1855. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



267 



bilities altogether, when the period of fertiliza- 

 tion is passed, as may readily be seen by inspect- 

 ing a field of daisies early in the morning, before 

 the dew is off the grass. The overblown one 

 will be found wide open ; those in the younger 

 stages all crimson tipped and sound asleep. 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 



ABOUT LOW LANDS. 



I have a few questions to ask, and hope in do- 

 ing so the readers of your paper and others may 

 have the benefit of the replies. 



1. Do we of New England fully appreciate our 

 carse land? (a.) 



2. Is it probable we suffer much loss by not 

 getting two crops on such land instead of only 

 one? (b.) 



3. Would not the English method of trench 

 plowing, instead of our practice, assist us more 

 than any other method ? (c.) 



4. If trench plowing on our naturally good 

 soils or carse lands, will increase their produc- 

 tive 250wers, do not we suffer much in experi- 

 menting with manure ? (</.) 



Norfolk. Couxtv Subscriber. 

 April 19, 1855. ^ 



Remarks. — (a.) The word "carse" above is 

 Scottish, and means low, wet land. This descrip- 

 tion of land in New England has not been consid- 

 ered as of much value until within some twenty 

 years. A few persons had experimented upon it, 

 and became convinced of its great productive ca- 

 pacity, as many as fifty years ago ; but the pub- 

 lic mind was incredulous, and is still so to a sur- 

 prising degree, after liaving seen what some of our 

 most repulsive bogs have done. 



(b.) Two crops of grass are quite often taken 

 from our reclaimed meadows, and where they are 

 assisted by annual top-dressings, they will yield 

 from two to three tons a year for many years in 

 succession. 



(c.) Trench plowing in England is much like 

 what we term subsoil plowing here. Their plows 

 are called "trench plows," and as is the case 

 with ours, are of various sizes and construction. 

 It is, undoubtedly, a great deficiency in our mode 

 of farming that we do not plow deep enough, or 

 make the soil, after it is plowed, sufficiently fine. 



(</.) A greater depth of fine, porous soil than 

 we usually find in our fields, would certainly 

 make less manure necessary. 



PEELING HEMLOCKS 



In December last we had a heavy wind with 

 snow which did much damage in the wood-lots in 

 this section, especially among the pines and hem- 

 locks. I have quite a large nuinl)('r of hemlocks 

 down which I thought I should let alone till peeling 

 time. Some among us say that in order for them 

 to peel well or at all, they must be trimmed and 

 cut from the root, before the sap starts in the 

 spring. Now if this be true, it seems worth while 

 for it to be known generally. Have you or any 

 otyour correspondents had any experience on this 



point. If so, will you confer a favor on many of 

 your readers by noticing it in your paper. 

 Gilford, N. H., 1855. W. B. Weeks. 



APPLE trees SWAMP MEADOWS. 



j\Ir. Brown : — I wish to inquire what is the 

 best time for scraping and washing apple trees, 

 and what is the best wash? (a.) 



I have quite a large number of trees of good 

 quality, but they do not bear very well. If I trim 

 this spring, what is the best time for that? (b.) 



I have a swamp that has been drained pretty 

 well, but still is rather soft to plow ; it has a 

 great quantity of hardback ; I want to know how 

 to get rid of them, and the cheapest and best 

 way. (c.) Yours truly, from a subscriber, 



Monson, March, 1855. c. h. b. 



Remarks. — (a.) Scrape and wash old apple 

 trees whenever it is convenient. Dig for some 

 eight or ten feet about them, manure liberally, 

 and work it under. Keep the weeds down, and 

 the soil light. Under this treatment the trees 

 will soon yield their fruit. 



(b.) Do not prune in March, April or May, 

 but omit it until the last of June, or October. 

 Quite small shoots or suckers may be taken off at 

 any time. 



(c.) Drain the swamp still more — then plow 

 or bog, and get in a crop of potatoes ; manure 

 well, and lay to grass after the potatoes, and you 

 will have no cause to complain of the results. 



THE WHITE BLACKBERRY. 



Can you infoi'm me where I can obtain the white 

 blackberry ; and also the retail price. 



Weston, April, 1855. G. G. Cheney. 



Remarks. — Of J. S. Needham, the originator, 

 Danvers, Mass. Don't know the price. See Vol. 

 4, monthly Farmer, page 418, for an illustra- 

 tion. — 



ANOTHER CORN PLANTER. 



Mr. Editor : — Permit me to describe the Corn 

 Plantcr''s Cane, made by a farmer in this vicinity 

 the past week. It weighs four pounds ; the corn- 

 holder is at the upper end, and holds two quarts. 

 It is worked by a motion of the thumb on tlie top 

 of a lever which opens a trench half an inch wide, 

 near two inches long, and the same deep, into 

 which the same motion drops four or five kernels, 

 that can be heard falling in a tin tube, and seen 

 before the soil falls to cover ; a piece of corn or 

 other obstruction can at once be detected in the 

 seed gauge. Cost near $2,50. 



Grafton, April 23, 1855. n. s. 



SUMMER wheat. 



In the season of 1852, on the 2Gth May, I sowed 

 two bushels of wheat on two acres of land, and 

 had 3'Ji bushels. 



In 1853, I sowed 144 rods of land with wheat, 

 the 28th day of May, and had 23^ bu8hels. 



In 1854, I sowed 4 bushels of wheat the first 

 week in June, and harvested the last week in 

 August ; hired it threshed with the machine, and 

 cleaned it, and measured G4i bushels. 



