A N D II () K r 1 C U L T U R A L R E G I S T E U . 



N. E. FARMER. 



For the New England Fariiipr. 



rULTIVATION OF FOREST TREKS. 

 H KiiiTUR — I have noticed recently in several 

 ur agricultural [lapers, conuniinicntions upon 

 uUivation and growth of forest trees ; and it 

 ini to inc tliat the n-riters oflliosc articles are 

 orrocl in all their views on this subject. It 

 acn recommended to thin out and trim up our 

 J woiid lots, t.> promote their growth, and it is 

 den that. I think to be essentially wrong, 

 le object desired in a wood lot is, a straight, 

 y growth — that as many trees should stand on 

 rounii as can grow to advantage, and that the 

 id should be free from under-brush and be 

 in the best condition for the improvement of 

 :rccs. Observation has convinced nie tliat 

 results will be realized more fully, if nature is 

 3 perform its own operations, than they can 

 • any attempts to assist her. 

 hore we cut off the wood from n thrifty lot, we 

 hat for every tree we cut, some twenty or 

 spring up to take its place. These young 



grow for one year very thrifty, but the second 

 hows a falling off in their numbers, and so 

 ery succeeding year the numbers grow less : 

 ore thrifty over-top the feeble, and they die, 

 , and fall do^n, to make manure for ihcme 

 cmain. The trees will still stand so thick, 

 hey cannot grow in any other direction than 

 ht up. They cannot branch out — they must 

 ight ahead" — ind this they will do annually, 

 mg out the feeble trees till no more are left 

 e ground tlian can grow to advantage, 

 ■e advantage ut letting the trees grow thick is, 

 t makes them grow straight, and prevents 

 branching out like pasture oaks. The trees 

 nnnally.die, soon become excellent manure 

 ose which remain, keeping the ground light 

 elping to retain the yearly deposite of leaves 

 revent tliem from blowing off. 

 e trees growing thick will also help to retain 

 .Hen leaves, and will so shade the ground as 

 jp it moist and prevent the growth of under 

 and grass. On the other hand, if you thin 

 lid trim up your trees, you produce exactly 

 Its results ; — your trees branch out like apple 

 and become stinted by the grounds becoming 

 and dry, and by the loss of the leaves which 

 e blown out of the lot by every wind — the 



and grass will spring up and obstruct the 

 and in short you will loose at least one half 

 rowth of your wood. 



is is my theory, supported by facts which have 

 under my observation ; une of which I will 

 on. 



large young wood lot was bought by two men 

 y acijuaintance, and divided between tlicm. 

 of tiiem tiioughl he would put Ins in shape. 

 ut <iul every surplus tree, and trimmed up 



which remained, and left, his lot, as he 

 hi, in order to grow to the best advantage. 



Ho thought he had killed two birds with one stone: 

 he had saved some cords of good wood, and bene- 

 fited his lot into the bargain. 



The other man went upon the " lot alone" princi- 

 ple, and it never worked better than in this case. 

 The difference between the two lota may be seen 

 nlinoBt as far as you can see them. The " let 

 iilono" lot has almost double the value of wood and 

 timber on it that the other lm.«. 



Another gcntleninn in my neighborhood, who 

 had, or thought he had, money enough and to 

 spare, sent 8 or 10 hands into a beautiful young 

 wood lot, to " put it to rights." They cut down 

 and trimmed up, and made it like a park. It look- 

 ed beautifully, but the trouble is that the trees have 

 grown but little since. They look rough and 

 stinted ; and the lot never will be of much value 

 till the wood is all cut off and suffered to start up 

 again. 



I could mention several other cases that have 

 come under my observation; but these I think ate 

 sufficient to establish my doctrine, that the best 

 way to cultivate forest trees is to let them alone — 

 keep man and beast away from tliem, and let nature 

 take its own course, and "have her perfect work." 

 FORESTER. 



For the N. K. Farmer. 



PREPARATION FOR SPRINGS WORK. 



There are, I am aware, many farmers v.ho need 

 no hints on this subject, but the most of us, it must 

 be confessed, are apt to be rather remiss. 



