26 



FtuU Trees. — The Tare Culture. 



Vol. VI. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Frnit Trees. 



As the season for planting is fast approach- 

 in<r, and believing that many of my brother 

 farmers are awake to the delicious comforts 

 of a well-regulated home ; satisfied also that 

 the most costly arrangements are absolutely 

 bald and barren without the accompaniments 

 of shade and shelter, I would recommend 

 every one who has a few yards of land only, 

 to plant a tree. I am aware that tiie idea of 

 planting a tree must be strange to him who 

 has, during the most of his life, been labour- 

 ing to cutthem down ; yet the time is coming 

 when that reckless feeling will have passed 

 away, and then, no one w-ill be content to sit 

 abroad unless it be under his own vine and 

 under his own fig-tree. During a pretty long 

 life, 1 have been much engaged in this de- 

 lightful employment, but have, for the last 

 years, felt a preference for the cultivation of 

 fruit trees over those of the forest, and have 

 sometimes been surprised that this preference 

 is not more general ; for where will you find 

 more pleasant shade, more beautiful foliage, 

 sweeter bloom or more lovely growth, than 

 in the trees of the orchard or the fruit-garden 1 

 At no time are they less beautiful, either in 

 the spring, sunmier or winter, while in the 

 autumn the difference in their favour is pal- 

 pable to all our senses. 



The almost endless catalogue of fruits of- 

 fered to our notice will surely entice us to do 

 something the coming season in the way of 

 a more general system of planting, and there 

 is one variety which is deserving greater re- 

 gard than is generally bestowed upon it — I 

 mean the pear. I know it has been urged 

 that this fruit is of less value than many 

 others, as the time of its use is but short 

 when compared with the apple, according to 

 the observation, "The pear is in season only 

 one day in the year, namely, on the day when 

 it is plucked," but this is by no means the 

 fact, for there are some of the varieties which 

 keep well, and I have lately become ac- 

 quainted with one that improves by being 

 kept until Christmas or even later; it is 

 known by the name Columbian Virgalieu, 

 and is, I find, largely cultivated in the ex- 

 tensive nurseries of Messrs. Parsons & Co., 

 Flushing, near New York, who have fur- 

 nished the following account of a pear which 

 is likely to become, through their instru- 

 mentality, e.xtcnsively known and widely cul- 

 tivated ; in answer to inquiries from a person 

 in an adjoining state, they write as follows: 



" We have recently been introducing into 

 our nursery a new variety of pear, decidedly 

 superior to any hitherto cultivated. It is 

 called the Columbian Virgalieu, and was 

 originated by a farmer of Westchester coun- 



ty, in this state. Some time since, having 

 occasion to visit the orchard of this farmer, so 

 glowing a description was given us of the 

 remarkable qualities of this variety, that we 

 requested him to send us a basket of the fruit, 

 when they arrived at maturity. About the 

 latter part of the 10th month they came to 

 hand, and, though mellow, were green and 

 perfectly insipid. Much disappointed, we 

 threw them aside, and thought no more of 

 them until about Christmas, when we acci- 

 dentally met with them, and were surprised 

 to find they had assumed a bright gold tinge, 

 with a spicy and most delicious flavour, ex- 

 ceedingly juicy and luscious, — in no way in- 

 ferior to the glowing account given of them. 

 When of full size, they will often weigh a 

 pound or more, and are a very valuable win- 

 ter table-pear. The tree is a good bearer 

 and thrifty in its growth. We cultivated 

 them last season extensively, and think them 

 well worthy of being introduced into the gar- 

 den of every farmer and lover of good fruit. 



Flushing, 7th mo. 20, 1841." 



John Dale. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 The Tare Culture. 



At a late meeting of the Philadelphia Ag- 

 ricultural Society, a member inquired if any 

 one present could speak experimentally on 

 the culture and value of the tare or vetch, 

 which is in such very general use in Eng- 

 land, where the summer-soiling system is 

 adopted ; remarking, that from all accounts 

 the plant must be astonishingly productive as 

 well as nutritious. Having myself employed 

 it for that purpose very largely, and for many 

 years, I would say, its productiveness has 

 never yet been overstated, or its value over- 

 rated, as food for all kinds of cattle. Horses, 

 milk cows, fatting beasts, sheep and hogs, will 

 grow fat while feeding on it, and the older it 

 grows the more valuable it becomes, as the 

 seed when formed in the pod, is far superior 

 to oats or any other grain for the purpose of 

 cattle feed ; the seeds are black, and the size 

 of very small peas. The crop is used for soil- 

 ing, by cutting while green and taking it to 

 the stables ; it is sometimes fed off by sheep, 

 confining them on it by means of temporary 

 fencing or hurdles; cattle are not liable to be- 

 come hoven while feeding it in any stage of 

 its growth ; on good land it has been known 

 to reach the height of three feet and even 

 more, producing as much as 12 tons of green 

 food per acre, which, when well dried, will 

 yield 3 tons of the most valuable hay on the 

 farm. The first sowing takes place as soon 

 after harvest as possible in England, upon 

 land designed for the wheat-crop the next 

 autumn, with the winter variety of seed, 

 which can easily be distinguished from the 



