10 



NKW ENGLAND FAUMEU. 



Auarust 4, l8->u'. I 



I have i\ piece about ;i acres ot'lanu, on which 1 

 sowed, the loth of May, 8 bushels of oats, 30 lbs. 

 «f clover, and 1 bushel of herd's grass and red top 

 seed. It was well manured with a compost of bog 

 and barn yard manure, ploughed in and the land 

 then well harrowed. The oats and grass seed was 

 soaked in water about 3 hours, taken out and rub- 

 bed with as much plaster as would adhere to them. 

 After harrowing in the seed the land was rolled 

 twice. Then plaster was strewed on at the rate of 

 three bushels per acre. After the oats had come 

 up, which was in about a week from the sowing, 

 there was as much plaster put on as at first. There 

 was no rain of any 'consequence for a month after 

 the seeds were sown. The grass seed has tfiken 

 well, the oats have a dark green colour, and it is 

 said by Judges, if they are cut in the milk they 

 will make nearly 3 tons of fodder per acre. My 

 eorn and potatoe land was ploughed, harrowed and 

 rolled till the tilth was fine. Two thirds of the 

 field was then laid in ridges, back-furrowed, and 

 one third flat. The corn was put in diamond fash 



tlie interest of jigiiculturc and Uurtivuliurt ; aixlj tending to the total failure of tliose large trees 



I doubt not lie will excuse me if 1 dissent from his 

 opinion there communicated, and express my con- 

 viction that this is something more than the pres, 

 cnce of the Scotytus Pyri. I have obtained twigs 

 cut from the Apple Tree and English Walnut, bj 

 this insect, as large as the finger, and as smooth 

 as if out with the center bit. They soon wither 

 and become seared ; and when shaken by a high 

 wind, they break off and fall to the ground, carry- 

 ing the insect with them, which is an end of the 

 mischief* What is by some called the Fire Blast, 

 (whicli I think has not been satisfactorily explain- 

 ed) although in its first appearance it is somewhat 

 similar to the effect produced by the Scolytus Pyri, 

 is in its result far more important, as it is fatal to 

 the tree attacked. 



I had in my garden the last year, two pear trees 

 bearing the Julienne or Summer Beurre : one of 

 them was Sti years old, and measuring 15 inches 

 diameter at the ground, — the other about 15 years 

 old and measuring 1> inches ; they were Wealthy, 



ion 4 feet by 3 apart thus ■ . • . ■ so as to give the I vigorous, and in full bearing. They were attacked 

 sun and air a chance to come to it. The ground ! the beginning of July the last year, in the manner 



was manured the same as the oat land before men 

 tioned. The field sloped about Oj} degrees from a 

 level. There was put on at the first hoeing one 

 half pint of slacked lime to a hill. 



A part of the field say half, had one spoonful of 

 plaster, the other part one half pint of ishes to a 

 hill. It has been very dry, and the corn looks well 

 but I think that on the ridges looks as well as the 

 other on the flat, which confirms my opinion that 

 any land except that which is high and sandy, in 

 this quarter of the country, should be )lr.nted on 

 ridges. My corn has been hoed three times, and 

 each time it had plaster, lime and ashes, the same 

 as at the first hoeing. I am sorry that I did not 

 plaster my corn in hills. Some of my neighbours, 

 to whom I recommended plaster pat a spoonful in 

 each hill. I am told that it looks much better than 

 some which was plastered on t.'ie top of the hills. 



I consider a roller as necessary on a farm as a 

 plough, for after ploughing, if the ground be well 

 rolled, it makes a much finer tilth ; then as a fin- 

 ishing stroke, it presses the ground round the 

 seeds, and levels the stones even with the ground. 

 My garden, oats and corn have not been injured 

 by insects as many have, which I attribute chiefly 

 to plastering freely. Should my corn and potatoes 

 turn out as well as they promise, you shall again 

 hear from me. My corn was soaked in copperas - 

 water 36 hours. About one half a pound of cop- 

 peras was used for a peck of seed. It was then 

 taken out ; and as much plaster put on as would 

 adhere to it. I think copperas and plaster are 

 great checks to worms, &c. 



Your obedient servant, 

 JOHN M. SALTER. 

 Wakefield, (J\r. H.) July 92, 1836. 



as tliose described by Gov. Lincoln are, belonging 

 to his friend. The disease first made its appear- 

 ance at the extremity of the limbs, and retroteded 

 to the trunk ; the fruit then as large as pullets' 

 eggs, mostly dropped, what remained attaclied to 

 the limbs, dried up as hard as the wood ; this 

 spring I caused them to be cut down and found 

 them perfectly sapless. There was one other tree 

 of this species in the town, which shared the same 

 fate, while the other pear trees of various kinds 

 were not affected by the disease, except very par- 

 tially, in one or two instances. 



I am not one of " those who are incredulous as 

 to tills small insect being the cause uf tho ovil'' 



a few days." 



Having ventured to dissent from so high autho 

 ity it may be expected that I offer some reason f '^ 

 my opinion, some conjecture of the cause of tj 

 disaster. 



