18 



NEW ENGLAND FARiMER, 



Aug, 7, 16-29. 



and content tbemiiclvcs %vitli ibe kerntl, which 

 they like bettor ; und thus the curculio, esca|>ing 

 from their jawB, may bide under ground till next 

 spring." 



" The ordinary fowls of a farm yard arc preat 

 devourers of beetles. Poultry, in general, are re- 

 garded ns carnivorous in the summer, and there- 

 fore cooped some time before they are eaten. — 

 Every body knows with what avidity ducks seize 

 on the tumble-bug, (Srarabcuis carnijfx,) and it is 

 probable the curculio is regarded, by all fowls as 

 on equally <li-licious morsel. Therefore it is that 

 the smooth stone fruits, particularly, succeed much 

 better in lanes anil yards, where poultry rui\ with- 

 out restraint, than in gardens and other enclo- 

 sures, where fowls are excluded." 



Instead of turning swine into orchards, to pick 

 up the fruit which falls, and thus destroy the 

 worms which it contains, it will often be found 

 most expedient to gather such fruit, and give it to 

 swino in pens, &:c., either raw, or, what would 

 be better, boiled. If such measures were gener- 

 ally taken, with fruit which falls spcntancously, 

 as to prevent the insects, which generiilly cause it 

 to droji prematurely, from escaping into the 

 ground, the worms, which destroy one half our 

 fruit, and very much deteriorate a considerable 

 part of the other half, would soon bo extirpated 

 from our orchards and fruit gardens." 



For an elaborate article on this insect, see New 

 England Farmer, vol ii. page 69, and Willich's 

 Domestic Kncyclopedia, 2d American edition, vol. 

 ii. page 208. 



FOR THE NEW EMGl^NO FARMER. 



APPLE POMACE. 



Mk Fessendem — In your ])apcr of March 20th, 

 sODie observations were submitted for the consid- 

 eration of your readers, as to the advantage of 

 pomace in the nutrition of cattle. 



It was therein considercil that as far as the 

 sweet apple prevailed, this important principle of 

 nutrition must be beneficial as well as the seeds 

 of the fruit. To which might be added, as in 

 some degree conducing to the same end, the 

 woody fibre of the stem and fruit. 



It was conjectured that perhaps one tree in 

 forty might have this character. On reflection 

 Olid inipiiry it is not believed that in natural growth 

 there is that number. In grafted trees the num- 

 ber is far less. In several extensive orchards 

 which have been visited by the Committee of the 

 Massachusetts Agricultural Society for the awawl- 

 ing of premiums, there was not found one sweet 

 apple engrafted. 



Where the native sweet apple is found it is gen- 

 erally small, of a <lisagreeable sickish sweet, some- 

 what tinctured with a bitter flavor, and like most 

 natural fruit, more abundant in seeds of n large 

 and full growth. Tliat such fruit is most bene- 

 ficially applied to stock, and is nutritious, there can 

 be no doubt. It was reinarkeil by the late Presi- 

 dent of the Essex Agricultural Society, who was 

 always instructive, that be liad known some fann- 

 ers who had advantageously practised giving to 

 their horses a measure of sweet ap|j|es — and the 

 same fact in noticed by one of your correspon- 

 dents. IJut this must bo considered as growing 

 out of the necessity of the case, where such 

 trees are too far ailvanced for grafting ; at any 

 rate it would not seem expedient to rear trees 

 and appropriate iho boil for so siuall u reimburse- 

 munt. 



These remarks must be considered as supple- 1 

 inentary, us this port of the subject was ooobidcred i 

 us before closed. 



The next inquiry proposed by your coWBspon- 

 dents, was, bow far pomace might bo benoSeiully 

 used by itself. 



Of its sejiarate use as promotive of vegetation] 

 an unfavorable opinion is held, and for reasons 

 which will be statt.^. An<l first, it.s ocidity and i 

 coldness is such that wherever appKed vegetation I 

 appears most decidedly depressed. I have known | 

 it placed on a side hill for nearly a score of years, | 

 and in every stage of dissolution all vegetation in , 

 or about it seemed prevented. So again when j 

 applied in another manner, on ploughed land, 

 where it had been laid for several successive years j 

 for jioultry, &c. anil afterwar<ls turned in — all! 

 vegetation was most decidedly abated. Though 

 more manure was applied here than elsewhere, 

 yet a failure in the crop was so apparent as to in- 

 duce a change in the practice. 



In both these cases too, the bad effects appear-' 

 ed to diverge fW)m the place of deposit — plainly i 

 indicating the cause of barrenness. | 



Next, there is so little substance in this article , 

 that on dissolution it is found, by frequent experi- 1 

 mcnt, to lose seven-eighths of its bulk — a load of; 

 30 bushels will be reduced to about 4 bushels oil 

 earthy matter. 



It is submitted for consideration tlierefore, , 

 whether, per *c, pomace does not prevent, ratherj 

 than promote vegetation. 



