250 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



the steeps should be made, and how long the 

 seeds should be immersed, so as not to destroy 

 flie power of vegetation, and at the same time 

 preserve the seeds against worms, &.C. Expe- 

 riments to determine these points are much 

 wanted. 



It is believed that if ground where seeds are 

 planted is moist, and the seeds are planted ear- 

 ly, it is best to put them into the ground with- 

 out soaking them, either in pure water, or any 

 sort of pickle ; because if soaked they are more 

 apt to rot without sprouting. But if the ground 

 is dry, and the seeds put in late, there is advan- 

 tage "in steeping them, either in a suitable pickle 

 or in pure water. In the former case the pickle 

 at once accelerates the sprouting and preserves 

 against insects. In the latter case the germina- 

 tion is quickened by the moisture, which in late 

 planting or sowing, may be of material service 

 to the crop. 



From Thacher's American Orchardist. 



ENGRAFTING. 

 The art of engrafting has not, it is believed, 

 been traced to its origin. In a treatise, publish- 

 ed by Parkinson, in 1629, both grafting and in 

 oculating are mentioned, but the period when 

 the practise commenced has not been ascertain- 

 ed. Tlie great utility and advantage of the 

 art is, however, universally understood. Ac- 

 cording to Mr. Yates, (letter published in For- 

 syth's Treatise,) the art was introduced into 

 America by Mr. Prince, a native of New-York, 

 who established a nursery in its neighborhood 

 about sixty years ago. Fruit trees, which are 

 grafted or inoculated, come into a bearing 

 state several years sooner than those produced 

 from seed : besides, grafted or inoculated trees 

 invariably produce the same kind of fruit as 

 the parent tree from which the scion or bud is 

 taken, while that from seedling trees is liable 

 to sport in endless varieties. In the choice of 

 scions for grafting, the first essential requisite is 

 that they are of the satnr- ar-'US and natural 



.. .] , •'-.ji ,^ fv which IS to become their 



L.^i' parent, and which is to afford themfuture 

 nourishment and support. The apple cannot 

 ^ be advantageously engrafted on a pear stock, 

 nor will a pear succeed well on an apple stock ; 

 for although it may flourish and bear Iruit for a 

 few years, it will never prove a profitable tree, 

 and will decline and decay sooner than others. 

 Scions from a winter apple tree should not be 

 gralted on a summer apple stock, because the 

 sap in the summer stock is liable to decline and 

 diminish before the winter fruit has become fully 

 ripe. In tiie memoirs ofthe American Acadamy 

 of Arts and Sciences, volume 1, page 388, is,a 

 eommunication from the late honourable B- Lin- 

 coln, relative to the engrafting of fruit trees, &.c. 

 in which he says, " 1 had observed, for a number 

 of years, an apple tree in my orchard, the natu- 

 ral fruit of which was very early, having been 

 grafted with a winter scion, producing fruit very 

 like in appearance to the fruit produced by the 

 tree whence the scion was taken, but destitute 

 of those qualities inherent in that fruit, and 

 necessary to its keeping through the winter. 

 This led me to call iu question the propriety of 

 grafting winter fiuit on a summer stock," &,c. 

 A pear is occasionally engrafted on a quince, 

 for the purpose of dwarf trees, but it is of smal- 

 ler growth, and less vigorous and durable than 



if nourished by its mori! natural parent. It is 

 next important, that scions be taken from I' "^s 

 that have attained to the maturity of full bearing. 

