()L. V. 



lillGlNAL PAP E US 



NEW ENGLAND FARPIER. 



Published by JouN B. Rcssei.i. at No. 5'2 Norlli Mnrknt Street, (opposite Fanueil Hall)— Thomas U. F kssk^dkn, Editor. 



BOSTON, FMIDAY, MAKCH 2=?, 18-27 



No. 35. 



lOR THE NEW ENCLAKD FARMER. 



GIRDLING FRUIT TREES. 

 I Fr.ssKNDE.N — It is a rurious, but not entire- 

 pvel case, that the discovery of the effect of 

 iiiir fruit trees iu forcing them into early 

 n'j; has been rerentl:/ claimed as a new 

 vfcment, for an English, a German, and a 

 icii horticulturist. Yet in truth, it was as 

 known to the celebrated Bufi'on as to any 

 em cultivator. 



3 was induced to make extensive experiments 

 le decortication of forest trees prior to their 

 g felled, with a view to :iscertain the compar- 

 ; strength and durability of timber cut with 

 bnrk on, and that from which the bark haxl 

 I removed some yesirs previously to its being 

 d. He found the strength of tlie wood of 

 5 whose bark had been previously removed a 



or two before its beins cut, much greater 

 that of trees felled with the bark on. And 

 jund, moreover, tluit trees will live from one 

 lur years after the whole bark had been remov- 

 He then tried girtlling of fruit trees, and the 

 win;: sketch from his works will show, that 

 IS completely and satisfactorily tested the ef- 

 i of it, as any modern cultivator has done. " I 

 • made, (says the Comte lie Buffon,) many ex- 

 tienls upon a variety of fruit trees. It is a 

 :)'?i or infallible mode of hastening the period 

 learing. " They (the girdled trees) blossom 

 elimes three weelis before others, and give 

 icr fruit, and equally troo'! the first year. I 

 3 even had fruit on a rear tree, trom which I 



removed not only the bark, but all the sap 

 I (r.lburnum) and these premature fruits were 

 ood as those of other trees. I have also re- 

 ed the whoh bark from top to bottom of large 

 e trees and vigorous plum trees. This opera- 

 has destroyed, ever after the first year, the 

 llest of these trees, but the large ones have 

 etimes resisted the effects of this barking for 

 or three years. They were covered earlier 

 1 other trees with a prodigious quantity of 

 ers, but the fruit which succeeded never ripen- 

 nor even attained any considerable size, 

 availed myself (says Buffon) of the experience, 

 of the knowledge, which these various trials 

 rded me to attempt to force into fruit trees of 

 Mous growth which seemed to throw al. their 

 e into the production of wood. I made my 

 t e;<periuient on a quince tree. I removed the 

 k in a spiral form froui two branches of this 

 Tliese two branches alone gave fruit — the 

 ers remained barren. Instead of removing the 

 k. I .wmetimes simply tied a cord round a 

 nch — tiie effect was the same, I had the picas 



of gathering the fruits of trees which had 

 in long barren. y 



n what manner soever you interrupt or inter- 

 it the sap, you are sure of hastening production 

 fruits, and especially of flowers." 



Buffuii, Supplement, tome iii. p. 158. ^-c. 

 The foregoing extracts prove, that Buffon knew 

 mucli ef the efiect of girdling, or stopping the 



I descent of the sap as any naturalist of the preseiil ! up my opinion, sir, that Long 1-: .■■ i ■ a most fa- 

 nVe. vourable spot for the rearing of nurseries of trees, 



One of his e.xperiiiients on the pear tree shows, | on account of their /nil exposure to all winds, and 

 that neither the bark, nor the alburnum or sa])yn.s imim>liale proximity to the ocean itself. For the 

 I wood are absolutely necessary.to the production gentlemen whose names are connected with the 

 of flowers and perfect fruit His lorest trees advertisement referred to, I have the greatest 

 hiidi were girdled sometimes lived to the fourth respect, and doubt not for a moment their full be- 

 lief in the accuracy of their opinious, although 1 

 aui compelled by my experience to differ from 

 them. You may expect frequent communications 



year. | 



These curious experiments of that learned and 

 ingenious man will explain the rare, and as we 

 then deemed it anomalous and unexampled fact of 

 the prolonged duration of life of a button vvood 

 tree, (Platanus) iu the grounds of Benjamin God- 

 dard, Esq. of Brooklyn, whicli existed feebly for 

 some years after the destruction of its bark and al- 

 burnum or sap vfood. 



I w-ill only add a few of my own experiments on 

 the orange and lemon trees. I found that the 

 girdled limbs broke out into the most exuberant 

 state of flowering the year after the experiment 

 of girdling, while the residue of the limbs still 

 contirined and now continue, five years after, bar- 

 ren. The fruit, however, did not ripen. 



