock, and 

 branches. If you increase the size and number 

 of the roots by artificial means, the sap will be 

 drawn from the ground faster than it can bedis- 

 jiosed of by the sap-vessels, branches, leaves, 

 Lc. and canker will ensue. On the contrary, if 

 the trunk and top are too large for the roots, the 

 tree Will not be well nourished, and a partirl 

 or total decay will be the consequence. 



rdr Preston's observation, relative to defer- 

 ring to graft I'ruit trees till you have ascertain- 

 ed what kind of fruit they will naturally pro- 

 duce, we should think highly worthy of atten- 

 tion. By grafting- your trees, without know- 

 ing what fruit they would bear, if let alone, 

 you may, perhaps, fake some pain";, and be at 

 some expense for no other purjiose but that of 

 injuring your stock. '• 



"The proper season for jdanling," according 

 to Mr Coxe, " will be found to depend on a va- 

 riety of circumstances — in light soils the win- 

 ter settles the earth round the roots, and best 

 secures them against the drought of the follow- 

 ing season — it is a time of leisure to thfi far- 

 mer, and afibrds an early selection of trees from 

 tlie nursery. In stiff or wet soils, I should 

 give the preference to spring planting, other 

 circumstances being er/ial — I have planted at 

 both seasons, and have generally found that 

 care and attention ensured a correspondent suc- 

 cess in the growth of my trees."' In trans- 

 planting trees in a light and loose soil it has 

 been found useful to place small stones about 

 the roofs to prevent their being loosened by 

 the wind. Some advise to place stones on the 

 surface of the ground for about three feet 

 round the tree. Eut, perhaps, it would an- 

 swer a better purpose to mix them with the 

 mould a little below the surface, as they would 

 he out of the way, and present little or no ob- 

 stacle to cultivation. 



With regard to the distance at which fruit- 

 trees should be planted, this may vary according 

 to circumstances too numerous to recapitulate 

 in this article. For apple trees, Mr Coxe re- 

 commends 40 feet as a general rule. This dis- 

 tance will admit sufficient sun and air, in our dry 

 and warm climate ; and until the trees shall be 

 fully grown, will allow a profitable application 

 of the ground to the cultivation of grain and 

 gras=.. 



The following directions for planting fruit 

 frees, frrm Willich's Domestic Encyclopedia, 



are plain, correct atid concise. " A ivlde hole 

 must he dug for each, being sufliciently capa- 

 cious to receive all the roots freely, so that thev 

 may not touch the sides. A fruit-tree should 

 now he deposiled in eacli liole, one person 

 holding' its stem erect, while another breaks 

 the earth in small pieces, and throws it in 

 eipially upon the roots; the tree being occa- 

 sionally shaken, that the mould may lie closely 

 on all the smaller roots and fibres, and Iho plant 

 he gradually elevated, fill the top or crown of 

 (he roots is only (wo or three inches below the 

 Iho common surface of the earth. When the 

 cavity is properly filled, it must be gently 

 pressed with the foot, (irst on the outside, and 

 then advancing gradually towards the stem, the 

 surface being formed somewhat hollow. Last- 

 ly, a few inverted sods or pieces of turf must 

 be hiid over the whole, so as to form a circu- 

 lar hank, three or four inches high ; which 

 will not only support the tree, but at the same 

 time shelter' the roots from drying winds, and 

 those droughts that sometimes prevail in hot 

 summers. During these operations, the plan- 

 ters must he particularly attentive, that each 

 tree stands perfectly erect, and that the trees 

 be accurately arranged in rows." 



We have Mr Coxe's reprobation of planting 

 sprouts or suckers, in order to raise young trees, 

 as follows : — " All st;ilks should be raised from 

 seeds, and never from suckers, a practice which 

 cannot be too severely condemned ; it vvill in- 

 evitably produce trees di'vosed to generate 

 suckers, which impoverish the parent tree, and 

 are unsightly and troublesome in grounds; and 

 if the theory be correct, as I believe it to be, 

 that varieties have (heir respecti\e periods of 

 duration, after wh'ch they languish and de- 

 cline; trees raised irom suckers will be found 

 to possess the defects of the parent tree, of 

 which they are (he offspring." 



For further information with regard (o the 

 subjec(s of this article, we would refer our 

 readers to the New England Farmer, volume 

 i. pages 84, 121, 141, 145, 170, 186, 187, 278, 

 309,317. 318. 322, 331— volume ii. pages 7G, 

 92, 221,245, 277, 282, 326, 33G. 