 Perhaps cultivators, in general, ar.j nol ajipriz- 

 ed of the fact, that, if a scion be tal'en from a 

 seedling tree of one or two years old, it will re- 

 tain the character and undergo the same annu- 

 al change as the seedling tree itself, whatever 

 be the age of the stock into which it is insert- 

 ed ; and that it will remain unproductive ot 

 fruit, until the seedling tree has acquired its 

 proper age and maturity. It is strongly to be 

 suspected, that nursery men, either from igno- 

 rance or indifference, have disregarded this cir- 

 cumstance, and imposed upon purchasers trees 

 of this description, by which their just expecta- 

 tions have been disappointed. Scions are direct- 

 ed to be cut in March, before the buds begin to 

 swell; and in order to preserve them in good 

 condition for grafting, they must be placed, 

 with their lower ends in the ground, in some 

 dry part of the cellar, till wanted. But some 

 experienced operators prefer cutting their 

 scions as near the time they are to be employed 

 as may be convenient. Scions should always be 

 taken from the extremities of the most thrifty 

 and best bearing trees, and of the last year's 

 growth, except only just enough ofthe growth 

 ofthe year before to fix in the earth, to preserve 

 them moist until they are to be used. In the 

 Edinburgh Encyclopedia it is advised to cut the 

 scions several weeks before the season for 

 grafting arrives; the reason is, that experience 

 has shown, that grafting may most successfully 

 be performed, by allowing the stock to have 

 some advantage over the graft in forwardness 

 of vegetation. It is desirable, that the sap of 

 the stock should be in brisk motion at the time 

 of grafting; but by this time, the buds ofthe 

 scion, is left on the tree, would be equally ad- 

 vanced ; wheraas the scions, being gathered 

 early, the buds are kept back, and ready only 

 to swell out, when the graft is placed on the 

 stock. The selecting proper scions, the writer 

 observes, is a matter ofthe greatest importance, 

 if we wish to enjoy the lull advantage which 

 may be derived from grafting. They should 

 be taken from a healthy tree in full bearing, 

 and from the outer side ofthe horizontal branch- 

 es of such a tree, where the wood has freely 

 enjoyed the benefit of sun and air. If the tree 

 be iu a luxuriant state, the grafts are very prop- 

 erly taken from the extremities of bearing 

 branches ; but if it be in a debilitated condition, 

 the most healthy shoots in the centre of the 

 tree should be employed. The extremity of 

 the scion should be cut off, leaving ("our or five 

 eyes or buds, as the middle part ati'ords the best 

 graft. The most proper season for grafting, in 

 our climate, is from about the twentieth of 

 March, to ttie twentieth of May, though the op- 

 eration has succeeded well, as late as the tenth 

 of June, provided the scions have been properly 

 preserved Practical gardeners, it is said, con- 

 cur in stating, that the nature of fruit is, to a 

 certain extent, affected by the nature of the 

 stock. Crab stocks, lor example, cause apples 

 to be firmer, to keep longer, and to have a 

 sharper flavor. Mr. S. Cooper, of New-Jersey, 

 expresses himself as follows, on this subject : 

 (Driui. Ency. Mease's edit.) " I have, in nume- 

 rous instances, seen the stock have great influ- 

 ence on the fruit grafted thereon, in respect to 

 bearing, size, and .flavor, and also on the dura- 



bility of the tree, particularly in the instaw 

 of a number of Vandcvere apple trees; t{ 

 fruit of which was so subject to the bitter rot 

 to be of little use. Tliey were engrafted fif 

 years ago, and ever since those of them havir 

 tops composed of several different kinds, thoug 

 they continue to be more productive of fro 

 than any others in my orchard, yet are subje 

 to the bitter rot, the original and well know 

 affec.tion of the fruit ofthe primitive slock, 

 have had frequent opportunities of observit 

 the same circumstance, in consequence ofr 

 ceiving many scions from my Iriends, whici 

 after bearing, I engrafted, and the succeedic 

 fruit uniformly partook, in some degree, oft! 

 qualities ofthe former, even in their dispositic 

 to bear annually or biennially." Mr. C. has a 

 certained the fact that early and late apple 

 by being grafted on the same tree, improved i 

 size and flavor more than if but one kind gre' 

 on a tree. It should be observed, as a rule, nc 

 er to employ suckers from old trees as stocks U 

 grafts, or buds, as they have a constant tendenc(| 

 to generate suckers, and thereby injure tl 

 growth of the trees. 



From the Concord (Mass.) Gazette. 



MY UNCLE PETER'S VIEWS. 

 " Oh the times ! how hard they press 

 " On a poor farmer in distress !" — 



Mad Poet. 

 " If you would be vreallhy, think of savin» as we 

 as of getting. The mines of South -America could n^ 

 make Spain rich, because her out-goes were greater tha 

 her incomes." Maxims. 



I have so often heard the lamentations of fa; 

 mers over their unhappy lot, as it is erroneou; 

 ly called, that I have been induced to conside 

 them an unfortunate class of the community, su ' 

 fering more particularly than other men of di 

 ferent professions from the fluctuating state i 

 the times during- the last fifteen years. Tb , 

 well known depression in the prices of agricu 

 tural products, has tended to produce this opit | 

 ion and give it general currency. But aflfi 

 comparing the price of the farmers produce | 

 and the prices of those articles he must neces | 

 sarily purchase from abroad for domestic pur i 

 poses, during the most prosperous times, wifl 

 the prices of the same articles now, we ha»( 

 data from which we can determine the correct 

 ness of this opinion. Not long since, during i 

 conversation with My Uncle on this subject, h( 

 informed me, he had made out from his book oi 

 " Out-goes and Incomes" of his farm, which ht 

 always kept, a list of the various articles sold 

 and bought, and annexed the prices of each al 

 the different periods of 1814 and 1824. 1 ex- 

 tract the following items : — 



Articles sold, in 1814. in 1324. 



Rye, at $1,75 per bushel, at 75 



Corn, 1,42 " 62 



Oats, 58 " 45 



Butter, 22 per pound 16 



Cheese, 10 " }! 



Articles bought in 1814. iu 1824. 



W. I. Rum, at 2, iiO per gallon, 75 



N. E. do. 1, 7-> " 32 



Molasses, 1,G7 '' 20 



B. Sugar, 1,75 per 7 pound", 67 



Loaf do. 48 per pound, 16 



Hyson Tea, 2, 75 " 1, 12 



.Soush. do. 3, 00 " 67 



Sheeting, 60 per yard, IS 



Shirting, 42 " 12 



Gingham, 50 " 17 



Sattinett, 2, 17 " 67 



