44 



THE GENESEE PARMER 



Feb. 12, 1831. 



THE OHNSE3B rARWEH. 



SATURDAY, FEB. 12, 1831. 



YELLOWS II* PEACH TREES. 



We must acknowledge with regard to this 

 disease, we have been rather sceptical. The 

 idea of trees being subject to disease, and more 

 especially a contagious one, carried with it 

 such a connection with sensibility, that we 

 have been inclined to consider it as the vision 

 of some Horticulturist, who in theorising, had 

 given us another proof, that theorists are near- 

 ly allied to madmen. But from actual obser- 

 vation, we are now not only compelled to be- 

 lieve it, but entertain fears of its becoming 

 one of the greatest evils that has ever befallen 

 our fruit gardens. For three years past, we 

 have been watching the progress of this dis- 

 ease, without knowing what it was. The case 

 has been as follows : 



Five or six years since, a gentleman of our 

 acquaintance, sent to one of the southern nur- 

 series for an assortment^of fruit, among which 

 were two peaches. The original .trees be- 

 ing small, two larger trees were inoculated 

 from them, one of each kind. The imported 

 trees were never thrifty, and one of them died; 

 the oiher, though still alive, has made but little 

 growth ; the leaves are small and yellow, and 

 the limbs remarkably small, and has produced 

 but little fruit. The two trees inoculated from 

 them appear stinted in growth, do not perfect 

 their fruit, or very little of it ; some of it ap- 

 pears ripe, when the size of a 9mall rifle ball, 

 and that which attains the largest size ripens 

 two weeks earlier than our common early pea- 

 ches, which were known in the country at the 

 time of the planting of the large trees. In 

 short, the inoculated trees have become as- 

 similated to the imported one that is now liv- 

 ing, in respect to growth and general appear- 

 ance. 



Near these trees was a small nursery of three 

 or four years old. On one of these young 

 trees a peach was discovered, which ripened 

 very early, the tree was marked to be resrrv. 

 ed, as being valuable for its early variety. The 

 other trees of the nursery were taken up, and 

 the early tree allowed to remain, and its ap- 

 pearance since clearly shows that the early ri- 

 pening of the fruit, was in consequence of the 

 tree being diseased. The leaves have been 

 small and yellow, and the whole indicates 

 speedy death. 



From the above described trees, more Ulan 

 fifty young ones have been inoculated, all of 

 vvhieh exhibit undoubted signs of this disease 

 In most instances, thestoeks below vyhero th< 

 bads are inserted, throw out small clusters of 

 sprouts of n feather-like appearance, of a pale 

 yellow colour ; these extend to the length of 

 three or four inches —the leaves wither and 

 die. The buds that have been inserted make 

 a small sickly growth; in some instances, the 

 small trees have died after the inoculation had 

 mads one year's growth, and others after two 

 years, but in no instance have I known one 

 make a healthy growth, although other trees 

 near them, inoculated at the same time with 

 other kind9, have done well. Mr. Prince, in 

 speaking of this disease, says that it is spread 

 by the farina, when the trees are in blossom; 

 wo do not pretend to say this is not tho cas», 



but of this we are certain, that it is spread by 

 inoculation, with a deadly certainty. Mr. 

 Prince further observes, " as soon as a tree is 

 discovered to possess the characteristics of 

 the disease, which is generally known by the 

 leaves putting on a sickly appearance — but of 

 which the premature ripening of the fruit is a 

 decisive proof, it should be marked so as to be 

 removed in the ensuing autumn, which must 

 be done without fail, for if left again to b!oom j 

 it would impart disease to many others in its 

 vicinity. Care is also necessary in its remo- 

 val, to take out all the roots of the diseased 

 tree, especially if another is to be planted in 

 the same place, so that the roots of the tree to 

 be planted, may not come in contact with any 

 of those of the one which was diseased." 



As we do not doubt the prevalence of this 

 disease, we would recommend to all who prize 

 their fruit gardens, to examine them closely, 

 and on the first proof of it to root up and burn 

 any trees that may he affected by it, no matter 

 how choice or costly. Also those who have 

 been procuring trees from the ea9t, if any of 

 them have given Mr. Prince's characteristics of 

 the yellows, we would recommend taking 

 them up before they blossom again, as the on- 

 ly hopes of eradicating it, is by destroying the 

 subject. It may yet be a long time before the 

 cause or cure for this disease is discovered, du- 

 ring which time our trees may all be destroy- 

 ed, if we allow affected ones to remain. In 

 removing, we would recommend to take par- 

 ticular notice of every thing about them that 

 may serve to throw any light upon the subject, 

 as the appearance of the roots, bark, sap, and 

 heart-wood, etc. — whether there can be any 

 marks of insects, or any thing else which 

 might have injured the health of the tree, as 

 it is by such examinations that we are to learn 

 the history ot the malady. 



