178 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



April 



uted to sowing too late, and on a backward, cold 

 soil ; a rich, tenacious soil is better for a winter 

 crop. Sow a bushel and a half to the acre ; soak 

 it over night in a pickle of four quarts of salt to 

 eight buckets of water ; this might destroy any 

 insect that should be deposited in the grain, or 

 perhaps in the berry itself, as is often the case in 

 old grains or peas. Too much salt would injure 

 the germ. Roll it in ashes on the floor ; sow 

 and harrow in, and the grain will come up in 

 three days ; should it be a dry time, use the roll- 

 er ; I use it on all my grain crops at all times. 

 Yours respectfully, 

 New York, March 5, 1855. H. Poor. 



*War prices for flour may coritiDue for quite a length of time, 

 and much longer than did the "famine" prices a few years 

 since. Europe looks to the United States as their unfailing 

 granary. ^^ 



THE WHITE CARROT. 



Col. De Couteur, in some very able remarks 

 upon the value and productiveness of this vegeta- 

 ble, says, that the acreable product is about thir- 

 ty-eight tons. "When we take into the estimate 

 the superior excellence and value of the Belgian 

 or White carrot for stock feeding, this will ap- 

 pear a very good crop, although far less than is 

 often afforded by turnips or even beets. The car- 

 rot, in all its varieties, is a crop requiring a good 

 Boil and thorough cultivation, but probably one 

 of the best crops the farmer can produce. Lord 

 DccE estimates the expense of cultivating the 

 ■white carrot "at little more than half the cost of 

 growing any other root crop known to him. The 

 product also of the "whites" exceeds that of the 

 "reds" from eight to nine tons per statute acre 

 on the same soil." We have cultivated the white 

 carrot only in small quantities, and cannot say 

 with any degree of confidence what their com- 

 parative merits are. But the opinions of others 

 may, perhaps, lead us to a higher estimate of 

 some crops not now usually cultivated among 

 us. 



Having caught something of the popular pre- 

 judices against the cultivation of roots, for many 

 years we entertained a strong belief that they 

 were of little value as feed for stock ; but experi- 

 ence — that excellent teacher — together with a 

 careful investigation of the experiments and 

 opinions of many of the best English stock grow- 

 ers — has dissipated that belief, and we now deem 

 it a duty earnestly to recommend the cultivation 

 of root crops to all who have stock of any kind to 

 feed. In no way can the farmer produce so much 

 valuable food at so small an outlay of time and 

 cash ; and if he will give the subject a little in- 

 vestigation, and refer to an article in the June 

 number for 185-4, basing his estimate of a crop of 

 carrots at not less than 800 bushels to the acre, 

 we think he will come to a conclusion favorable 

 to the cultivation of the root crops. 



Thire is also another very important argument 



to be adduced in its favor, viz. : the improvement 

 of the soil, which is as certain to result from the 

 systematic observance of the principles and rules 

 of this culture, as any effect on which we can 

 rationally rely. Those who have but little land, 

 and who are desirous of rendering that little pro- 

 ductive, should cultivate root crops in preference 

 to all others. 



For the New Ens^land Farmer. 



PROPAGATING APPLE TREES. 



Friend Brown : — I suppose the design in pub- 

 lishing agricultural journals, is to diffuse a cor- 

 rect knowledge of scientific farming. We often 

 find articles on the culture of apple trees so con- 

 flicting, that those who are seeking for knowledge 

 are left in ignorance as to the best and most 

 economical mode of proceeding. Therefore, all 

 who write should experimentally understand what 

 they are communicating to others. It is common 

 for good farmers to try experiments in the various 

 branches of their occupation, and, so far as they 

 have been successful, I think they may be justified 

 in communicating their mode of practice to oth- 

 ers. My principal business and income has been 

 in fruit growing, mostly apples. INIy method of 

 treatment, both in pruning and grafting, has, for 

 the past twelve years, proved so conducive to the 

 health, beauty, and productiveness of my trees, 

 (a.) that I have felt justified in communicating, 

 through your valuable journal, my method of 

 practice, hoping, at the same time, it might prove 

 beneficial to others. 



My mind has been more particularly interested 

 in the management of apple trees, since reading 

 an article in the Farmer, signed "C. Goodrich, 

 Burlington, Vt." As regards his theory in the 

 selection of trees for transplanting, and many 



other topics of his discussing, I do most heartily 

 concur with him. But as to pruning, there is an 

 essential difference between us as to the time and 



mode of treatment. If his theory will apply to 

 all of the New England States, my labor in 

 pruning, for the past twelve years, ought to have 

 been very disastrous, and to have destroyed three 

 hundred trees, which, I am happy to state, are 

 now living witnesses, showing to all beholders the 

 cruel treatment inflicted upon them by my wicked 

 process ! Mr. G. says, "the time for pruning 

 is in June, or early in July. February, March 

 and April, are the worst three months in the 

 year for pruning any trees. Sap soon after flows 

 from the fresh wounds made by cutting large 

 limbs, poisoning and killing the bark, and if 

 general pruning is then done, it is very destruc- 

 tive." He further says, "trees properly planted, 

 require attention during the first few years. 

 After this, the pruning required is very trifling in 

 most trees — none during the ordinary life of man. 

 Apples protected by leaves are much larger and 

 of better quality than those grown exposed to the 

 sun in July and August. The most common 

 error in pruning is tn taking out too much of the 

 central portion of the tree, leaving naked limbs, 

 producing fruit only at the ends, beyond the 

 reach of any thing larger than a raccoon." 

 This is a very great error indeed, and I have no 

 doubt that excessive pruning has frequently come 

 under his observation. I also believe that a neg- 



