GO 



NEW E N G L A N D F A R M E R , 



AUG. 35, 1S4I. 



Krom tlie All. any Ciiliivalor. 



THE PEACH— IMPORTANT EXPERIMENT. 

 j\lcs--r3. Giiylord &[ Tucker — In the sprinjr of 

 J837, I wrote to Judge Uuul, askinn; Ijim to join mo 

 in c.\|)criiiinnls on tlie peach tree with salt pctre, 

 anil propus.'d to giie the result through the niodi- 

 iiin of the Cultivator to tlic public. I gave as a 

 reason for that reeiuest, that u.s far as my observa- 

 tion extended, I had alwaj's obseived that on soils 

 containing nitre nnd muriate of soda, the peacli 

 tree lives luxuriantly in an advanced ago, while 

 upon .soils imniedi:ituly adjoining, immature decay 

 tikes place, nnd the tree seldom attains the age of 

 seven years. As instances in vindication of this 

 occur so frequently, I have been astonished to see 

 lliein passed over without notice, and now advert 

 to some of them to establish the trnth of this posi- 

 tion. Peach trees growing in the site where once 

 ftond a dwelling, gener.illy live to an old age, the 

 soil of whirh, by analysis, will give a proportion 

 oTnitre. The same thin? occurs in many districts 

 of the West and South West. Upon one firm tlie 

 occupant has no dithculty in having good peaches, 

 vhile his neighbor finds it a laborious task to pro- 

 long the life of the tree to a few years, and on well 

 cultivated forms near the seaboard, I have been 

 informed ihey have but little difficulty in grov/ing 

 this tree. Having these and other instances for 

 my guidance, I commenced experiments with salt 

 and salt petre, in the yar 18."i(), upon an orchard 

 SIX years old ; clover was sowed upon it that 

 spring, anil it roinained in grass till last fall, when 

 It was plowed, and sown with wheal and clover 

 this spring. The trees in ';3(i were full of worms; 

 some of the trees were dead, others apparently dy- 

 ing, and but very few put on the oppeirance of 

 health; such was its distempered c<jiidition that 

 some of my friends advised mc to cut down about 

 one half of those that yet showed life, saying that 

 such was the practice of peach growers. I thought 

 it would be a. bad practice for a physician to de- 

 stroy one or more of a family to prevent disease 

 from spreading, and after cuttiiig down those that 

 wore dead, I commenced operations on the bal- 

 ance with equal quantities of (-'alt and salt petre 

 combined, applying about half a pound upon the 

 surface and in contact with the trunk of the tree; 

 then sowed it broadcast over part of the orcliard, 

 at the rale of about fcwo bushels per acre. The 

 result of this application to the surprise of my 

 friends, was the appearance of perfect health, 

 while new and vigorous shoots, the trees full of 

 fruit, which matured with increased size and im- 

 proved flavor. Towards the last of March, and 

 again in May and Si.'ptcgiber, 18;'7, I applied the 

 same ingredients in ditfereiit pro[)ortions without 

 observing much diflerence in the eflect; though I 

 have since thought that where I applied the salt 

 pelre alone, and wiiere the largest portion of the 

 mixture wa-i nitri', the effect was best ; but in con- 

 scqueiicf of the price of salt petre, 1 have endeav- 

 ored to ascertain the smallest quantity that should 

 he used, and I would not advise less than om; 

 eighth, though I should priMer one fourth or more. 

 IMy trees this fall ( lti;57,) were free from worms, 

 all doing well, and I have found no further use for 

 the axe in the orchard. In the ye.^r 18.38,1 ap- 

 plied the mixture to a part of my orchard in March, 

 the other part received the application in Juno und 

 September; upon that part done in March, 1 had 

 an abundance of fruit, while those done in the (ilh 

 and 8lh months were comparatively destitute of 



fruit, it having been killed by a late frost. It oc- 

 curred to me that I was indebted to the salt, &.C. 

 lor the abundance of fruit on the trees done in 

 Marcii, by its retarding vegetation; and from an 

 experiment made in '37, it appeared to be the case, 

 though I have never considered it of sufficient im- 

 portance to repeat it for the purpose of testing it 

 further. 



In regard to the best time to make this a|)plico. 

 tioii, I would say about the first of April, and to 

 (hose trees having worms in them, again in June 

 or September, as the appearance of the worm may 

 indicate its n<?cessity, u.sing about two thirds of the 

 usual quantity for the June or September dressing, 

 and to be used only in contact with the trunk of 

 the tree. I have not discovered any gnat benefit 

 from sowing it broadcast over the orchard every 

 year; I prefer to <lo this every second or third 

 year. If the tree is injured very much by the 

 Worm, to wash the bark of the trunk with a solu- 

 tion of this mixture and water, might be of service, 

 being careful not to apply too much : — this should 



not prevent its application in a powdered state 



To my trees planted in the fall and spring, I ap- 

 ply as soon as done planting in the spring, about 

 one ounce upon the surface, in contact with the 

 trunk ofthe tree, and repeal this quantity again 

 early in June or September; the peach worm at 

 these two last periods being in Ihnir infancy, are 

 destroyed. 

