178 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Dec. 24, 183a 



affected, and some of the jiears entirely destroy- 

 ed. In cutting in the affected branches or tops, 

 which I did thrice during the summer, I always 

 found the cambium coloied below the point where 

 the outer bark seemed to be sound and liealthy. 

 I endeavored always to cut below the disease, 

 though I often failed, as seemed from its subse- 

 quently reappearing below. Until this year, the 

 attack has been confined to the limbs ; but now 

 it has appeared on the trunks, particularly of the 

 pear. In looking over my orchard in Sept., I dis- 

 covered half a dozen trees, (the limbs and leaves 

 of which appeared to be luxuriant and healthy,) 

 with circles of bark on the trunk perfectly dead, 

 at greater or less heights, but generally extending 

 to the ground. The |)ears in the nursery, not 

 eighty rods from these trees, remain wholly unaf- 

 fected. 



APHIS LANIGERA. 



This insect is becoming very troublesome on 

 our apple trees, and every hint therefore, which 

 promises to be beneficial, is entiled to attention. 

 John Adams writes, in the Gardener's fllagazine, 

 that spirits of turpentine, applied with a brush, 

 will destroy them. A. W. in the same Magazine, 

 found strong old urine equally efficacious. Anoth- 

 er correspondent professes to have found an anti- 

 dote to the evil in soft soap. Oil has been recom- 

 mended. I have tried it. It drives the aphis from 

 the trunk and branches, and probably kills many ; 

 but they are found to exist in numbers on the 

 roots, when it is difficult to reach them with any 

 topical application. * 



TRANSPLANTING. 



Withers planted five acres with forest trees by 

 pitting, i.e. I suppose, by merely raising earth 

 enough to cover the roots. In five years all died 

 but a few Scotch pines. He trenched half an 

 acre, and planted it with trees also. In seven 

 years, the last were superior to trees planted eight 

 years before them in the common way. Although 

 we do not plant forests, these facts afford a lesson 

 in planting our orchards and gardens. A tree, 

 like a melon or potato, will repay for good soil, 

 and wants rich mellow earth under and at the ex- 

 tremity of its roots, as well as upon them, to ena- 

 ble it to thrive well, and into which it can push its 

 tender roots, and obtain food. The hole or pit for 

 a tree, therefore, should not be loss than three feet 

 in diameter, and two feet deep, and filled, upon 

 the very surface, with good surface mould. The 

 extra cost will be from two to four cents each, 

 and the benefit twice as many shillings. 



JIANDRES. 



Their management and application are ,so essen- 

 tial to good farming, that I could almost venture 

 to decide a nian'.s character as an agriculturist by 

 his jiractice in managing them. They are as es- 

 sential to good crops as hay and grain are to good 

 cattle. Every vegetable substance niay be con- 

 verted into manure, or food for other vegetables. 

 Animal substances contain this food in a concen- 

 trated form. I have thought horns and bones 

 particularly valuable as fertilizers of the soil. 

 A load of comb maker's shavings will fi;ed as lun- 

 ny plants as twenty loads of barn yard dung. I 

 have this year applied thirty loads of fleshings, 

 clippings, and hair, of skitis brought from the 

 South Shetland Islauds, with strong hopes of ad- 

 vantage. 



Three prominent errors prevail in regard to 

 the management ofjjattle dung. Nearly a moiety 

 is lost in the urBPF which is wasted. Half of 

 the fertilizing properties of the remainder escapes 

 in the form of gas, from the fermenting dung heap 1 

 ere it is applied in the field ; and a third error con- 

 sists in applying it as top dressings, or to small 

 grains, instead of hoed crops. Yet I have wit- 

 nessed its good effects upoti stiff clays, when 

 spread and harrowed in with the seed. Here its 

 effects were partly mechanical, in protecting the 

 surface from the effects of sudden alternations of 

 heat and cold, which are extremely prejudicial 

 to the wheat crop upon such soils. 



THE WANDERER — NO. III. 



The silent process of industry and accumulation 

 is too often thought wonderful ; it is difficult siilB- 

 ciently to realize it ; and when thrift, the invariable 

 consequence, occurs, something out of the conunou 

 course of events is looked for, and any but the 

 true reason given for an enviable prosperity. We 

 often see calculations showing thai what is spent 

 in one and another useless object would, if pru- 

 dently reserved and applied, give a degree of inde- 

 pendence. To favor the habit of industry, to 

 give facility to improveirient and skill in agriculture, 

 I know no object more important than the Gar- 

 den. There is herein comprised so many of the 

 comforts and conveniences of life, that little neeil 

 be said to show it. The capacity of production 

 in a rood or quarter of an acre of land is, on 

 poetic authority, supposed equal to the sustenance 

 of one person. 



' A time there w.is, ere England's griefs began, 

 When every rood of ground sustained its man.' 



Without contending for the capacity of jiro- 

 duction here stated, it is yet difficult sufficiently to 

 estimate all the advantages, that may be derived 

 from the high culture of a small spot of land. 

