1854. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



315 



the most perfect of all deciduous tree?. The 

 American Elui is worthy of a place in every col- 

 lection, but where will you put the English 

 Elm, and the Rock Maple? Go to Vermont and 

 see that noble tree in its state of nature, and you 

 will see something far before the American Elm ; 

 and where in the list would you place the favor- 

 ite Lime or Linden (English !) Take a walk, if you 

 please, to the west part of your city, and where 

 will you find elms to bo compared with the trees 

 of this class, planted six or eight years ago, in 

 Charles Street ? For rapid growth and beautiful 

 foliage, there arc few trees to be compared with 

 the European Linlen. 



One remark on scraping or cleaning, and I draw 

 to a close. When the elms or any other trees 

 are removed from the country to the city, they do 

 not enjoy such vigor as they do in the country ; 

 this can be helped by washing with soap suds, 

 which Avill keep the bark clean and free from in- 

 sects. A Gardener. 



Lynn, Mai/ 10, 1854. 



For the New Eng'land Farjiier. 



WINTER WHEAT. 



Messrs. Editors : — As a Mas^-achusctts man, 

 and feeling a deep interest in all that pertains to 

 her Avolfare, permit me to call the special atten- 

 tion of farmers to the letter of H. J. T., of Lunen- 

 burg, published in the Plough/nan, May Gth, in 

 relation to a crop of wheat raised in that tov\-n by 

 Mr. Micah Marshall. He says, "the farmers of 

 this town are determined to raise their own wheat — 

 there were sown more acres of winter wheat last 

 fall, than have been for the last twenty years." 



Is not this example worthy tlie emulation of 

 every town in your State? I look for this glo- 

 rious millennium, among your farmers. I have 

 urgently advocated wheat-growing for the past 

 seven years. I have said, in the public prints, 

 that I raised 25 bushels of winter wheat to the 

 acre, averaged for six consecutive years, but I 

 was accused by the publisher of having tlie "fat- 

 test kind of land." What else should the fai-mer 

 cultivate but ' ' fat-land ? ' ' AVh}- should he go over 

 four acres of ground to get 100 bushels of corn, 

 if the same manure will give it on one acre ? La- 

 bor is the cost, figures show it, as nearly three to 

 one. 



Your Stiite is e.xalted above any other in scien- 

 tific Horticulture. Among your people, it is lit- 

 tle^shortofa mania. But, how commendable, 

 how profitable. See that pear tree, loaded in 

 gi-aceful festoons, sixteen for a dollar ! — running 

 a stream of silver into your pockets, and setting 

 your tongue afloat with an involuntary tide at a 

 sight so charming. And thus, may we expatiate 

 on the yfboh fruit calendar ; but bread is the main 

 stay of the farmer, and Avhile he would bestow so 

 much anxious care for a tree, and to produce every 

 crop, he neglects this main stay — cherishing the 

 long established impression, that there is no lime 

 in the soil, and consequently there can be no wlicat 

 raised. 



The Lunenburg flwrner says, 13G years' improve- 

 ment had not exhausted the lime. Here lies the 

 fact, tliat every shovel-full of barn-yard manure 

 possesses in itself, and restores to tlie soil, a certain 

 amount of lime — so that land, wcU manured, is 

 well limed. 



Now, in what part of this "great country" 

 does not wheat grow ? South, AV est, North and 

 East, even to the Bay of Fundy. AVhy should 

 New England be exempt? Is her geographical 

 •position wrong ? Common sense gives the emphatic 

 answer — xo. It is as easy to raise iv/jcat in New 

 England, as it is to manufivcture New England 

 rum from molasses, and a much safer and more 

 profitable crop for the people — (correct me, if I 

 am wrong.) Then, farmers of New England, 

 "Lords of the soil," wake up — make the trial, 

 and my humble word for it, the day you will never 

 rue. Respectfully, n. p. 



P. S. Spring wheat makes dark, heavy flour, 

 and is liable to rust, but the f;irmer is bound to 

 try it this year. Winter wheat must be sown ear- 

 ly in Sept., and in moist, heavy lands, planted 

 deep that the roots may not be thrown out by 

 frost, or should the blade be broken off, the roots 

 will revive it again. At the West, wheat is 

 plowed in. ii. p. 



Rem.vrks. — The above very interesting, and very 

 useful letter, is from one of the sons of our be- 

 loved State, who has allowed the "cares of the 

 world" totempt him into the great "city of Go- 

 tham," but whose thoughts still come back to his 

 first love. Like a true pilgrim, he cannot forget 

 the pleasant homestead where he first knew the 

 world, nor the interests of those with whom he be- 

 gan life's journey. He has frequently, and ear- 

 nestly, urged upon the farmers of his native Slate 

 the importance of cultivating winter wheat ; we 

 have seconded his efforts as we have had opportu- 

 nity, and certainly have "practis.nl what we 

 preached," for we have now between two and 

 three acres of the winter blue stem growing, and 

 as handsome as ever stood upon the ground. There 

 is no difficulty, in our opinion, in producing as 

 fine wheat in New England as on the Short Hills 

 in Virginia, or the best lands in Western New 

 York. We hope to see a liberal breadth of land 

 made ready for this crop for sowing early in Sep- 

 tember. 



For the New England Fanner, 



' THE CURCULIO. 



Mr. Brow.v : — I liavo young plum trees t'liat 

 have borno a little fruit annually, most of which 

 the curculio has destroyed. Last year they came 

 into full bearing, and being loth to lose the crop, 

 as soon as the destroyer came, I took soap suds 

 that had stood in the sun some days, and had be- 

 come quite putrid, with which I wet the fruit and 

 foliage efTectually, and then dusted it over witli 

 dry slaked lime I had no doubt of its efficacy, 

 but expected to apply it two or tliree times ; it suc- 

 ceeded, however, beyond my most sanguine expec- 

 tations. I applied it but once, and I think there 

 was not a single plum touched on the trees by the 

 insect. On one tree near by, that was not thus 

 treated, I could not find a plum that had not two 

 marks of the insect, and on one I counted thirteen. 



Joseph Hadley. 



Hydcparh, Lamoile Co., Vt., May, 1854. 