I will with great diflidence submit the theorj 

 formed to account for the disaster which befel r 

 trees the last year, (and which I find strengthen 

 by the occurrence at Worcester) as affording 

 my mind more satisfactory reason than the recei 

 ed opinion that it is occasioned by lightning, 

 that it is the effect of any immediate external i 

 fection of the atmosphere. 



It will be recollected that the spring of 16 

 was early, the weather in February uncommoi 

 warm, so much so, as to put in circulation the s 

 of the early fruit trees, and was followed by i 

 vere cold in the last of March, which checked 1 

 rising sap and formed it into wood, the alburnu 

 which when the spring approached in its pro] 

 season, and set the sap in circulation in those tn 

 (being earlier from their nature or from their si 

 ation) it was obstructed and could not ascer 

 that portion of sap which had already ascended, 

 the branches was sufficient to cause the trees 

 vegetate, to leaf out, and to blossom, but wh 

 the heat of summer advanced there was not a s 

 ficiency of sap to supply the demands of the ft 

 aud the exhalation ; therefore the vegetation wi 

 ered and died. The spring of the present yi 

 was also thought remarkably forward, until 

 9th of April, when from that to the 12th we ex 

 rienccd a second winter, I believe more sev 

 than any preceding it, and which was at the ti 

 apprehended, would have a deleterious effect u) 

 the fruit trees, and has undoubtedly on the m 

 tendei- J«i"J=, I».it to wlmi extent remains perh 

 'to be ascertained. If these suggestions have ; 



V 



observed upon by Mr Lowell ; but I am persuad 



cd it is not the cause of the mala<!y described by | plausibility they are at your service — I offer ti 



Gov. Lincoln, who observes, "the trees are of in no pride of opinion — if they should lead to 



large size (those in his friend's garden) have been j investigation which may throw any light on 



in bearing many years, and are wholly withered subject, I shall be more than satisfied 



and sapless within a few days ;" this effect is more 



than commensurate of such a cause. 



I am apprehensive the Hon. Pressdent did not 

 allow himself sufficient time to exercise his usual 

 discrimination, having a preconceived opinion, Lud 

 having witnessed the depredation of the Scolytus 

 Pyri, so similar in its first appearance, he adopted 

 it as applying to the present subject, without at- 



THE DISEASE IN PEAR TREES. 



Mr Pessf.nden — I have with deep interest and 

 regret read in the New England Farmer of July 

 28 a communication from his Excellency Governor 

 Lincoln, on a " disease which has recently ap- 

 peared in the Pear Trees in that vicinity," and also 

 the remarks of the Hon. Mr Lowell, and the re- 

 sult " of his observations on (what he calls) this 

 apparent disease." 



I feel, with the public at large, greatly indebted 

 to Mr Lowell for his persevering and discrimin- 

 ating attention to any and every thing affecting 



jYote by llie Editor — The insect however, which 

 produces this effect, we believe, is not the Scoly- 

 tus Pyri. The pear tree insect, or Scolytus Pyri, 

 is thus adverted to by Professor Peck. '• The grub 

 had eaten the inner layer of wood, a part of the me- 

 dulla or pith, and about half c f the second layer of 

 wood, in a circular direction, /eaDt«^ the alburnum 

 or sap wood untouched, except at the exit." [See 

 Mass. Agr. Repos. vol. iv. page 206. The effects 

 produced by the insect which our correspondent 

 represents as having " cut twigs from the apple 

 tree, and from the English walnut" are of a differ- 

 ent kind, and correspond with the results of the 

 mischievous labours of the insect called the Jf'vod 

 cutler, or Oah pruner. which is described in the 

 Mass. Agr. Repos. vol. v. page 308. [See likewise 

 the New England Farmer vol. iii. page 25, 26.] — 

 The Oak pruner eats away all the ivood of small 

 brandies leaving only the bark entire ; this is 

 broken by the first strong breeze, and the branch 

 with the larva in it falls to the ground. 



Your humble servant, 



W. JACKSO]^* 



Plymouth, Atgitst 9, 1826. 



MILLET. 

 Mr Fessenden — I send you a specimen of 

 crop of Millet, now harvesting. On exaniinat 

 it must be obvious that if cut at the right stage 

 maturity, it may be called, like Indian Corn, m. 

 tieadow and manure, and my experience so 

 ♦arrants the belief that, next to that invalua 



tlant, it should enter more extensively into - 

 otation system, than any other — always consid 

 jng Potatoes as the pioneers. The stubble appe 



[xceedingly succulent, and if turned in as soon 

 he crop is off, must, in my opinion, make consi 

 able returns to the soil. This course I intend 

 iry for a crop of turnips on 2J or 3 feet ridg 

 ivith a little manure under them. And if the plou 

 s kept going often between the ridges, while 

 furnips are growing, they will be as forward as 

 iown broad cast a fortnight earlier, as repea 

 jials on my farm have proved ; besides, the la 

 will be left light and in fine order for any crop 



(he spring. But no crop that I ever raised lea' 

 he soil more dead and heavy than turnips so 

 broad cast. 



I may offer you some further remarks on Mil 

 when the result of the experiment is fully dem^ 

 strated. The motive for addressing you at presi 



