VOL. XX. .\n. 10. 



AND H R T I C U 1. T LJ R A r, REGISTER 



125 



giving his evidence before a coiuniiltoc of tlio 

 louso of Cominoi\H on llio salt duticii, iiientioiicil, 

 that 111 ^jolting marl (which i:i a (iiixtiirc of carbon- 

 ate ol lime, aluiiuiia and silica,) lio had found that, 

 by mixing it with brine instead of water, that the 

 portion of the lield on which the brined marl was 

 used, yielded live biiahcU of whcnt per acre more 

 San that portion on wliicli ilio watered marl was 

 mployed. — Johnson's History uf Manures. 



BLOSSOM IILOS PERISHING (N WINTEIL 

 A correspondent wishes to know why the bloa- 



tioin buds of the peach and apricot perish in Win- 

 er '' and also, if there is any way to prevent «uch 

 OSS ? 



A flowing' of the sap late in autumn, or in win- 

 ;cr, followed by intense cold, has long been con- 

 idcrcd 08 the cause of this damajje ; and we have 

 10 doubt of its being the true cause ; for those 

 uds can endure a very low temperature, if they 

 re not started by unseasonable warmth. We 

 lave no knowledge that they have ever been killed 

 n this condition, by the severest cold of this cli- 

 nate — perhaps ten or fifteen degrees below zero: 

 ind in the elevated region between the Susque- 

 lanna and the Delaware, they have probably en- 

 lured a depression of ten degrees more. Our cold- 

 ■9t winters, when not interrupted by thaws, have 

 renerally, if not always, been succeeded by fruil- 

 ul seasons. 



In the winter of 18.31-2, the snow drifted around 



peach tree in our fruit garden, so that 'one low 

 imb was entirely buried. This rough weather 

 fas succeeded by a thaw soon at\er New Year's, 

 ind the thaw by intense cold. I'caches were very 

 earce in the lolloiving season. The highest 

 mbs— the very tops— to which the reflected "heat 

 -om the ground could .scarcely reach— had a few, 

 'bile the limb which was buried in the snow, was 

 jaded down with fruit. 



The same effect was produced on a limb that 



ested on tlie roof of a building, and was covered 



^p in a drift. The warm winds that started the 



ther buds, passed over without touching, and left 



: torpid. 



On bleak northern aspects, we believe the peach 

 -ee is generally productive in this climate ; and 

 •e explain the following cases on the same princi- 

 Je: 



For many years we resided in a wide valley, 

 ounded on two sides by high hills. In the valley, 

 le peach was an uncertain crop ; but on the hills 



rarely failed. A careful observer, who lived in 

 more sheltered valley of the same district, as- 

 ured us that the peach tree with them was un- 

 uitful as often as six years out of seven. In val- 

 ;ys the temperature is more variable than on the 

 ills- warmer at one time and colder at another; 

 )r it has been ascertained that in severe but calm 

 eather, the cold air settles down in the lowest 

 laces. 



Last winter was milder than usual, and yet we 

 ad some shrubs more injured than in seasons of 

 itcnse cold. It appears that in these shrubs the 

 ip had started, and the sharp frosts that followed 

 ere destructive to a part of their branches. 



Treading down the snow so as to accumulate a 

 impact mass round the tree, and then covering it 

 ith straw, has been fonnd useful. We have seen 

 n apple retarded in its vegetation for a fortnight 

 I Uie spring, by piling wood round it ; but the, 

 •eather here is so variable and uncertain, that 



what was useful in one season, may bo useless in 

 uiiuthcr — Genesee Farmer. 



From the Allinny CulliTutor, 



BUCKTHORN HEDGES. 



H'illis Caylord, Esq. — Dear Sir— In replying to 

 your favor of the Vi\\\ of August, it will give me 

 pleasure to furnish you any inforiimtion in my pow. 

