1855. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



199 



For the IVew England Farmer. 



INTERESTING EXPERIMENT WITH 

 PEAR SEEDLINGS. 



Having some pear trees wliich started from seed 

 last spring, 1 tried in mid-summer tlie experiment 

 of cutting the tap root of all of them a few inches 

 below the ground, to make them throw out 

 lateral roots, having heard that it was very diffi- 

 cult in our country to raise pear seedlings, be- 

 cause of their being thrown from tlie ground by 

 the frost, and that this was attributable to the 

 want of lateral roots. I took a rainy morning 

 for toy division of the tap root, but, in an hour 

 or two after the operation, tlie sun came out 

 clear and warm. 1 may have watered them once 

 or twice subsequently, at evening. In two or 

 three days the leaves began to look like leaf- 

 blight ; first the edges, or the edge on one side 

 was discolored, and finally on some all the leaves 

 became entirely black ; on others, some leaves 

 were entirely destroyed, while some were but 

 partially affected, or escaped entirely. Out of 

 twelve or fifteen of these seedlings, but about 

 one-half survived. I had cut off the main source 

 of the supply of moisture from the ground, and 

 the leaves appeared to have the leaf-blight. Was 

 the affection of the leaves a consequence of the 

 division of the root ? (a.) It would look so, and 

 if 80, is a cessation or essential diminution of a 

 supply of moisture to the roots, the cause of leaf- 

 blight to the pear tree? If I remember rightly, 

 it is almost or entirely unknown in the moist 

 climate of England. But if drought at the roots 

 and a rapid exhalation from the leaves under our 

 hot sun is the cause, then we would find the 

 leaf-blight more than usually prevalent in such a 

 summer of uncommon drought as our last. Was 

 it more prevalent last summer than usual 1 I 

 had no more of it than usual. And are pear 

 trees, with a moist subsoil, less afflicted with the 

 leaf-blight? Yours, &c., 



Lewis S. Hopkins. 



Northampton, Feb. 15, 1855. 



Remarks. — {a.) Pear seedlings are difficult to 

 raise, seldom doing well except upon a soil pe 

 culiarly adapted to them. Tliey are found to 

 succeed best on a strong, rich soil, containing 

 peroxide of iron, and which is moist, but not too 

 wet. A 



To promote the formation of lateral roots, 

 transplant from the seed bed when two or three 

 inches high, and cut off the end of the tap root 

 with a sharp pair of scissors. They should be 

 mulched, to protect them from the action of the 

 sun in summer, and should be protected from the 

 attacks of tiio cut-worm in the seed bed ; the 

 best remedy I have found to be tobacco waste, 

 strewed thickly over the surface of the ground. 

 Ashes and bone dust are the best manures. A 

 partly shaded place is better than the full sun. 



body who has handled an oyster shell, must have 

 observed that it seemed as if composed of succes- 

 sive layers or plates overlapping each other. 

 These are technically termed "slioots," and each 

 of them marks a year's growth ; so that by count- 

 ing them, we can determine at a glance the year 

 when the creature came into the world. Up to 

 the time of its maturity, the shoots arc regular 

 and successive ; but after that time they become 

 irregular, and are piled one above the other, so 

 that the shell becomes more and more thickened 

 and bulky. Judging from the great thickness 

 to which some oyster shells have attained, this 

 mollusc is capable, if left to its natural changes 

 unmolested, of attaining a patriarchal longevity. 



For the New England Farmer. 



THE WHEEL HOE. 



Mr. Editor : — I have lately become a subscril> 

 er for your truly valuable paper, and on the first 

 side I find much to interest, and learn. In a late 

 number, in your remarks on Raising Carrots, you 

 say "the wheel hoe will save one-half the labor of 

 cultivation." Now I have raised from a quarter 

 to a half an acre, yearly, for a few years, with 

 pretty good success ; but it requires so much la- 

 bor to weed them, I almost resolved last weeding 

 time to quit them and try something else, but if 

 I can find an implement that will save one-half 

 the labor of weeding, I think I shall try them 

 again. I wish to inquire of you through the 

 columns of the Farmer, how much does the 

 "wheel hoe" cost ? Where can it be obtained? 

 How does it operate, &c., by answering the above 

 questions you will greatly oblige me, and I doubt 

 not many of my brother farmers. r. j. s. 



Caledonia Co., Vl.,Feb. 27, 1855. 



Remarks. — The wheel-lioe costs from $1,50 to 

 ii^2,00, and may be found at Ruggles & Co.'s. 

 We shall republish a cut of this hoe as soon as we 

 can get a correct sketch engraved. 



Age of Oysters. — A London oyster-man can 

 tell the age of his flock to a nicety. The age of 

 an oyster is not to be found ))y looking into its 

 mouth. It bears its years upon its back. Every- 



For the New England Farmer. 



ABOUT CHERRIES AND PEARS. 



Mr. Editor : — You will confer a favor by an- 

 swering tlie following queries through the col- 

 umns of the Farmer. 



1. I have now the May Duke, Black Tartarean, 

 Downer's and Honey Heart cherries, and wishing 

 to add to the numlier of my trees, would it I)e ad- 

 visable to get any other varieties, and if so, what 

 vari-^ties ? 



2. Has the Early Purple GuUjne sufficient 

 good qualities to entitle it to a place in a collec- 

 tion of a dozen trees .' 



3. I have the Madeleine, Early Catharine, Ful- 

 ton, Bartlcit, Jackson, Golden Ihurrc of Bilboa, 

 Bear re of Arembcrr/, and Vicar oj Winkfeld 

 pears, and I propose to procure the Lawrence, 

 Owen, Rosli(Z( r and Seckel. 



What alterations or additions would you ad- 

 vise me to make to this list, and particularly, is 

 there any variety ripening at the time of the 

 Early Catharine, which produces abundant crops 

 and of good qualitv. 



Tlicsoil is a rather compact loam, with "hard 

 pan" at an average depth of about two feet, with 



