1855. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



263 



possible, the amount of time and money expended 

 upon my gardeH. 



I never bought but two plants for it, namely, 

 a trumpet honeysuckle, and a pink moss-rose, ob- 

 taining my shrubs and plants, by exchanging my 

 own for those I had not, many being given to me 

 at the outset ; but I have had abundant opportu- 

 nity to repay all such favors. 



Now for the labor bestowed thereon. We have 

 many shade trees about our house. I suffer the 

 leaves that fall in autumn, to remain on the 

 ground through the winter, as they afford some 

 protection to the roots. I have a man rake them 

 off carefully in the spring — it can be done in a 

 few hours. My borders, qpntaining bulbous roots, 

 require no care in the spring, as I prepare them 

 with my garden-rake in the autumn with my 

 own hands. I then take two-thirds of the care 

 of my borders through the summer, having the 

 help of a man, perhaps an hour in a day while 

 the weeds are growing rapidly ; after that time I 

 usually do all myself, and to me it is a most 

 pleasant pastime. I am a farmer's wife, and not 

 without an abundance of in-door employment, 

 but my garden is my relaxation from labor ; 

 money would not tempt me to part with it. From 

 the earliest crocuses and snow-drops to the latest 

 autumnal flower, it is one continual pleasure. It 

 is a very great advantage to children, too, giving 

 them a taste in early life for the beautiful in na- 

 ture. No one can deny that our hearts are made 

 better by communion with the works of God. 



I will add, that since I. commenced gardening 

 there has sprung up about our dwelling, trees 

 bearing most delicious plums, cherries and pears ; 

 vines laden with the juicy grape, strawberries and 

 raspberries, too, have each their proper place in 

 some favorable spot. I would not willingly ex 

 change my home for what it was before we culti 

 vated fruits and flowers, and I believe any person 

 that owns even a small amount of land, without 

 being the poorer for it, can afford a little spot for 

 ornamental gardening. 



North Hartland, Vt., April 6, 1855. 



A HINT FROM SHAKSPEARE. 



Old Father Shakspeare knew every thing — at 

 any rate, whatever most of us think of Jioiv, was 

 thought of and beautifully expressed by him be- 

 fore. He says, ^^ There is a tide in the affairs 

 of men, ichich, taken at the flood, leads on to for- 

 tune.'^ If it is not flood tide now with the far- 

 mer, we know not when it will be. 



Wheat is bringing $3 per bushel ; rye $1,50 ; 

 corn $1,20; oats 75 to 80 cents; butter from 

 25 to 50 cents a pound ; beef steaks 20 cents a 

 pound, and in proportion in quantity ; lard 10 

 to 15 cents ; hay $25,00 ; straw $10,00 a ton, 

 and potatoes $1,25 a bushel. 



Now is the time for farmers to take this tide at 

 the flood by getting in just as large a breadth of 

 all sorts of crops, as they can manure and tend 

 well — no more, not a rod, if so, there will be a 

 loss instead of a gain. Plow deep, manure 

 highly, stir the surface often and tend well in 

 every particular. 



Money and labor are neither of them, at pre- 

 sent, very high. Command, then, just as much 

 of both as you can consistently, and with Heav- 

 en's blessing on your crops, you may reap a 

 golden harvest to pay off mortgages, erect new 

 buildings, or engage in other improvements on 

 the farm. 



This tide does not flow for us every year ; let 

 us use it while it lasts ! 



Remarks. — In conducting the Farmer, it has 

 been a leading object to present such articles in 

 every sheet as should please and instruct women 

 and young persons, as well as matter for the 

 grave deliberation of the farmer himself. The 

 effort has been crowned with success, as the let- 

 ter from a lady and others which have been pub- 

 lished, and numerous ones not intended for publi- 

 cation, will show. The whole subject of cultivat- 

 ing the soil is one of an intensely interesting 

 character. It has a most attractive and instruc- 

 tive literature, embracing the poetic as well as 

 didactic, allowing full scope for the imagination, 

 and embraces something of nearly all the arts and 

 sciences in its widest range. The commendation 

 from women and young persons which we con- 

 stantly receive are among the surest tokens that 

 our journal is appreciated and is useful. 



B^" A firm of produce dealers in New York have 

 imported from France within a day or two, one thou- 

 sand dozeu of hens' eggs for domestic consumption. 



GRAFTING LARGE LIMBS. 



We prefer, in grafting old vjrchards, to graft 

 the young branches, or suckers, as some call 

 them, which spring out of the limb. Wm. Cone, 

 of Troy, Michigan, in a communication to the 

 Michigan Farmer, on the subject of grafting and 

 orcharding, recommends grafting the large limbs. 

 He says, "when grafting old trees, cut the limbs 

 very close to the body, say from four to sis inch- 

 es. Get your top down, you will soon see the 

 benefit of it, You can never get a fine top from 

 grafts set six or eight feet from the bodies. If 

 you have to cut six inches through there, there 

 is no danger if you set scions enough and keep it 

 covered with wax. 



In setting into large stocks, don't split your 

 limbs square across, (but make several splits on 

 the outside centering inward like the spokes to 

 a wheel. — Ed.) Be careful to set in scions 

 enough to heal the outside as soon as may be, 

 and you can then cut out what you don't need." 



We have never seen Mr. Cone's metliod adopt- 

 ed among us, but presume where the tree is vig- 

 orous and thrifty it would work well. There is 

 one thing we have learned by experience in graft- 

 ing old trees, whether you graft at the ends of 

 limbs six or eight feet from the body,or cut off to 

 within six or eight inches of the body, you must 

 look out to have leaves enough either on the 

 grafts or suckers during the summer to elaborate 

 sap wood enough to cover or sheath that limb 

 over by the second year at least. We have seen 

 grafts put into the extremity of an old limb, say 



