178 



ist:\\ tirstii^ArsiJ i"AK:njtL;K. 



of all enemies, the worm that leeils on the bark 

 of the root ; but am inclined to believe, that 

 by placing fresh bunches of stems once a year 

 in the forks of the trees, the rains would satu- 

 rate the earth round the roots, so as to prevent 

 the fly from depositing the nit. I intend to 

 make the experiment more fully ; and I wish it 

 were g-enerally tried, 1 last year applied a 

 good coat of tar and tish oil from my tar buck- 

 et, to the roots of my gage plums. — The trees 

 now looks as healthy as I could wish. The fail- 

 ure of the peach tree amongst us, presented a 

 singular phenomenon — the disease, (if it may 

 90 be called) commenced in particular sj)ots, and 

 extended rapidly in every direction. Ir\ ?ome 

 neighbourhoods the destruction was com(>lete ; 

 in others only partial. In our market ue had 

 always a tolerable supply. On the north east 

 side of the coualy, not a living tree could be 

 seen ; and on the south east side, they shared 

 the same fate. East of the Monongahela, in 

 Fayette County, you could not have found a 

 peach tree in a day's ride. It was quite a com- 

 mon thing to send our friends in Uniontown, 

 parcels of peaches by the stage. I recollect 

 about twelve years ago, to have paid a visit to 

 a friend, who lives in a very fine settlement, on 

 the east branch of the Ohio River, above 

 Wheeling, called " Short Creek." On my way 

 there, about ten miles from home, I bogan to 

 notice the peach tree presenting a sickly ap- 

 pearance ; and, in one mile farther west, not a 

 living tree was to be found. The dry, dead 

 skeletons presented a most dismal aspect; and 

 particularly so to a lover of the delicious l'rnit. 

 On Biy arrival at the residence of my friend, I 

 found his orchard presented the same desolate 

 appearance. He staled to me, that three years 

 before that time, almost every farm in his neigh- 

 bourhood, furnished abundance of delightful 

 peaches, and that then, on the east side of the 

 river, he did not believe a living tree could be 

 found within six miles of his farm. But what 

 was very remarkable, directly across the river, 

 on the Ohio side, the peach tree was doing well. 

 He observed that it was well worth a day's ride, 

 to get on the top of one of their high hills, 

 where the eye could take in at the same time, 

 the country on both sides of llie river, when 

 the peach was in full bloom. On the Ohio side, 

 the prospect was cheering and delightful ; — 

 whilst on the Virginia side, it was much more 

 sombre. The irregular line formed by the 

 river could be distinctly traced as far as the eye 

 could reach. — I cannot state the exact time the 

 peach began to fail with us, but recollect it was 

 five or si.x years after I had heard of its failure 

 in Jersey and in the eastern pnrt of this State. 

 1 observe for the Inst three or four years, when 

 proper care is taken, they are again doing well. 

 — I have over twenty trees still bearing, plant- 

 ed twenty-six years ago. The fruit is small, 

 but well flavoured. I have found by experi- 

 ence, that as soon as an old tree begins to show 

 symptoms of decay, it is best to cul it oft' near 

 the ground. P^ine strong slioots, almost uniform- 

 ly come from the old slump, or from its roots. 

 These shoots mostly bear the second year. I 

 am not prepared to sav whether they will be as 

 durable as trees raised from thckStone; being 

 only about three years, since I first made the 

 experiment. We know that chesnut and some 

 other kinds of forest trees, answer well when- 

 raised in this way. R. 



Fro?)i Ike Genius of Liberly. 



CULTURE OF THF, PE.^CII TREE 



Published by order of the Agricultural Society of 



Fayette County. 



The subscriber having bestovved much of his 

 time and attention to the cultivation and pre- 

 servation of fruit trees, and willing to djfl'use 

 any knowledge he may possess on the subject, 

 submits, for the benefit of the puldic at large, 

 the following results of many experiments. 



