THE GENESEE FARMER. 



189 



1 I WILL briefly state my views on tlais subject. 

 for two reasons, it is the interest of the nursery- 

 nen to advance the growth of their trees with all 

 possible speed. Firstly, a thrifty tree is more at- 

 tractive to the purchaser ; and secondly, it is sooner 

 ready for the market. The trees continue their 

 growth until it is arrested by the cold in the fall, 

 aad the wood not being matured, they are not pre- 

 pared to endure the frosts of winter equally with 

 those of slower growth. "We have frequent demon- 

 strations of this in the growth of long scions on 

 fruit trees. 



Again : in removing trees, there are many fibrous 

 roots which are cut off, and frequently the trees are 

 set out on a poorer soil than that from which they 

 were taken ; therefore the trees are not in a situa- 

 tion to receive their former ample supply of nour- 

 ishment. Likewise, the trees while in the nursery 

 stand densely together, and mutually protect each 

 other ; and the sudden transition and deficiency of 

 sap consequent on the removal of the trees to an 

 open field, exposes them to the powerfiU rays and 

 withering influences of a summer's sun, as well as 

 the more penetrating frosts of winter, and as a 

 natural consequence, many of the trees wither and 

 die. J. 0. Manning. — Frontier, Clinton Co., N. Y. 



The reasons why there are so many failures of 

 this kind are difterent. 1st: The taking up of 

 trees is often entrusted to hands that are not care- 

 ful about cutting and barking the roots. 2nd : They 

 are apt to be left too long after being taken from 

 the nursery before they are set, so that the roots 

 and top also get too dry. 3rd : When they are set, 

 too much rich manure about the roots is injurious. 

 They should have merely some good soil. 



Trees are often carried a great distance in wag- 

 ons, which of course operates against them. The 

 soil should not be packed too hard about the roots. 

 They are frequently set in poor, thin land, after they 

 are taken from a nursery which is highly manured, 

 and then left to take their own course. Can any- 

 thing but failure be exepcted in this way ? If trees 

 are expected to thrive, they must have every atten- 

 ti(in paid them. "When they are taken from the 

 nursery, all the roots should be kept whole that 

 possibly can ; they should be set as soon as possible 

 after they are taken up, the same depth they were 

 in the nursery, not manured too much until tliey 

 are rooted fast, and they will generally do well. — 

 J. H. P. ^.—Queens Co., N. Y. 



The Rural Anntjal. — The Rural Annual is a 

 valuable work, and should be in the possession of 

 every agriculturist. The one article which it con- 

 tains on the cultivation of the grape, by Mr. Saltee, 

 ctf Rochester, is worth half a dozen numbers. It is 

 the clearest and best written article I have ever seen 

 on the subject. I have given much personal atten- 

 tion and labor to the summer pruning of our vines, 

 keeping back the lateral branches, and the large 

 clusters on our young vines told with what success. 

 Yet I am satisfied with much greater success, had 

 our vines been trained according to the directions 

 in the above named article. I would say to any one 

 who wishes to train a grape vine in the right way, 

 be sure and get the Eural Annual for 1858, II. H. 

 Myees. — Liverpool, N. Y. 



THE CULTIVATION OF TOMATOES. 



"When the weather gets warm, and the soil in 

 good condition, transplant the young plants to the 

 garden. The best way is to set them in rows three 

 feet apart, and two feet apart in the rows ; having 

 dug a trench the length of the row, fill it with fine 

 manure mixed with soil ; set the plants with care, 

 on a cloudy day, or secure them from the sun; 

 water frequently in dry weather, and with liquid 

 manure if possible. Cultivate well. Keep clear 

 of weeds. Stir the soil around the plants often. 

 "When they get their growth, and begin to form 

 fruit, all superfluous branches should be cut oft", to 

 allow the sun to shine on the fruit. 



If the vines require support, and they most likely 

 will, a convenient way is to drive crotched sticks at 

 convenient distances, upon which lay small poles, 

 then carefuUy place the vines upon them ; place the 

 supports so as to turn the rows from each other ; 

 this gives room for going among the vines, and 

 allows the sun to shine upon them better. The 

 fruit must be picked or covered from frost, as it 

 injures it. If not fuUy ripe when picked, they may 

 be ripened in the house. E. B. — Fharsalia, iV. Y. 



In the spring, select a warm, sheltered spot, at 

 the south side of a house or board fence, and as 

 soon as the heavy frosts are over, dig a trench the 

 size you want your bed, to the depth of a foot, and 

 fill in with warm horse manure, pressing it close, 

 to the level of the ground ; then put on about two 

 inches of fine garden loam, sow tlae seed, and rake 

 it in. The warmth of the manure in the bed Avill 

 prevent them from being injured by a light frost, 

 and will bring them on rapidly. Last season I had 

 ripe tomatoes, on plants raised in that way, before 

 the plants raised in the hot-bed ; and I did not have 

 to water them at all, while the hot-bed plants had 

 to be watered regularly, and some died at that. 



As soon as they are ready to plant out, have a 

 piece of land rich, or made so — soft or medium 

 liard does not matter — and set them three feet 

 apart each way. For a small piece in a garden, it 

 makes a very pretty show, and the tomatoes will 

 be about a week earlier, to have them trained on a 

 trellis ; but where they are to be cultivated on a 

 large scale, it will not pay. I have tried it both 

 ways, and I find that if kept clean, and hoed up in 

 fine round hills, as soon as the fruit gets heavy they 

 will fiiU down all round the hill ; and I have had 

 just as many and as fine tomatoes as on the vines 

 that I had been at the greatest trouble with. R. S. 

 T.—Magara, C. W. 



Set the plants in rows four feet apart, running 

 north and south, so that the sun has a fair chance 

 to ripen them, and three feet apart in the rows. 

 As they groAV, place a post at each end of the row, 

 through which draw wires, eighteen inches from 

 the ground first, then eiglft inches apart — the posts 

 five feet high. Cut off" all lateral shoots, a short 

 distance above the first leaves, so as to prevent its 

 injuring the main stalk as it dies. Train them in 

 fan shape, and at the height of five feet cut off" the 

 tops. Tie the branches to the post and wire with 

 basswood bark; as the tomatoes begin to ripen, 

 puU off" the leaves near tlie fruit. For early ripen- 

 ing, a piece of poor ground is the best, though such 

 large tomatoes cannot be expected. Adeiune H. 

 Satee, — Earrisburg, Ind. 