 A constant recurrence may be had for every luxu- 

 ry from the early green to the latest vegetables. 

 The careful housewife supersedes a call on the 

 apothecary by many a salutary herb there raised, 

 audi was told by a prudent farmer, that the 

 females of his family brought the doctor of the 

 parish considerably into debt by the Rhubarb and 

 Opimn they sold him. The former is easily cul- 

 tivated, and the latter is had in a simple process 

 by an incision on the calyx or under part of the 

 (inppy flowers and a collection of what exudes. 

 That these and many other benefits may be de- 

 rivedfrom the garden, by those disposed to apidy 

 to this useful occupation, there can be no doubt. 

 From the flower-bed onward, much is due to fe- 

 male industry and taste. The art of husbandry 

 is here taught in miniature and the process is daily 

 and constantly instructive. Skill aiul industry 

 might successfully introduce many kindred objects 

 — to wit, a nursery for trees. The mulberry may 

 be reared. This cati be rlone by cuttings. But 

 by the seed there is so excessive a prodi;ction, and 

 so easy and certain is the process, that I learned 

 of a cultivator ii; or near Mansfield, that he found 

 a benefit in raising anrl selling the growth of a 

 year at the rate of ,$5 a thousand, or half a cent 

 each. The seed is of little value after one year's 

 age. But there are many other trees, shrubs, &c, 

 which, when the nursery is placed near to the 

 dwelling, may be attended to with advantage 

 while dimieris beating or cooling, as the case 

 might be, more especially the apple. 



I have been led to this course of observation, 

 having fiillen in, not long since, with a husband- 

 nian, who gave a very eiiterlaFhing and instructive 

 account of the manner in vvhiih he, in a short lime, 

 vvas surprised (if I may so say) into the posses- 

 sion of a most valuable orchard. This, I vvas by 

 him invited to visit, with that look that sifccess in 

 skill and industry may well allow. The trees 

 were thrifty, the bark smooth, and all of nearly a 

 growth, aiid in a fine bearing state. It was but 

 natural to be pleased and to lend an ear to the 

 hu.sbandman's story. He had placed some pomace 

 in his cow-yard, and upon carting it out in the 

 spring of the year, after spreading it, he observed 

 the seeds to vegetate on the surface of the green 

 sward. These he took up and set out in rows in 

 his garden, a considerable number of them. The 

 thrift of the trees induced him to prepare a piece 

 of land of about 3 acres, overrun with bushes 

 and unproductive, for their reception. The land 

 was kept up fin- a time, and when laid down^ the 

 trees were carefully hoed round, and the surface 

 lightened by the fork. 1 think there can be few 

 instances of enterprize and ai)plication better dis- 

 played or rewarded — and as the orchard is on the 

 road, the traveller must be frequently gratified 

 with so luxuriant a view. Upon inquiry what the 

 fruit was, he answered with great satisfaction 

 'every one a Baldwin.' 



I WHS much pleased to learn that the Massacliu 

 setts Agricultural Society had awarde<l to thiif 

 skilful farmer a premium vvhicli was well merited 

 There vvas more compost or summer manure pu 

 around the trees than is usual — seven shovels ful 

 had been applied in the fall, and this makes it th^ 

 more necessary to stir the surface to preven 

 weeds Sec. True it is, as some of your respecte 

 correspondents observe, deep and injudicious dif 

 ing may do an injury. But a young (ucliard ran 

 ly flourishes in a grass sward. It requires can- 

 ful attention, as herein exhibited, and the resu 

 will be alike certain to all. There are instanct- 

 of great production from an orchard of well sm 

 lected fruit. A husbandman, nearly 20 rail* 

 from Boston, during the last season, pointed to 

 small spot, of less than an acre probably, and ol 

 served, that for the fruit gathered from the fe 

 young trees I saw there, he had received 58 dot 

 lars. They were on a light soil, set out on sma 

 round stones, as has been often stated in your usa 

 ful Journal. Let those who have not this adva 

 tage, be persuaded to set about it ; let them answi 

 tills question, How far will a fine orchard of graft;< y' 

 friiil, and near their buildings add to the value ' 

 tlieii- Farms ? 



CULTURE OF SILK IN THE U. STATESl 



There can no longer remain a doubt of 

 practicability of making silk a jirincipal sti 

 prctluctioii of this country. The experiment 

 be«ii tried to an extent sufficient to settle the qi 

 tioii as to practicability ; and as to profitable 

 it .'scarcely requires the test of experiment — its 

 fitJ will be almost a clear gain to the country 

 it h'ill neither divert capital nor labor from 

 prtsent eui|>loyment ; there being very little of 

 folmer required, and the latter being chiefly t 

 taken from those classes that are now idle and'ill 

 pi"bductive. It will, besides, bring into use thi 

 lands which by nature or mistaken managements 

 n*w totally unproductive ; there are millions 

 aeresof this ' oldfield,' waste land, in the U. Stnti 

 and nnich of it in the most thickly settled Btati 



A\ 



