1855. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



357 



them in a proper state, and at the proper time to It is by comparing together dilTerent thoughts 

 the soil, for his plants to feed upon. If in addi->^'^ ^e^nlts, that we approximate to the truth. 

 , ,, , .,, 1 1 • 11 i As "one swallow does not make a summer, so 



Uon to these, he will apply such mineral elements' j^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ experiment is not sufficient to 

 as are adapted to the wants of the soil, or the | egt^j^iigii ^ general truth. But, when the ob- 

 particular plants which he cultivates, they will servation and experience of all confirm the self- 

 undoubtedly contribute to their more rapid and same thing, the result is certain. What is needed 



upon these subjects is more light, more experi- 

 ence, more practical knowledge — something that 

 can be understood and appreciated by all. When 

 this further light and knowledge shall be at- 

 tained, and spread abroad through the commu- 

 nity, so that every farmer shall thoroughly un- 

 derstand the science of his own calling, t/ioi, and 

 not //// then, will the grand object for which we 

 are laboring be accomplished. 



Warivick, 1855. John Goldsmith. 



perfect development. 



The attempt to feed vegetables on mineral 

 manures alone, would be much like attempting to 

 feed a man upon pepper, salt, mustard, vine- 

 gar and sugar, and omitting the pork, potatoes 

 and meal. The seasoning is all very well, nay it 

 is important. It assists digestion ; it stimulates 

 the various secreting organs ; it promotes appe- 

 tite ; it renders the food more palatable. But 

 seasoning alone will not do. There must be some- 

 thing to season. Such an attempt to save the 

 pork-barrel, meal-chest, and potato-bin, would 

 prove poor economy in the end. He will dig 

 more mud and lay more wall on plenty of beef 

 and potatoes and bread, than on all the condi- 

 ments which the most skilful French cook can 

 combine, or on all the spices of "Araby the 

 blest." The application of this any one may 

 make for himself. 



Mr. 



For the Neiv England Farmer. 



A VAEIETY OF SUBJECTS. 



Editor : — I propose to offer for insertion 



Remarks. — We J^re under especial obligations 

 to friend Goldsmith, not only for the excellent 

 articles enumerated above, but also for the privi- 

 lege of using them when it is convenient for our- 

 selves. We shall give them from time to time, 

 and are confident that the reader will find them 

 both pleasing and instructive. 



in your very interesting and useful paper, a few 

 brief articles on the following subjects : "Design 

 and Usefulness of Labor; Antiquity and Dignitj 

 of Agriculture ; Increased attention to Agricul- 

 ture, and its connection with Chemistry ; Ours, 

 an age of Improvement ; Means of Improvement ; 

 Agriculture an extensive and progressive Science ; 

 Good and bad Farming contrasted." 



Without wisiiing to be obtrusive, or to appear 

 learned or dogmatical, I should like to say some- 

 thing, in a very plain way and as concisely as 

 possible, ujion each of these topics. For my ob- 

 ject is not to acquire reputation as a writer, or to 

 magnify myself as a philosopher, but to do good 

 to the common class of readers, for whose use 

 and benefit your paper is especially intended. I 

 wish to awaken in the minds of farmers and of 

 farmers' sons a more general interest in the cause 

 of agriculture, which 1 regard as the foundation 

 of all other useful employments. For, though 

 agriculture is as old as the creation, and has been 

 the employment of the great mass of men in every 



SPECIAL MANURES FOR FRUIT 

 TREES 

 As a general rule, some kind of compost made 

 of common yard or stable manure, is best and 

 most reliable for fruit trees. Successive layers of 

 turf, or of muck and turf, in connexion with one- 

 third or one-half manure, and a small (juantityof 

 ashes, worked together after lying a fuw weeks, 

 will be found admirable in nearly all cases, if 

 used in proper quantities. But in rare instances, 

 a special application proves of eminent advan- 

 tage. An example of this sort occurs in the 

 statement of the Shakers at Harvard, JNIass., 

 published in the Patent Office Report. The soil 

 is clayey, but the trees grew poorly. They ap- 

 plied all the special manures suggested by experi- 

 ments or reading, until observing the effect of 

 urine on an unthrifty apple tree, they were in- 

 duced to try it on pear trees that remained un- 

 thrifty in spite of iron, bone-black, ashes, lime, 

 and high manuring. "The result was, the trees 

 sliot up a growth as luxuriant as weeds in a hot- 

 bed. Those which had rarely made an incli of 

 growth in a sea,son, grew scions from 18 inches 

 to three feet even, in the summer following the 

 operation." The mode was to apply al)0ut two 

 quarts, sprinkled around each tree at a tune : to 

 stir the surface of the earth a little, so that it 



age, yet so strangely has it been conducted, even I may be avcU mixed, and prevent the formation of 

 down to our day, that, as a science, it is yet but[ii crust. A cloudy day is recommended. The 



in its infancy. In other words, it has not kept 

 pace with the improvements which have been 

 made in all otlier employments. 



Not wishing to take up too much of your valu- 

 able room at any one time, I liave tliought it ad- 

 visable to present what I hav.' to say in separate 

 articles, each article covering loss than two-tliirds 

 of a column in your paper. I do not expect, in 

 so brief a manner, to do justice to these topics, 

 or to present them in a very n'ew or striking 

 light, but simply to give the results of my own 



operation is repeated a month afterwards ; and 

 again on those trees not sliowing a satisfactory 

 result. Caution is needed not to over-stimulate 

 — the quantity must of course vary witli t!ie size 

 of the trees, but we are not definitely informed 

 in this respect. Tlic full effect is not confined to 

 the first year. What particular ingredient, or 

 rather wliat particular form of at, contained in 

 this application, not to be found in ordinary ma- 

 nure, produced so extraordinary I'esults, we leave 

 for tlieorists to determine, if they can do it with 



reading, observation, experience and rcQection. [certainty .—Cuu/j/rj/ Genllcman. 



