78 



NEW ENGLAND FARxMER, 



SEPT. 8, 184r. 



ANI> HORTICULTURAL REGISTER. 

 Boston, Wedsesdav, Skptembeh 8, 1841. 



linn, yel as soon as the frost is gone, the bunch disap- 

 peiirs. Let the i^round be smoothed thus much and 

 then put on clay or loam or gra 



fl bbout two inches 



going into llif pan in all very wet places, will be obvi- 

 ous to any one who will refli^c:, that if the water stands 

 in a ditch, the bottom of which is the hard smooth pan. 



WKT MEADOWS— DRAliNJNG OF THKM 

 We have no fears ihat we can press the subject of 

 draining meadow lands too strongly upon public atten- 

 tion. Such lands, when reclai/ned, furnish some of our 

 very besl soils : they are suiteil to nearly all our crops. 

 Also, while the process ofditching is going on, materiel 

 is obtained in abundance for the hog.pen, the bnrnyar'l, 

 and the compost heap. The peal, muck, meadow mnd, 

 or whatever else n:ay he its proper name, is ihc firmer's 

 mine of wealth. We insist upon it that our farmers can 

 find more gold and sihcr in the muck holes and swatips 

 than in their other lands. The vegetable mutter should 

 be ihrown up and exposed to the influences of the weath- 

 er. Age — age will render that which is too sour to be 

 of iinv si^rvice during the season in which it is dug — a^e 

 will rcniliT even such mattrr a riry serviceable article 

 for use on the land: — pile up the muck — gut two or 

 three years' supply on hand. And befliro you set about 

 this work, ascertain whether you cannot obtain the sub- 

 stance wanted by opening diiclics which will draw nff 

 the sla;;nant waters from your wet lands. So plan the 

 work as to " kill two birds with oi.e stone." This can 

 be done upon thousands of acres in the vicinity of our 

 city. When these waste places sliali have been reclaim- 

 ed, the agricultur.iliproducls of the Commonwealth must 

 be very greatly increased. 



One con-ideralion in reference to such lands deserves 

 more regard than we remember to have seen nllaclied to 

 ■t,viz: that their fertility may bek^ptiipata much 

 imaller outlay for manure than is required upon the up- 

 lands. Clay, loam, sand, gravel, each operates as a fer- 

 tilizer upon the collection of decayed vegetable matters 

 in the meadows ; and by the use of these maleriels on 

 the lowlands, much the larger portion of the animal ma- 

 nure may be reserved for the dryer grounds. The pro- 

 duce <if the me.idow will increase the quantity of ma- 

 nure upon the farm to a greater extent than will be re- 

 quired f"r keeping itself in good condition, so that the 

 reclaiming ofsuch grnunds will help one to means of en- 

 riching tliu remcinder of the farm. 



The quality of our wet meadows in their natural 

 state, is so diverse, that it isdiflicult to liive any general 

 directions as to the best process of improvement. And 

 yet a classification of ihem may be formed, such as will 

 enabli; one lo ofler some hints in relation to the best 

 method to apply to each class. 



Where ibe meadow is tough swarded — where it bears 

 a good burthen of meadow grass — where the bogs or 

 hassocks grow, it is dilfiruli to subvert the sod, and 

 bring ilie land into a suitalile stale fur tillage. Mere we 

 judge It besl to cut oil the hassocks in the easiest and 

 best way that each one's mother wit can devise, and 

 then put on a coaling (not very thick) of whatever ma- 

 teriel from the upland can bo mom easily obtained. Per 

 haps tin: leail expennivo way of removing the hassocks 

 IS, to cm Ilium oil' with an adz, or hou Mmiiar in shape 

 to the blade of the adz. This process is laboriuus, but 

 there is a time in the early spring, usuallv in the latter 

 part of .March, when the frost is out iff ihe lop and 

 sides of the hassock, while there is a hard Inizen spot 

 under its ceniro. At this time thej can he cut with 

 much dispatch. The frozen bunch serves as a block on 

 which to chop ofT the roots; and lhat bunch is raised by 

 the frost above its natural position, so ihni though, when 

 you liavo pared it, thure seems lo remain a finall eleva- 



ihick, and the quantily and quality of the grass will be ! that this water will be constantly finding its way in un- 

 greatly improved. 



In March, 1839. we prepared a small lot in this way 

 fowed on hay seed in August, and though no manure it up like a sponge.— See lhat you drain thoroughly. 



dcr the mud upon the descending surface of ihe pan, 

 nd that the mud or peataUuvu will be constantly taking 



lias been applied, there was upon that ground tlie pre- 

 senl summer a very slout cr(>\i, mostly clovtr. We judge 

 it good husbandry not to make the first coating upon 

 these lands very deep. A thick coaling requires ma- 

 nure at once; but the thinner coating apparently causes 

 some such chemical action between itself snd the mea- 

 dow, at the depth where the glass roots lie thickest, as is 

 highly favorable to the growth of the grass. If similar 

 action takes place 5 or G inches below the surface, the 

 grass derives (certainly while it is young) less benefit 

 from it. Our belief is, that a ihin coaling, and then 

 from year to year a top dre-^sing of the upland materiel, 

 is a much more economical process than lhat of a thick 

 coating in the outset ; this we sliould recommend even 

 if it should be made apparent that a portion of the 

 meadow grass will survive. One of the moel enterpri- 

 sing farmers in Essex county, Mr Joseph How, of Me- 

 thuen, informed us, a year or two since, that where he 

 had done nothing but smooth his meadow, put on a thin 

 coat of loam, and sow his seed, he bad obtained annual- 

 ly two Ions of good English hay per acre for three or 

 four successive years. 



