122 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Xor. 6, 1820. 



ore chosen for pluiiliii?, cut inlii sevtriil |iilic8, rare 

 ly exccciliiig fuur, unci mily one piece |)iit inio u liill. 

 There are loo m;iny l""'^ or eyes in a whole po- 

 tato for one liill ; ami Iwo or more plants grow- 

 ing near together arc found to iinpovcrish each 

 other, and produce .small potatoes."* 



Loti)o> snys, " it is never a gooil practice to 

 make use of whole potatoes as sets. The best 

 cultivators in Irehui'l and Scotland invariahly cut 

 the largest and best potatoes, rejecting in the case 

 of Kidney potatoes the root or mealy end as ha- 

 ying no bud, and the top or watery end as having 

 too niany."t He reconnnends, however, large 

 cuttings of good sized potatoes. Jn Flanders, 

 where they are cultivated with great case and 

 success, the .seed, if large, is cut ; if snjull it is 

 jdanlcd whole. — Dr A.ndbrso.n in the coininuni- 

 catioii l)efi>re referred to, says, that the large and 

 best polaloes ought to be jireferred for seed and 

 advises not less than 25 bushels to an acre of the 

 best lunil for .seed of New Jersey. 



That the greatest care is rei|ui.<ite in selecting 

 the best seed to prevent the deterioration of the 

 croi>, that is, the largest seed from the most vig- 

 orous stems, is known to every experienced far- 

 mer, and was denionstruted long since in the well 

 known practice of Mr Coopek. 



A writer in the Scotch Fanner's Magazine,! 

 says " (hat where the flowers of bis potatoes were 

 gathered as soon as they appeared, the crop was 

 in most instances nearly double what it was, where 

 the apples were allowed to come to maturity." 

 The distinguished Mr K.vight reconnnends the 

 plucking oil" the blossoms of the potato, with a 

 view of increasing its produce, as he states, more 

 than n ion to the acre.|| I have tried this without 

 any jierceptible advantage. Far better authority, 

 however, is that of Mr Justin Ely of West Spring- 

 field, who says '" after seeing liis potatoes gathered 

 and measured, he could perceive no diderence in the 

 quantitv or size of the potatoes produced on the 

 rows where the blossoms were i)luckcd off, or 

 wholly left on. All the information I could obtain 

 from others was similar to my own experience 

 1 have never heard of any increased crop by 

 plucking off the blossoms in any one instance, 

 though many tried it.§ 



Tlie late eminent agriculturist. Judge Peters, 

 of Pennsylvania, says, " sometimes potatoes are 

 wonilerfully increased in size by mowing off the 

 tops ; at oilier times, I have known ihem entirely 

 ruined by it.H A writer in the Scotch Farmer's 

 Magazine, says he has found the practice ruinous. 

 LoRAiKE ol)scrves, that from his experiments in 

 cutting the tops of his potatoes, he found his crop 

 was materially tiimiiiishi'd. This account has re- 

 cently been given lo the readers of the Farmer, in 

 an essay on topping the stalks of Indian Corn. 



.\n experienced farmer in Connecticut informed 

 me,. that be had by experiments found his potato 

 crop vrry greatly increased by jputting a gill of 

 Plaistcr of Paris into each bill. Another experi- 

 enced farmerin IJrook line, Mass. informed me that 

 after a fair trial of Plaisti'r with his potatoes, he 

 had found no advantage from it whatever. 



Thi-se are iIk^ i'f)nlliciiiig results and opinions 

 of men distinguished fur their science, and skill 



and experience. They should not discourage us, 

 but should render us the more exact and cautious 

 iu our experiments. They show the undetermined 

 character of this cultivalion, ami how much need 

 we have of further light. U'lien we consider ihe i 

 value of the potato as an article of human sub- 

 sistence, OS a most agreeable esculent, and an in- 

 dispensable appendage to every man's table, be he 

 rich or ])oor, it is greatly to be desired that the 

 best kinds should be introduced among us, and the 

 best mode of cultivation ascertained, whi^h can 

 only be done by repeated and accurate experi- 

 ments. Without hazarding any opinion of my j 

 own, I ask pardon, Mr Editor, for occnpyinjf your | 

 attention so long, and submit the subject, vith all 

 duo respect, to your enlightened decision. | 



Oct. 24, 1829. H. C. | 



'Memoirs of N. Y. Agriculture, vol. ii. page 20C. 

 jl'nrylnpndin of Agriculture, 4^14. 



i(Jciriii-il ill piihlicBtionii of Miiiu!. Agr. See. in 1S07. 

 i;iiiv<l..|i.iliaof Agr.4H,"). 

 ^MiiKs .M.iii.iirH vol iv. p. ;f2ri. 

 HBoo bin letter. Mas*. MoinuirH vol. iii. p. 350. 



TO THE EDITOR OF THE RKW ENGLAND FARUZR. 



PETRE PEAR. — NOMENCLATURE OF 

 FRUITS, &c. 



