£l)c iarmer*0 ittontbhj Visitor. 



83 



bed shoulil be so situated ns lu have the full ben- 

 efit of ibe vim .-ill day und free from the drip of 

 trees, shrubs, &c, and if practicable, should 



ran^e east and west. 1 have generally bad this 

 vegetable in my garden, but from not attending 

 to the bed properly, have not succeeded very 

 well. 



The currant is a garden fruit of great value. 

 It is recommended that it should he transplanted 

 in place — two years from the cuttings, and in 

 putting them out he sure not only to dig the 

 holes as large as you intend the roots to expand, 

 but also to a depth of at least two feet, filling up 

 the space previously occupied by the subsoil 

 with good earth. I have succeeded very well 

 with the currant. I have not generally trans- 

 planted the cuttings, but let them grow as they 

 were first set out. 



The strawberry is the earliest of all fruits 

 generally cultivated in this part of the country, 

 and it is one of the most delicious and whole- 

 some. This fruit is easily raised — any good til- 

 lage being adapted to its cultivation ; but it pays 

 well for high manuring and thorough cultivation 

 1 know we have the wild straw berry in consid- 

 erable abundance, but 1 think attention to the 

 culture of this fruit would pay its way and com- 

 pensate for the trouble. The production is 

 large, so much so as to render the crop profita- 

 ble, whether raised for market or family use. It 

 is a great luxury at a small expense. 



Farmers do not consider the importance of 

 stone fruit, or, owing to their having much other 

 business on hand, they neglect it. Let the neg- 

 lect he from what cause it may, the good lady of 

 the house should take hold of the subject and 

 encourage the business, and assist all in her 

 power — and that is a great deal — in having a 

 spot of laud well prepared and set with fruit 

 trees. In many cases ladies lake the principal 

 management of the fruit garden, and we never 

 knew n case of that kind that was not suc- 

 cessful. 



Cultivate the peach: we are not too far north 

 for this frllit I have proceeded well with the 

 peach and plum, and have no doubt, were I to 

 try, could turn what I have to account in the 

 market. But the peach is worth the trouble 

 against times of sickness in the family. In the 

 season of peaches, fevers are apt to abound. 

 They have been of use for this purpose iu my 

 own family, (and sound ripe fruit is no doubt ex- 

 cellent when judiciously used.) 1 think we 

 might all succeed with this fruit. Cole in his 

 Fruit Hook says he has been iu the finest 

 peach regions, hut never ate better fruit of this 

 kind than in Maine. I have no doubt by efforts 

 to raise fine hardy earlies, from seed true to 

 their kind and judicious selections of soil and 

 location, we could do as well as in any part of 

 New England. 



Smile not, if I should speak of flowers as 

 worthy of some attention. For my part, I wish 

 there was more general interest in this subject — 

 we want more beauty about our bouses. The 

 scenes of our childhood are the memories of 

 our future years. Let our dwellings be beautiful 

 with plants ami flowers. 



Flowers, it has been said, "are the playthings 

 of childhood and the ornaments of the grave. 

 They raise smiling looks to man, and grateful 

 ones to God." 



Milton represents the first garden as thus 

 beautified : 



" Tliu-s talking hand in hand, alone they passed 

 On to their blissful bower — it was a place 



Chosen by the sovereign Planter, when he planned 



All things for man's delightful use. The rnof 



Of thickest covert was interwoven shade, 



Laurel and myrtle and what higher grew 



Of firm and fragrant leaf. On either side 



A canihus and each odorous shrub. Iris all hues, 



Roses and jessamine reared high their flourishing heads 



Between, and wrought Mosaic, under foot the violet, 



Crocus and hyacinth, with rich iolay, broider'd the 



ground 

 More color'd than with stones of costliest emblem." 



I conclude with a quotation from Thomson's 

 Seasons in praise of agricultural life: 



" O knew he but his happiness, of men 



The happiest he who, far from public rage, 



Deep in the vale with a choice few retir'd. 



Drinks the pure pleasures of the rural life : 



What though the dome he wanting, whose proud gates 



Each morning vomits forth the sneaking crowd 



Of flattered false — and in their turn abus'd j 



What though his bowl flames not with costliest juice ; 



Sure peace is his, a sober life — estrang'd 



To disappointment and fallacious hope : 



Rich iu content, in .Nature's bounty rich, 



In herbs and fruits. These are not wanting: 



Nor the milky drove, luxuriant spread 



O'er all the lowing vale. Nor bleating mountains, 



i\or the chide ot streams and hum 



Of bees inviting sleep sincere 



Into the guillh-sa breast, beneath the shade, 



Or thrown at large amid the fragrant hay." 



Before the same society, Mr. Thomas G. Hol- 

 hrook read the following remarks, which have 

 been communicated for the Visitor by request. 

 As a highly successful cultivator of the apple, 

 Mr. llolbrook's remarks will be found of great 

 value : 



AGRICULTURE. 



This, we are glad to say, is becoming a subject 

 of more moment in the minds of not only the 

 practical agriculturalist, but also of tbe man of 

 science and general intelligence ; and well may 

 it, for where is the community, where the indi- 

 vidual, who does not subsist on tbe products of' 

 the earth? and these products are not of an en- 

 tire spontaneous origin, but are increased by the 

 energies of the mind and hand of him who tills 

 the ground. 



Societies are being formed throughout various 

 parts of the country for the purpose of creating 

 an increased interest in the cause of agriculture. 

