66 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



SEPT. I. I -4 1 



From llie VVeslern I'armer. 



EFFECT OF A WKT SUBSOIL ON TREES. 

 No man should undertake to plaut ordinary for- 

 est or fruit trees on soils tenacious of water, until 

 tliey have been fully drained. Trees may live on 

 such soils, but they can never flourish, nor "ill 

 fruit from trees so situated, ever be equal in size 

 and ilavor to that grown from trees where the 

 ground is properly prepared. Some years since, a 

 gentleman at Seneca Falls wished to plant his 

 grounds with ornamental trees. The soil was a 

 deep clay, very tenacious of water, and several of 

 his first efforts entirely failed, nearly every tree 

 perishing. The holes were dug large, and the 

 trees vsell set, but it was found that the holes act- 

 ed as mere basins or reservoirs filled with stagnant 

 ■water. To remedy this evil, he had drains dug in 

 such a manner that the holes for the trees were 

 kept free from all surplus water, and as a necessa- 

 ry cnnseqnenje, the next plantihg of trees succeed- 

 ed to ndiniratiiiu. We sec in a late number of the 

 Boston Cultivator, that Mr I'hinney, of Lexington, 

 well known as one of the most skilful fanners in 

 this country, who has about six hundri>d bearing 

 apple trees' of the finest grafted fruit, has been 

 obliged, in establishing his orchards, in some in- 

 stances to have recourse to thorough-draining the 

 soil, and always with the best success. Mr P. 

 makes his drains from two to three feet deep, ac- 

 cording to the nature of the soil, leaves a water 

 course of about eight inches covered with fiat 

 stones, on these brush and briers are throwr 

 the whole filled in with the earth thrown from the 

 ditches. 



There can be no doubt tliat a regard to this sub- 

 ject, wherever trees arc to be planted, whether for 



In fact, assuming always that the expenditure be 

 directed with judgment, it will be found that the 

 profit upon the outlay increases in more than a pro- 

 portionate degree to its amount ; thus, supposing 

 IwentyHvp dollars be the lowest, and fifty the high- 

 est sum that can be employed in the common cul- 

 ture of the same acre of land, it is more than pro- 

 bable that if twcntylive dollars return at the rate 

 often percent., the filly dollars will yield twenty, 

 or any intermediate sinn, at the sanio progressive 

 ratio. And admitting this to be true — and it is 



a fire, their own juice being sufficient without ih SS"! 

 addition of water, until the sugar penetrates an 0' 

 they are clarified. They i>re then taken out, sprea mn 

 on dishes, flattened and dried in ihe sun. A snu 

 quantity of the syrup should be occasionally spri^ 

 kled over them whilst drying ; after which, pa( f} 

 them down in boxes, treating each layer with poi 

 dcred sugar. The syrup is afterwards concentn tw 

 ted and bottled for use. They keep well fro J,i! 

 year to year, and retain surprisingly their flavC' 

 which is nearly that of the best quality of frei Jll 



presumed no experienced agriculturist will doubt j figs. The pear shaped or single tomatoes answifcli 

 it — it follows that a capital of five thousand dol- 1 the purpose best. Ordinary brown sugar may II 

 lars expended in the cultivation of two hundred, used, a large portion of which is retained in til j^- 

 will only yield a profit of five hundred dollars, ) syrup. — .American Farmer. 

 while, if applied to no more than one hundred 



use or for ornament, especially if the subsoil be a 

 tenacious one, would prevent many failures and 

 disappointments, and in fruit orchards add great 

 value to the product." .\ sound, healthy soil is 

 necessary to the health of the tree, and particular- 

 ly to transplanted ones. Every one acquainted 

 with hard, tenacious subsoils, knows that where 

 trees grow naturally upon them, the roots never 

 penetrate this cold, wet substance, but are spread 

 near the surface, and when blown down by the 

 wind, their roots exhibit a thin shield-like form, 

 wholly unlike those of a tree in a deep and perme- 

 able soil. If trees must be planted on soils of this 

 nature, let nature herself be imitated; and instead 

 of forcing the roots into pits or pools of stagnant 

 water, as all mere holes in such earth must be, let 

 them be spread over the surface as much as may 

 be, and the holes and covering be proportionably 

 shallow. But the best way in this case, as in all 

 others where soils are to be cultivated, is to drain 

 first, and then plant or till afterwards. 



acres, it would ])roduce one thousand dollars; — 

 therefore, it is evident that his profit wou'd be in- 

 creased by diminishing the quantity of his land. 

