NEW ENGLAND FAUMElt, 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



PUBLISIICI) nv GEORGE C. IIAKKETT, NO. 32 NORTH MAIIKET riTKEET, (Agiucui.tukal VVakkhousk.)-T. G. FEbSENUEN, EDITOR. 



VOI,. XIV. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUAKY 3, 1836. 



NO. 30. 



IS. 



(From the Genesee Farmer.) 

 TRANSPI..41VTIIVG FRUIT TUBES. 



Tliis i.s coitimonly considered as one of tlic 

 most difficult operations in the cii'tiire of fruit 

 trees ; but if properly performed is very rarely 

 attended with any difficulty or risk. It i.s a very 

 common opinion that a transplanted tree must of 

 necessity continue nearly stationary in its growth 

 for a year or two after the operation, or at hest 

 make but comparatively little progress. A tree, 

 however, properly transplanted, will experience 

 very little check in its growth, and often apparent- 

 ly none. Hence, the very great importance of the 

 operation being well understood. Much lias been 

 written in explanation of the theory of successful 

 transplanting ; but we merely intend here to give 

 a brief desbription of the practice which experience 

 has proved' to be uniformly attended with success, 

 nnd the most obvious principles on which it is 

 founded. 



There are two great points to be observed in 

 removing trees from the soil ; first, to preserve 

 the spongioles uninjured ; and secondly, to pre- 

 vent evaporatidn, by which the tree becomes dry, 

 and if carried Wc excess, beyond recovery. 



1. Preservation of the Spongioles. — These are 

 the minute spongy extremities of the finest fibrous 

 or branching thread-like roots, through which, as 

 mouths, the tree receives fluids and other nourish- 

 ment from the soil, and not through the surface 

 and sides of the roots as is sometimes supposed. 

 As these spongioles are exceedingly delicate in 

 their organization, a very slight degree of violenc; 

 injures or destroys them. The more carefully, 

 therefore, trees are removed from the soil, and the 

 more entire the fibrous roots, the greater will be 

 the number of uninjured spongioles remaining, 

 and better will the tr^e be supplied with nourish- 

 ment after it is planted again in the soil. And 

 hence the absurdity of the practice, which has 

 begn recommended by some writers, of cutting off 

 most of the small fibrous roots, because they can 

 not be easily replaced in their natural position in 

 the soil. 



■ 2. In order to prevent evaporation, the roots | 

 should never be suffered to become dry, but as 

 soon as removed from the ground, they should be 

 envelojied in some damp substance ; wetted straw 

 serves well for a temporary protection. But when 

 intended to be conveyed to a distance, and there 

 is a probability of their being several days out of 

 the ground, dam|) moss should be employed in 

 packing about the roots, as straw is liable to fer- 

 ment, if kept in a wet state. Previously to pack- 

 ing them ill the moss, it is an excellent practice to 

 immerse the roots in soft mud or a mixture of the 

 soil and water, so as. to coat their surfaces, after 

 which dust or dry sand is to be sprinkled copi- 

 ously over them to complete the coating. 



The holes for receiving the trees should be dug 

 large — not less than five or six feet in diameter 



at the very least, andeighteen inches deep. I h'' 

 hard and sterile subsoil should be thrown out, and 

 its place supfilied with rich mould or muck — 

 Where the holes arc dug in ground in grass, the 

 turf which is rcmnvoil from the surface may be 

 inverted in the bottoms. If manure is placed in 

 them, it should he well rotted, and should never 

 be allowed to come in contact with the roots, but 

 should he placed in the bottom, at the surface, 

 and in the more remote parts. The tree should 

 in general be set a little deeper than it originally 

 stooil, l)ut not more than two inches ; the roots 

 should be spread out horizontally in all directions, 

 so as firmly to brace the trees when they become 

 large ; moderately inoist and finely iiulverized 

 earth sliou'd then he gently shaken in about them, 

 so as not to disturb the position of the fibres, until 

 the hole is filled. Care should be taken that all 

 the interstices among the roots be perfectly filled, 

 so as not to leave the smallest cavities ; and throw- 

 ing in the earth in large quantities should for this 

 reason be especially avoided. In order that the 

 soil maybe gently packed on every side of all the 

 roots, it is very useful, when the soil is inclining 

 to dryness, to pour in a quantity of water as soon 

 as the roots are covered, and then the remainder 

 of the earth shovelled in, which latter prevents 

 the surface from becoming hard by baking. Af- 

 ter the operation is finished, a stake should be set 

 in the ground leaning towards the tree, to which 

 it should be tied with a band of matting or of 

 straw, to braue it firmly in an upright position. 



