NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



367 



its squat shape, and the singular formation of the 

 upper end, it may be compared to an old-fashioned 

 tea-kettle, the bli>ssom-end with the ring represent- 

 ing the lid. The color of the rind, at first green, 

 subsequently varies from siate-l)lue, mottled and 

 striped with yellow, to deep yellow. The surface 

 in some is perfectly smooth, or only furrowed and 

 puckered round the top, in others more or less 

 lough, with slight elevations like a nutmefj-grater. 

 The flesh is very thick, firm, and fine-grained, and 

 of a rich orange-color. The carpels or seed-cavi- 

 ties, four and sometimes five in number, contain 

 double ranges of large plump seeds like those of 

 the itiarrow squash. The fruit-stem, like that of 

 the latter, is short, thick, more or less obliquely 

 inserted, nearly cylindrical, and not five angled, nor 

 deeply furrowed. A good idea of the form of this 

 squash may be got from the middle figure on page 

 283 of the volume of the "Library of Entertaining 

 Kno'vledge," treating of " Timber-trees and 

 Fruits;" and this figure may have been designed to 

 represent our acorn-scjuash. In cooking, both when 

 plainly boiled and when made into puddings or 

 pies, this squash fully equals the very best of the 

 marrow squashes. 



The vines, like those of the marrow and other 

 delicate squashes, are liable to be attacked by 

 borers at the roots, before the fruit is half grown; 

 and, if neglected at this stage, will almost certainly 

 perish. The remedy, after extracting the borer- 

 with a wire, or killing them in their lioles, consists 

 in pegging down the vines at the joints with forked 

 sticks, and drawing a little earth around these 

 joints, which will encourage the formation of roots 

 there, whereby the whole vine will be sustained, 

 even after its original roots have been nearly de- 

 stroyed. Yours, truly, h. 



For the JVr.w England Farmer. 



WATER CISTERNS— OLD ORCHARDS. 



Mr. Editor: — In your paper of Sept. 20, there 

 is an article taken from the Germantown Tele- 

 graph, on "water cisterns." I wish to build one 

 for myself which will hold some 800 to 1000 gal- 

 lons for storing rain water. The writer directs to 

 excavate a hole in the ground of suflicient capacity, 

 then to coat the sides with cement, &c. What 1 

 wish to inquire fi)r through your valuable paper, 

 more particularly is, in regard to the manner o( 

 working the cement, thickness of the wall, putting 

 it on, &c. (a.) The writer states the cost ol 

 a barrel of cement or water liiTie, to be $1,30 at 

 that place, (h.) I wish to know the cost at Bos- 

 ton, where it can be procured, the manner of mak- 

 ing the mortar, and what other materials to use 

 with It. 



(c.) I have an orchard which has been set out 

 soine 30 years and has been grafted some four or five 

 years. It is a very good one, but about one-founh 

 part of it is dead, or has bnen thinned out in the 

 course of the last twenty years; the soil is in a 

 good condition and it bears well. I wish to in- 

 quire if it will be profitable to fill it out with young 

 grafted trees, provided I manure according to Mr. 

 Cole's F.ruit Book. An answer to the above in- 

 (juiries will be thankfully received. E. Camp. 



Chelsea, Vt., Oct. 18," 1851. 



the bare sides of the excavation. We know of 

 many ixiade in this way wliich have been in use a 

 number of years, and stand vvell. It may also be 

 stoned up, and cemented. But the neatest and 

 surest way is to use bricks. The cement should 

 be mixed with two parts sand, and a little at a time,, 

 as when properly tempered it sets very quick. 

 Cover the bottom of the hole with two or three 

 coats, and lay the bricks flat; upon reaching the 

 sides, set the bricks forward so as to leave a space 

 of half an inch between them and the earth, and 

 after raising a foot fill in with cement mixed with 

 six or seven parts of sand, and so thin as to be 

 turned in from a bucket — what is called puddling. 

 The cement should be applied to the walls in thin 

 coats, until it reaches the thickness of common 

 plastering in the walls of houses. If the top is 

 turned, leaving a hole the size of a flour barrel in 

 the apex, the cistern will be neater and stronger 

 than if left flat. This may be done by laying 

 planks across the top of the walls where the turn 

 commences, filling with shavings, and building 

 upon them until the barrel is reached which is 

 placed in the centre at the top. The whole may 

 then be covered with earth so as to prevent freez- 

 ing, and be walked upon and driven over without 

 injury. 



b. The cement may be purchased of the lumber 

 dealers in this city, at from $1,50 to $1,75 a cask. 

 It is the common hydraulic cement, and no other 

 materials are used besides the sand and water. 



c. Your old orchard may be improved by filling 

 up the vacant spaces with young trees if the old 

 ones are some twenty-five or thirty feet apart, and 

 setting them as we have suggested in another col- 

 umn. You would be compensated by cultivating the 

 whole orchard — at any rate the young trees will 

 do nothing without it. Trim, scrape and wash 

 your old trees, apply manure plentifully this fall 

 and plow it in — keep cattle and borers from your 

 young ones, and you will soon find an ample re- 

 ward for your labors. 



Remarks. — a. The cistern may be made in a 

 clay soil by laying the cement, coat after coat, en 



For the New England Farmer. 



AGRICULTURAL SCHOOLS. 



Mr. Editor: — Thinking you would be likely to 

 know about the agricultural schools, in different 

 States, where situated, and by whom governed, I- 

 take theliberty to ask of you through your columns, 

 or otherwise, for any information it may be in 

 vour power to give. A'ld I do not doubt but it will 

 '^)e agreeable to other of your readers as well as my- 

 self. Could I hear from you in your next iiumber 

 it would be very gratifying. 

 Yours, truly, 



G. TlLLINGHAST IIaMMOND, 



Newport, R. I., Oct. Glh, 1851. 



Remarks. — There is not, to our knowlodge, an 

 Agricultural School in the country. We believe 

 there is a school in Pennsylvania, call(>d "The 

 Mount Airy Institute," where the practical part of 



