242 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



the body of the tree, next above the insertion 

 of the great roots. Although the hole at 

 which the insect enters, is, in many instances, 



very small, yet it is easily discoverable by an Ire, the beets whsn full grown w 

 appearance of powdered wood, or line-saw dust, ; act shape of the mould, and vi 

 which is thrown out by the worm; — here 

 you may introduce your chisel, and follow his 

 track. Cut the bark smooth, and when you have 

 cleansed the tree of all insects, (of which there 

 are sometimes as many as twenty to be found,) 

 plaster the wounds over with a little clay, and 

 when it is dry, restore the earth to its place. 

 The operation should be renewed the succeed- 

 ing season to make the work complete. In peach 

 trees the insect is traced by the gum ; but as this 

 is also produced by bruises, it is not inl'allible. 

 u Note. — if the frost be out of the ground, 

 we recommend to farmers to perform the spring 

 cleansing as early as March and April." 



Dr. Thacher in recommending modes of pre- 

 venting the damage occasioned by this destroyer, 

 says, " Early in the spring let the soil from around 

 the trunk of the tree be removed down to the 

 roots, and fill up the vacant place with some 

 substance that would prove obnoxious to the fly 

 or worm, or that would infallibly resist its pow- 

 ers to penetrate the bark. Among the substan- 

 ces which appear most likely to prove success- 

 ful, I will mention flax rubbish and sea weed. 

 The next which occur, are ashes, lime, sea- 

 shells, sea-sand, mortar rubbish from old build- 

 ings, clay, tanner's bark, fragments of leather 

 from the tanners and shoemakers' shops, Sic. 

 Some, and perhaps any of the above-mentioned 

 substances if pressed closely round the trunk of 

 the tree, must inevitably prevent the fly or 

 worm from having access to the bark, and of 

 course prove an effectual remedy." 



The following composition is recommended 

 by Dr. Thacher and other authors who have 

 written on this branch of husbandry. 



" Take equal parts of quick lime, cow dung 

 and clay, which by the addition of soap suds and 

 urine, should be reduced to the consistence of 

 common paint. To make it more adhesive add 

 a little hair. Let the whole stem from the 

 roots to the branches, be enveloped with a coat- 

 ing of this composition, and occasionally re- 

 peated, and it will scarcely be possible for the 

 fly, or worm, or insects, to injure the trunk of 

 the tree ; and it will at the same time prove 

 conducive to its health and vigor. It might 

 even be recommended to make the application 

 to all young trees, at the time of transplanting, 

 especially when the worm is known to prevail." 

 The fact stated by our correspondent that 

 fruit trees which have arrived at fifteen or six- 

 teen years of age, are less liable to diseases 

 than before that period, may perhaps be ac- 

 counted for from tbe bark's becoming stronger, 

 more rough, and less penetrable by insects than 

 in the earlier stages of the growth of the tree. 

 This insect does not confine its depredations to 

 apple and peach trees, but extends them to 

 mountain ash aud quince trees, and, if we mis- 

 fake not, plum trees sometimes suffer by the 

 same destroyer. 



lOR THE KEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



'Mr. Fessejtden,— !f you think the following worthy 

 b place in your paper, it is at your service. 



Method of raising Beets, of any shape you wish. 

 — After y/^pr beds are made ready to sow, have 



a mould of the desired form and size, which 

 press into the ground, then fill the hole with rich 

 compost, and drop one or two seeds, in the cen- 

 ill be of the es- 

 ery smooth. 

 I have never had occular demonstration of 

 the above method, but had it from a man of ve- 

 racity and truth a few days since, who says he 

 has practised it with complete success for seve- 

 ral years. Yours, &c. L. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Mr. Editor, — In the Address, delivered before 

 the Worcester Agricultural Society, by Dr.Fiske, 

 and published in your paper, much useful matter 

 is contained, many excellent ideas are suggested, 

 and as a whole it must be considered interesting 

 and valuable. 



But notwithstanding the high estimation in 

 which the Doctor is held by the community as an 

 agriculturist and a man of science, it is question- 

 able whether his ideas are all of them correct. 



In his Address he recommends setting out and 

 cultivating ornamental trees, along the sides of 

 the highway, &c. and intimates that himself 

 takes a degree of satisfaction in reflecting on a 

 transaction of this kind in which he was engag- 

 ed forty yaars ago. I know that a street or an 

 highway adorned with lofty trees on its sides, 

 makes a handsome appearance and is truly plea- 

 sant during the summer season when their cool- 

 ing shade is so agreeable and refreshing; — but 

 for one I am satisfied from observation and ex- 

 periment, that most kinds of ornamental trees, 

 wherever they stand, have an unfavorable influ- 

 ence on the ground in their immediate vicinity, 

 at least so far as their shade may extend. Ve- 

 ry little of any thing will grow under or near 

 them, and that generally of an inferior size and 

 quality, indicating that the land is either poi- 

 soned by the destructive influence of the tree, 

 or deprived of the warming rays of the sun and 

 moistening showers of rain. 



