194 



NEW ENGLAND FAKMER. 



April 



3. Flemish Beauty September, (late.) 



i- Seckcl October. 



5. Dix Oct. and Nov. 



6. Beurre d'Areiiiberg Dec. and Jan. 



Extending the list, I would add, 



7. Madeleine August 



8. Andrews September. 



9. Belle Lucrative September. 



• 10. Louise Bonne de Jersey Sept. and Oct. 



11. Urbanist« Oct. and Nov. 



12. Winter Nclis Dec. and Jan. 



We observe that in the above lists the old St. 

 Michael is omitted. When in perfection, this 

 pear is scarcely excelled by any that grows ; or, 

 at any rate, by only three or four varieties. Of 

 late years, we are told that it has succeeded quite 

 well in many localities. Insetting even one dozen 

 of trees, we should certainly include the St. Mi- 

 chael, — known also as the White Doyenne, Vir- 

 galieu. Butter Pear, &c. 



TENTH LEGISLATIVE AGRICULTU- 

 RAL MEETING. 



Reported for the Neiv England Farmer, 

 BY WILLIAM W. HILL. 



Number ten in the course of Agricultural meet- 

 ings took place at the State House on Tuesday 

 evening, 20th inst. 



Hon. Albert H. Nelson, of Woburn, a mem- 

 ber of the Governor's Council, presided. 



The subject for consideration, was — The Culti- 

 vation of Fruit and Forest Trees. 



Mr. Nelson, on taking the chair, made some 

 eloquent remarks upon the general subject of 

 agriculture, and alluded to the fond hope which 

 he cherished, of at some time breaking away from 

 his professional labors, and cultivating a farm — 

 his own broad acres, — and following that occu- 

 pation which he believed more completely than 

 any other promoted the best interests of the 

 community. He was happy to believe that the 

 time has come when the dignity, beauty and im- 

 portance of agriculture are perfectly understood, 

 and the farmer is no longer ashamed of his call- 

 ing. Yet there lingers the idea that farming is 

 not so remunerating as many other pursuits in 

 life. It was his earnest conviction, however, 

 that if the farmer would devote the same amount 

 of mental and physical labor to his calling that 

 the merchant does to his — if he would work as 

 many hours, and direct all the energies of his 

 mind to the great object of success, studying ag- 

 ricultural works and reading agricultural news- 

 papers, with the same application that the tra- 

 der bestows upon the financial articles in his 

 daily paper, and informing himself of the wants 

 of commerce and the laws which govern it — the 

 farmer would reap large rewards more surely 

 than the merchant. Mr. Nelson concluded by 

 calling for remarks from 



Mr. Cutter, of Pelham, N. H., who proceed- 

 ed to relate his experience and observation in the 



cultivation of forest trees, in which he had been 

 interested for a few years. The cultivation of 

 forest trees, he said, required as much knowl- 

 edge and skill as that of fruit trees. In the first 

 place, we should know how and when to save, 

 and when to sow the seed of our forest trees, and 

 should understand what trees are best adapted to 

 our soils. . Ornamental trees often fail from a 

 want of knowledge on this latter point. Gener- 

 ally, if a man fancies a particular kind of tree, 

 he transplants it to his grounds, without any re- 

 gard to the adaptation of the soil to its growth. 

 In the matter of sowing trees we must follow na- 

 ture as closely as possible, and get the seeds 

 when they are in the right state to sow. We 

 know that the chestnut, oak, &c., are ripe in the 

 autumn, when the frosts bring their fruit to the 

 ground ; the pitch pine ripens any time during 

 the winter ; the white pine in August ; the 

 yellow and black birch in July ; the elm and 

 maple in June ; and the sugar maple in August 

 and the first of September. A great cause of 

 failure, is want of knowledge in saving the seed, 

 and also in covering them too deep, or plant- 

 ing them where they will be exposed to a burn- 

 ing sun. Nearly all trees will fail to come up if 

 planted in such situations, and should be put 

 where they will be shaded. Maples and birches, 

 however, being hardy, vigorous trees, will come 

 up and grow anywhere. It would be a good 

 plan to sow white birch (which ripens in No- 

 vember and December) with white pine, as the 

 latter is apt to come up too thick. By so doing, 

 the pines will grow up more slender and make 

 much better timber. Forcible reference was 

 made to the Yankee propensity to destroy trees. 

 We clear land which is good for nothing, burn it 

 over, and leave it a waste. There is great dif- 

 ference in setting out trees. It is almost impos- 

 sible to make oaks and pines live — whereas ma- 

 ples do very well. The river or silver maple is 

 a superior variety, which is almost always found 

 with its roots in water. Four years ago the 

 speaker took up some in a half bushel basket, 

 and planted them, and now they are twelve feet 

 high and three inches through at the butt. They 

 will grow well on good uplands. Pitch pines may 

 be sowed, but white pines may be transplanted 

 if a good sod is taken up with them. The speak- 

 er concluded by recommending Emerson's work 

 on trees as the best within his knowledge. It 

 was published by order of the INIassachusetts Leg- 

 islature. 



Mr. Flint, Secretary of the Board of Agricul- 

 ture, made some interesting statements in regard 

 to the extent to which forest trees are cultivated 

 in this State. In Barnstable county, twenty 

 years ago, the cultivation of the pitch pine was 

 commenced as an experiment, and now it is esti- 



