£l)c JTavmcv's i-ttontljln ilisitnv. 



25 



;, as it exposes the soil more fullv to the notion 

 the frost, and disarranges all abodes for the 

 titer made by insects, may have a tendency to 

 ninish their number. 



fi. The time ami manner of bar vesting. 

 When the tops begin to wither and fall, then 

 is usual to start the onions from their bed and 

 row them together in rows, say eight or ten 

 awing iows into one. After they have lain 

 js about one week, they are stirred and turned 

 th a rake, and in about one week more, when 

 ■ ground is dry and the weather fair, I hey are 

 thered up by carl-loads and taken to the barn. 

 ire they are sorted and cleared of refuse leaves, 

 d then they are in a condition to be bunched 

 barreled. 



It should be remarked, that a large part of the 

 lor of weeding, gathering and sorting the 

 ion can lie performed by children from ten to 

 [teen years of age. Boys of ibis age, when 

 operly instructed, will do about as much as 

 3ii. They are more uiinlile and call come at 

 b work with greater facility. The sorting of 

 s onion is frequently done by girls as well as 

 boys. From three to live dollars a week, at 

 ". cent a basket, are usually earned by them 

 ring the period of harvesting — which includes 

 e months of September and October. After 

 B crop is taken o(F, if the surface is sloping, it 

 useful to plough furrows about one rod apart, 

 keep the surface from washing. Unless this 

 done, all the herbage being gone, much of the 

 il will he likely to he misplaced, by the melt- 

 '• snows and running of water in the spring. 

 The inquiry arises, whether the growth of the 

 ion is limited to soils of particular character, 

 whether it can be cultivated upon any good 

 il, with proper attention. We know that there 

 a popular impression, that there are but few 

 aces in which the onion can be cultivated ad- 

 utageously. So far as our own observation 

 is extended, this impression is in a great mea- 

 re erroneous. Like every other plant, the 

 lion grows best on very good soils, in very 

 iod condition. But we have known very fair 

 ops on plain, light land, after the same was 

 ell saturated with manure, uiuscle-hed or ashes, 

 good substratum must be laid before a good 

 op can be expected; and this being done, a 

 op may be expected on almost any soil that 

 ill support other vegetables. 

 If we were asked what course is best to be 

 irsued with land on which onions have never 

 •en raised, to bring il into a condition for a sue 

 ssful cultivation of the crop, we should say — 

 ■gin by ploughing to the full depth of the nti- 

 itive soil, and during the first and second years, 

 oroughly subdue ami mellow the soil by the 

 iltivalion of crops of corn and carrots, and Wi- 

 lli dressings of manure; then thoroughly in- 

 irporate. with the soil a dressing of strong uia- 

 ire, and muscle-bed, just covering this dress- 

 g; then harrow the surface thoroughly, and 

 ear it of all roots, weed- or other obstructions; 

 en apply a coaling of lively, well rotted ma- 

 in; to [he surface and hush-harrow it; and 

 en it will he in a condition to receive the seed, 

 bich is to he inserted us soon as the opening 

 the spring will admit of its being done. 

 We are aware that we make the raising of the 

 lion dependant upon severe labor and vigilant 

 lenliou. We know that it cannot be success- 

 lly done without these. But it is not labor 

 st. No cultivation, within our observation, 

 stter re-pays for the labor and incidental e\- 

 •nses. We have known, tin; present season, 

 •res I ! i 1 1 hava; yielded their owners a net in- 

 line of more than two hundred dollars: and 

 e know that a man with two boys, can well at- 

 iid to halt' a dozen acres of such cultivation. 

 H rely, when as at present, there is no limit to 

 ie demand for the article, and a ready cash 

 larket, those who have acres and are willing to 

 hor, need not be in want of a fair compensa 

 on for their labor. 



As samples of the present year's produce in 

 ie town of Dan vers, «ve state the following that 

 live come under our notice: 

 John Peaslee, 3 acres. 1DS0 bushels. 



Daniel Oaliorn & Son, 115 " 870 " 

 James P. King, 1 1-3 " < if JO " 



Aaron C. Proctor, 1 1-4 " <!00 " 



E. & D Buxton, (I l-'2 " 2750 



Henry Bnshhy, 4 " 2000 



Joseph Bushbv, :i li 1500 " 



Yielding an average of more than 500 bushels to 

 the acre. 