About thirty years ago a row of trees about 

 sixty rods in length, consisting principally of 

 elm and ball wood or button wood, were set out 

 on each side of the road which passes through 

 the farm on which 1 live. The most of them 

 grew rapidly and became large and splendid, so 

 that the passing traveller was frequently heard 

 to remark respecting their lofty and beautiful 

 appearance. But at length they became so 

 pestiferous and evidently injurious to the land 

 nearby them, that 1 determined on cutting them 

 down, and have since executed my determina- 

 tion. 1 have taken the same course with the 

 scattering trees on the farm, cutting them 

 down, reserving only here and there one mere- 

 ly to accommodate my cattle in hot weather. 



I am determined in future to set out and cul- 

 tivate none but fruit trees. — Instead of the pop- 

 lar and elm and other useless shrubs about my 

 dwelling, I prefer the English cherry and pear, 

 as these not only afford a cooling shade during 

 the warm season, but produce a rich supply oi' 

 excellent fruit. 



One ©f my neighbors, fifteen years ago, pro- 

 cured and set out a dozen English cherry trees 

 around his house; — these with a little care aiid 

 attention grew and flourished, and for several 

 years have produced fruit abundantly, and their 

 handsome appearance is admired by every be- 

 holder. 



Another of my neighbors, nearly at the sai 

 time, set a row of poplars in front and at ea 

 end of his house. These also flourished and so 

 became tall and large. In the course of ten 

 twelve years my neighbor began to apprehe 

 and soon became satisfied that his poplars wt 

 not only useless but a perfect nuisance. 



His garden was evidently suffering a mate 

 al injury from them. Sprouts were eve 

 where shooting up from the wide spreadi 

 roots; very little of any thing would grow nc 

 them, and besides all this they were like f 

 barren fig-tree producing nothing but leaves. 



Two years ago my neighbor cut them do 

 and supplied flieir places with some valua' 

 fruit trees, which prokibl}' in a few years h 

 b? both ornamental and profitable. 



Now I would suggest the idea whether 

 would not be better, and lend more to a gen 

 al improvement to pay more attention to I 

 propagation of fruit trees, and less to the cu 

 vation of those which are not only unfruiti 

 but evidently destructive and injurious to I 

 growth of every kind of vegetation that n 

 happen to be near them. A Farmer 



fVorcester, Feb. 1824. 



From the Massachusetts Agricultural Repository 



West Bridgewater, November 7. 182£ 

 Joka Loivdl, Esq. Corrt'sponding 5ec'^ of Mass. , 

 ricuUuTnl Society. 



Sir, — On the 28th April last, I employee 

 man in grafting a young orchard, situated 

 the margin of a river near my residence. T 

 soil is of an excellent quality, and well adap 

 to the growth and sustentation of fruit tre 

 and the situation, in other respects, very el 

 ble fur the purpose to which it is applied. 



Anong the number of trees which were tl I 

 grafted, was one (and there was not in the 

 chard, previous to this time, as was sufficiei 

 indicated by the broad daik leaf, and the «mo< 

 shining, and almost transparent bark, anothr 

 a more healthy and flourishing condition) h 

 ing only two branches sufficiently large f 

 grafting, and which, being severed from th |l 

 parent trunk, left it entirely destitute of b' I 

 leaf and limb: not even a twig or sucker w- 

 visible about it. Four handsome scions were ] 

 serted in the stocks, and the usual precautl j, 

 taken to preserve them their position, aud [i 

 cure them f'rom violence. )i 



After the operation ofgrafting had been cc I 

 pleted, I continued, daily, to visit the orchu j 

 watching, with minute attention, the progr | 

 of the sap as it made its way into the new j 

 serted scions. My repeated visits enabled I 

 to make, in course of the season, the foUoivip 

 observations. |1 



1st. That the scions set in the trees fr • 

 which the tops were not entirely taken olf 

 grafting, put forth much sooner, than those 

 the tree here particularly noticed. 



2d. That these last did, at length, put fof 

 and look thrifty and promising. 



3d. That they soon however began tot:' 

 on a sickly hue, fell into a state ot general 

 cay, and belore the commencement of the i' 

 sent month, I found both stock and scions entir 

 dead. 



1 have since carefully examined the free I 

 low the surface of the ground, to ascerl 

 whether its death was not occasioned by i : 



4 



