J83 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Aug. 



roots, where thej' may be readily acted on by at- 

 mospheric agencies, without which the ovia would 

 remain forever dormant and inert. A writer re- 

 marks : — 



"I would recommend the application early in 

 May, or the latter part of April, of common brick- 

 layer's mortar, around the base of the tree, so as to 

 cover completely the part, and its immediate vici- 

 nity, where the deposit is made. This preventive 

 was successfully employed by a Mr. Shotwell, 

 against the attacks of the peach tree insect, and I 

 see no reason why it should not be equally effica- 

 cious in the preservation of the apple tree." 



John Pierce, in the Massachusetts Agricultural 

 Reports, has a paper from which it appears that 

 the destruction of the borer is often effected by 

 "digging round the tree, clearing away the soil to 

 the roots, and then, with a chisel or gouge, and 

 a sharp piece of wire," probing the holes for the 

 worms as recommended above. But the chisel 

 and gouge part of the performance is wholly un- 

 neccessary where the origin of the perforations is 

 recognizable, and is always a serious injury to the 

 trees, however carefully performed. 



When charcoal can be procured, a few bushels 

 of it, fiaely pulverized and heaped closely about the 

 roots, so as to come in contact with the trunk, will 

 doubtless be effectual in preventing the borer from 

 seeking a lodgment, besides being a benefit to the 

 tree in other respects. The cost of this is a mere 

 trifle, as charcoal can be procured for from six to 

 seven cents per bushel, and in any quantity that 

 may be desired. 



For the New England Farmer. 



BOA^D OF AGEICULTURE. 



Mr. Editor : — All the boys being gone to In- 

 dependence, and it being unconstitutional to labor 

 on the fourth of July, (except when it falls on Sun- 

 day,) I took up your paper, and about the first 

 item that arrested my attention, was your sugges- 

 tion to the members of the Board of Agriculture. 

 It had not before occurred to me that any one could 

 be so fastidious as to find fault with you or your pa- 

 per, as to any thing that had been said about the 

 doings of this Board. I had supposed there had 

 been a uniform and harmonious co-operation of the 

 Board and the leading agricultural journals of the 

 State, for the promotion of the same object — the 

 advancement of the best interests of the farmer. 

 It is not to be expected that all will think exactly 

 alike, nor is it to be expected that all the measures 

 of a Board thus constituted, will meet universal ap- 

 probation. If my memory is right, there was con- 

 siderable said the last winter in the Legislature, 

 about their doings at the Reform School in West- 

 boro'; and a very sensible re|)ort on this subject 

 was made by a Senator from Suffolk, the conclusion 

 of which was, "it will be well enough to let them 

 have one year more to show what can be done there." 

 The truth is, experiments in culture demand nice 

 and discriminating care, and to be conducted under 

 the eye, and by the hand of the master. Boys' la- 



bor, or hired labor of any kind, will not answer. I 

 hope, sir, there will be no jargon in this matter, for 

 if a Board thus organized, voluntarily spending 

 their time and their energies for the benefit of the 

 farmer, cannot be confided in, I know not who can. 

 If I rightly understand your remarks, these growl- 

 ings, or fidgety murmurings, do not come from any 

 member of the Board, but from some other person ; 

 possibly from some disappointed expectant, for 

 such beings may chance to be in our own com- 

 monwealth, as well as at Washington. 

 July 4, 1857. Verbum Sat Sapienti. 



For the New England Farmer. 



FOURTH REPORT OF THE STATE 

 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



A fine book that, Mr. Editor ; its typographical 

 and mechanical "build" are faultless. Those farm- 

 ers who are fortunate enough to secure a copy, 

 have a year's store of enjoyment by them, and its 

 fair print can be read without having their ej'es 

 "put out" in trying to make out the words. Charles, 

 just let me take the boolc while I write this article 

 for the JSFew England Farmer, that I may have it 

 be- fore me as a sort of text. The fact is, my boys 

 have had it in their hands nearly all the time since 

 I received it, except when in bed. Indeed, it is a 

 book not only for the farmer, but for the sons of 

 farmers, who may by-and-bye assume the manage- 

 ment of the old paternal acres. It is superior in 

 every respect to the three preceding volumes issued 

 by the Board, and far ahead of any like document 

 published in this country, I venture to affirm. Why, 

 just look over the table of contents, if you please ; 

 there is scarcely an operation performed, or a crop 

 raised on the farm, but this report has something 

 to say in regard to it, and this "something" is in 

 many cases new, in dX\ fresh and interesting. Even 

 the ladies of the farm are instructed, those "angels 

 of the household," in many of their various opera- 

 tions ; it tells them how to do old things in a new 

 way, and some new things in an old way. They 

 certainly ought to love ^Ir. Flint for this kind re- 

 membrance of them, and I make no doubt some of 

 them will. The first part of the report, embracing 

 over 225 pages, in which Mr. Flint speaks "of the 

 grasses, a family of plants the most extensive and 

 the most beautiful, as well as the most important 

 to mankind. It embraces nearly a sixth part of the 

 whole vegetable kingdom ; it clothes the globe with 

 perpetual verdure, or adorns it at fixed seasons 

 with a thick matted carpet of green none the less 

 beautiful for its simplicity, and it nourishes and sus- 

 tains by far the greatest part of the animals that 

 serve us and minister to our wants," leaves little 

 or nothing further to be desired on this subject. It 

 is a model essay. The hop, the cranberry and the 

 grape have each received the compliment of a mas- 

 ter pen. 



One cannot read this report, particularly that 

 part of it relating to the State farm at Westboro', 

 without being struck by the narrow minded policy, 

 pursued by the Legislature toward the Board of 

 Agriculture, in withholding from them a liberal 

 grant of money, enough, at least, to carry out in the 

 most thorough manner the various experiments 

 already commenced on the farm. It looks like 

 small business to me, for a State like Massachu- 

 setts, to shuffle about and grudge a few thousand 