He has found, after adopting various modes 

 iu rearing the peach tree, that none succeeded 

 so well as the following: — In the fall of the 

 year, I bury the peach stones (from which 1 

 design to raise trees) in a hole uniler 6 or 8 

 inches of earth, to remain there until the lol- 

 lowing spring, when I take them up, and after 

 cracking the stone carefully, so as not to injure 

 the kernel, (the most of which will be found 

 swollen and ready to sprout) and which 1 then 

 plant in a trench 8 or 10 inches apart, where 

 they are suffered to remain until the plant has 

 acquired a growth of 3 or 4 inches in height, 

 when 1 tr»ns()lant them to the place designed 

 for my peach orchard, placing small stones 

 about the plants to preserve them from being 

 injured by cattle, &c. It is unnecessary to be 

 more explicit on this part of the subject — eve- 

 ry farmer is acquainted with the mode of rear- 

 ing, which is com()aralively trifling, compared 

 with the preserving of this valuable and deli- 

 cious fruit tree. Few have turned their atten- 

 tion to it, and of the few, the smallest number 

 have succeeded ; perhaps none have succeeded 

 fully in preserving the peach tree from decay 

 for any length of time. I have, however, pre- 

 vented the destruction of my trees for several 

 successive seasons, and am entirely convinced 

 of the eflicacy of my plan in destroying an in- 

 sect, which, of all other things, 1 believe most 

 pernicious to the tree. It is a fact, of which 

 peihaps few farmers are aware, that (he ()each 

 tree receives its death by an insect of the fly 

 kind, which annually deposites its eggs in the 

 bark of the root of the tree, sometimes at or 

 near the surface of the ground, but most gener- 

 ally under the surface. The egg is deposited 

 by making a small perforation — these are some- 

 times numerous, and from the circumstance of 

 a gum issuing out of the wounded pnrls, ther 

 is no doubt it materially injures the healt 



without pruning, and am decidedly against using 

 the pruning hook at all. The reasons in favour 

 I of this plan are obvious. 1 suffer the tree to 

 grow as nature pleases, and it will then assume 

 a shape well calculated to witbsland the shock 

 of storms, and to bear its fruit without props. — 

 In pursuing an opposite plan, by cutting olf the 

 first branches that appear, a long body is form- 

 ed and the tree ultimately divides into two or 

 three main branches, which, when loaded with 

 fruit, or during high winds, are apt to split asun- 

 der, and the death of the tree €nsues. It is 

 true, 1 have found it necessary sometimes to 

 prop my trees, but in suft'ering their growth to 

 be natural, they never acquire a great height, 

 and liirin a peculiar shape, which is given them 

 by nature, the load is so equally distributed, 

 that the necessary [iropping is easily done. 



Ill addition to what I have already stated, it 

 may not be improper to arid, that an intelligent 

 farmer inl'ormed, that merely to heap the earth 

 about the root of the tree in the fall of the 

 y<i,ir, and removing it again when the winter 

 sets in, would destroy the insect, whose eggs 

 would then be exposed to the severe frosts. 1 

 have never tried this experiment, but am of 

 opinion it would have a good efl^ect. It is from 

 its simplicity well worthy a trial. 



JOHN HACKNEY. 



Note. — I prefer ashes, because they are al- 

 ways at hand, and because they are really a 

 good manure for peach trees. 1 have found a 

 sandy soil best both for a nursery and on.bard. 



J. H. 



33crfe.6lu'r0 afirfcultural SotCctg. 



AGRICULTURAL REPORT^ 



The Viewing Committee of the Berkshire 

 Agricultural Society, considering llie duties de- 

 volving on them as not circumscribed to the 

 viexi's of crops offered for preiniinns, but as extend- 

 ing to whatever may, ia their opinion, have a 

 tendency to the promotion of its object, and the 

 expansion of its usefulness, beg leave to offer a 

 few remarks, with a view to this important sub- 

 ject. 



And, first, in relation to Fruit Trees. It is 



evident our old Orchards are rapidly decaying, 



while it is equally so, that for (he most part 



r"-i those lately set out are left to their fate. As 



well might we expect a young child would thrive 

 and flourish, in defiance of want of nourishment, 



the tree. Knowing this to be the fact, and be- 

 lieving the insect just alluded to, to be the pri- 1 , ,. ,. , ,. .,, . . . 

 =.r . ,1, 1 ;■ .1 r •! ,.' and the assaults ol disease, without care, assist- 

 marv, il not the sole cause ol the failure of i i . .• ,l . . u u 

 ,,,,., ■ . i- .1 ance, and protection, as that a youns tree should 

 1 orchards, I tried a variety of nieth- i , 1 , ,• .,i . 



workout its own salvation, without any exertions 



of our own. The Committee are of opinion, 



our pearli orcliards, l tried a variety of 

 ods to destroy them, and have found the follow- 

 ing to have the desired effect : — In the fall of 

 the year (at which time the eggs are deposit- 

 ed) 1 take for a grown tree, a handful of tobac- 

 co stems, or, what vvill do equally as well, about 

 half a gallon of wood ashes; and after buring 

 the roots, lay either of them on and about the 

 trunk, and cover the whole with earth : tlie om 

 beer of the lobricco and tlie lye of the ashes are 

 both fatnl to the embryo insect, and effectually 

 destroy it. For a young and heallhftil tree, a 

 much smaller quantity will do, as (hey are sel- 

 dom disturbed by the insect, Irom (he circum- 

 stance of their roots being less exposed than 

 those of an old tree. 



Many farmers, in my opinion, injure the 

 health of the tree and bring on premature de- 

 Cay by pruning. I have tried thern with and 



that premiums on moderate sized orchards, to 

 consist not only of the apple, but of pears, plums, 

 and cherries, would produce a salutary effect. 



Secondly, on Mamres. No branch of our hus- 

 bandry is perhaps more generally defective than 

 that which regards the careful preservation and 

 judicious application of manures; and in no way 

 can we improve our farms so rapidly and profit- 

 ably, as by adopting the practice and experience 

 of those who have scientifically and successfully 

 investigated the subject as to the best means of 

 making, increasing, and preserving — and the best 

 manner of applying them to various soils. The 

 priuiarv object being to increase (he quantity, the 

 Cf mmiitee beg leave to .suggest the propriety of 

 initituling premiums on this subject. 



