338 Potatoes and Lime. — T7ie White Oak. — Exportation of Ice. Vol. XI. 



to be entirely black and dead. I shaved off 

 with a drawing knife all the roots down to 

 the stump. These I planted in trenches, 

 tying them to cross-bars to keep them firm, 

 and then filled up the trench with good soil. 

 The heads and bodies of these trees were 

 regularly washed in dry weather until they 

 began to sprout, which most of them did in 

 abundance during the summer, and I finally 

 saved out of the whole number, one hundred 

 and seventy-four, which became as well 

 rooted and as good trees as any in my gar- 

 den. 



This has happened more than once. Three 

 or four years ago, I imported among other 

 trees, twenty plum trees, from six to seven 

 feet high, the heads of which had been bud- 

 ded the previous year in France. These 

 buds had grown from nine to twelve inches 

 long, and were perfectly fresh when they 

 arrived; but the roots on examination were 

 found entirely dead. Two of these I gave 

 away. One was good for nothing, and the 

 other seventeen I planted in my garden, 

 having cut out all the roots that had fibres, 

 they being entirely dead. One of my men 

 said I might as well plant my walking stick. 

 Sixteen of these are now flourishing trees, 

 well grown and well rooted, new roots being 

 induced by means of washing the upper part 

 of the tree. 



S. G. Perkins. 



From the Kelso Chronicle. 



Potatoes and Lime. 



Mr. Oastler has published the following 

 letter — an answer to a question put by him 

 to a farmer and great potatoe grower in 

 Yorkshire, and who had been unusually suc- 

 cessful in the culture of the potatoe : 



King's Villa, near Pontefract, March 1st. 



Mr. Oastler, — Dear Sir: I was from 

 home when your letter arrived. I now sit 

 down to let you know how I produced, for 

 the last two years, above 300 bushels of good 

 sound potatoes to the acre. First, get the 

 land dry and clean, and on it put five or six 

 tons of lime fresh from the kilns; slack it 

 as soon as you can ; then spread it in its 

 quick state, and immediately harrow it well 

 in, so as to incorporate it well with the soil; 

 then draw your ridges, plant your sets, put 

 the manure upon the sets, and cover up. If 

 you cut your sets, I would advise you to cut 

 them into a basket of quick lime, as it dries 

 up the moisture and prevents either insects 

 or fungi from attacking the seed. By adopt- 

 ing this plan I have never failed in producing 

 good sound potatoes ; and believe for quality 



and quantity I have not been exceeded this 

 year, at least not in our part. I have at 

 present about one hundred loads of as beau- 

 tiful potatoes as were ever seen, suitable 

 either for use or sets. I shall be happy to 

 furnish you any information on this subject, 

 as I think it a national one. I intend to 

 grow a greater quantity this year, as I have 

 no doubt with proper care any one may do. 

 I am one of your disciples. 



J. BOTTOMLEY. 



The White Oak. — A picturesque ruin 

 of a White Oak, " is standing in Brighton, 

 where the road called Nonantum street, 

 crosses that from Boston to Newton Corner. 

 At the surface of the ground, it measures, 

 this first of October, 1845, twenty-five feet 

 and nine inches in circumference ; at three 

 feet, it is twenty-two feet four inches; at 

 six feet, fifteen feet two inches. It tapers 

 gradually to the height of about twenty-five 

 feet, where the stump of its ancient top is 

 visible, below which point four or five pretty 

 large branches are thrown out, which rise 

 twenty or thirty feet higher. Below, the 

 places of many former limbs are covered 

 over by immense gnarled and bossed protu- 

 berances. The trunk is hollow at the base, 

 with a large opening on the southwest, 

 through which boys and men may easily 

 enter. It had, probably, passed its prime, 

 centuries before the first English voice was 

 heard on the shores of Massachusetts Bay, 

 It is still clad with abundant foliage, and, if 

 respected as its venerable age deserves, it 

 may stand, an object of admiration, for cen- 

 turies to come." — Hovey''s Magazine of 

 Horticulture. 



Exportation of Ice* 



A friend in Boston writes us some cor- 

 rections and some additional details regard- 

 ing the ice business, which will interest our 

 readers. 



"To Frederick Tudor, Esq., belongs the 

 whole merit of introducing abundant sup- 

 plies of American ice into tropical countries. 

 In the year 1805, forty years ago, Mr. Tu- 

 dor took passage in a brig belonging to him- 

 self, with his first adventure of this kind. 

 From that time to this he has pursued the 

 undertaking with the most invincible ener- 

 gy. His exertions have at last been crowned 

 with the most complete success. The New 

 England ice is now, summer and winter, 

 shipped to encounter a voyage of 16,000 

 miles — to cross the equator twice — and to 

 be on the way between four and five months ! 

 The great ice-houses of this gentleman in 

 the East Indies are always stocked, and the 