From the tllbany Argtts. 



CULTURE OF THE TEA PL.\NT. 

 Sir, — Permit me through the meiiium of your 

 paper, (o communic.-ile to the public, my first and 

 only experiment in the cultivation of the Tea 

 plant. The seed 1 olitained last winter from 

 Wliceling, in tlie state of Virginia, was raised by 

 Dr Elisha Miles. 1 planted the seed on the 20lh 

 of May last, in a warm, gravelly soil, and have 

 now growing about sixteen plants. The largest 

 of tlie shrubs or plants, is at the bottom, about | 

 of an inch in diameter; the main branch grow- 

 i ing perpendicular, is now about two feet high, 

 with various branches extending from it. The 

 leaves are very numerous, representing a full 

 crowded shrub ; anri being picked, the bran- 

 ches are soon covered again, the new leaves co- 

 ming forward in a rapid manner. I have cured 

 some of the leaves, and Irom an examination ev- 

 ery person will be satisfied, it is the real Tea 

 Plant. The leaves were cured in the following 

 rtianner : after being picked in the morning 

 while the dew was on, they were put into an 

 earthern vessel, covered close, the earl hern vc - 

 sel put into a kettle of water and boiled about 



two hours. The leaves were then taken out 

 and laid upon earthern to dry. The appearance 

 and flavor of t!ie tea is much like our common 

 Souchong. 



The manner of curing the leaves and fitting 

 them for use, and what soil is most congenial to 

 its culture, are points on which information, 

 througji the public papers, is respectfully solici- 

 ted. 



1 have obtained seed from the plant the pres- 

 ent season. 



1 am, sir, vary respectfully, your obedient ser- 

 vant, DANIEL HUBBARD. 



Delphi, (Onondago, N. Y.) Oct. 19,1824. 



Extension of the Tea culture in Louisiana. — 

 It is already known, that as long ago as Sept- 

 ember, 1823, the Green Tea shrub had been 

 cultivated with success on Iho bank of the river 

 Amite. The friends of domestic improvements 

 in that quarter of the Union, and indeed every 

 where else were delighted with the intelligence. 

 — Since that time further information has been 

 transmitted by Wm. Y. Lewis, Esq. of New Or- 

 leans, under date of August 2oth 1324. It is 

 contained in the following extract of his letter 

 to Dr Milchel : — " By the ship Crawford, Cap- 

 tain Sutherland, I take the liberty of transmitting 

 to you as a specimen, a small quantity of (he 

 seed, which I have procured from the Tea shrub 

 of Louisiana; and of adding, that many citizens 

 of this and other western stales, have now grow- 

 ing, (>om seed which I have furnished, several 

 plants of (his valuable article. I anticipate the 

 most favorable result to our common country 

 from these little beginnings." 



This collection of the seeds has been forward- 

 ed to the Horticultural Society, that it may be 

 ascertained by experiment, whether this Louisi- 

 ana Tea is the same with the Chinese Tea. 



jY. Y. Statesman. 



WoKOERFDt, Ox. — The wonderful ox, bred and 

 fed by Sir William Maxwell of Monteith, on his 

 lands in Galloway, was slaughtered at Ayr, last 

 week. This animal was extraordinary in many 

 respects. He exceeded almost every beast of 

 the kind lately raised in Scotland, not only in 

 bulk, but surpassed them likewise in symmetry oi 

 form and beauty of skin. Indeed, he was consi- 

 dered so singular, that he was carried through 

 the kingdom in a caravan, exhibited as a public 

 spectacle, and was well known to the world by 

 the name of " fat Charlie." He was the prod- 

 uce of a bull of the far-famed Tees-water kind, 

 and of a cow of the equally famous Collingham 

 breed, and was about eight years old when 

 brought to the shambles. The four quarters 

 weighed 1680 lb. The tallow weighed 113 10. 

 and the hide 120 lb. and exclusive of the offal the 

 beast weighed 2013 lb. Through the rib the 

 thickness measured 9^ inches, and the fat down 

 the back ■i- and the back bone 5. — Eng. paper. 



Great Growth. — On the farm of Mr Amos 

 Whittemore in West-Cambridge, were gathered 

 this season, l^om one twig of a pear tree, meas- 

 uring 18 inches in length, twenty-nine pears, 

 which weighed eighteen pounds. 



To make the Teeth White. — A mixture of hon- 

 ey with the purest charcoal will prove an ad- 

 mirable cleanser. 