 . In August, after one application of this niixture 

 to my young trees in the spring, I have taken sev- 

 eral worms from off the outer bark of a tree, bed- 

 ded in gum: they had punctured it in a number 

 of places, but did not penetrate to do any injury 

 to the inner bark, while the next tree left witfujut 

 the above niixture, was nearly destroyed, the inner 

 bark being eaten for more than two thirds around 

 the tree. It might be supposed thai the salt and 

 salt petre would produce instantaneous death, but 

 this is not the case ; I have kept thein half covered 

 in a Solution of salt and water, and salt petre and 

 water, and in these two articles combined, for seve- 

 ral hours without causing death ; they will avoid 

 its approach, and will not remain in it unless com- 

 pillcd by necessity. ' 



III compliance with the promise heretofore made, 

 I have endeavored to give in a brief n.anuer. my 

 practice on the peach tree for five years, from 

 which I have no reason to make a change, but 

 many inducements for a continuance of the prac- 

 tice. If you consider it KuUiciiiitly iiiiporlaut for 

 publication, it is at your disposal, i.nd if any bein'fit 

 should arise therefrom, bo assured it would be the 

 iiighest reward for any service of mine that could 

 be tendered to, dear sirs, vour obedient servant, 

 LVTTLETON PlIVSIC. 



will insert my remarks in your paper of Aloiidti 

 next, though 1 regret I have not allowed you niuc) 

 time or space to do so ; bul I shall be as brief aj 

 possible. 



The autumn of 1640 was very favorable for thS 

 sowing of wheat, and though the winter was some- 

 what long, and the latter part of it most severe 

 and the frost intense, yet the wheat plant was no 

 the h-ast injured on the strong clayey soils; am 

 the months of .March and April wore very fr, Ta 

 ble for spring sowing of w4ieat and all other c-ops 

 and the dry weather which followed up to ih' 'I'-V 

 of June, was most favorable for working fal lowi 

 and never do I remember them got into bet:i r or 

 der — thus ensuring an abundant wheat cr p fo 

 1812, which the late rains cannot prevent, "I ng 

 they have delayed the present harvest for som 

 weeks later than was anticipated at tlie lath r en 

 of June. The rains have not injured the gn.win 

 crops of grain, and have greatly benefited the tul^ 

 nip crops. The hay crop is in general liglit, aip 

 much deteriorated in quality, losing its fine flavW 

 and in consequence its feeding quality. 



The wheat crop of this season on strong ilaye 

 soils, is very abundant — on an average fully doubl 

 on such soils to the crop of last year, many crol 

 being (ourlold greater than last year, v.hitli W 

 more deficient on clayey soils — even of good qual 

 ty — in some districts, than any wheat crop 

 eighty years ; indeed I know a farm of abovr ( 

 hundred acres of wheat, which had not fiv lust 

 els per acre last year, and which twenty yc:. 

 (in J8"^0,) produced above forty bushels pet acre 

 not one eighth part last year. And though 

 growth of wheat on light soils has greatly increi 

 ed, both in the quantity of acres sown, and also 

 the produce per ai;re of late years, yet tlit gro' 

 of wheat on strong soils greatly exceeds that 

 light soils, and will, to a certainty, render ih'j p] 

 (luce of wheat throughout the United Kiiigdon 

 greater average than last year by at least ten 

 cent., although im light soils the wheat crop is 

 der last year's produce. I am aware the delay 

 the harvest has caused a greater consumption 

 home-grown wheat than was anticipated a n onl 

 ago; yet it is the duly as well as the intci 

 every lioinc-growcr of wheat, to bring what 

 holds upon the market within the next iiiontH 

 both to keep down the averages and benefit t 

 consumers as well as themselves ; as I am ci 

 viiiced from long experience and olisorvolmr 



seasons for above fifty years, that the price 

 wheat after harvest cannot exceed sixty shillii 

 per quarter, and may be lower by several slnllli 

 pc 



lilt 



tho 



CROPS IN ENGLAND. 



We copy the following from the Mark. lane Ex- 

 press, of Aug. 2, received by the last steam ship : 



To th- l^dilur i.f the Mark-hiiic Eicprcss : 



Sin — .'laving made a long tour during my jour- 

 ney to Liverpool and bark to Hull, and having 

 seen agriculturists from all parts of tho United 

 Kingdom, and conversed with them respecting the 

 growing crops, I hasten to communicate through 

 your widely circulated paper, the results of my in- 

 quiries and my own personal observations made 

 during my journeying, and my previous observa- 

 tions on the seasons since I last addressed the far- 

 mers of England, about a year ago; hoping you 



r quarter. I state this with perfect confiden 



I therelore hope and trust that the farinerj 

 England will act on this advice, and brin 

 maiiider of their wheat crop of last year 'ipon 

 market within the ui.mth of^ August, thereby bei 

 filing themselves and Ihc whole commnnitv, i 

 thus preveuiing the averages from advanrin 

 fore harvest, and inundating this country witli f 

 eign grain at a low duty, when it is not ncii: 



I remain, sir, your ohliged humble servr.M. 

 THOMAS BATE 



Kirkleaviiigton, mar Yarm, Yorkshire. 



P. S. The editors of all newspapers nil 

 I hope, insert this letter as speedily as possible] 

 check the advance ul grain in all markets thro 

 out llie Kiiigduin. 



Time and talents are to be accounted for. 



