li 



NEW ENGLAND FARMEK. 



Aiiijudt 1], Jb2t). 



shoot last fez.T, and it was not removed. The in- 1 

 sect had full play, and this year destroyed other 



If the great change of temperature: iu April had 

 been the cause, other trees touching and inter- 

 lacing their limhs with this, in the seme soil, and 

 fxposure, must have been iu some dfgree affect- 

 ed. Vet never was the vigour gjeater, or the 

 fruit faker. I would add one word ipou the theo- 

 ry of Mr Jackso.n, very ingenious aid very natu- 

 ral, as it was based upon unquestio^abIe facts. — 

 Never have we experienced, as he says, a more 

 extraordinary change, than tliat of J*pril last. It 

 was fatal to the fruit of the peach, nfctarine, plum 

 and apricot, from Boston to Gardine- in Maine. 



But we object to the suggestion, tlat tliis check 

 forced the sap to produce wood, and thus obstruct- 

 ed the future ascent of sap, because wood cannot 

 be produced except through the igency of the 



loaves or (in other words) when the plant is in its 



most perfect state of action — because if the sudden 

 frost had produced any effect, it woud liave been 

 to rupture the vessels, and rend the bark ; an ef- 

 fect not unusual on tlie cherry and th; horse ches- 

 nut, by very severe winter frosts. Eut lastly, be- 

 cause this effect would have been gcicnd instead 

 of being confined to the julienne pear, as in Mr 

 Jackso^n'c case, or to one tree in ray nvii. 



I conclude by saying, that I hope \ am right ; 

 and am persuaded my respectable lorticultural 

 friend will join in that hope, because, our dangers 

 and alarm will be tliereby much diminished, and 

 the remedy will bo more under our own control. 

 What we can prevent by ordinary*ca:e is certain- 

 ly a less evil, than that which is procuced by the 

 elements, over which we have no ccntrol what- 

 ever. ' J. LOWELL. 



P. S. You were entirely correct, Kr Editor, in 

 your distinction between the Scolytis Pyri, and 

 and the " pruner" as he has been ciUed, which 

 attacks the oak and many other trees, (possibly) 

 though it is not certain that they are the same in- 

 sect. The Scolytus Pyri Itaves untouched so 

 much of the wood, that the severest gales never 

 cause it to fall — and liense is the deeper injury 

 which the Scolytus effects. The wood perishes 

 downwards, as is the esse with all diseased limbs 

 left on the tree, while the pruning insect does Mm/ 

 which man ought to do, and leaves the tree vvitli 

 no greater loss, than the small branch cut off. 



THE SEASON. 



It is some time since I have made any communi- 

 cation for your paper, yet I think it would be use- 

 ful and entertaining, if people in different sections 

 would state some short account of. the passing 

 seasons and their effects on agricultuiie. 



The last winter with us was open aiid mild, ex- 

 cept a few cold days at several tiai^, that were 

 soon succeeded by thaws. Tliere w|.s very little 

 snow or sledding, and often muddy roAds for stage 

 waggons ; that it was deemed unfavourable for 

 winter grain, and the frost did not penetrate deep 

 enough in the ground to continue the sugar trees 

 to run but for a few days. 



In the month of May was an uncommon drought, 

 f planted my garden as usual, and very few of the 

 seeds came up until after the rains in June, which 

 was generally the case with Indian corn, althougli 

 it now appears flourishing, as also late sowed oats. 



WINTER GRAIN AND FRUIT. 



Winter grain with us will come in very light, 

 occasioned by the freezing and tiiawing in the 



winter, loosening the roots, and the drought in the 

 spring preventing their recovery. The stalks turn 

 up very weak and small, too much so to nourish 

 and support heavy heads after the refreshing 

 rains. 



Apples, there will be but few as from my course 

 of observations I have noticed is always the case 

 after a mild open winter. That may perhaps be 

 the reason that apples do not succeed in the south- 

 ern as well as in the northern states. Apple trees 

 and sugar trees always produce most after being 

 severely frozen in the winter. 



GARDENING. 



One discovery I have accidentally made in gar- 

 dening that I tliink v-Jorthy of public attention. It 

 is how to exterminate the small yellow bugs that 

 are so very destructive to young cucumber leaves 

 and melons, iu ai) easy cheap manner, by fire. — 

 Perhaps there was no place whore tho.se destruc- 

 tive insects were more numerous than in my gar- 

 den, and I had tried every means that I could read 

 of to keep them from destroying my young vines, 

 with but a partial success. 



Last season I discovered one evening that these 

 bugs came into the house, and flew into the can- 

 dle. The next evening I w as prepared for them 

 by building several light blazing fires amongst my 

 young vines in the garden. I repeated the fires 

 for two more evenings only ; since that time no 

 sign of the bugs hath ever been seen in my gar- 

 den. I have had no occasion to make any more 

 such fir?s — there has been not the least appear- 

 ance of any such bugs, although my neighbors 

 that did not build any such fires, have had their 

 young vines either injured, or cut off as heretofore, 

 ily calculations are, that one shilling's worth of 

 labour, in building blazing fires in the evening, 

 with shavings or any fine dry fuel, will secure a 

 garden from the damage of these insects, if not in 

 time exterminate them. 