Let all such discoveries be committed to 

 writing, and be communicated to the public 

 through some of the Horticultural Journals, 

 that such Physiologists as are disposed to give 

 time to the examination of the subject, for the 

 benefit of their country, may receive all the 

 aid the importance of the subject demands. 



For manufacturing, water-rotted flax only is 

 used in Ireland, as dew-rotted is not consid- 

 ered worth working. 



Tftte — If the Irish Manufacturers can afford to pay 

 eighteen ceuts for a pound of flax to manufacture to 

 send to Aaierica, what profit could the Yankees make in 

 the same business when they could buy the flux for hull 

 the money. 



SPINNING FLAX B¥ MACHINERY. 



It is not generally understood that flax is 

 spun by machinery, although most of the Irish 

 linen sold in our markets is manufactured in 

 that way. On the 12th of July 1823, I visited 

 tho Linen Manufacturing establishment of Mr. 

 Crossthwait, (banker of Dublin) at Lucan, a- 

 bout seven miles from the city. At this estab- 

 lishment was manufactured five tons of flax per 

 week, carrying it thro' the spinning, weaviBg, 

 and bleaching processes. The machinery was 



quite as simple as that for spinning cotton, and -jng ik g ax 



CARROTS. 



It Appears not lo be generally understood in 

 this part of the country, that carrots are among 

 the best and most nutritious food for cattle and 

 horses. One bushel of carrots will yield more 

 nourishment than two bushels of oats, or po- 

 tatoes, and it is a remarkable fact, that horses 

 will) frequently leave oats to feed on carrots, 

 after they have acquired a relish for them. — 

 Generally, cattle as well as horses are very 

 fond of them, and thrive astonishingly well, 

 when fed upon them. They not only give 

 them a fine flesh, but a rich brilliant gloss. 



•If our farmers would turn their attention to 

 the raising of this vegetable extensively, they 

 would find an immense saving in grain, as weli 

 as a visible change in the thrift of their ani- 

 mals. As amatterof economy and. profit, il is of 

 vast importance. The quantity of carrots which 

 may be raised from one ace of good land, i? 

 almost incredible Where the land is rich and 

 mellow, an acre will yield from 1,000 to 2,000 

 bushels. The process is simple, and the la 

 bour comparatively light. 



Select a rich piece of ground, tolerably dry, 

 and as free from weeds as possible ; plough it 

 deep, make it mellow, and harrow it smooth. 

 Then sow your ground with the u'ual quanti- 

 ty of flax seed, and harrow it in ; after this, 

 sow about a quart of carrot seed to the acre, 

 and bush it lightly. Both seeds will come up 

 together, but the flax springing up with consid- 

 erable rapidity, will so shade the carrots that 

 they will not gain much size till the flax is 

 pulled. The shade of the flax will also pre- 

 vent tho weeds from growing, so as to inter- 

 fere with the carrots After the flax is pulled' 

 which will be in July, the carrots will be«in to 

 enlarge rapidly, especially if the weeds have 

 been kept in check by the shade, for the pul- 

 ling of the flax will so loosen the earth around 

 them, and so expose them to the rays of the 

 sun, as to give them new vigor and strength. 

 At that time, also, the weeds will not grow ra 

 tpidly, if at all. 



Thus may be raised two valuable crops with- 

 out impoverishing the land, more than by u 

 crop of corn or oats. 



It is not probable that the first attempt would 

 yield so largely as 1 have suggested above, but 

 if yon take the proper preoautions, and are 

 tolerably successful, you will realize from one 

 acre about 1,000 bushels of carrots, worth C 

 hillings per bushel, $375 00 c. 



less expensive. Tho spindles turned about 

 three thousand times per minute, and one girl 

 tended about eighty of them, which spun from fl 

 one hundred to one hundred and twenty runs 

 per day. I also examined about two hundred 

 toils of flax, a part of which was Russian, and 

 the remainder Irish. The Riga Flax, Mr. 

 Crossthwait informed mo, cost from fifty to 

 sixty pounds storhng per ton. Tho Tandarage 

 flax cost eighty pounds per ton, which is near- 

 ly eighteen cents per pound. The same sea- 

 son flax was worth only about ten cents per 

 pound, in most parts of the United States. — 



6 busu. flax-seed, 



10 c. per lb. 

 7 shil. per bush. 



30 00 

 525 



total $4IC35 



To what use can an acre of land be applied; 

 by which it will produce half the amount.— 

 This may seem a large estimate, but It is nev- 

 ertheless true ; and if you wish to test the 

 matter, try it next season. 



Horses will work on carrots, nearly or quite 

 as well as ou oats, and keep in much better 

 order. The Transportation Lines, along the 

 Canal, would find great economy in using tbom 

 as a substitute for oats. 