An aged gentleman in Wenliam, Mr Peter Dodge, 

 many years since commenced the application of clay to 

 such lands, and we doiihl wlielher there are any heller 

 grass lands in the eountvtlian iho many acies which he 

 has thus prepired. This process is known in the neigh- 

 borhood undei the name of " Peltrising," and it has 

 befjn so successful that where clay can be conveniently 

 obtained, it should be applied iu preference to any thing 

 else. 



The meadows which arc free from hassocks and hare 

 a loose surface, it will be gwul economy to turnover 

 with the plow or hoe, and till them. Potatoes, corn, 

 winter rye, wheat, pumpkins, squashes, beans, ruta ba- 

 gas, and sugar beets we have had lo do well on such 

 lands. Here wash from the ro:ulside, loam, &c-, are 

 cood manures. .\n addition of ashes is of great service. 

 .'Ml the manures are good here — bill some dressings 

 which on the upland would be nearly worlhloss, will 

 here greatly increase the crop. 



But one essential point is yel to be noticed. We re- 

 fer to the draining. And in this matter, discretion or 

 sound judgment is of the greatest importance. One 

 ditch through the lowest part of the meadow, any man 

 may mark out. But this will seldom be all thai is re- 

 quired. Before the waters from the shore, whether 

 they be those that run down on Ihe surface of the up- 

 lanil, or those which are oozing out from below — before 

 theso wiitPrs can reach the centre ditch, they must wnrk 

 their way through the vVliole mass of mud which lies 

 between the ditch and the shore; in doing this they 

 will keep the whole mass wet with stagnant, or nearly 

 slai.'niint waters. While this is the ease, the meadow 

 will be much less productive than it is easy lo make it. 

 Dilrhes across or at right angles with the main ditch, 

 may help to remedy the evil, but these, besidethnt fhey 

 accomplish the woiU of draining but very imperfeclli', 

 are great obstacles lo a convenient cultivation of Ibe 

 lands. Along the shore is tho proper place for opening 

 the most serviceable drains — and if the lands adjoining 

 ara springy, these shore drains should bo dug 8 or 111 

 inches into the p.in bslow the mud. The earth thrown 

 up, whether sand, gravel or clay, will make a good 

 drening for tho adjoining meadow. The importance of 



( 

 CROPS IN ENGLAND. j 



The climate of our mother land seems to vary from i 

 week to week the prospect for the wheat crop, more j 

 even than our weather changes Iho indications with us. ^ 

 There are always and everywhere croakers, who from I 

 thoughtlessness or interest, raise the cry of short crops. 

 The papers from England, received by the Britlannia last { 

 week, contain numerous paragraphs relating to the | 

 weather and its effects upon the crop. While some 

 represent iJint ihero will be a general shortness of the 

 crop, others point lo particular sections where the har- 

 vest will he good, and infer llial there will be no scarci. 

 ty. The high excitement throughout th« country in re- 

 lation to the Corn Laws, naturally gives biases to those , 

 who touch upon the subject, and it is not easy to satisfy 

 ourself as to the actual stale of the crops. We, howev- 

 er, must infer that very considerable quantities of foreign 

 grain will be wanted in the island, and as there is a 

 prospect that the duty will come down sufGcienlly lo 

 justify shipment from this country, the price of flour 

 wilh us will for some time maintain the increased price ^ 

 which it now commands — The crops of wheat both in 

 England and this country are probably somewhat less ■ 

 than an average, and flour will not be as low as for the 

 last year. Nothing, however, is known to us which au- ': 

 thorizes the expectation lhat there will be a scarcity, or ' 

 that flour or grain will be higher than at present. 



lUaasacliaaetta Hortlealtaral Society. 



EXHIBITION OF FRSXTS. 



Saturday, ^ug. 28. 



From M. P. VVildcr — fine Dahlias; among Ihem Con 

 stantia, llival Revenge and Primrose. 



From S. Walker — lioiiquets. 



From Hovey & Co — Dahlias and Bouquets. 



Fiom Capl. .Macondry— Dahlias. 



From H. W. Diillon — Dahlias; among the number, 

 Charles XII. (while lipped.) 



From J. Stiekney — Dahlias. 



From J. G Sprague — Dahlias. 



From C. McCliire— Dahlias. 



From S. Sweclser — several fine Roses and Dahloifi. 



Fiom A. H. Hovey — Gladiolus floribundus and I'lih.jt 

 Dnimmandii. 



From D. Mclntyre — fine Dahlias, viz: Eva, Amato, 

 &c. 



From S. R. Johnson — Roses, and ten kinds of fine 

 Balsams. 



From P. Barnes — Dahlias. 



From J. L. L. F. Warren — Bouquets. 



Bouquets from Messrs Winsliip, W. Kcnrick, and 

 Misses Sumner. 



Saturday, Sept. -1. 



From Hovey 4. Co.— Dahlias, Phlox DrumniomJii 

 and seedling Verbenas. 



From D. Wclnlyre — fine Dahlias and Asters 



From II. W. Dutlon— fine Diihlias. 



From Capt. Macondry — Dnhlias. 



From A. H. Ilovey — Gladiolus floribundu.s, and ,\n- 

 Biiahi. 



From M. P. Wilder— Dahlias, viz: Squibb's Defi- 

 ance, Constantia, &c. 



From J. Stiekney— Dahlias. 



From P. Barnes— Dahlins. 



Bouquets from S. Walker, W. Kenrick, J. L. I, F 

 Warien, J. Ilovey, Ilovev A, Co. and AIis,ses Sumner 



Nalno Plants from B. E. Colting. 

 For the Committee, 



C. M. HOVEY, Chm-n. 



I 



