390 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



June 29, 1827 



NEW ENGLAND FAR MER. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 1827. 



FINE STRAWBERRIES. 



Samuel G. Perkins, Esq. of Boston has present- 

 ed to the Editor of the N. E. Farmer, a parcel of 

 Strawberries, which for size and flavor were very 

 far superior to any fruit of the kind we had ever 

 before seen. They were raised by Mr Perkins 

 on his estate at Brookline, from plants,\vhich were 



juring their roots. After ploughing, the rows 

 to be cleared of weeds with the hand hoe, and 

 little fresh earth brought into contact with the/ 

 "At the next hoeing, and .all after hoeings^ 

 our common husbandry, the furrows are ti 

 turned towards the rows, so as to form a henti 

 or trench, in the middle of each interval 

 cross the furrows last made, that the land ma- 

 the more thoroughly pulverized. This opera,! 



themselves freely in search of their food, at the 



same time keeping up a fermentation, by which 



the vegetable food is concocted, and brought into 



contact with the roots. For this purpose the 



deeper land is hoed the better. But hoeing should 



cease, or be only superficial, when the roots are 



so far extanded as to be much injured by hoeing. 



They will bear a little cutting without injury. — 



For where a root is cut off, several new branches 



will come in its place. To render the soil more i carries the share of the plough farther froral 



open and porous, so that it shall greedily drink in, roots, and at the same time aifords plenty of frl 

 originally presented to him by the London Horti- 1 the nightly dews, and that rain may not run off, earth about the plants ; which must be finigli 

 cultural Society. Some of the berries which we | but readily soak as it falls, and be retained. Ac- 1 with the hand hoe. But if, in ploughing, any i 

 received were nearly two inches in diameter, and I cordingly, the more and oftener land is hoed, the the plants should chance to be covered, they mu^ 

 about six inches in circumference; and Mr Per- more moisture it retains, the better it bears be set free without delay. , ,jsi»iil" 



kins informs us that one which grew on the same | drought, and the more its plants are nourished. — I "At the last hoeing, either of Indian corn, om ti;i* 

 vines measured more than two inches three-tenths ' Another design of hoeing, and which has not been any thing that is planted in hills, as it is vulji fslhojeol 

 in diameter ! They were of the kind denominat- ; enough attended to, is to nourish plants by draw- larly called, it is best to make but one furrow i iij;ltiej 

 ed the Downton Strawberry, so named from the i ing fresh soil near to them, the effluvium of which an interval, and to pass the plough both ways, o 

 estate of Mr Knight, the famous English horticul- enters the pores above ground, and increases cut the ground into squares with the plough, p lite W 



aofnitw" 



tiheW 



lie 5KS 



turist, who first raised this variety from the seed, 

 and introduced it to public notice. The fruit is 

 shaped like a cock's comb, and is very delicious. 

 We thus have proof,ocular, tangib]e,and palatable, 

 that the breeds of vegetables, as well as of ani- 

 mals may be improved by judicious selection,prop- 

 er crosses and due attenticn to the other items of 

 scientific management. 



ON HOEING CROPS, nnMEDIES FOR DROUGHT, &C 



their growth. At the same time, earthing o' rather with the cultivator. This leaves the rootl; tie lo' 

 plants makes them stand more firmly, and incroas- i the more room, and less work will remain to bnltiKMili 

 es their pasture in the spots whore the roots most i done with the hand hoe. " Litosii 



abound, and prevents the drying of the earth down "If the horse be weak, or the ground hard an* ;fe if 



to the roots. 



" But earthing or hilling of plants should be 

 done with caution. Hilling excessively is hurtful, 

 as it does not permit the roots to have so much 

 benefit from the rains, and too much hinders the 



The best season for hoeing good land, is, two i^^,"*"" "l,^^^ sun upon the lowermost roots.- 

 or three days after rain has fallen, or as soon after ! Whatever hilling is done should be done by little 

 as the soil will not adhere to the hoe, when at I '^"^ ''"f ' ^* ^''"^"^^ hoeings, that the roots may 

 work. Light, dry lands, indeed, may be dressed | gradually and easily accommodate themselves to 

 at almost anytime; but the season for hoeing | ^^e alteration of their condition. Lastly, frequent 

 strong, cky soils, is very frequently short and pre- > lioeing serves to prevent the standing of water on 

 carious. Hence it will be useful to point out the j ^^^ surface, so as to chill the grouid, and check 



proper juncture. There is a period between the 

 time of the clay-soils running together so as to 

 form puddles, in consequence of superfluous moist- 



stiff, it may be needful to let the plough go twice 

 in a place, which makes four times in an intervali 

 For the plough should go as deep for hoeing, at 

 in any other ploughing, or else the intention of j: 

 will be partly defeated ; which is to keep thai 

 quantity of soil light and mellow from which the 

 plants are to draw the most of their nourishment." 

