154 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



remove it when large. By removing the weeds 

 and pulverizing the soil, the plants will grow with 

 vigor, but if neglected tiiey will make slow pro- 

 gress in a hard soil, especially when weeds are rob- 

 bing them of their nutriment. Another advantage 

 in loosening the soil; it will the more readily re- 

 ceive the rain, and become still more finely pul- 

 verized, and enriched, and contain a greater source 

 of moistuie, than when the earth is hard at the top, 

 throwing off the water in streams which often do 

 no small damage by washing. 



HEDGES. 



VEGETATION OF SEEDS. 



A correspondent remarks that a friend of his 

 bought seeds for hedge plants, (he does not say what 

 kind,) and soaked them in hot water, and planted 

 them according to direction, and they did not vege- 

 tate. These seeds might be kept diy through the 

 winter, (else hot water would have been worse 

 than useless,) of course they would not vegetate un- 

 til the next spring. 



Thorn, apple, pear and quince seeds, also most 

 seeds of forest trees, and the seeds of stone fruit, 

 such as cherries, plums, peaches, (excepting a few 

 of the latter,) should be sowed in the fall, or put in- 

 to moist earth, preparatory to sowing in the spring, 

 and this general and well and long established prin- 

 ciple ought to be well known to every cultivator 

 in the country; yet we find people every year buy- 

 ing and sowing dry seeds in the spring. The pe- 

 rusal of a good agricultural journal and a little re- 

 flection would save much waste of time and money, 

 and save also from bitter disappointment and vexa- 

 tion. 



THE POTATO ROT. 



Mr. Editor: — Allow me a short space in your 

 paper for some remarks on a subject of deep inter- 

 est to all classes of society in our own and other 

 countries. Although many discoveiiesof theffl?/5£' 

 of the potato rot, and many remedies for the same, 

 have been presented through the press to the pub- 

 lic during the last three or four years, the high 

 price of potatoes during the past winter and at this 

 time, and the fact that the Legislature of Massa- 

 chusetts within the last few weeks have offered a 

 premium of $10,000 to any one in that State for a 

 remedy, is pretty strong evidence that the true cause 

 of the disease and the proper remedy are not among 

 those discoveries. The cause is undoubtedly the 

 same in all localities, north, south, east and west; 

 and the remedy uuist be just as universal — otherwise 

 it is not a remedy. 



Now I undertake to say, and will hereafter proue, 

 to the satisfaction of every farmer in the Union, if 

 he will apply the test which I am about to propose, 

 that the disease originates in the deficiency of cer- 

 tain ingredients in the soil. The fact that millions 

 of bushels (notwithstanding the loss of one-third or 

 more of the crop by the rot,) of as good potatoes 

 are grown every year in the United States as were 

 ever raised before the appearance of the disease, 

 affords to my mind, witliout more positive proof, 



sufficient reason to disbelieve the statement recently 

 made, that the plant dies like an animal, in conse- 

 quence of "/Ae feebleness of old agey I shall not 

 ask the Legislature of our State to give me $10,000 

 for my discovery. I shall be amply rewarded if, on 

 a fair and sufficient trial, it will settle the question. 

 I shall not be alone if it be proved that I am mis- 

 taken; and as my remedy will add to the fertility of 

 the soil in proportion to the extent it may be ap- 

 plied, no one can lose anything by the trial of it. 



I therefore assert, as my firm belief, that char- 

 coal, properly applied, will always, and everyirhere, 

 prevent the disease known as the ^^ Potato Rot.'^ 



In the next number of the Telegraph I will give 

 directions in regard to the application of this reme- 

 dy, so that, late as it is, many farmers can make a 

 beginning this season. As I intend to prepare a 

 treatise on this subject, to be ready for distribution 

 after the harvesting of this year's crop, I will be 

 greatly obliged to farmers and others who will try 

 this test, to let me know the result as soon as con- 

 venient thereafter, so that I can give to the public 

 as much information as possible respecting the util- 

 ity of this remedy. In that work I shall review 

 the "discoveries" heretofore made, and give the 

 reasons why charcoal will prevent the disease, 

 with all the useful information on the culture of the 

 potato I can obtain. It may require two or three 

 trials to ascertain the quantity necessary to suit 

 different soils and localities; and if in some in- 

 stances it should fiiil on the first trial, I hope the 

 industrious farmer will not charge the fault upon 

 the remedy and abandon it, but try it again the next 

 year — for I am confident that if properly applied, it 

 is the remedy so much needed. 



Tracy E. Waller. 



Rising- Sun, Philadelphia Co., Pa., 

 March 31, 1851. 



P. S, On account of the lateness of the season,! 

 would suggest that farmers who may be induced to 

 try the remedy I have proposed, prepare at once a 

 compost for one-eighth of afi acre (which will be 

 sufficient for a trial this year,) as follows: 



Pulverised charcoal, - - 250 pounds. 



Bone dust, or best guano, - - 25 " 



Salt, 15 " 



One large wagon load of wet and 

 well-rotted born-yard manure. 



Mix well together and let it lay until time to 

 plant, say two or three weeks. — Germantown Tel- 

 egraph. 



MULCFIING GOOSEBERRIES. 



The English gooseberry has always liitherto mil- 

 dewed here: and I have been familiar with bushes 

 of the best sorts for many years, without ever being 

 able to gather any perfect fruit. 



I have lately mulched some old bushes, which had 

 hitherto borne this worthless fruit. I covered the 

 surface of the ground under them a foot deep with 

 wet, half-rotten straw, extending this mulching as 

 the branches grew. 



Imagine my delight at finding the gooseberries 

 on the bushes so mulched, ripening off finely, the 

 fruit twice as large as I have ever seen it before, 

 and quite fair and free from mildew. — Horticultur- 

 ist. 



[^'Pleasure is sometimes only a change of pain. 

 A man who has had the gout, thinks he feels first 

 rate when he gets down to rheumatism again. 



