350 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



ANn HORTICULTURAL RtGISTER. 



Boston, Wednesday, May 3, 1843. 



wilh top out of proporlion to its roots, may need a Blono 

 upon the root, or the aid of a stake, but* must will do 

 belter without any sucli aid. 



Dig the earth deep and far around ; fill up tlie hole 

 again, and then don't set too deep, but nearly on the sur- 

 face. 



TRANSPLANTING TREES. 

 The first, and one of the most important things to be 

 regarded in the selling out of fruit trees, is to prepare 

 well the spot on which ihe tree is to stand. It is im- 

 purtanl to dig much more tli-in a hole large enough to 

 receive the roots. It is hardly possible to dig a hole loo 

 broad or deep, where you would place a standard apple 

 .,r pear. We have no doubt that a hole two leet deep 

 and ten or fifteen feet over, should be dug for every tree, 

 if .me looks forward to the growth and fruilfulness of 

 disiant years. It would be well to dig in autumn and 

 lei the subsoil ibal is thrown out take the action of a 

 winlor's fiosts. But this has not been done where most 

 of the trees lobe set this month will be placed. After 

 the earth has been thrown out or thrown over, it may 

 be niised wiih whatever can be most convenienlly had 

 for enriching it. Should the sub.-oil be clayey, some 

 Band will improve it: if it be sandy, clay will help it. 

 But such admixtures are generally inconvenient, and 

 will noloflenbe made. Where small stones can be bad, 

 a common cartload of tliem in the bottom of each hole, 

 will be of great service. They will be of more worth 

 permanently.lhan an equal bulk of manure. This is 

 probably more valuable in moist places than others, but 

 yet useful everywhero. But the mere moving of the 

 earth, the bringing ofnew partieles in contact, and the 

 mi.Ning up of soil and subsoil, is the essential thing, and 

 can be done on almost every spot where a tree is to be 

 placed. 



Were we intending tii set an orchard on land where 

 the plow will move freely, we should choose to culti- 

 vate it well first and puverizc the sod ; then we would 

 subsoil plow it as well as possible. Plowing so di:ep 

 with the common plow as to bring up some of the sub- 

 soil, and then putting the subsoil plow as deep as it 

 would run. In this way, provided we had previously 

 manured well while the field was under cultivation, 

 we should be willing to put out the trees without any 

 more digging than just enough to receive the roots; and 

 this would be bul little ; for we prefer selling on, or very 

 near, the surface. More of the transplanted trees are 

 lost by sellin;,' too deep, than from nil other causes. 



The ne.'sl thing of importance is to gel well shaped 

 and thrifty trees. These are the cheapest. There is no 

 saving, but an ultimate loss in setting stunted or ill 

 ehoped trees. It is better to have a smaller number, and 

 those good. 



'J'he roots of the tree should be spread out Qs nearly 

 as possible, in their natural position— the fibres well 

 Biraighlened out, and >vell pulverized soil well worked 

 in under and around them. Some manure of almost 

 any variety, if it be pulverized, may be mix. d wilh 

 the soil, and it will be of service. But the manure is of 

 less consequence than the digging up of the subsoil. 

 The manure may be applied at any time afterwards, 

 but the digging must be done first, or never. 



The roots of Irees v\hen set, should be moist and 

 plump. If they become at all dried after they are taken 

 up, it is betlui to immerse them in water for one or two 

 days before they are set out. This is all the watering 

 they will ordinarily need. 



In general, the trees themselves directly will need 

 nothing done lo ihem for the season after they have 

 been well set with the roots near the surface, and those 

 roots well covered by raising ihe earth a little, for two 

 feet or more around the trunk. Occasionally a tree 



ROOT CROPS. 



'I'w.i weeks ago, we gave an ailicle upon potatoes. 

 In ciimalee and on soils where these are a sure crop- 

 where they will yield, wilh ordinary country cultiva- 

 lion, two liundred and fifiy or three hundred bushels per 

 acre, on an average of years, we presume that ihey are 

 the best succulent fi.od that the farmer can grow for his 

 cattle and swine. But in this vicinity they are uncer- 

 tain and expensive. Here, oilier articles, not ciilirely 

 to the exclusion of polalues, bul in aid of Iheni, are gen- 

 erally ecunoniicul. 



Of Ibe roots proper, we consider the carrot as prefera- 

 ble, generally, lo any other. It is as sure as any, and 

 it is good far beet, for milk, and for working oxen and 

 horses. 



The best soil for the carrot is a slightly sandy loam, 

 that is not liable to sutfer much from drought— thougli 

 almost any fertile soil that works freely, will give good 

 crops. 



I'rtparalion of the Soi/.— Spread all the manure as 

 early in the season as possible, and plow it in— plowing 

 deep. Let the ground remain in this state unulJune ; 

 then plow again, or roll and harrow, or take whatever 

 processes at your command are best for remixing and 

 pulverizing ihe soil and manure. Then, if you sow 

 upon a flat surface, lake the plow and make three fur- 

 rows; after that, rake them, bringing lumps, stones, &c. 

 into the last or open furrow. Tlien plow three furrows 

 more and rake as before. By working thus, you gel a 

 light, free, untrodden sui face, on which to use the seed 

 sower. Where the surface is kept flat, it is usual lo 

 sow m rows 15 lo 18 inches apart. 