Generally speaking, very few are fully prepared 

 for the spring when it arrives, and it is not unfre- 

 quently the case, indeed, that the best part of the 

 season is occupied in mending and making tools, 

 which a just regard for our intere.<t8 should have 

 prompted us to supply before the period of their 

 use arrives. 



I am aware that this will appear to be rather a 

 dry subject; but it is by attending to small things, 

 that we lay the foundation of prosperity and suc- 

 ces.s in tlioso which are great. There is nothing 

 like economy. A farmer who disregards the pecu- 

 liar and appropriate avocations of the season, until 

 the period for their performance arrives, in all 

 probability, will find that many important and es- 

 sential duties, and which might have been easily 

 discharged at leisure moments, cannot be perlbrm- 

 ed on the nonce, without involving serious trouble 

 and expense. H. D. W. 



Ifindham, Me., Feb. 28, I84i. 



For ihe N. E. Farmer. 



LAYING DOWN PEATY SOILS— PROPER 

 DRESSIN(;S FOR TIIEM. 

 Mil Editor — Will you, or some of your nume- 

 rous contributors to your valuable paper, give your 

 mode of seeding down muck land .' There is con- 

 siderable land of this description in my section, 

 which we find very difficult to make the grass live 

 through the next spring after laying it down: — 

 most of it winter-kills. 



If yon were to make a compost (or muck land on 

 a clay subsoil, what kind of soil would you nse ? 



I liBvo drawn into my yard this winter, one hun- 

 dred and twcntyfive loads of muck, which waa 

 taken from a very wet place : — subsoil, gravelly 

 loam and sand. 



Would it be advisable to put this description of 

 manure on to muck, subsoil being clay ? 



Q. C. RICH. 



Shortham, feb. \8lh, 184:i. 



Jlnswtr. — On the peaty or muck soils there ii 

 difficulty in getting grass to live through its first 

 spring, because the action of frost there rends and 

 throws out the roots. This difficulty is remedied 

 III part by u coating, say eight or ton rords of 

 coarse sand, fine gravel, loam, soil or clay. Either 

 of these substances answers a good purpose upon 

 the surface of these penty lands, both as a hardener 

 of the surface, and as a monur'", or fertilizer. If 

 the grass ?eed (timothy or herds grass is best) — if 

 this be sowed in the spring, or early autumn, with- 

 out grain, or with so little grain as to afford only a 

 little shade to the grass, and if the upland substan- 

 ces above named arc applied as a dressing, and 

 care be taken by rcdling to make the surface com- 

 pact as possible, the grass generally will do well. 

 The object is to make a compact surface — no mat- 

 ter iiow thill l>.at surface, if compact. The upland 

 substances greatly help in doing what is desired. 

 We speak of lands that have been well drained 

 and cultivated with a potato or some other crop. 



The same coiir-e will answer on such lands 

 where the sward has not been broken, only moie 

 gravel, loam or clay is needed, and animal manure 

 or ashes should be applied aH port of the coating. 



We should never put a muck compo.^tupon muck 

 soil. The matters from the uplamls are much 

 more beneficial. There is sound philosophy in the 

 course of the old practical farmer, Mr Stanly, of 

 Attleboro', who said at one of the agricultural 

 meetings at the State House, that he would put 

 gravel In his hogpen if he wanted the manure for 

 peal lunds. — Ed. 



ForthW.. E. Farmer. 



NEW SPECIBS OF CLOVER. 



A friend in France recently gave me the follow, 

 ing information : — " In a late excursion, I found a 

 grass lately introduced into the country, of a now 

 description. It i!> here denominated the Scarlet 

 Clover, and is thought far superior to any thing of 

 the kinu which has been cultivated. It is highly 

 valued for green feed, and may be introduced at 

 different periods of the season. Its growth is very 

 rapid, the stock large, tender, succulent and nour- 

 ishing. The Ipswich Gazette (Eng.) thus describes 

 it: 



'.N'lic Srecits of Clover. — As an addition lo our 

 spring food, a new species of clover has lately been 

 introduced from Italy into the agriculture of this 

 country. It is called Trifolium incarnntnin, and 

 bears a beautiful head of bright and red flowers, 

 resembling sainfoin in color. It requires a goud 