It is due, however, to that zealous and indefat- 

 igable farmer, Mr Hardy, of Waltham, to refer to j 

 his use of pomace, and the benefit which he 

 thought was derived from it. The opinion held 

 herein, we think, is rather confirmed than other- 

 wise by his statement. 



But the truth may so soon be tested by simple 

 experiment that much reasoning would be super- 

 fluous. 



On a visitation of the orchard {on the college 

 farm so well improved by Mr Hardy.) by the com- 

 mittee on premiums in 1827, for which the first 

 premium was awarded, this mode of the appli- 

 cation of pomace about his trees was mentioned to 

 the Committee. 



His statement was that where be wished to give 

 a start to one or more of his trees, he put about 

 the stock about two bushels of pomace to a tree, 

 and that the effect was in general highly ben- 

 eficial. 



Mr Hardy has since favored your readers with 

 his mode more particularly set forth, in vol. vi. 

 No. 49. 



It was then thought by the committee that the 

 greatest effect produced was probably the preven- 

 tion of vegetation of grass, weeds, &c. obout the 

 roots, the retention of moisture, &.e. The chair- 

 man of the committee, Mr Lowell, ever wakeful 

 and unwearied in experiment, made this applica- 

 tion in the fall of 1827. The writer did the same, 

 and as far as so short time would .sanction the opin- 

 ion herein expressed, the eflect was alike with each. 



It is most probable that pomace like sea weed, 

 tail, th(! waste of flax, and other rubbish (eoch of 

 which has its advocates) may do good in discour- 

 aging weeds, S^c. on a light sward, about the stock 

 of the tree, which would deprive the roots of 

 moisture and nourishment, and thus might bo ben- 

 eficially used rother than lor any positive milri- 

 tinn in itself, which is the main point of discus- 

 sion. 



This seems rather confirmed by Mr Hardy, wh 

 in his communication before alluded to, say 

 " where the pomace was put, the weeds and grae 

 did not grow us heretofore." But as this upplicti 

 tion is in triul it muy safely be left. 



Your correspondent next suggests that as a mc 

 lerial in the compost heap it may be used — o 

 mixed by swine or other ways to advantage 

 is, to be sure, very spongy, and becomes an al 

 sorbent of salts, or any subtle fluids with which 

 is mixed. 



Whatever is used in this way for the solutio 

 or distribution of the food of plants must in a d( 

 gree be beneficial. But it cannot safely be inl'ei 

 red that every separate material amongst the luao ft 

 is so. Common earth mixed with lime, soot, c 

 ashes, though in a small degree, will, if spread I (f 

 a top dressing, be more cfTeclive than is generatl |(< 

 supposed. The writer lias used one cask < 

 slacked lime, costing 40 to 50 cents, to one ( 

 two barrels of earth, or mud, to as great advai 

 tagc (especially on low land) and at far less co 

 than in any other compost whatever. This hi 

 been done for many years, and to the extent ' 

 many hundred casks. 



The reasons for the opinion that pomace is, Croi |k: 

 its prevailing acidity,disadvantageous for the piii gs 

 poses of nutrition, except as to the seeds, Sect 

 thus submitted. 



A further conclusion seems unavoidable, that 

 itself there is notliing in this article which is pit |g 

 motive of vegetation. 



And in the next place, it is questioned for tl 

 reasons herein stated. Others that might 1 

 urged, whether for the stye, yard, iVc, loam ru 

 bi^h, and other materials which might be collcc 

 ed would not be preferable. 



It is submitted, whether in placing pomace i 

 some waste spot where the seeds may be a\-aili 

 of by poultry, &c. all the essential good is d 

 availed of as far as relates to any positive prom 

 tion of vegetation in itself 



We confess that from no slight experient 

 these objections to the opinions of your intellige 

 correspondents have been forced upon us, and i 

 main. Yours, &c. W. 



|k« 



FOR THE NEW ENGI.IKD FAKMLK. 



FRUIT TREES PRESENTED TO Till 

 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL 



SOCIETY. 

 Mr Russell — I send you a description of frt' 

 (pear) No. (i, in the list of trees presented to t 

 Alassacbusetls Horticultural Society. I will tei 

 you the others from time to time, as I can g 

 leisure to write them. 



Yours, &c. 



W.M PRINCE. 

 Linnaan liolanic Garden, Flush- i 

 ing, a: Y. .'lugrut, 4, 1829. S 



No. 6. Qunranfr Oners, or Fbrly Ounces — Ofi 

 the varieties of pears this would undoubtedly I 

 considered the largest, unless contrasted with tl 

 Poire (T .-Imour, and the Cordelier, or Pound pel 

 The name it bears sutlicienlly indicates its larj 

 size, but it is ]iroper to mention that it is by tl 

 tuslomary weight of Provence that it has be< 

 found to weigh forty ounces, and sometimes mor 

 and that at Paris it has seldom been found to e: 

 ceed tweniy-sevcn ouncen and a half of the estai 

 lisbed weight of that city, with o diameter 

 about four and a half inches. 