DURABILITY OF FRDIT TREES. 



I was much pleased with the ideas of my vene- 

 erable friend Col. T. Pickering that the different 

 kinds of apples have all different periods of life or 

 existence. I have no knowledge of the different 

 kinds of European apples by the names, that he 

 has mentioned, but several facts that have come 

 under my observation fully prove his theory to 

 be correct in principle ; and tliat the periods of 

 existence, of tlie different kinds of apples are as 

 various and uncertain, as that of human life. 



For one instance amongst many others, in the 

 year 1751, my father planted seeds for a nursery ; 

 and raised the trees for liis orchard on the place of 

 my nativity. Two of the trees were such superior 

 good fruit, large, fair and delicious, that grafts 

 from them both, were generally spread through 

 that neighborhood. Thirty years ago, I brouglit 

 some grafts and set in a tree on tiiis farm ; they 

 grew slower tlian other kinds ; at the same time 

 they both bore a very little for a few years, but 

 they were very small, scabby at the blossom end, 

 and on one side the skin grew to the core. In a 

 few years the limbs died, while other branches of 

 the trees flourished. 



In the summer of 1819 I paid perhaps ray last 

 visit through the neighborhood of my nativity. 1 

 made inquiries respecting them, and other kinds 

 of apples. It appeared they were all extinct and 

 gone ; and such may be said to have died in tlieir 

 youth. The famous Indian or Townsend apple 

 has survived through ages as wo may say imme- 



morial, and for longevity may be ranked with th 

 antedeluvians. As far back as the family trad 

 tion extends,which is to the year l(i85 or 6; it waji 

 then admired as a much larger apple tree than an 

 in England, although it grev/ on a poor gravel; 

 soil, in an old Indian field. I remember being { 

 it, when small, and hearing some sensible old me 

 say that according to the growth of trees it mus 

 be older than Columbus. 



The very superior size and quality of those aj 

 pies induced people to take grafts in various d 

 rections ; they have been grafted and regrafte^ 

 which Dr Darwin says is but an elongation of th 

 same tree. I have a number of trees grafted 

 my orchard, now of a good size for bearing.- 

 Twenty-five or twenty years ago, I thouj^t th( 

 had not depreciated from the original tree. Witi 

 in the last two or three years, I have had reas( 

 to alter my opinion, as they had not grown 

 near their former size ; they begin to be scabby ; 

 the blossom ends, and in many of them the sk 

 growing to the core on one side. These are, 

 my opinion, true signs that they are nearly doi 

 with their long period of existence. 



From this and otlier cases, I am satisfied in rr 

 own mind, that apples of superior quality, are, 

 have been as much natives of Pennsylvania, as tl 

 oaks of the forest. 



SAMUEL PRESTON 



Stockport, Pa. July 28, 182(5. 



THE BAD QUALITY OF THE POTATO 



IN THE BOSTON MARKET, AND SOiME 



REMARKS ON THE CAUSES OF IT. 



It s not a question, whether the potatoes offc 

 ed f«r sale in the Boston market are (to speak ge 

 era^yjbad, unpalatable and unwholsome. The fa 

 is tJO well known, and too universally admitted, 

 be a subject of debate — It is only necessary to i 

 (jjire, what are the causes of this inferiority, ai 

 vv^iether there are any remedies for the evil ? 



There are some permanent causes, which i 

 care or art can overcome, which will always re 

 der the potatoes raised for the supply of Bosti 

 inferior to those produced in Nova Scotia, Ne 

 Brijnswick and Maine. 



The soil and climate of the vicinage of Bost 

 are both unfavourable to the production of the 6e- 

 quality of potatoes. A moist climate and a moi 

 soil arc most favourable to tliem. This is to be i 

 fefred from the fact, that Lancashire county 

 Ehgland, has been admitted to produce the mo 

 mealy and perfect potatoes, it is well known th 

 its soil is generally moist, and the rains mo 

 a|)undant on the westerly coast of England, 

 which Lancashire is situated, than any other.- 

 Ileland, also, produces potatoes almost universal 

 of excellent quality, and Ireland is proverbial fc 

 iffe moisturc,its constant verdure, which has acqui 

 eo for it the popular name of the " Emerald Isle 

 Tjlie soil in the vicinity of Boston is generally dr 

 cpnsisting chiefly of a surface more or less sha- 

 low of vegetable mould, with an under stratum > 

 gravel. Yet we have in every town, tracts of lai 

 sufficiently moist, on which excellent potatoes ca 

 in all seasons, be raised, as soon as the consume; 

 ip Boston will demand, by paying a difference • 

 price, and by rejecting potatoes of bad quality, 

 more palatable and wholesome production. Bi 

 the causes above stated are by no means, the oiil 

 or the most important ones of the inferiority oft! 

 potatoes offered for sale in the Boston market.- 

 Thc market gardener seeks of course only his ow 



