150 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



April 



tiful gardens and higlily-eultivated fields, never 

 entering them except in autumn when the sear 

 and yellow leaf is ujniu the trees, or in spring, 

 ■when they liave follen to the ground, and before 

 the swollen buds have expanded. We should 

 suppose that these feeble birds, after having 

 passed the Avinter at the South, might some of 

 them l)e induced b}' the natural beauties of our an- 

 cient connuonwealth, as seen in her forests, lakes, 

 rivers, orchards and gardens, to stop and pass the 

 summer Avith us, and forego their journey to the 

 North. But this they seldom do, impelled, as they 

 pro1)ably are, by an instinct implanted in them 

 by an all-wise Providence, difficult for them to 

 overcome. And did not this principle exist in 

 all animated nature, viz., a desire to inhabit jxir- 

 ticular districts, we should see the strange specta- 

 cle of one portion of a country crowded with ani- 

 mals, while another portion, less attractive, 

 would be entirely destitute of them. But by the 

 Avise arrangement of Nature as we now see it, 

 animals, birds and plants, by their peculiar con- 

 formation, are made capable and desirous of in- 

 habiting particular districts, and are thus distrib- 

 uted over the entire globe, so that no part of it, 

 however cold, dreary and uninviting, is destitute 

 of its inhabitants. 



With these preliminary remarks, we Avill close 

 this communication. 



Danvers Port, /a«. 26, 1855. 

 [to be continued.] 



For the New England Farmer. 



BETHEL FARMERS' CLUB. 



Messrs. Editors — Thinking that some notice 

 of the plan of operations in this society might 

 stimulate others to form similar associations, I 

 send you such information as may be of service. 

 I think our plan will commend itself for its sim- 

 plicity and efficiency. 



One year ago a few individuals agreed to pur- 

 chase books, to the amount of at least one dollar 

 a share, on agriculture, horticulture and similar 

 subjects, and loan tliem to the club, with the 

 j^rivilege of withdrawing the same, together with 

 their connection Avith the society, should any 

 one choose to do so at any su)}sequent time. 

 By this means we soon obtained a library on all 

 the sul)jects necessary for such an association. 

 These are put in charge of a responsible librarian, 

 and exchanges made at the weekly meetings of 

 the society. We have as few regulations as pos- 

 sible — no two-thirds vote to tie our hands, but 

 rely mainly on tlie individual interest of mem- 

 bers. We meet at the houses of the members, 

 take our wives with us, such as have any, and 

 combine social intercourse with the discussion of 

 whatever subject has been previously announced, 

 with only one proviso — that our host shall pro- 

 vide us witli the Ix'st fruit in his possession. 

 This latter, hcnvever, was only an appendage to 

 our last meeting, as we were furnished Avith an 

 oyster supper, to our especial gratification. 



Perhajjs some account of our last meeting 

 miglit be of general interest. It Avas on the sub- 

 ject of Fruit and Ornamental Trees. Among the 

 points under consideration Avas the fact that the 

 common plum trees did not produce now as for- 

 merly. The Rev. Z. Thompsox stated that the 

 prineijial reason Avas, that people in Maine had 



been in the habit of transplanting the suckers 

 from old trees, and then from these to another 

 generation, until they had completely degenerated 

 and could not be made to bear to any extent. 

 He doubted Aviiether the habit of grafting on 

 such stocks Avould be successful. Dr. Trve en- 

 dorsed the statement oi' Mr. Thompson. He re- 

 membered trees that bore the greatest quantity 

 of fruit thirty-five years ago. Seedlings were 

 obtained from these which bore also ; but, during 

 a severe Avinter, the tops died, and an attempt Avas 

 made to rencAV the stock by transplanting the 

 suckers, but they never bore freel'. . This prac- 

 tice has been carried to a great extent, especially 

 among farmers in IMaine, and had done much 

 to discourage them from cultivating the plum. 

 It had long been knoAvn that the apple Avould not 

 succeed from such shoots, but it had escaped 

 notice in regard to the plum. If these fiictswere 

 true, they should be more generally knoAvn. The 

 habit of Western fruit-groAvers of root-grafting, 

 making two or more trees out of one original 

 root, Avas of doubtful utility, although we need 

 more information on that point. The people 

 should know what they are about. Probably 

 fifty thousand apple ti-ees Avere set out last spring 

 in Oxford county alone, and the most of these 

 are western trees, though justice requires the 

 statement that they generally appeared well in 

 this vicinity in the fall. 



In regard to the pear, it was suggested by Dr. 

 Tavitchell and others, that an agent be sent to 

 some nursery to select trees instead of sending 

 orders. No man AA'Ould send an order for a sheep 

 or an ox, but Avoukl be most desirous of seeing 

 it before he purchased. The general imjiression 

 of the society Avas that the price of dwarf pears 

 is too high ; that a cheaper rate could be afforded 

 for all the more common kinds. Attempts have 

 been made to propagate the pear on the moun- 

 tain ash and thorn, but Avith doubtful success. 

 One standard pear still Iia'CS in this vilhige, AA'hich 

 is probably sixty years old, end there is no diffi- 

 culty of their Avinter killing at the root, as in 

 some jilaces, for the ground rarely ever freezes 

 l)efore it is covered Avith snoAv for the winter. 

 Care should be taken to tie the tops together 

 while young, as the heaA^y snovrs Avill certainly 

 split them doAvn. The Bartlett pear, which is 

 very tender, can easily be matted after tying 

 round and draAving together the top with a stout 

 cord. A very slight protection is all that may 

 be necessary. 



Remarks Avere made on the ripening of the 

 grape. The practice of covering the ground 

 Avith cinders from the blacksmith's shop, or Avith 

 charcoal, AA'as avcU calculated to absorb the rays 

 of the sun and force them to ripen, as Avell as 

 add to the health and groAvth of the vines. It 

 AA'as suggested tliat glass frames used for the hot- 

 bed, might be set in a frame near to the Adnes 

 Avhich run on a Avail during the period of ripen- 

 ing, and thus jireA'cnt the frosts. 



Remarks Avere also made on transplanting 

 forest trees. People had run into opposite ex- 

 tremes on the subject of pruning. Some had left 

 only a stump. This Avould not do here, especially 

 with the elm. Ncav shoots would groAV, but they 

 Avould be almost s.urc to l)e killed during the next 

 Avinter. Others had not pruned at all. This 

 would do if the tree Avere an evergreen, or if all 