 '• We apply horse hoeing to Indian corn, whsDt 

 the ground is well cleared from obstacles, and< 

 could not be easily persuaded to neglect it. Ev- 

 ery farmer knows how much it saves labour, andr 

 that the crop is increased by it. Why then will 

 they not be persuaded, by all that has been expe- 

 rienced, and written, by some of the wisest far- «ssi 

 mers, to apply this method of culture to any otheT'tlira 

 plants .' I have no doubt it might be done with* 111 

 eqaal advantage. Indeed we cultivate but few(j it 

 plants in tillage, for which this kind of culture^ Die 

 would be improper. In Europe, they horse-hoe< iisi 

 all kinds of grain, and even some kinds of grasS' 



all fermentation in it, 

 "When all the hoeing between rows of plants 

 __ is performed with the hand hoe, the labour is se- 



ure, anT't^at Vf"The?r'7o'nsoiidatrng ^"nTo" hlVd I ^f^"' and moro expensive to the owner ; and the 



cakes from great drought, when they are suffi. pl='"t3W'll.o° the whole, receive far less advau- 



ciently tractable. This is the proper season ; aad t^gc from hoeing. Therefore, where land is tol- 



whatever land is then hoed will not cake togeth- "^''''y free from obstacles, I would earnestly re- 



er till it has been again penetrated by rain, in fommend that the hoe plough, or the common 



which case the operation is to be repeated at the ^^"^"^ P'°"g''' '"^'""^ answers nearly the same end, 

 time just mentioned, and as oflen as is necessary, ^^ """f "f^ ' ^^"^ ^^^ earth stirred with it to a 



till the growing crop begins to cover the soil ; 2°°"^ "^^P*"'; ^""^ frequently, during the proper 



when it will in a manner screen the surface of ^s'^""" °^ hoemg, which is the former part of 

 the land against the intense heat of the sun ; and summer, but varies with respect to different crops, 

 consequently in a great measure prevent the in- ""^ plough, called a cultivator, has been con- 

 conveniences attendant on the consolidation of the structed, with two mouldboards, which turns t!ie 

 soil, durinir dry weather. "'""'" ''°'" ^^'^^'^ ''' °^^'^^' towards each of the two 



" HoeinI is used for four purposes, sometimes """"'^ between which it passes. But as it requires 

 together, but commonly separate ; first, to loosen '^°"' *'''"' ""^ '"'"'' ^o draw it in stiff groun 



weeds so as they may die for want of nourish- 1 *"'° '""ows made with a hoe plough, or horse | der plants, by drawing the scalding hot earth close 

 ment, or be gathered or raked off, for which pur- ! P'°"S'i, according to the customary practice, may , to their stems. But the opinion entertained by 

 pose, either the thrust or draw hoe may be used ; ''"swer full as well. When the soil is light and j many, that no hoeing at all should be done in 8 

 the second, to stir the soil, and for this purpose, '"<^"°W' '<■ will be a saving of time to use this cul- I dry season, is irrational and ridiculous. They de- 

 when no weeds require killinff, the pronged hoe t'^^'o"" ' ^"^ t^o work will be done with more re- prive their land of the benefit of the dew, by nog- 

 is preferable, as being thrust deeper with less 

 force, and as likely to cut the roots of the plants; 

 the third is to draw up or accumulate soil about 

 the stems of plants, for which purpose a hoe with 

 a large blade or shovel will produce most effect ; 

 and the fourth is to form a hollow gutter or drill, 

 in which to sow or insert the seeds of plants, for 

 which a large or small draw-hoe may be used, ac- 

 cording to the size of the seeds to be buried. — 



Jaijet 

 liijjili 

 illle vail) 



leij t! 



letcive 

 Sthof 

 I tee 



" In a dry season, or in land that is in no dai> 

 ger of ever being too wet, it is advisable to hoi 

 only in the morning and evening. And if farmers 

 will work as early and late as they can, they may 

 afford to desist, and rest tliemselves from nine till 

 four, when the air is hottest. The ground will 

 get and retain the more moisture which is thus 

 hoed early and late. And in the middle of some 

 of our hottest days, there is danger of hurting ten- 



tivator ; and the work will be done with more re- 

 gularity and neatness, if guided with skill and 

 due care. 



The usual method of horse hoeing is as follow? : 

 At the first hoeing, turn the furrows from the 

 rows, so that they form a veering, or ridge, in 

 the intervals between the rows. The plough 

 should pass as near to the rows as may be with- 

 out danger of eradicating or disturbing the plants ; 

 for it is best that tke soil be loosened as near to 

 the roots as possible : Because when they are ten- 

 der and weak, they will extend their roots b 



The use of the hoe for any of the above purposes 

 requires dry weather." , 



Deane's New England Farmer says that"hopintr ''"'" ' '""' "'^f'' »'" ^<^ "o opportunity a.fterwar.ls 

 is of use " to keep the soil from becoming too «/ P'o"ghing and extending the earth so near to 

 compact, which prevents the roots extending 



; them, without too much danger of tearim' and iii- 



lecting to hoe it, suffer it to be overrun with de- 

 structive weeds, which rob the plants of most of 

 their nourishment, and allow the ground to be so 

 compacted and hard, that the rain when it comos 

 will not penetrate it. This strange opinion v, ill 

 occasion muah loss to those whose conduct is in- 

 fluenced by it. " 



CUTTING GRASS FOR HAY. 



In the cutting of grass crops for the purpo ^^' 

 being converted into h.iy, it is necessary thr.t tucy 

 be in the most suitable states of growth and ri.:ii.u- 

 litv, for affording the best and most nutritious t'od- 

 (ler. With this view they should neither be cut 

 at too early a period, or suffered to stand too long; 