Time of Soming. — The most usual lime is from the 

 20tli lo the 25th ot May, but we piefer the 5th lo the 

 Will of June. The later sowing requires less weeding, 

 and last year better escaped the rust. Our experience 

 ih'late sowing, is, however, too limiled lo make our 

 opinion on this point of much value. 



Ridging.— We like ridges better llian flat surface. 

 For this, after the ground has been well pulverized, take 

 the plow, and running it deep, ilirow the land by back 

 furrowing into ridges ; make tliem as high as possible, 

 and 30 to aC inches apart. Then, with a rake, level llie 

 lops of the ridges, and fit them for the passage of the 

 seed sower. On each ridge put one row. Thus placed, 

 the seeds have betotv them a greater depth of plowed 

 earth, and a beller chance to run deep. Tliis mode 

 will have less rows by from f)0 lo 100 per cent, than the 

 flat surface; it will require less seed, and also much 

 less labor in weeding the plants Mucli of the tillage 

 here can be perlormad by a horse— and a prudent stir- 

 ring of the soil in this way, alter the plants are partly 

 grown, is of so much service llial, though your rows 

 are but little more than half what you will have on the 

 flat surface, yet your crop will be nearly, if not quite, as 

 large. Four hundred and fifty to five hundred bushels 

 of carrots is a common crop per acre. 



Variety. — The White Carrot is the most productive 

 that we have grown, and is the least expensive per 

 bushel it looks less rich than the yellow, but wliether 

 it is inferior lo it, we have yet had no satisfactory means 

 of ascertaining Try both the white and ihe larger yel- 

 low. 



MAY 3, 184a 



Preparation of Seed. — If the seed be good, and y. 

 put it in seasonably, no pripa alion or application lo 

 is of any service. Wetting and rolling in plaster m: 

 be well for soils where plaster is beneficial, but we hs. 

 no reason to recommend it without qualification, b 

 cause last year, for the first time, we tried it, and s 

 never before had such ill success as then. Our seed, 

 is true, was not very good ; bul others wko used fro 

 the same lot, without plaster, succeeded belief than v 

 did, in getting it lo germinate. Good seed, seasonab 

 sown in a good soil, usually germinates better with i 

 when we sow it without soaking, or preparing in ai 

 other way, than when we try to lielp it along. 



If you intend te apply any concentrated manure to I'; 

 carrot crop, such as poudrelte, bone-dust, plaster, &. 

 it may be well to work it into the ridge or drill, rath 

 than lo apply it broadcast. 



Beets and Mangel IVurtzcIs — Tliese with us liave n 

 been profitable. They sufier much in a dry time, at 

 never recover well from the pinchings of a drougl 

 We think them more uncertain than the Carrol, ai 

 Ihougli occasionally more productive, yet are not so 

 an averai'o of years. Though good for milch cows, i 

 like the ciirrol better. The beet wants a strong, ri 

 soil, and one that is not liable lo lack moisture. Sot 

 salt benefits its growth. We cannot recommend 

 cultivali.>n lo any great extent. 



The Rula Baga, which we hold in some favor, w 

 not require sowing until late in June, and wo shall spe 

 of it again. 



THE APPLE-TREE BORER. 

 In the garden of B. F. Copeland, Esq., of Roxhu 

 we saw the other day a cheap contrivance for prevei 

 ing the action of the borer in his chosen spot, that 

 near the ground. Raising a lillle dirt up four or t 

 inches around the trunk, Mr C. had enclos. d that r 

 in the cheap thin lead from a tea chest. The loi 

 edge of the lead was sunk a little in the ground, wl 

 the upper was pressed against the bark all around 

 trunk. This is a remedy only at one point — bull 

 point the most important one, and the one where 

 borer likes best to work. 



THE SEASON. 



Grass has started well, and is as forward as usual h 

 at the first of May. The trees have not started as mi 

 as they often do as early in the season as this. 1 

 abundance of rain and wet has kept the farmers fi 

 doing their work : very lillle seed of any kind could 

 put into the ground in April — very little land was i 

 fit slate lo receive the plow. The consequence will 

 that as soon as good weather settles upon us, farn 

 will be very much hurried. This is the only unfavi 

 ble eflecl that we anticipate as likely lo follow this . 

 and wet of April. Those usually are not the most 

 dnctive years wlien vegetation slarla early. One of 

 old sayings that we often heard in our boyhood was, 

 dry April for a good year for hay." If there be 

 foundation for this, the chances are against a large ( 

 this year. But all these maxims are about as o 

 fuund false as true. 



Erratum. — We were wrong last week in staling 

 Mr French, of Brainlree, thought the borer raigli 

 killed by pulling soap into its iiole. The suggestion 

 made by some one at one of the agricultural meelinj 

 the State House— bul it did not come from Mr F. 



Scraped horseradish made into a syrup, is said t 

 an excellent remedy for hoarseness. 