CULTIVATION OK FOREST TREES. 



By the revised statutes of Massachusetts, it is 

 provided, that " Every agricultural society which 

 shall receive the bounty of the State, shall oiler, 

 annually, such premiums mid encouragement, for 

 the raising and preserving of oaks, and other 

 forest trees, as to them shall seem proper, and 

 best adapted to perpetuate, within the State, an 

 adequate supply of ship timber." 



Prompted by this statute provision, as well as 

 by the generous donation of Richard S. Kay, Esq., 

 on the same subject, herewith published, we wish 

 re lie wed ly to call the attention of the farmers of 

 the county, to this interesting subject. In some 

 of the early numbers of the Society's publica- 

 tions, will be found useful instruction on this 

 subject, from the pen of Mr. Pickering, who was 

 always full to overflowing wiih all kinds of use- 

 ful instruction. But as these numbers may not 

 be readily at command, we have solicited from 

 several gentlemen best able to instruct, such re- 

 marks as seemed to them most appropriate ; and 

 have been favored with full and interesting re- 

 plies : 



Linmcre, Sept. 25M, 1847. 



Dear Sir : — I regret that my engagements 

 elsewhere, prevents my attending the Agricul- 

 tural Fair on the twenty-ninth at Lynn. I wish 

 through you to propose a prize, to be offered by 

 the association under their rules, of one hundred 

 dollars, the money to be furnished bv me, for the 

 best plantation of oaks of not less than one acre; 

 the prevailing species lo consist of the white and 

 the black or yellow oak, to be grown from the 

 acorn planted this autumn or in the spring, on 

 land not now under tillage or in mowing. — 

 The prize to be awarded in 1852, and the money 

 in the meantime to be placed at interest for the 

 benefit of the successful competitor. Notice to 

 he given by each person intending to compete 

 for the prize, stating the locality of the land, I hat 

 it may be viewed and registered. 



I name a small sum, and a small piece, of land, 

 in order lo bring it within reach of every farm- 

 er's son whose lather has — and what farmer has 

 not? — an acre of idle and unprofitable land. It 

 will require no great expenditure of time, and no 

 money to enable any person to plant out an acre, 

 and the advantage to the person so doing, would 

 far exceeil ihe labor bestowed, even if an unsuc- 

 cessful competitor. Should there he ten or more 

 entries for this year, I pledge myself to renew the 

 prize for the next ten years, upon the same terms. 

 With much regard, 



Very truly \onrs, 



RICHARD S. FAY. 



P. S. I had intended to furnish some rules to 

 be observed in making oak plantations, but they 

 are so conflicting as laid down by different plant- 

 ers, that I have concluded it will be best for eve- 

 ry one to follow out their own ideas upon the 

 subject, referring them however lo Emerson on 

 Trees, Shrubs, &.<;., for some rules extracted from 

 London's great work. I cannot help cautioning 

 against planting the aeorn too deep; an inch in 

 depth is enough for any of our native acorns. 



R. S. F. 

 To B. T. Reed, Esq. 



Boslon, Nov. 0/h, 1847. 



Dear Sir: — It gives me great pleasure to learn, 

 from your favor of the third, that an interest has 

 begun to be felt in the cultivation of the best of 

 our forest trees. Mr. Fay is taking the right 

 course to foster and stimulate a taste for cultiva- 

 tion. Many persons would he glad to attempt 

 cultivation if they could afford the expense ; 

 and the prospect of gaining the premium, will 

 he sufficient to induce them to make the attempt. 

 He has also, I think wisely, proposed the premi- 

 ums in terms so general as to leave the shaping 

 the particular conditions to practical agricultur- 

 ists. 



I am sorry that my want of experience in ag- 

 riculture will prevent me from giving any sug- 

 gestions of practical value. 



There are two distinct objects to lie regarded 

 in the cultivation of forest trees — their pecuniary 

 value as fuel and timber, and their use as orna- 



ments, screens and shades. The cultivation in 

 the two cases must be quite different. Yet I 

 suppose the fust steps must ill all eases be the 

 same. In our hard and barren. soil, the land on 

 which the seed was sown, or the young trees 

 planted, must, for many years, be cultivated, 

 while the plants are growing, in order that they 

 may make any show at all even in twenty years. 

