252 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



June 



many of the best animals of foreign blood brought 

 iutothe Stat'j from 1819 to the presout day, Es- 

 sex can properly say there exists a native hrcrd, 

 by which I mean one indigenous to the county, I 

 do not understand the force of language. I noic 

 stop to inquire of my friend Essex ivhal consti 

 tutes a CDw of natiye breed ? at the hazard of be 

 ing charged with an '■^affectation of learriiiiff'' in 

 60 doing. Yours, w. s. l. 



MANURE YOUR FRUIT TREES IH 



EARLY SPRING. 



Almost every mail brings us inquiries relative 

 to the manuring of fruit trees. Fertilizers should 

 be applied to fruit trees in early spring : for the 

 sap first formed is that which contains at least the 

 inorganic pabulum which has been rendered sol- 

 uble during a long winter, and, therefore, occu- 

 I^ies the first quantity of water taken from the 

 soil by the tree in tiie spring ; and if the soil be 

 deficient of the necessary ingredients, they should 

 be added, and our various articles on fruits and 

 fruits trees will give the necessary manure re- 

 quired. TJie great mass of water passing through 

 trees during the summer, acts but to dilate the 

 portions of soluble materials already resident with- 

 in the tree. It is true that new portions are 

 being continually taken up from the soil, but cer- 

 tainly in a much more diluted state. Ashes and 

 8olu])le phosphates are found useful for most 

 kinds of trees, while the disturbance of tiie soil 

 insures the admission of atmosphere. Manures 

 containi))g the carbonate of ammonia, such as 

 guano, should not be applied in spring, as they 

 can only safely be used for fruit trees in the fall, 

 thus permitting the soluble and more virulent 

 portions to become divided over a large area be- 

 fore spring growth commences. This is not the 

 case, however, with the improved super-phos- 

 phate of lime and some other manures, in which 

 the ammonia exists as sulphato, and not as car- 

 bonate of auimonia. Lime may be applied in 

 moderate doses, fairly sub-divided by soil, around 

 apple trees and such others as may need this fer- 

 tilizer. — Wo7-J:in(/ Farmer. 



PLANT A GRAPE YmE. 



Every person who has the control of a square 

 rod of ground whereon plants may grow, can 

 scarcely do bettor than to set a grape vine of the 

 Concord, Isabella or Diana varieties. The first 

 cost is trilling, and the after-care of them, more 

 of a pleasure than a task. The grape is not only 

 palatable and nutritious for those who are well, 

 but is exceedingly grateful to the sick, giving 

 tone to the digestive organs, and healthy action 

 to the whole alimentary canal. 



Before setting the root, throw out the earth, to 

 the depth of two or three feet and fill up ten inch- 

 es with coarse manure of any sort, old bones, oys- 

 ter shells, &c., and then throw in rich loam ; in- 

 to this rake a few quarts of house aslics, then 311 

 up with loam and composted manure, and the 

 Boil is ready for the root. 



After the plant is sot scatter on strawy manure, 



or leaves, and through the summer occasionally 

 throw upon this the contents of the tubs on 

 washing days. A. J. Downing, late editor of the 

 Horticulturist, aajs: "I have seen the Isabella 

 grape produce 3,000 fine clusters of well-ripened 

 fruit in a season, by t]\e liberal use of soap-suds 

 from the weekly wash." 



The effect of soap-suds on other plants is some- 

 times surprising. A cypress vine which had re- 

 mained stationary for a fortnight, when about 

 two inches high, immediately commenced grow- 

 ing after a good watering with soap-suds, and 

 grew about six inches the first five days. 



With a. little care this may all be well done by 

 any one who has never attempted it before. Un- 

 der this treatment in the course of three or four 

 years you will be amply repaid by a most beauti- 

 ful crop of luscious grapes, and a vine greatly or- 

 namental to the grounds and dwelling. 



Pruning. — The grape vine bleeds readily. Nev- 

 er prune at all, until the vine has grown one or 

 two years, for it needs the aid of the small 

 branches in order to push forward large and vig- 

 ous roots. Late in October or in November is a 

 proper time — never when the sap is in motion in 

 the spring. As the fruit grows on new wood 

 every year, in pruning it is necessary to cut back 

 the branches to within two or three eyes of the 

 main stem. The cultivator will find plain direc- 

 tions in CoWs Fruit Book, which costs but fifty- 

 cents, and it will enable him to see the whole 

 operation illustrated by engravings. 



Never pinch off the loaves to aid the r ipening 

 of the fruit, as they are 2:)laced there for the very 

 purpose you desire to accomplish. 



Plant a grape vine, and before long some of 

 you will be thankful to him who gave you the 

 hint. 



HOEING IN DRY WEATHER. 



Experience has fully established the fact ' at 

 corn, and other crops, are essentially benefited .. ' 

 hoeing in dry weather, but the reason why, or 

 the manner how it is done, is not so generally un- 

 derstood. That moisture is formed by stirring 

 the dry particles of earth and changing their rela- 

 tive positions, is generally admitted. 



Water is composed of oxygen and nitrogen. 

 These substances are also contained in difierent 

 proportions, in the earth and atmosphere, and 

 are, to some extent, formed by the action of differ- 

 ent particles of earthy matter upon each other, 

 when brought into contact, as done by hoeing. 

 Water acts as a solvent of other substances, and 

 holds them in solution so that they can be taken 

 up b}' the roots, and made to nourish the grow- 

 ing plant. This is the reason why it is best to 

 sow or plant seeds as soon as possible after the 

 land has been plowed or harrowed. The different 

 particles of matter coming together, form new re- 

 lations and produce a chemical action, during 

 which heat is evolved, and oxygen and hydrogen 

 are generated, and caused to unite, ' and form 