Placing the tree leaning a little towards the 

 south or southwest, or with the most iirojecting 

 branches in that direction, will prevent the trunk 

 being injured by the action of the rays of the sun 

 in hot summer afternoons, an evil which is some- 

 times so serious as to cause the death of the tree. 

 Autumn is ordinarily the hest time for removing 

 trees ; more time is then afforded than in the hur- 

 rying season of siiring — besides which the earth 

 becomes more settled about the roots, and new 

 spongioles are produced in place of those which 

 may have been destroyed, especially if the opera- 

 tion is not performed till lale in autumn. Better 

 trees also may be obtained in autumn than in 

 after nurseries have been culled. But if 



Nothing is more common than to lose trees by 

 transplanting ; but there is no necessity for such 

 a failure; if trees arc transplanted with proper 

 care, there will be an almost absolute certainty of 

 their living. If, when they are taken from the 

 earth, care is taken to reruove the roots entire — 

 to keep them fresh — and in replacing them in 

 the soil, to pack finely iiulverized earth well about 

 the roots, preserving them in their natural posi- 

 tion, there can be little danger of success. 



But it is not only necessary the trees should live, 

 but that they should thrive also; and for this ob- 

 ject, it is indispensably requisite that they should 

 have a large deep bed of loose soil for the roots to 

 penetrate. If the ground is of a hard or heavy 

 nature, the holes must be made large and deep 

 and filled with the proper materials, for if the roots 

 are confined in small holes dug in such ground, 

 they will succeed little better than if planted in a 

 small box of earth. 



tender kinds be transplanted in the fill, and par- 

 ticularly if they be removed to a colder section of 

 the country, they will, ft-om their mutilated state, 

 be more liable to injury from frost. To those, 

 therefore, who live remote, and are unable to ob- 

 tain such trees for early planting in the spring, or 

 those who live in the colder regions of the conn- 

 try. we would recommend to procure their trees 

 in autumn, and bury the roots and a part of the 

 stem and branches in a trench dug for the pur- 

 pose, the roots being packed closely together, and 

 the branches resting in an inclined jiosition upon 

 the earth; which operation is technically termed 

 by nurserymen, lai/lns; in by the heel. In this way 

 tliey may be effectually protected from injury from 

 the frosts of winter. 



(From the Maine Farmer.) 

 NEW VEGETABLES, 



Valparaiso Squash. — I procured and planted 

 some seeds of this kind of squash last spring, but 

 did not succeed in obtaining any fit for use. The 

 failure was probably owing to ill management. — 

 They were planted rather late, and had no partic- 

 ular advantages of soil or cultivation. The plant 

 evidently requires a warm rich soil, and a long 

 season, though it is very probable that by giving 

 them a very favorable situation, or by starting 

 them in hot-beds, they would come to maturity 

 here. I had the seeds of Mr R. G. Lincoln, of 

 this town, who obtained them from the New Eng- 

 land Seed Store, Boston. I received from Mr L. 

 the other day, a present of half of a fine Valparai- 

 so squash, weighing 27 lbs., raised in this vicintiy 

 liy some one more fortunate in their culture than 

 I was, though this was hardly as good as it would 

 have been if it had got a little riper. But as it 

 was, it was altogether superior, far superior, to any 

 !-quash or pum|ikin I ever saw. It scarcely need- 

 ed any sweetening at all, to make the finest pies I 

 ever tasted. I think it is certainly worth the 

 trouble, even if it is considerable, on account of 

 its unrivalled excellence. Mr Lincoln will have 

 more seeds to sell in the spring. 



Dale's Hybrid Turnip — I received from a 

 friend, very late last season, a few seeds of this 

 vegetable which has been of late years so much 

 valued in England. The experiment the first 

 year indicates that it will be very productive and 

 valuable. I have a few roots which I will give 

 to any who are desirous of obtaining the seed. 

 Sanford Howard. 



Hallowell, Jan. 1836. 



Buckwheat for Fowls. — This grain given to 

 fowls, tends to make them lay. Rye, on the con- 

 trary, is supposed to have a different effect. — 



Maine Farmer. 



