1854. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



303 



from their wages, then they may reasonably think 

 of setting-up for themselves ; and it will matter 

 little what part of Massachusetts, or of the Union, 

 they locate in, — such farmers prosper everywhere. 



A Reader. 

 Winchester , June, 1854. 



SCRAPING AND WASHING TREES. 



AVe have read the whole report alluded to be- 

 low, and believe it well calculated to arrest some 

 of the outrages against nature, so common, par- 

 ticularly in cities. Mr. Copeland is an enthusi- 

 ast in his profession, but his "zeal is according to 

 knowledge," and we look for many a reform to 

 take place through his instrumentality. We wish 

 we could spare room for the whole report, but as 

 we cannot, the condensing pen of Professor Nash, 

 of the Conn. Valley Farmer, will give the reader 

 its general outlines. 



The Massachusetts Horticultural Society has 

 published a report made to it by a committee ap- 

 pointed to inquire into "the uses and abuses of the 

 practice of scraping and washing trees."' The 

 conclusions arrived at are so diametrically opposed 

 to the prevalent opinion and practice, and seem 

 at the same time so well supported by arguments, 

 that we need no apology for publishing the resolu- 

 tions in which those conclusions are contained, 

 though we do not endorse everything contained in 

 the report. 



The resolves referred to are as follows : 



"That, whereas it isa common custom to scrape 

 oflf the outside bark of fruit and ornamental trees, 

 and wash and plaster them with lime and other 

 preparations, in the hope of benefiting the trees 

 by the destruction of parasites and insects injuri- 

 ous to vegetation, and of improving their general 

 appearance, the Massachusetts Horticultural So- 

 ciety do hereby resolve, for reasons which have 

 been stated, that we consider this practice of no 

 benefit to the tree, fi"om its inability to •ffect the 

 majority of the insects which are really injurious; 

 and unnecessary in the case of lichens and mosses, 

 they being not the cause but the consequence ol 

 disease and decay, and a positive violation of the 

 laws of vegetable physiology, and consequently an 

 injury to all trees, (but to ornamental ones in 

 particular,) to an incalculable amount. 



2d. That lichens and mosses, in a healthy 

 state of the tree, are, so far as can be ascertained 

 no injury to the bark, but from theirvaried colors, 

 form one of its chiefest ornaments. Any opera- 

 tions for their removal are to be scrupulously 

 avoided and reprehended. 



3d. That as strict in(juiry lias shown tliat bark 

 lice, woolly apliis, and some borers, do lay their 

 eggs and hatch their young upon the bark of ap- 

 ples, pears, peaclies and maples near the ground, 

 and in the forks of the branches, a gentle rublung 

 witli some pliable but stiff wire or other brusli 

 on the parts aff'jcted, to be followed by a washing 

 with weak, soap, or whale oil soap, suds, is desira- 

 ble, ami will be of benefit wlicni a careful exami- 

 nation sliall luivc shown tliat the eggs are deposit- 

 ed upon any tree in question, but that this pro- 

 cess IS unnecessary and uneconomical when the 

 presence of the enemy h^is not been most clearly 

 proved." 



The other resolutions are to the same effect, one 

 of them being directed against all alkaline prepa- 

 rations plastered on to trees. 



These conclusions are endorsed by Geo. B. Em- 

 erson, the learned author of the Trees of Massa- 

 chusetts, and 1)y Mr. Tuckerman, who has made 

 the sul)ject of lichens his particular study. They 

 are, moreover supported by many arguments, 

 drawn from practice, experiment, theory anl an- 

 alogy, but we have not space to enter upon these. 



The report is drawn up by R. Morris Copeland, 

 a gentleman who has adopted the occupation of a 

 landscape gardener, which we take to mean the 

 tasteful arrangement of grounds. At any rate, 

 we observe that he lias been employed to lay out 

 the grounds around the new Insane asylum at 

 Taunton, and the Reform School at "NVesiboro". 

 "We should have said that this profession was not 

 as yet likely to thrive in this country. If it docs 

 so we shall b3 only too glad, as it will indicate an 

 increased culture of taste, a quality which unfor- 

 tunately is by no means so often displayed in this 

 country as could be desired. Very many appreciate 

 a tasteful thing when they see it,but very few can 

 make anything tasteful themselves. This is es- 

 pcciall}' true in ornamental gardening, where or- 

 nament is too often only another name for caprice 

 and absurdity. i\Ir. Copelani seems to us to be 

 starting in the right way, for in his report he pro- 

 tests most strenuously against torturing nature, 

 urging on the other hand that she be followed and 

 imitated. — Conn. Valley Farmer. 



For the New England Farmer. 



MEADOW MUD AND LIME. 



Mk. Editor : — I have an inexhaustible bed of 

 muck on my farm, which I have used more or less 

 in the raw state for some time, and have not re- 

 ceived much benefit from it, excepting what has 

 been carried into the yard or stable. As near as 

 I can describe it, it is "decayed vegetation." Now 

 what I want to know is this, can I by mixing lime 

 with it, make a compost that will produce a crop 

 of corn, rye, oats, or grass, without the aid of 

 other manures? (a.) 



The land which I wish to use it on, is yellow 

 loam and slate stone soil. How much lime to the 

 load, and how much muck to the acre. 



The/ford, F^., 1854. You.ng Farmer. 



Remarks. — (a.) There is morc_^ difficulty in an- 

 swering the above query, than tfie inquirer is 

 proljably aware of. The "yellow loam and slate 

 stone soil," may be highly calcareous, or it may 

 abound in alkalies, and must be treated as one or 

 the other prevails. If effervescence takes place 

 freely upon the application of acids to some of 

 the soil, it is a calcareous loam, and the lime 

 would scarcely be necessary. But if there were 

 no effervescence, the compost of muck and lime 

 would be valuable. But it is at least doubtful, 

 whether such a dressing upon your fields would 

 give them much permanence of fertility. 



Suppose you experiment upon one acre. Upon 

 one quarter put 12 loade, of 30 Itushels eacli, of 

 muck, and 12 bushels of lime. On another quar- 

 ter, add the same amount of mack, and omit the 



