182 



NEW ENGLAND FAKMER. 



April 



SWALLOWS PLUM TREES. ■ 



Mr. Editor : — The old adage says, "Better late 

 than never ;" acting on that principle, I give you 

 the following items which I found in my note- 

 book the oth-.T day. "The first bain-swallow made 

 its appearance here April 27th, for 1S54. Same 

 day, in travelling to a neighboring town, some fif- 

 teen miles north, I passed a stagnant pond with 

 a large and apparently hollow tree standing near 

 its edge ; and liundreds of swallows were upon its 

 branches, flying about, and performing all sorts 

 of gj-rations, apparently for no other olijeet, 

 than to try their wings; acting, all the while, as 

 though they had just waked up from a long 

 sleep. "We could not stop to make observations. 

 The first detachment of swallows at our barns, 

 met for a drill, July 19th, to the number of for- 

 ty or fifty ; in two days they were gone. Many 

 others lingered about some three weeks, ere they 

 departed ; but they seemed to look lonely and 

 sad." I believe, that with the exception of your 

 remarks, ea.-ly in the season, no one has given us 

 observations respecting the swallow, during the 

 last year. I hope the poor swallow is not going 

 to be forgotten. Some philosopher has said, "that 

 a swallow will destroy an average of nine hundred 

 insects a day — and that some of these insects 

 will bring into e:£istence seven generations in one 

 season." Yerily, then, the swallows should be 

 looked after and cared for. Why not? 



Can you tell me what to do for a plum tree, 

 which is very thrifty, blossoms every year very 

 full, — but never ripens any, and with tiie exception 

 of one or two years, has never formed any plums. 

 AVe have tried various things, but without success. 



Marlboro', N. H., fe/;., "1855. j. t. w. 



Remarks. — Your facts of the swallows are in- 

 teresting. Head in your pilum tree — that is, cut 

 off a foot or two of the ends of the limbs immedi- 

 ately ; dig about the tree ; manure it, and wash 

 with soap-suds. 



WUAT WILL cure HOLDFAST. 



JIr. Editor : — Can you or any of your corres- 

 pondents tell me through your columns what will 

 cure a. holdfast in its first stages ? The holdfast 

 is on the upper jaw of tlie ox. B. W. Gay. 



New London, N. H., 1855. 



Daniel Cuilds, Cotuit Port, will learn partic- 

 ulars about machine for cutting brush, by ad- 

 dressing Col. Charles. E. Stanlev, Methuen, 

 Mass. 



For the New Enirknid Farmer. 



ON THE USE OE GUANO. 



Mr. Editor : — I have read with much interest 

 your valuable paper for the last eighteen months; 

 and (^specially any articles on the use of guano. 

 I have just been reading one signed "Amplifica- 

 tor." I tliink with him, that if the farmers were 

 to save and make more manure on their farms, 

 (which manure we have, if we would ))ut look af- 

 ter it,) we should in five years be much better 

 off, than to buy all tlie patent fertilizers of the 

 day. In my opini.m, there is not so much real 

 goodness in guano as some suppose. But there 



is some powerful extractor in it, which awakens 

 the soil to new powers, and leaves it, after these 

 powers are exerted, poorer than before. I say 

 these are my opinions. If I am wrong, I wish to 

 be set right. 



I know that guano is more beneficial in raising 

 a crop on some soils, than on others ; Init this [ 

 ascribe to the superfluity of a certain quality in 

 the soil which is brouglit into immediate action 

 on the crop by the help of the guano, which qual- 

 ity I think had better be left in the soil. 



In respect to the kind of soils, I think that a 

 damp soil is the best for guano. It seems to do 

 no perceivable good on our farm, which is a grav- 

 el loam. 1 applied it last year on corn ; and from 

 its being planted on buckwheat ground, a dry sea- 

 son, and applying guano, it was the poorest crop 

 we ever raised. 



It may be that guano can be used with advan- 

 tage ; I mean lasting advantage to the soil ; but 

 I have yet to learn how to apply it. At all events, 

 give me barn-yard, or composted manure, and I 

 will get along with the trouble of hauling. 



But I have already written more than I expect- 

 ed, seeing it is the first time I ever wrote for the 

 public eye. I can offer no excuse for occupying 

 a place in your columns than that I have never, 

 but once, seen anything from ^liddlesex county. 

 Conn., and I hope this will incite them to write 

 sometlung better. u. w. c. 



Durham, Comi., 1855. 



Remarks. — Very well ; let us hear from you 

 affain. 



CUERANTS. 



The fruit of the currant is universally admired. 

 Its pleasant sub-acid flavor renders it peculiarly 

 excellent in tarta and pies, and makes, with a 

 small addition of sugar, a very desirable substi- 

 tute for apiple sauce. From the ripe fruit, an ex- 

 cellent and cheap wine may be manufactured, 

 either with or without alcoholic properties. No 

 fruit is susceptible of more easy cultivation. It 

 will readily adapt itself, in some degree, to ev- 

 ery description of soil, and may, without much 

 trouble, be made to produce, even prodigiously, 

 on those which are constitutionally moist and wet. 

 In cultivating it, however, it is better to adapt the 

 soil to the plant, rather than endeavor, by forced 

 efforts, to adapt the plant to the soil. Acclima- 

 tory changes are generally sloAv, and have a de- 

 cided tendency to destroy the strength and hardi- 

 hood, as well as the prolific power of all plants. 

 Yet circumstances, as well as the capriciousness of 

 taste, often demand this. 



In setting currants, the soil, in the first place, 

 should be well prepared by plowing or digging, 

 and reduced to a very fine tilth, and should then 

 be stimulated by warming and invigorating man- 

 ure. A porous, or not too retentive sub-soil, is 

 desirable, with a small per centage of clayey mat- 

 ter in the surface soil. When the latter is defi- 

 cient, it may be well to supply it. Into soil thus 

 prepared, the cuttings from old plants — the fresh, 