 Many a man has been ruined by a large farm, who 

 might have acquired a competency with one of half 

 the size. Most farmers are anxious for largo occu- 

 pations, and many are thus betrayed into the error 

 of taking a greater quantity of ground than they 

 have the means of managing to advantage ; some in 

 the delusive hope, of acquiring those means by fu- 

 ture saving — others, from the vanity of holding 

 more land than their neighbers ; hence arises defi- 

 ciency of stock, imperfect tillage, and scant crops, 

 with all the consequent train of rent in arrear, wa- 

 ges ill paid, and debts unsatisfied — distress, duns, 

 and final ruin. While he, who prudently com- 

 j,,i mences with only such a number of acres as he 

 has the power of cultivating with proper effect, is 

 certain of obtaining the full return from the soil, 

 and not being burdened with more land than he 

 can profitably enjoy, his engagements are within 

 his means; and thus, while enjoying present ease 

 of mind, he lays the surest foundation for future 

 prosperity. It therefore behoves a man to weigh 

 well the charges with his means, and never allow 

 himself to be seduced, by any ideal pros|)CCt of 

 gain, into the imprudence of entering upon a lar- 

 ger farm than his properly will enable him to man- 

 age with the spirit necessary to ensure success. — 

 British Husbavilry. 



THE BEE. 



wii ■ 



)oi!I'' 



thJ"' 



LARGE AND SMALL FARMERS. 

 There is no mistake more common nor more in- 

 iurious, than that of supposing that the more land 

 a man holdn, the greater must be hia profits ; for 

 the profit does not arise from the land itself, but 

 from the manner of using it ; for the best soil may 

 be made unproductive by bad management, while 

 the worst may bs rendered profitable by the oppo- 

 site course; but without j«f//^(cic7i/ c«/)t/u/ no land 

 can be properly cultivated. At the same lime, 

 there is nothing to which capital can be opplicd 

 ■with greater certainly of a fair return for liberal 

 expenditure, when correctly employed, than land, [skin of the fruil in the usual way. Cook them over 



TOMATO FIGS. 



Patent Office. July 10, 1S4I. 



Df.ak Sir — The medicinal qualities of tomatoes 

 have greatly increased their cultivation, and every 

 new preparation of the article is deserving conside- 

 ration. A sample id' "tomato figs" hus just been 

 deposited at the Patent Office, of a very superior 

 quality. From the taste I should suppose all the 

 good ([ualilics of the fruit are retained. In appear- 

 ance, the drum of tomatoes resembles one of figs 

 so nearly, that they might easily be mistaken for 

 the same. 



The sample is deposited by Mrs Steiger of this 

 city, and the recipe transmitted with it is enclosed 

 for publication. It is deeply to be regretted that 

 since the periodicals of the day are open to com- 

 munications, that so many valuable improvpiiicnts 

 are lost to the world, barely for the want of pub- 

 licity. Others may have dried the tomatoes with a 

 recipe, however le's successful. 



Very respectfully, II. L. Ellsworth. 



Wun. J. .v. Skinntr. 



The sting by which the bee defends itself an 

 its property from its natural enemies, is compost 

 of three parts ; the sheath anid two darts, whin 

 are extremely small and penetrating. — Both t'. '' 

 darts are furniiihed with small points or barbs, ID 

 that of a fish-hook, which by causing the wouii 

 inflicted by the sting to rankle, renders it nioi 

 painful. Still the eflcct of the sting itself wout " 

 be but flight, if the insect were not provided wii 

 a supply of poisonous matter, which it injects 

 the wound. The sheath, which has a sharp poiii 

 makes the first impression; this is followed by 

 of the darts, and then the venomous liquor is poU 

 ed in. The sheath sometimes sticks so fast to U '' 

 wound, that the insect is obliged to leave it behim 

 this considerably augments the inflammation of t'J 

 wound, and to the bee itself the mutilation prow 

 fatal. 



Were it not for the protection of its sling, t'J 

 bee would have too many rivals in sharing the pN '* 

 diice of its labors. A hundred lazy animals, frxj " 

 of honey, and hating labor, would intrude upi 

 the sweets of the hive : and for want of arin« 

 guardians to protect it, this treasure would becou 

 the prey of worthless depredators. It sometiin 

 happens that a young swarm choose to enter a hi 

 already occupied ; when a most desperate cMfl 

 ensues, which will last for hours, and ew n 

 days, and ihe space around will be found c... er 

 with the slain. These desperate conflicts not oti 

 take place between strangers, but also between i 

 habitants of the same hive — offspring of the sai 

 mother. The causes which bring division into 

 united a society have not been hitherto asct 

 tained. 



On fair days, when the sun is warm, duels m% ii 

 often be seen to take place between two inliab* ': 

 ants of the same hive. — In some cases the q'larK i 

 appears to have begun within, and the coinbataN 

 may be seen coming out of the hive, ea;:r 

 blows." Sometimes a bee settcd on the on 

 the hive, or walking about, is rudely jost 

 another; and then the attack commences, u, 

 deavoring to obtain the most advantageous jinMiit 

 They turn, pirouette, and throttle each other ; n 

 such is their bitter earnestness, that I have .ilV 

 been enabled to come near enough to obser\e tht 

 with a lens without causing a separaiion. .Vft 

 rolling about in the dust, the victor, wale 

 time when its enemy uncovers his body, by elo 

 ating it, in the attempt to sting, thrusts its we.npi 



between the scales, and the next instant its Miuag 

 Recipe. — Take six pounds of sugar to one peck nist stretches out its quivering wings, and e 

 (or K) lbs.) of the fruit. Scald and remove the | pires. 



A bee cannot be killed so suddenly, except! 



