NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



195 



for the New England Farmer. 

 EFFECTS OF SKILL AND INDUSTRY. 



Messk.s. Editors: — As actual cullivation is more 

 instructive than theoretic speculation, I will briefly 

 state my obses^ation of the cultivated grounds of 

 Messrs. E. & I. S. Needham, in West Danvers, 

 at the present time. Witiiin the last half dozen 

 years, these gentlemen have converted about ten 

 acres of their farm into a highly productive garden. 

 Their success in the cultivation of the stra\\'berry 

 has surpassed all others in the vicinity of Salem. 

 The present appearance of their vines is highly 

 promising. Some of them, in favored localities, 

 were in bloom as early as the 22d of April. They 

 have been careful in their selection of the best va- 

 rieties. To some extent tiieir plants suffered from 

 the effects of the winter, but they have enough re- 

 maining for all reasonable uses. 



For four years past, their attention has been 

 turned to the cultivation of the cranberry. They 

 have more than half an acre covered with this plant. 

 During the winter this ground was protected by a 

 coating of meadow hay, and now the plants are 

 putting forward with 'vigor. Between the rows 

 they distribute a coating of pulverized peat, so as to 

 check the growth of weeds and grasses; and by 

 judicious ditching have removed the superabun- 

 dance of water of the last and present season, which 

 has been the greatest embarrassment of their cul- 

 ture. They have entire confidence in the cultiva- 

 tion of the cranberry, on field land; and whoever is 

 curious to be informed on this subject, will find 

 much instruction by a view of their grounds. 



We saw in luxuriant growth the bush that 

 yields what has been denominated the w/iite hlach- 

 berry. We have not before seen this, and learned 

 that it is a very rare plant. The original, from 

 which these were grown, was found in its native 

 position, in the woods north of Massachusetts; and 

 from Messrs. N.'s representation of the abun- 

 dance and superior quality of the fruit, it must be 

 well worthy of the attention of those who would 

 encourage the products of our own hills. It ripens 

 about the time of the common high blackberry of 

 our woods, and resembles the fruit of the mulberry. 



Among other objects worthj of notice on Messrs. 

 N.'s grounds, is about one thousand peach trees 

 now in the fourth year of their growth. The con- 

 trast between the vigorous appearance of these trees 

 and many others that we have seen, led to the inquiry 

 how it was brought about. Messrs. N. attributed 

 their flourishing condition mainly to the fact, that 

 in the autumn they have been headed down, by 

 cutting off about half the growth of the preceding 

 season. If in this way the life and form of the 

 tree can be improved, is not the practice worthy of 

 imitation? Would it not save the necessity of 

 pulling up by roots many trees, as we have seen 

 done the present spring? Messrs. N. have been 

 highly successful in the cultivation of apple, pear 

 and quince trees. But as we saw nothing to dis- 

 tinguish their culture particularly on thissubject, we 

 forbear to enlarge. We have ventured to notice 

 the culture of the Messrs. Needhams that common 

 farmers may understand how readily tlicir lands 

 may be converted into productive gardens, by the 

 application of skill and industry; and at the same 

 time afford an ample remuneration for all labor ap- 

 plied. Such we understand to have been the case, 

 in regard to Messrs. Needham's culture. We know 

 it is easy for the capitalist to have a beautiful gar- 



den, where the cost is not counted; but what we 

 want is beautiful gardens that shall sustain them- 

 selves. If these hasty notes are deemed worthy of 

 your notice, and shall have the effect to induce 

 others "to go and do likewise," we shall feel am- 

 ply rewarded. J. w. p. 

 Danvers, May 25, 1851. 



APPLE TREES. 



Old trees should be thoroughly scraped and then 

 washed with lye or whitewash; the grass should 

 be kept from growing around every tree. Com- 

 post is good to be put around the trunk of the tree 

 to prevent the grass from growing and to nourish 

 the tree. Meadow muck may be used to prevent 

 the grass from growing and keep the ground light 

 around the tree. If trees are managed in this way 

 the borer may easily be detected in his work of 

 destruction. Perhaps some of your readers will 

 say that their orchard is not troubled with borers, 

 for they never saw one in their life. Perhaps 

 some think there is no such thing as an apple tree 

 borer — they imagine it is a sort of an editor's 

 whim; but I would say to each and every farmer 

 to examine his trees and see if he cannot find such 

 a thing as a borer. They are about sure to destroy 

 a young tree if left to grow uncultivated in the 

 grass land. They deposit their eggs in August, 

 the grub is hatched in May or .Fune. The young 

 borer soon beds himself into the tender bark near 

 the ground, and in the following fall he beds him- 

 self into the wood and tlien takes his course up the 

 tree from six to twelve inches. The second sum- 

 mer he bores out of the tree and becomes a fly. — 

 The borer may be easily detected by the chips that 

 he throws out resembling saw dust; he may be 

 killed by cutting the bark off around where he has 

 worked, or if he has gone into the wood, by inserting 

 a wire into the hole. If the grass is kept away 

 from the trees the farmer can look to his trees as 

 he passes by them during the summer, and if there 

 are any borers he will see their works. Trees 

 managed in this way become hard near the ground, 

 therefore it is very difficult for the young borer to 

 get into the bark. 



Trees that do not bear good fruit should be 

 grafted. I \isually set about two-thirds of the 

 grafts that I intend to have set in the trees the first 

 spring, and the remainder the next spring. About 

 the third or fourth year I take all of the old top 

 off; care should be taken to keep the sprouts off, 

 for if suffered to grow they will injure the grafts 

 very much. This rule will not apply to young 

 and thrifty trees; they should not be trimmed so 

 much. The farmer must use judgment about trim- 

 ming his trees and see that the grafts get a proper 

 growth. If the graft grows after the leaves begin 

 to fall from other apple trees, nip the end of the 

 graft and then it will become hard for winter and 

 not die, as it will if left to grow late in the fall. — 

 In most cases one graft grovvs faster than tiie other 

 that is set in the same stalk; if so, when the grafts 

 are from two to four years old, insert a saw be- 

 tween the grafts and saw the smallest one out, and 

 then the stump will heal over and form a much 

 better limb than if both were suffered to re- 

 main. 



Young trees that spring spontaneously on the 

 farm should be taken up and set in some choice 

 place near the house, and budded in August. It 



