No. 4. 



Lucerne. — Asricultural Exhibition. 



117 



compost or manure fully fermented. All 

 bruised or broken roots should be shortened 

 and smoothly pared with a knife. Let a 

 person hold the tree upright, while the ope- 

 rator pulverizes the earth, and scatters it 

 among the roots. I,et the tree be shaken 

 gently while this is bemg done, and let the 

 earth" be carefully filled in around every 

 root, even the smallest fibre ; it is all im- 

 portant that the soil should come in contact 

 with every portion of the root. When the 

 hole is three quarters filled, pour in three 

 or four gallons of water, and after it has 

 settled away, fill up the hole, pressing the 

 earth around the tree with the foot. Earth 

 watered in this way will retain its humidity 

 a long time, while water poured on the sur- 

 face, after the hole is filled, is very injuri- 

 ous, causing the top of the soil to bake to 

 such a degree as to prevent the access of 

 air and light, both of which are highly es- 

 sential to the prosperity of the tree. One 

 of the most universal and fatal errors in 

 planting trees, is placing them too deep; 

 we have known many fine and thrifty trees 

 die from this cause alone: they should not 

 be planted more than an inch deeper than 

 they stood in the nursery, and if the frost is 

 likely to heave them the first winter, a 

 small mound can be heaped about the stem, 

 to be removed again in the Spring. 



By attending to the preceding sugges- 

 tions, we feel assured that the cultivator 

 will be amply repaid for any extra trouble 

 or expense, by the consequent increased 

 growth, beauty, or productiveness of the 

 tree. Parsons & Co. 



Lucerne. — On a visit to Mr. Phinney's 

 farm, in Lexington, Mass., about the middle 

 of June, we saw a piece of lucerne, or 

 French clover, as it is often called, which 

 had already been cut three times, for the 

 purpose of soiling. Soiling is a term ap- 

 plied to the practice of cutting herbage 

 crops green, for feeding live stock ; and for 

 this purpose lucerne is considered admirably 

 adapted. One acre is sufficient for five or 

 six cows, during the soiling season. It is 

 fit for the scythe, in congenial soils, about 

 the 10th of May — may be cut every twenty 

 or twenty-five days, and is said to yield from 

 five to eight tons to the acre. This was 

 sown in drills, and looked well. A very 

 deep, friable, rich, sandy loam, is the soil in 

 which it grows best. It should be sown 

 early in May, and be subject to careful and 

 frequent culture. We believe this grass wor- 

 thy of more attention than it has yet re- 

 ceived. Mr. Phinney appeared to be well 

 satisfied with it. — American Traveller. 



Agricultural Exhibition. 



[Reported for tlie Fanners' Cabinet.] 



Mr. Peter, British Vice Consul, in reply 

 to a complimentary sentiment, returned 

 thanks, and expressed the gratification 

 which had been aflbrded to him by the Ex- 

 hibition of that day. Many of the cattle 

 exhibited would have done honour to the 

 best cattle shows, and have borne away 

 prizes in any quarter of the globe. Indeed, 

 he could not conceal the surprise he felt, at 

 seeing what had been done within the last 

 few years, for improving the breed of cattle 

 in America. Not only in Pennsylvania and 

 the older States, but even in the distant re- 

 gions of the West, — in the neighbourhoods 

 of Lexington and Louisville, in the valley 

 of the Scioto, and various other parts of 

 Kentucky and Ohio, had he met with Short- 

 horns of the purest and finest breed, the 

 possession of which, when we considered the 

 trouble and expense which they must have 

 cost, reflected no small credit on the enter- 

 prising spirit and sound judgment of the 

 owners. Would they but do as much for 

 the improvement of their crops, as they 

 have done for improving their breed of cat- 

 tle, America would not long be second to 

 Belgium, Germany, or any other parts of 

 Europe, in agricultural excellence. 



Gentlemen, — continued Mr. Peter — since 

 I had the pleasure of dining with you three 

 years ago, I have visited many parts of 

 America, and without exaggeration, will I 

 say, that a nobler country, finer varieties of 

 soil and climate, greater capabilities of ex- 

 cellence, it has never been my lot to behold. 

 But then, I am compelled to add — and you 

 must not be offended with me for what I 

 say — you have not always made the most of 

 those advantages. It is true, that in Ches- 

 ter and Lancaster counties, and parts of 

 Pennsylvania, as well as in many parts of 

 the older States, — nay, even in some parts 

 of the West, — I have seen excellent farm- 

 ing; but these are exceptions. American 

 farmers in general, are too apt to have more 

 acres on their hands than they have strength 

 or capital properly to manage. The conse- 

 quence, therefore, is that their land is not 

 kept sufficiently clean, and that they lose 

 more than half the amount of crop, which 

 it would be otherwise capable of producing. 

 They do not seem to recollect, that 50 acres 

 well cleaned and managed, would yield 

 greater profit, than 1.50 or 200 acres, over- 

 grown with weeds and rushes. 



Gentlemen, nature has done her part for 

 you ; and you have now only to do yours. 

 Whilst labour and skill can render the most 

 sterile soils productive, neglect and bad hus- 



