No. 4. 



Grafting on the Mountain Ash. 



Ill 



draining ; and so essential is this considered, 

 that most of the land is deemed unworthy of 

 being farmed at all until it has undergone 

 this operation. The drams are made at 

 regular distances, from 15 to TO feet or more 

 apart, according to the nature of the soil, 

 and from 24 to 30 inches deep. The gene- 

 ral course of cropping in the Lcrthians is — 

 wheat after summer fallow; turnip, barley, 

 seeds down for one, txto, or three years as 

 circumstances vary; oats. When the land 

 is very stiff, a crop of beans and peas is 

 taken. 



I have thus endeavoured to give, in a 

 somewhat unconnected way, the results of 

 my observations on the Lothian farming, 

 where high rents, high profits, and a well 

 paid and contented peasantry are all seen 

 combined in a pleasing union. It is an in- 

 teresting question, but one I am not going 

 to enter upon, how this improved system of 

 cultivation can be introduced into England ? 

 I am inclined to think the superior and more 

 practical education of the Scotch has been 

 at the bottom of the improved state of things. 

 Education has given the knovvledo-e which 

 has enabled them to apply their capital with 

 success, and to extract from the land owner 

 the long lease, which enables them to invesV 

 their capital with safety as well as success. 

 Trusting these ^evj remarks will be found 

 worthy a place in your paper. 



Believe me, yours truly, 



R. S. Hews. 



Broadclist, February 17th, 1847. 



Grafting on the 3Iountaiu Ash. 



The grafting on the mountain ash stock 

 has been practiced for the last twenty years, 

 and about six or seven years ago was brought 

 prominently before the public in several of 

 the English papers. The result of every ex- 

 periment went to prove that the process on 

 the mountain ash would only succeed fiDr 

 seven years, but even in that time the pro- 

 duce aiup'y repaid for the labour, and that 

 all that was necessary was to re-graft and 

 the produce was renewed. Experiments 

 were also tried upon the common ash, the 

 willow and others, but the thorn was the 

 one that gave the greatest satisfaction, for 

 on it every variety of fruit succeeded. The 

 mountam ash and the thorn are also grafted 

 to a good extent in Nova Scotia with perfect 

 success. 'I'he thorn can be seen there with 

 pears, cherries and apples upon the same 

 stock, and the farmers in that province go 

 round and graft all the thorns upon their 

 lots. ^I'o what an extent could this plan be 

 carried in the States, for not a single graft 



need be wasted when stocks can be found in 

 such plenty. In England where stocks are 

 plenty — the quince stock is generally pre- 

 erred for pears, for this fri»t does not suc- 

 ceed so well on its own stock. 



The pear delights in deep vegetable mould 

 interval soil by the sides of rivers, or in low 

 well drained situations, for being of vigorous 

 growth it requires much and also regular 

 moisture, or the fruit falls off, which makes 

 the roots always seek a low medium of soil, 

 and hence become a series of tap roots. Now, 

 where the soil is suitable, make a good bed 

 of broken bricks, or stones, three feet thick, 

 and covered with one foot of soil, before the 

 root of the tree is placed on it — spread out 

 the roots within six inches of the surface of 

 the ground and then cover in; then mulch, 

 and cover that with a layer of soil — fix one 

 or more stout stakes by the trunk of the 

 tree and fasten, but it will soon hold itself. 

 Always take up pear trees with as much 

 root as possible and trim the extremities of 

 the fibers with a sharp knife. When a large 

 tree does not indicate fruitfulness or has 

 never borne fruit — some drive a very large 

 nail into the trunk about its centre, and an- 

 other nail in the transverse direction, with 

 perfect success. The formation of fruit 

 spurs indicates weakness in the tree and is 

 caused by arresting the circulation of the 

 sap — thus bending down the branches causes 

 the growing bnds to become blossom, buds, 

 A growing bud is longer and flatter than a 

 blossom bud. I applied this process last 

 week to a beautiful twelve year old golden 

 pippin apple tree, which had never showed 

 a blossom or blossom bud. Heading down 

 causes laterals to spring forth, and then 

 there is no end to pruning. 



Pear trees should have the shoots of all 

 kinds, not required for next year's bearing, 

 clean cut away, for the excess of shoots 

 which they produce in profusion, if all re- 

 tained, even in a shortened state, will surely 

 injure the tree for producing fruitful buds. 

 To keep a tree in heart and fresh, — bore an 

 auger hole about one foot from the ground 

 and half way through — fill the hole with 

 sulphur and cream of tartar, and plug it up — 

 then whitewash as usual. — Boston Cultiva- 

 tor. 



An Extensive Farmer. — John A. Sutter, 

 of New Helvetia, California, advertises for 

 two threshing machines for wheat, of a size 

 and sufficient power for a crop of forty thou- 

 sand bushels.' He is one of the largest 

 farmers in the world, and supplies the Rus- 

 sian traders with grain and provisions. 