 These we think tire of importance to v\akeu the 

 energies of all that are in any way engaged in 

 the business of firming. Society meetings too 

 have their weight of importance by coining to- 

 gether and consulting about modes and plans of 

 different individuals, as they are continually 

 learning something of importance to he known 

 and practised by all who are engaged in the 

 laudable, and as is beginning to he thought hon- 

 orable business of agriculture. 



We agree with many in regard to the best 

 method of conducting agricultural meetings: 

 the practice heretofore has been in ours as in 

 others to take too wide a field for discussion, 

 and not definite enough on one subject. 



The subject for this meeting, as has been se- 

 lected, is the raising of apples and appletrees. In 

 commencing with raising of trees we must be- 

 gin with the germ, the seed ; and here we may 

 fail, as farmers are too Apt to in raising other 

 products, in not selecting good seed. Some have 

 began a nursery by washing and cleaning the 

 seed entire from the pomice and sowing the most 

 plump and best looking. My practice has been, 

 after having prepared the ground by manuring 

 and well pulverizing it with the plough as fin- 

 ally garden vegetables, say just before tbe ground 

 freezes in the fall, to strike off tbe plot thus pre- 

 pared by running the plough as lightly as possi- 

 ble in straight furrows about four feet apart as 

 for sowing peas: then with a basket stiew new 

 ground pomice along the furrows so thick as to 

 produce three or four limes the trees that should 

 erow in a nursery. This affords opportunity for 

 selecting the best to remain by pulling up the 

 smallest, and thereby loosen tbe ground around 

 those that are left to grow. This, v\ illi the keep- 

 ing them clean of weeds, is all they need tbe first 



year. The second summer they require cuhi- 

 vating the ground around them and a little prun- 

 ing. In the fall, after two summers' growth, or 

 in the spring following, they should be taken up 

 and transplanted in rows the same as before, 

 and may he set on the same ground, taking care 

 to have the rows straight so as to pass between 

 with a cultivator without injuring the trees. 

 Before re-setting, care should be taken to have 

 the tap or parsnip root cut off, leaving all other 

 roots to nourish tbe tree. In re-setting, a wide 

 and deep furrow should be made to receive the 

 roots, and if not broad and deep enough it may 

 he holed out with a hoe. The third summer 

 they may be budded. This should be done in 

 the month of August, commencing in the fore- 

 part or whenever the bark will slip, for this is 

 the only time it can he done. As far as mv ex- 

 perience goes, this has to be varied according to 

 circumstances, for we find the hark will not slip 

 on all trees at the same time, but generally the 

 best time is after a shower or a spell of wet 

 weather, when the bark starts more Ireely. As 

 to the best mode, there is some difference of 

 opinion. Some practice one way, some another: 

 the usual way is to cut a slit in the bark in the 

 form of a T and slip the bud down. Some cut 

 the slit in the form of an inverted Tand slip the 

 bud up. We think it is of little importance 

 which way it is done, provided it is done well, 

 and the best way for every one probably is to 

 pursue the course most easy and natural for 

 him. 



The size of the tree best adapted to bud- 

 ding we would say would be that of a common 

 pen-holder to that of one a half an inch in di- 

 ameter. We have usually practised setting the 

 bud near the ground four to six inches from the 

 surface on the north-west side of tbe tree, there- 

 by to have north-west winds in aid of perpen- 

 dicular growth. Trees two years growth of hud 

 will do for final setting, which may be done 

 either in fall or spring. Great care should be 

 had in taking up not to injure tbe roots, all of 

 which most invariably are near the top of the 

 ground in consequence of their having been 

 transplanted. Having now been set in the place 

 of final standing, a little attention is needed 

 yearly in order to have them well succeed. If 

 set near a wall or any place where mice harbor 

 in winter, they may be secured by tying a strip 

 of birch bark around the bottom of the trunk. 

 If proper care is commenced in season as to 

 pruning, nothing is required but a good jack- 

 knife or very fine saw to cut out the sprouts in 

 the centre and keep the top shaped somewhat 

 iu form like an inverted umbrella. 



Cultivating the ground we think to he of vital 

 importance, especially in young orchards. The 

 ploughing should be done with care not to break 

 the roots, anil always keep the soil loose, to the 

 extent of at least the longest branches; and 

 then remember that in some cases we are not 

 out to half the extent of tbe longest roots. Po- 

 tatoes, turnips and beans may be re sed around 

 appletrees ; but in no case should grass he suf- 

 fered to grow beneath the boughs of a good or- 

 chard. Better had the farmer pay twenty dol- 

 lars per ton for hay, than attempt to raise it 

 around his thrlty-growing and good bearing 

 Baldwin appletrees. 



Pruning old trees. This may be done more 

 convenient when the leaves are off by belter 

 seeing what branches should be removed. Some 

 are of opinion that June is tbe best lime, be- 

 cause it is thought the wound heals sooner than 

 if done earlier, but large wounds that require 

 two or three years to heal must of course re- 

 main bare a long time before closed, and there- 

 fore will not he materially affected win tber 

 made in Juno or March. But at all events let 

 the pruning he done at sometime, even if at 

 harvest-time when picking the apples. 



Scraping and washing. The question is some- 

 times asked, I- it good to scrape and wash trees? 

 To the enquirer we would say, go to the livery 

 stable man and ask him if it is of any benefit to 

 his horse, after a previous sweating and matting 

 of the hair, to have him curried and brushed. 

 Or rather we would ask such an enquirer, if he 

 ever took notice of the orchards in (he vicinity 

 of Boston just previous to harvesting, and con- 

 trasted the appearance and profit of them to 

 that of the orchards in the vicinity of Manches- 



