346 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



May 18, 1831, 



benefittea from less labor and a much better In this way I liavo knovvn great crops raised on 

 crop, I fitted a piece of ground as equally as 1 1 green sward ground, where the soil was a sandy 

 could and well for a crop of corn, with old dung 1 loam, but mostly sand.' This writer and many 

 in the hills. I fi.Ked a machine with five tree nails, others, recommend a crop of potatoes as pre- 

 in nn even circumference, eight inches diameter paratory to that of corn. E. Phinney, Esq. has 

 1 and stamped a number of rows, after being levelled, been very successful in raising corn on green sward, 

 and planted my sc ed carefully in them. I took [ and his methods of cuhure are described pages 

 a staff and made one hole in a place, in rows j 22C, 266, of the current volume of the N. E. Far- 



Horticulture 



fitted in the same manner by their side. The, 

 appearance of the corn planted by single kernels | 

 was fur before the other while young. I am posi-' 

 tive that every plant iiad from two to four shoots 

 each ; and 1 am as iiositive that there was not one 

 on one stalk of the other ; and they also ap|ieared 

 much slimmer. It is easy to conceive that the single 

 jdanted was vastly harder to tend. This ground 

 was warm and fair for a crop. As the season ad- 

 vanced, and became hot and dry, the single plan- 

 ted began to stop growing, while the others ap- 

 peared to suffer for nothing, and throvebeyoinl ac- 

 count compared with the single kernel planted, 

 as that was very busliy, and so aflected by ilrought 

 that it produced but small ears, whereas the other 

 had full, large ears. I weighed the corn in baskets 

 when harvested before husked, and foimd twice 

 the weight from that planted together, and be- 

 liove there was more difference when shelled. 

 Since that experiment I have taken care to plant 

 my corn, that I plant in hills, as close together as 

 possible. The reasons I give for this great differ- 

 ence in produce from the different modes of plan- 

 ting are, that corn requires a free circulation of air, 

 and a good exposure of the earth to the sun, and 

 a good unobstructed space for the root ; and 

 lastly, not to be over stocked wiih any kind of 

 of vegetable, of which corn-shoots are the 

 worst."* 



I feel unwilling to leave this subject until I have 

 given a full exposure of erroneous opinions and 

 practices that prevail. A neighbor set out with 

 a full determination to get a premium. His farm 

 was under the highest cultivation ; he was in the 

 habit of procuring great quantities of manure and 

 using it freely. In this way he prepared 3 acres of 

 his best ground, and had given out word, with 

 the greatest confidence, that lie should get tliC 

 premium on corn, lie considered that his ground 

 was as good as any in the country and he was 

 confid(.-nt no one would manure as high as he 

 wouhl, and of course his ground ought to be seeded 

 high. He also gave his corn the best of attend- 

 ance. It throve wonderfully, it was a show, and 

 he appeared to take great pride and satisfaction 

 in it. It grew so high and slender withal, that 

 it could not well support itself. The result was 



' With regard to ridge ploughing, the fid- 

 lowing appears to us to be correct. ' When there is 

 reason to apprehend that the ground will ])rove too 

 moist for this crop, it will be advisable to plough 

 it into narrow ridges, and seed each ridge with 

 one or two rows as shall he most convenient. But 

 sandy and clay soils should merely be turned over, 

 in a flat furrow, and not afterwards ploughed so 

 deep as to break the furrow. For clay, if mel- 

 lowed too much will become mortar in wet weath- 

 er and bake in dry, and the sand will become too 

 loose to siip|iort vegetation. .1/emoirs of M Y. 

 Board of Jgiiculture, vol. ii.p. 20. 



3 Although such shallow tillage is contrary to tiie 

 theory and practice of most cultivators, it is not 

 without precedent. Earl Stimson, a celebrated 

 agriculturist of Saratoga County, N. Y. raised 



Proceedings of the Massachuselts Horlicullural 



Socicly, at a meeting held at the Hall of the liislitu- 



tion,on the 1-lth of April, 1831. 



William D. Hammond, Esq. presented the fruit 

 of the Custard Ap|)le, or Sour-sop, [Jhmona Mu- 

 ricata,] which he brought from one of the West 

 India islands, and the seeds were distrilmted 

 Kiiioiig the members. 



This fruit is much esteemed by the inhabitants 

 of the tropics ; being considered cooling and 

 wholesome, and is often given to fiok persons. 



The tree is middle sized, rarely above twe've' 

 or fourteen feet high, and never above twen- 

 ty. Leaves oval, lanceolate, smooth and acute 

 fruit, nearly double the size of tliR largest pean 

 heart shaped and slightly curved ; skid greenisls 

 yellow, and covered with spines, or iniiricates 

 flesh a white pulp, filled with many large flat ovH' 

 seeds, of a chcsniit color; petals ovate, the interi 

 or ones ohtiis.i, shorter. The smell and taste o 

 the fruit, flowers and whole plant resemble ven 

 iiHich, those of Black Currants. The tree wa) 

 cultivated in England as early as 1656 by Tra- 

 descant, and is now propagated wiih great care 

 by such gentlemen as have appropriate stove 

 the tropical plants. They arc consiil 



very great crops by iilonghing but 3 inches in ] for raising the tropical plants. They ai 

 depthr In an a.ldress delivered before the Sara- ered an interesting tree, from the beauty of t!i 

 toga Agricultural Society [re-published in the N. leaves. 