On thirty different pear trees, girdling one limb 

 on each, the girdled limbs produced flowers :inl 

 fruit, many years before the other ungirdled limbs; 

 but in ever;! case, the girdled limbs have either 

 perished, or are in a sickly state. I have tried 

 the experiment on the fig, on the currant, and on 

 many flower trees. The growth is improved but 

 all the plants which have pith in the centre, are 

 .Jii.ble-to be broken off by a slight stroke, or by 

 wind. 1 cannot recommend giidling except tor 

 the vine, where it may be used fearlessly on 

 haalthy limbs, and in a constant succession of 

 years. It may also be employed for the purpose 

 of ascertaining at an earlier period than nature 

 would ordinarily afford, the quality of unknovn, 

 and new varieties of fruits. The peach and the 

 cherry are impatient under the process of girdling. 

 They are liable to gummy exudations, which are 

 often fatal to the tree. • Notices of unco:nmon 

 growths of trees often appear in your paper. The 

 willow, or I should rather say, the most common 

 species of the willow cultivated here is the most 

 rapid in its growth of any tree we have. One on 

 my ground planted out as a cutting, 35 years 

 since, now measures 18 feet in circumference, and 

 a button wood 18 years old, cut this season, 

 measured 2 feet in diameter. These growths may 

 very fairly be compared with any you have pub 

 lished. 

 Roxhury, March 15, 1827. 



from me in future. Yours most respect'ly, 



VVM. PRINCE. 

 Linncean Botanic Garden, near \ 

 J^ew York, Mnreh 12, 1827. J 



FRUIT TREES. 

 Mr Fessf.nde.n — Perceiving an erroneous re- 

 mark in an advertisement in your paper, I think it 

 should not remain uncontroverted. It is that trees 

 transplanted from this vicinity to the Northern 

 States arc not so well calculated to thrive as those 

 raised in your immediate vicinity. This fact is 

 disproved by the circumstance that I never had 

 trees to thrive more than a collection which was 

 transplanted from South Carolina — and you will 

 readily perceive the disparity in climate is far 

 greater. Another proof to the contrary is Ihc full 

 suoess which has hitherto attended those sent 

 from Long Island to your vicinity. I have made 



SALE OF WOOL. 

 The quantity of wool offered at the sale on the 

 IGth inst. under the direction of the New England 

 Society, was, we understand, much less than it 

 probably would have been, had so active a demand 

 been anticipated, as was the fact exhibited at the 

 s.ile. From the supposed depressed state of tiie 

 manufacturers, the holders of wool declined bring- 

 ing forward their stocks, and that which was of- 

 fered, we under-itand. was in general of inferior 

 quality. The prices given were higher than ex- 

 pectod. 



Sale of American Wool, at the Hall over the 

 Market, by Coolidge, Poor, &. Head, March 16. — 

 Terms, under JiiGO, cash, HlOO to 500, 4 months : 

 $.500 and over, Ci months. 



Lot, No 1 high srrade Fleece Wools, 3000 lbs. 

 26 cents— 2. do W!i do. 27— .3, f a J blood, 500 

 do .31i— 4, full blood, 300 do 23A— 5, Merino, 250 

 do 2(ri— 0, I to full blood, 300"" do 32^-7, un- 

 washed, 700 do 25—8, Merino, 1st quality, 500 do 

 61—9, high grade, 1000 do 25—10. do 800 do 26 



13. 1000 do mixed 20i — 14, washed, full blood 



Meriro, with 13 fleeces Saxony, 1600 do 35 — 15. 

 full blood Merino 1600 do 38—16 grade, 1000 do 



25 ^ 17, full blood Merino and Saxon. 1500 do 



30j'__18, grade, 1200 do 24i — 19, full blood, se- 

 lected fleeces, 1300 do 38—20, do and 2 Saxony 

 fleeces, 1200 do 4U — 21, full blood and high grade 

 2-500 lbs. 22 — 22, full blood selected fleeces, 1200 

 ]bs. 42 23, washed Merino, 25 cents — 24, un- 

 washed, 17 — 25, unwashed Merino, 300 lbs- 22i 



2^. Z to full blood Merino, and one bag Saxon. 



230 lbs". 39 27, coarse Carpet Wool, 800 lbs. 9 



—28, grade, 1000 lbs. 28.1—29, full blood, fine, 

 36;^- 30, Native, 2.300 lbs."4— 31, do 1000 11^— 

 .32,"" do 1200 do 20—33, Merino, 450, 37—34, 

 Washed, 3d qualitv 800 lbs 45—35, do 2d do 750 

 Ho ,5.3i— 36, do. 1st do 850 do ,56— 37, Merino, 

 6.50 do 37—36. Lamb's Wool, 1600 do 333— 39,do 

 superior quality, 2300 do 34—40, Black Lambs" 

 do 700 do 8—41, do do 750 do 18^. 



CHEAP, WHOLESOME AND SAVOURY 

 FOOD. 



Take one pound of rice, steep it in cold water 

 for several hours, (or from the night before would 

 rlo better) then put it into boiling water, and, pre- 

 viously steeped enough it will be boiled suflicient- 

 Iv in about ten minutes ; then pour off the water 

 and dry it on the fire, as in cooking potatoes. — 

 Use it with the following gravy or sauce : — Two 

 or three ounces of mutton suet fried with onions 



