60 



Disease of the Plum. — Use of Muck. 



Vol. VII. 



preparing to turn-in a second crop of clover, 

 with one of Prouty's Sod ploughs, with a 

 deep and small furrow, the sub-soil plough 

 following in the furrow immediately after ; 

 and upon this one plowing I intend to sow 

 wheat early, and roll it in. It is also my in- 

 tention, to give an account of my prospects 

 from time to time, for publication in the pages 

 of the Cabinet; for the success of which very 

 valuable work, and ample remuneration for 

 your untiring labours in the good cause, you 

 have my best wishes and heartfelt thanks. 



VlR. 



August 23d, 1842. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Disease of the Plum. 



The last Number of the Farmers' Cabinet, 

 contains a description by Dr. Harris of 

 Massachusetts, of what he terms a new dis- 

 ease of the plum. The disease is not new 

 in the vicinity of Philadelphia ; although, as 

 Dr. Harris remarks of it in Cambridge, it 

 has been here confined to certain trees — those 

 of the native red plum. On these I have 

 observed the disease from my early childhood, 

 twenty-five years ago; and as I have never 

 seen during that period, other kinds similarly 

 affected, it may be hoped they will escape 

 the disease. 



If it be really new in Massachusetts, it is 

 somewhat remarkable; because, as a general 

 rule, the ravages of insects and diseases in- 

 jurious to vegetation, commence in the east 

 and gradually progress westward. 



S. Rhoads, jr. 



Haddington-Nursery, Eighth mo. 29, 1842. 



Punctuality. — Method is the very hinge 

 of business; and there is no method without 

 punctuality. Punctuality is important, be- 

 cause it subserves the peace and good tem- 

 per of a family ; the want of it not only in- 

 fringes on necessary duty, but it sometimes 

 excludes this duty. The calmness of mind 

 which it produces, is another advantage o f 

 punctuality ; a disorderly man is always in a 

 hurry ; he has no time to speak to you, be- 

 cause he is going elsewhere, and when he 

 gets there, he is too late for his business; — 

 or he must hurry away to another before he 

 can finish it. Punctuality gives weight to 

 character. " Such a man has made an ap- 

 pointment. Then I know he will keep it." 

 And this generates punctuality in you; for, 

 like other virtues, it propagates itself. Ser- 

 vants and children must be punctual where 

 their leader is so. Appointments, indeed, 

 become debts. I owe you punctuality, if I 

 have made an appointment with you ; and 

 have no right to throw away your time, if I 

 do my own. — Selected. 



Use of Muck. 



Editors of the Cultivator. — As I pro- 

 mised a short time since, to give you some 

 account of my experience in muck, I now 

 proceed to state, that in the winter of '39-'40, 

 I drew from a large mill pond on the Kaya- 

 darosseras, 1,000 loads, and put on a poor 

 worn out field of 17 acres ; soil, sand and 

 gravelly loam; planted to corn the following 

 spring; product, 50 bushels to the acre. 

 This field had gone through the genuine 

 skinning process previous to coming into my 

 hands, and grew nothing but sorrel and mul- 

 lein. The extra product I counted at over 

 20 bushels per acre. In the fall of '40, I 

 drew from what had been a black ash swail 

 or narrow strip of swamp, 300 loads, and put 

 on 4 acres of almost barren sand ; planted to 

 corn in '41, and though the drought was se- 

 vere, yet the produce was at least 50 bushels 

 per acre. In the winter of '40-'41, I drew 

 from the pond aforesaid, about 700 loads, and 

 applied to two other fields ; planted to corn 

 the following spring, produce equal to any- 

 thing in the neighbourhood. I drew last fall 

 and winter, from the ash swail, about 500 

 loads and put on 8 acres; now planted with 

 corn, and looks first rate. After corn, I have 

 sown oats and seeded down ; the seed which 

 before was invariably lost for want of nourish- 

 ment, has, since the muck application, taken 

 in the most perfect manner. The fields are 

 all renovated, and I consider the experiment 

 a complete triumph, to the great discomfiture 

 of certain wiseacres, who prophesied on my 

 commencement, a failure. I have the hap- 

 piness to state that several of my neighbours, 

 who "seeing, believed," have adopted the 

 practice, and as uniformly successful, when 

 applied to light worn out soils, for which it 

 is, in my estimation, pre-eminent. For heavy 

 loams, or clay, an admixture of lime or yard 

 manure, would be indispensable. The muck 

 of my mill pond is making new accessions 

 at each freshet, and where I first began re- 

 moving it, there has nearly as much more ac- 

 cumulated. I intend making large and con- 

 tinued drafts on these " banks of deposite," 

 finding thus far, the dividends fat, and re- 

 pudiation and protest unknown in the matter. 

 Respectfully yours, Seth Whalen. 



Whalen's Store, Saratoga co. N. Y., June 7, 1S42. 



Dangers from Chimneys on fire, — may, 

 it is said, be expeditiously obviated, by throw- 

 ing a pitcher full of water on the fire. This 

 will of course generate a quantity of steam. 

 If a sheet be then fastened up in front of the 

 fire place, so as to prevent a current of air 

 from ascending the chimney, the fire will 

 soon go out. 



