176' 



m^V ENGLAND Ji'Ail.MEIt. 



JjPRBt 



old elm standiug nciir a mass of rocks, died ^ A 

 young elm then upjieared in a fisLSure of tliis rock, 

 casting down its slender roots, and in twenty or 

 thirty yciu-s, it lias Ix'eouie a foot and a half in. dir 

 amcter. Its roots have penetrated into and under 

 the rock, and have lilted and thrown ofiF about 

 xvcn tons of it, and have loosened and partly 

 lifted ten tons more, wliich in a few yearswill be 

 separated from the m&s°. Tlie roots to lx?a? the 

 immense pressure upon them,have become changed 

 from the ordinary appeax-an'jciuid have a tough 

 casing which may be compared to the skin of an 

 alligator. The provisions tlius miulo by nature 

 for the growth of the tree under sudi difficult ch-- 

 cumstances, funiish a striking specimen of what 

 mjiy 1» called vegetable mechanics.- The greatest 

 wonder is tliat the toots could grow and expand 

 under such a hctivy preseui-e of hard substance. — 

 Providence Post. 



For tJie New Knsrland Farmer. 



THE "APPLE MAN'S" STORY. 



Friknd Browx : — As you have honored me by 

 the title of "Apple JIan," and seeing not long 

 »inx;c an article ra the Farmer, giviTig an account 

 of my fruit crop,, the last barren season, I thought 

 it might not be amiss to give you a few more par- 

 ticulars respecting the same. The lot of land on 

 which my buildings stand, contains between Sand 

 '.> aci-es, about 7| of whicli I cultivate ■, planting 

 or sowing, where it i.'^ not too-sha«Iy, except a small 

 patch wiiere I keep a cow. The amount realized 

 from my fruit and other crops was, as near as 1 

 can calculate, for apples,. $025'; pears, quinces 

 and clierrici?^, ,f 1G5 ; strawberries, raspberries and 

 currants, $115; vegetables and fodder, $120; 

 sum total, $1025. The quantity of manure used, 

 1 think would fall short of live cords. I plow 

 late in the fiii"!, after the ieaves dm>p froni the tree. 

 Use the plow and cultivator in summer to keep 

 down the weeds, -where it is not planted. I think 

 all the lalx)r performed in raising au\\ msirketmg, 

 I could have done myself (although 01 years of 

 age,) with the exception of paying out to children 

 twenty or twenty-live dollars for picking straw- 

 berries and peas ; and considerwL it a pleasant 

 and healthy exercLso too. I have found by long 

 experience that any kiixl of business whatever, 

 which we choose to pursue foi' a liveHhood, or 

 gain,, requires ■perseverance and ccanoniy. We 

 should always count the cost 1)efore entering into 

 any l«-ancli of industry ^ m order to make ils happy 

 and prosperous. 



When I purchased my farm, my principal ob- 

 jc-ct was- the cultivation of fruit. I have given 

 strict attention in j)runing and grafting and have 

 cultivated about thirty varieties of apples ; som/? 

 of them are s^^-edlings selected fromdifforeut towns, 

 in (xrder to test their qualities and productivLUoss. 

 Some of tliem you have had an opportunity of 

 seeing arnl testing, my Red Favorite particuLu'ly. 

 Tlie Baldv,;Ln, I think, is the stiuidard apple as 

 yet, although soiii-'what depreciated ; the llub- 

 bardston commands ahiglier price, but will not 

 keep as long. Now, sir, as I au\ located acar good 

 market.^, my advantages for selling fruit have Ijcen. 

 extremely good, tlierefore, my businesa thus far 

 has proved to be a profitable one. I have had 

 many doubts with regard to overstocking the mar- 

 ket with fruit. One year ago the market was 



glutted with apples. If there is nothing to blast. 

 tlie crop in the future,. I see no reason why tht- 

 luarket may not bo overstocked again, tlierefore. 

 fanuers who live in the couiitry, distant from.' 

 market, who do net pcssuss the kno\vle(lg'u re- 

 quired for cultiviting fruit ti-ees, I think their- 

 money and time (aa the luarkets now ai'o,) would 

 !)e l)etter appropriated to the raising of neat stocky 

 iwid other coinitry produce. A man Itought oF 

 me last season 750 scions, and liircd theu^ &et. He^ 

 says there is not more then one in twenty which 

 are alive. This is one instance, out of many,, 

 wliere money and time haveljeen thrown away and! 

 trees very much injured.. I would, however, re- 

 commend the grafting and pruning, fruit trees 

 anywhere in the country, if it can ]jo thoroughly 

 done, so as to meet the approbation of the owners,. 

 in giving them their desire of the choiceat fruits 

 the country affords. N. P. Morrison. 



Somcrville, Feb. 6, 1854. 



Remarks. — ^We have no fears that the market 

 will be overstocked -with s;ood fruits. 



FAKMS HIFBOVED BY KEEPING 

 SHEEP. 



To some extent, keepijig sheep is found to im- 

 prove a farm, as they consume much feed that 

 is left by other stock and lost, and at the same- 

 time enricli the ground, and give it a better Und 

 smoother appearance.. This is shown by instan- 

 cosquotetl in the Tiransactions of the Norfolk Ag- 

 ricultural Society, which we relate in brief: — 



A man having a siaall farm, fc^rnierly kcptfcrtjr 

 sheep, fou? co-ws tmd one liorse, and had fooa 

 enough for them the year round,. The price of 

 wool falling, he sold his sheep, and for a numbec- 

 of years has kept other stock altogether. He 

 now keeps but three cows and one hoi-se tlue year 

 round, and pastures two cows extra through tho 

 sununer, sells very little hay — ^not half enough to> 

 keep another cow ;: Ivo hiis- the same amount of 

 pasture.and mowing as when he kept the forty 

 sheep in addition to his other stock, and yet his- 

 farm does not look near as well as then. lie used 

 to raise turnips among t'le corn for his sheep t& 

 eat iu winter, luid gave the-ju besides, a few bush- 

 els of grain. The lamb.*., ho-wever, more than paid 

 for his extra feed. 



Another f<u*mer for a ^reat num}>er of years; 

 kept aljc>ut sixty sheep, eight or nine cows, (or 

 otlier stock equal,) one pair of oxen and one horse 

 After keeping the sheep for a numl)er of yeai-s, he- 

 found he could then keep as Lirge a stock on hi& 

 farm with the sixty sheep, as he could keep with- 

 out tliem before ; showing that they liad improved, 

 the farm to furnish their ovrcn support. To stock 

 a farm entirely with sheep would not be so profit- 

 able as to keep a limited num])er — ^yet it would 

 pay :is well as other stock. The object is to keep 

 iTiough to consume that part crf the veg.>tatioa 

 peculiarly fitted to sheep, and which othev stock 

 will not eat, adding at the aame time enriching; 

 elements to tho pastures and yards by their ma- 

 nure. It is the opinion of many farmers, that 

 pastures for other stock may be improved lij keep- 

 ing a small flock of sheep upon them a portion of 

 the time, and die opinion seems IViirly supported 

 both by reason and experiment. — Wool Groicer. 