E. Farmer, vol. v. p. 224, 252,] he gives the de- 

 tails of his mode of culture for Indian corn, and 

 other crops, and remarks, shallow ploughing and 

 the application of manure to the surface is con- 

 trary to the common theory, as it is contended 

 by some writers that the manure loses its strength 

 by evaporation, when so much exiiosed to the 

 sun. There may be some loss by the exposure, 

 but not so much as there is by ploughing it in 

 dee]). I should always wish, however, that the 

 manure after being spread from the wagon might 

 lie immediately mixed with about one inch of 

 the surface either with the plough or harrow after 

 rolling, as the decomposition is much quicker when 

 it comes in contact with the soil, and in this situ- 

 ation it becomes a hei'er conductor of the vege- 

 table elements to the plant. Keeping the vegeta- 

 ble mould as near the surface as possible, I have 

 found not only a great preservation to the jdant 

 against frost, heavy rains and severe droug-bts, but 

 the sod below absorbs the wash of the manure, 

 and thus prepares it well, when turned back, for 

 the next crop. As our new lands are much surer 

 for and more prorluctive of crops, where the veg- 

 etable mould LS all on the surface, the nearer I ap- 



Ihat at harvesting he received only five bushels j proach the same principle in cultivating the so 



A. R. 

 ril 11, 1831. 



per acre. 



Portsmouth, .V. K 



NOTES BY THE EDITOR. 



1 Dr Denne, in his N. E. Farmer, expre-sed 

 ciiinions similar to those of our correspondent wiili 

 regard to the incxpedience as a general 

 planting corn on sward land ; and says ' it is apt to 

 be too backward in its growth and not to ripen 

 well. But if we do it on such land, the holes 

 shoulrl be made quite through the furrows, and 

 dung put into the holes. If this camion be not 

 ob.served, the crops will be uneven, as the roots in 

 some plices whwc the fiirrows are thickest will 

 have but little benefit by the rotting of the swaitJl 

 — But if the hides be made through, tho roots will 

 be fed with both fixed and putrid air, sii|i])lied by 



the fcrim-Titaliou of tho grass roots of tho turf. ' nine. 



the better I succeed in raising crops. I have 

 ceived more benefit from three loads of manure 

 applied as above than from five, when ploughed 

 in deep.' 



■1 In an able cs.-ay on the culture of Indiau 

 rule of: corn, by S. W. PoiinMoy, rc-publislied in the N. 

 E. Farmer, that genlleinaii observes, ' I think 

 fijur stalks together afford support to each oilier 

 against winds and are not so apt to send up snck- 

 er,s as when single, and there may be some .ad- 

 vantage by concentrating the manure, in forward- 

 ing the young plants during the cold season, 

 wliich we frequently have in Juno.' Judge Biiel 

 likewise says 'Plant your corn in hills. The ilie- 

 tance will depend on the kind of seed and strength 

 of the giou;!!!' &c, see page 326, our current vol- 



The seeds and .Si;ions described in the follow 

 ing catalogue, were received from Boct. iS. ( 

 Ilildreth of Marietta in the state of Ohio. Se 

 bis letter in the N. E. Farmer of Blarcli Sod. 

 Ornamental Forest Trees. 



No. 1. Magnolia Acuminata. N. B. These seeds mu 

 be cleansed from the oily pulp, by ashes and sci aping, bi 

 fore planting. 



2. Magnolia tripetata ; from Fishing creek, Va. foi 

 miles from the Ohio river, and forty from Marietta. 



3. Bignonia catalpa. One of the most beautiful oni 

 mental trees, when loaded with its large clusters of ric 

 flowers; very hardy and easily cultivated. 



4. Liriodendion tiilipifera. 



5. Gymnocladiis ohioensis ; coffee nut tree, or mah 

 gany tree. 



6. C?llis occidenlalis; (Haclsbcrry.) Fruit hangii 

 on the tree nearly all the winter. 



7. Juiiiperiis virc:inianus. {Red cedar;) growing mo; 

 ly in rocky precipices. 



8. Acer sacuharinun) ; a very beautiful sliade tree— tl 

 foliage of the deepest green, and putting out early 

 the season. 



9. Gleditschia triacanlhos. 



Orn-vmental Shrubs and small trees. 



10. Circis ohioensis, (Red bud;) a very IicaatM' 

 flowering tree, or large shrub — blooming at the same tin 

 with the Cornus Florida, and affording a delightlul COI 

 trast to the pure white of the latter. 



11. Cornus florida ; white blossomed. 



12. Cornus florida ; red blossomed. 



13. Euoiiymus atropurpurcus ; {Burnins; Bush, h 

 dinn arrow-wood t) a beautiful shrub for borders, tl 

 filled with red berries in the midst of winter. 



14. Fra.xinusaroinaticus. (Sweet scented iish;) Idossr! 

 very fragrant. A moderate sized shrub, fit foi- liordcr.'- 

 Root aromatic and bitter, good in dyspepsia, and weakm 

 of the stomach. | 



15. Acer regundo. (Box- elder ;) Seeds of a small sp 

 cies of maple ; suitable for yards and borders. f 



16. Haniaiuelis virginiea; (Witch hazle;) pMe ■m^n 

 blossoms, flowering in November, and anordingthewtlg' 

 lar anoaial y of flowers and fruit at the same time — alar; 

 shrub, suitable for door yards and parks. i 



17. Staphylea trifotia, or bladder nut; with pale 3" 

 low flowers in spring, and in auluuin the brandies fit' 

 with beaulifully indateijcapsules; 2 varieties — a shn. 

 6 or 8 ffct high. 



18. Dirca palustris ; a heauflful shrub, growing i" 

 racist, rich soil, northern exposure — and bearing a pm' 

 sion of yellow flowers. 



19. Genista americana ; (American Broom:) apf'' 

 shrub, bearing a profusion of yellow flowers. 