 They will douhtless grow without cultivation, but 

 very slowly. If an open pasture or newly clear- 

 ed land should he taken, the process must be 

 very different in the two cages. In an old, open, 

 uncultivated pasture, the soil anil sub-soil are 

 usually very hard, presenting great obstacles to 

 the penetration of the roots. In this case, the 

 ground must be ploughed and sub-soil ploughed, 

 that it may be opened and loosened, to the depth 

 of two feet. After the acorns are sown, or the 

 trees planted, the plough can go only between 

 the rows, leaving Ihe sub-soil beneath the rows 

 unmoved. This shows the necessity of getting 

 the ground in proper condition before the opera- 

 tion of sowing or planting begins. 



The best kin. Is of oak are those of the white 

 oak group, viz: the common white oak, the 

 swamp white oak — hoth of them common in Es- 

 sex county — the over-rnp oak anil the mossy-cup, 

 the latter to be found in Berkshire ; the stem- 

 fruited, and the vessile-fruited which grow read- 

 ily in our climate, and the chesnut oak, found 

 north and south of us, and the rocky mountain 

 oak, found in rocky hills, in several pans of Ihe 

 State. The wood of all these eight is of great 

 value, as fuel and for timber uses. The next 

 group is the red oak group, containing the black 

 or yellow-barked oak, the scarlet oak, ihe pin 

 oak, ami the two varieties of ihe red, called the 

 red and the grey. The black and the scarlet are 

 common in Essex county, and are valuable and 

 very beautiful. The pin oak is found farther 

 south, hut would I think, grow readily here. The 

 red oak is a rapid grower, and a beautiful liee, 

 but the least valuable of the oaks for fuel or tim- 

 h-r. There is one species of ihe live oak group, 

 I mean the willow oak, which grows so luxuri- 

 antly in the Slates but little south of this, that I 

 have no doubt that it would grow here. 



The time for sowing the acorns is in the au- 

 tumn, immediately after they have fallen from the 

 tree. Il is vnry difliult to keep the acorns through 

 ihe winter, and il is necessary only, when they 

 are to he transporte I lo a distance. ' They should 

 be placed just below the surface. The plants 

 must for some years be kept free from weeds. I 

 suppose the most profitable way of doing this is 

 that practised in the peach-orchards in New 

 Jersey, which are for .-ome years covered wilb 

 crops of beans, potatoes, or something else suit- 

 able lo the soil. 



The first acre, sown or planted as a nursery, 

 will hear plants enough for many acres of forest. 

 As they grow larger they may he* thinned out and 

 transplanted ; and when too large for that, inav 

 he gradually thinned for poles or for fuel. 1 

 suppose that either for ornament or for timber 

 forest, il would he a great advantage to continue 

 lo cultivate between the trees until thev cast so 

 deep a shade that nothing would profitably 

 grow. 



If recently cleared forest land is to he restored 

 to forest, ploughing may be necessary, but proba- 

 bly not subsoil ploughing, as the roots will have 

 kept the ground open and porous by their own 

 penetration. The thing to he principally regard- 

 ed is the character of the prei ions growth. Land 

 ought not to he chosen which has already been 

 covered with oaks, unless tin' cultivator is will- 

 ing to f_<o to the expense of trenching to the 

 depth ol two or three feet, to bring lo the surface 

 unused, virgin soil. 



It would he well to cultivate all the different 

 species, as different species are adapted to diffei - 



eut situations: the swamp oak and Ssy-etlj) to 



moist laud, the rock chesnut to dry, rooky bills, 

 the red to sandy, the white to clayey, the black 

 and the scarlet to hard and hungry .-oils. 



Perhaps it would he well to interpret "oaks" 

 as including the oak family, and thus taking in 

 ihe heeeh and chesnut: the former for its beauty 

 as a tree near dwelling houses, the latter for its 

 great rapidity ol' growth, anil for its valule as 

 fencing and building stuff. 



As the terms of the trrisi to the Agricultural 

 Society are so general, perhaps it would be well 

 to give an opportunity to those who wished to 