 er respecting the Biicktliorn for hedges. It is 

 nearly forty years since I commenced experiments 

 with n variety of plants for making hedges. Fir.it, 

 with the English Hawthorn, and soon found it was 

 not adapted to our warm dry summers ; it would 

 bliirht as early as .August and lose its foliage, and 

 was frequently destroyed by the borer. Amon>r 

 other plants, I tried the three thorned Acacia, to- 

 commended by Judge Duel, but the experiment 

 was not satisfactory ; it was too open below, and 

 liable to be killed down by the winter as much as 

 it grew the previous season. In the garden of the 

 venerable Dr Holyoke, of this city, which adjoin- 

 ed that of my brother, there was a large tree of the 

 buckthorn or Rhamnii.i catharticus. In Jigging 

 the latter garden, about the year IS08, thcre^were 

 found several young plants which had grown from 

 seed shed by this tree. They were given to me 

 and set out in a nursery: finding they grew rapid- 

 ly, I was induced to try thein for a hedge, and I 

 have been highly pleased with the result. They 

 were set in a single row in my garden, and very 

 soon became a beautiful hedge, and it remains so 

 to the present time. Not a single plant has failed 

 and has never been attacked by any insect ; it 

 vegetates early in the spring, and retains its ver- 

 dure very iate in the fall. It can be trained into 

 ahi.ost any form, and makes a beautiful arch over 

 a gate-way or passage. I was so much pleased 

 with this experiment, that I have since set out seve- 

 ral other hedges, all of which are now making a 

 beautiful appearance. With these properties, it 

 has become quite a favorite plant for hedges in 

 this section of the country, and I have been induc- 

 ed to raise it for distribution. I have now at least 

 one hundred and fifty rods of this hedge, which 

 has been greatly admired by every peisoir who haS 

 seen the same. 1 am so fully convinced that the 

 English hawthorn is not suitable for our climate, I 

 should not advise any one to set out a hedge with 

 it, provided it could be done free of expense". One 

 that nearly surrounded my garden, began to fail 

 soon after it was set, and I was induced to set a 

 buckthorn between each of the hawthorns, and it 

 now makes a fine and thick hedge. 



Respecting the culture of this plant, I should 

 recommend sowing the seed in the fall, (as it is 

 taken from the tree,) rather thick, in drills from 

 14 to IG inches apart ; it will vegetate the next 

 spring : should leave it in the eeed-bcd the first 

 season, and remove them to a nursery the follon- 

 ing spring. As soon as the plants are of a good 

 size, about 18 inches high, I should plant them out 

 where I wished to make the hedge, fn a single row, 

 about eight or nine inches apart, either in the 

 spring or fall of the year, as suited my conveni- 

 ence. As soon as they begin to vegetate ailcr 

 setting them out for a hedge, I should" head them ! 

 down to within six inches of the ground, which 1 

 causes them to thicken from the bottom; this I 

 consider very important, as it tends greatly to 

 beautify the hedge. Tlie only fault I find with 

 my first hedge is, that I did not follow this plan, 

 and it ia not so thick near the bottom as those I 



' hove since act out. In the after mnnngoment, very 

 little more ii required than to keep Ihi- ground 

 I clear Irnin weeds, and to form the hcilge in any 

 way most agrooable to the cultivator. It should 

 be trimmed regularly every yeor, and I consider 

 tho month of June as the most suitable season fur 

 that purpose: the grcalest portion of the labor may 

 be done with a common scythe. 



In answer to that portion of your letter request- 

 ing information whether the plants would bo siiita- 

 blo to the latitude of .Maryland, I can only say, 

 that I have no doubt it would answer for most of 

 tho States in the Union. It oppears remarkably 

 hardy, and adapts itsclfto almost iiny situation. I 

 have been called upon for plants to be sent to seve- 

 ral of the Stales, a number for the neighborhood 

 of Baltimore, and I have not in a single instance 

 been advised thatllicy have not succreded. 

 Very respectfully, yours, &ic. 



E. HERSEY DERIiY. 



Salem, Mass., ^ug'. 21, 1841. 



From the same. 



FAR.MRRS, CUT YOUR FODDER. 



Messrs. Gaylord S,- Tucker — As the great mass 

 of tarmeis in this vicinity, appear to be ignorant of 

 the advantages of making use of cut feed for their 

 stock, I will give you the outline of my experi- 

 ment this season, hoping that it will be the meas 

 of inducing many others to make a trial. It was 

 sometin>e in February last that I procured an im- 

 proved Straw Cutter, (Gibson's Patent,) and having 

 a quantity of rye straw, and knowing I should be 

 short of hay, I concluded bv making the host use 

 I could with my straw, I could with little labor, 

 make a saving equal to a ton of hay, worth .flT); 

 and thus save more than one half the expense of 

 the machine this seison. But the resolt is much 

 more favorable, for in addition to my rye straw, | 

 had about three tons of coarse fodder, consisting 

 of different proportions of sw^amp hay, rye, wheat, 

 buckwheat, and pea straw.;' to this mixed mass, I 

 added as I cut it, about one fourth part good hay. 

 1 fed this to my cattle (.];) in number,; just as 

 came from tlie machine; they fed onit with a good 

 relish, appeared satisfied, and rather imiirovcd in 

 condition. Instead, thercforo, of saving only half 

 the expense of my machine, I lia^'c saved moie 

 than the first cost, {i-20,) and had I obtained one 

 last fall, it would have saved more than .'?50. 



I verily believe that one third more stock might 

 be kept on farms generally by our would-be eco- 

 nomical farmers turning to good account all their 

 coarse fodder. I!y obtaining a good machine, I 

 have saved three tons of good fodder, which other- 

 wise would scarcely have been worth three hun- 

 dred of good hay. 



To my team horses, one span, I give 20 quarts 

 ground oats with as much cut straw as they will 

 eat: they prefer this feed to clear oats, and are in 

 first rate working order. The length I cut niy 

 straw, &c. is three fourths of an inch, although I 

 sec no objections to cutting it longer for cattle. 



Brother farmers, are not these things worthy 



your attention ? Will you try the experiment ? 



Purchase some good machine — [there arc some 

 excellent Straw Cutters for sale at 52 N. Market St., 

 Boston — " P. I)."] — every farmer ought to have one. 

 RICHARD FISK. 



Bennington, Vt., May 15, 1841. 



Spend less than you earn, and keep out of debt. 