Mr Fessenden — I received, a few days since, 

 from Mr Rorert Carr, the |)roprietor of Bar- 

 tram's Garden, near Philadelphia, a box contain- 

 ing some French pears, and several of what he 

 denominates the " Petre Pear" — the latter the pro- 

 duct of a tree planted by the elder John Bartiam, 

 in the year 1735, and never inoculated or enjraft- 

 ed. The tree, he observes, had been in full bear- 

 ing 70 years, and has probably yielded 4 00 hush- 

 els of line fruit, which has been frefpuMitly fold at 

 five dollars the bushel. This fruit is descrijed in 

 the Transactions of the Philadelphia llort cultu- 

 ral Society, for September, as" large, fair, iiciting, 

 and of a delicious flavor, ri|)ens in Scpleinbjr, and 

 keeps until late in winter." Owing to the delay 

 in the tiansportation, the fruit was received in a 

 deteriorated state, and did not therefore aiTord so 

 good an opportunity of judging of its qualities as 

 it would, perhaps, had it arrived in a sound state 

 I sent a few of the pears to the Hall on Saturday 

 last, and the opinions ex])rcsscd by those whr tasted 

 it were highly favorable. It is, no doubt a vari- 

 ety of the St Michael, and partake's esseitinlly of 

 its qualities. As it is a native fruit, it .'s worthy 

 the attention of cultivators. If upon .urtlier in- 

 quiry it should be ascertained that tley are not 

 subject to blight, as are the St Michaes, I should 

 think they would prove a good subslitite for that 

 valuable variety, the production of whiih, it is ap- 

 prehended, must be hereafter conlincd o the gar- 

 dens of our cities, at least in this pa:t of the 

 counliy. 



While ujion this subject, I woidd takooccasion 

 to observe, that one important object of 'he insti- 

 tution of an Horticultural Society, will bi defeat- 

 ed unless care is used in the description if fruits 

 presented for examination. I noticed, a I'W days 

 since, in the Farmer, an account of tin Healli- 

 cotc |)ear, that "its flavor resembleil the St 

 Michael or Virgaleusc."* It is well kmnn that 

 the former is an autumn fruit, wliilo the alter is 

 a winter fruit. It cannot, therefore, be a synmyme, 

 but is an obvious error, in llins classing the lanics 

 id' two fruits known to Horliculturisis as videly 

 difl'crcnt, both in their (pialiiies, and the poriids of 

 their maturity. While I would willingly ac-ede 

 to the views and opinions of our fellow lub.rers 

 in another State, so far as I could without a nai- 



['Wr ackmnvlrilgo mirsclves grossly innrriinilc 1 itc 

 — \V<i wore l(!ii into the error, by following the ('il- 

 lo^jiu'H if more tliim one of liie iiioat rvspoctablu soul- 

 eta nurseries. — Eiuroa.J 



ifest impropriety, I would not consent to the 

 pagation of errors, it is so important to be co 

 ill the allempt to establinb a proper numencli 

 of known varieties of fruits. 



As there was some divcrisily of opinion in 

 tioii to some native grapes examined at the 

 ely's Hall a few weeks since, and which were 

 there as the .\lexander, or Schuylkill .Muscat 

 fruit that I then thought, and still think has i 

 been proiluced here, I wrote to MrCiKB for i 

 niatiun respecting it. I pronounced it the Isal ■' 

 and upon a comparison of the fruit and folia 

 the latter, from vines in my garden, with tin- 

 and foliage iijion the vines from which the 

 exhibited had been taken, I was confirmed i 

 opinion I had expressed. .Mr Carr says, the 

 ries of the .Vlexander are nearly round, wbil 

 known that those of the Isabella are nearly 

 The former, I understand, is an txcellent frnii 

 from what I saw of the vines in Mr Carr's 

 den, a few years since, I should think it n 

 equal to the latter in productiveness. If it 

 tut equal in flavor the Isabella, I should dc 

 no small recommendation, for in my humble, 

 ment that fruit is not surpassed liy nianv ev 

 tlie foreign varieties, that are cultivated hei 

 the open ground. The objections that have 

 tofore existed against the I.sahella, arose si 

 from the circumstance that in former season 

 fruit was tasted before it was |)eifeclly rip 

 It should never be eaten before the first wet 

 the preselit moiilh. 



It is very gratifying to the readers of tlie " 

 England Fanner ami Horticultural Jouriia 

 learn, that its useftilness as a vehicle of usefi 

 practical informalion, is so justly ap|ireciuit'd 

 so extensively patroni.'.eil. I trust it will n 

 deemed superfluous,or an impertinent inierfe 

 with (he privileges of its Editor, and propriui 

 express the bo|ie that it w ill continue to ! 

 ducted with the ability and independence ll 

 hitherto characterized it, and thai it wili 

 unto its contributors and patrons that mca.si. 

 im]>arliality and consideration their " favors'" s. 

 be found to merit. 



A DORCHESTER CULTIVATC 



QUERIES. 



A young man iniending to become a I" 

 wishes to propose one or two queries, wlui 

 would be hap|)y to .see answered Ly some on 

 perienced in scientific agriculture. 



How many acres of well cultivated land on 

 take to support a family of seven or eight 

 sons ? - 



How ought it to be divided, as respects |>ai 

 tillage, woodland, &c. ? 



What is the most profitable stock to keep? 



How many of each kind would be necest 

 and what are the best breeds? U. L. 



Boston, Oct. 26, 1829. 



FOR THE NHV l;Xr.LA>D FAnUI.R. 



STOCKS FOR GRAFTING. 



Mr Fessemif.n — I noticed in one of voii 

 papers some queries respecting the graftin 

 pears on thorns. I tin not thinit them so goi 

 pear Blocks; yet they mai/ answer, ]iro\iili'( 

 scions be inserted beloiF Iht surfact of Ihe gn 

 that the trees may take rout from the srio 

 otherwise, tin- pear will su much outgron 

 thorn, that iniihcr the stuck nur roots will bi 

 ficient to support the top. 1 know of a ]■ 



