62 



THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR 



April, 18i2. 



success, in reply to inquiries as to tiie best mode 

 of cultivating wood, writes to me : — 



" From limited observation and experience 1 

 should recommend leaving the land without any 

 culture, where the wood removed was of a kind 

 and age that shoots would be likely to grow from 

 the slumps. It may be true that shoots will grow 

 more vigorously after stirring the soil in prepar- 

 ation for a crop of rye ; but the burning, an op- 

 eration necessarily preceding, will often be so 

 deep as to prevent the springing of many shoots. 



" Where there is no prospect of a second^ 

 growth from the stumps, either from the age of 

 the cut timber or the kind of wood, then it will 

 be prudent to burn, plough or harrow, sow rye, 

 and with it such forest seeds as we would choose 

 to have the next growth proceed from. Two ad- 

 vantages may be anticipated in this management ; 

 first, wood will grow sooner from seed so«n on 

 a pulverized soil than it would from that natu- 

 rally scattered among the rubbish of woodland 

 bottom ; a second advantage is, where we sow 

 seed, the kinds of wood comprising tlie future 

 growth are placed very much within om- choice." 



John Welles, to whom I have before referred, 

 whose intelligence and strong interest in the 

 agricultural improvement of the Commonwealth 

 for many years claims for him the grateful re- 

 spect of the farming community, has favored me 

 with the following note : — 



" As a general principle it is considered by 

 many that after cutting off a wood lot, a ])eriod 

 not far from 30 years may be advantageously al- 

 lowed before the re-growth should be again re- 

 curred to. A period of little over 20 years is 

 allowed by some, prompted often by a desire to 

 avail of the capital. 



"But when the annual growth in circumfer- 

 ence in each thrifty tree is considered as about 

 one inch, the latter period appears too short. If, 

 however, the wood isof birch, &:c., or the smaller 

 growth is wanted for hoop.s and other uses, a 

 different calculation must be made. These dif- 

 ferences of time may bo corrected and brought 

 to a better result by the observation and experi- 

 ence of our farmers. 



" The growth of an apjde tree in one year, is 

 from 1.1 to 2i inches in circumference. An elm 

 in 20 years gave 13 inch. An ash in 20 years 

 gave l| inch. These trees stood alone. In some 

 instances where trees have stood from half to 

 three fourths of a century, their growth has been 

 found to be li inch per year." 



I have entered somewhat upon this subject in 

 my First Report, and shall not, therefore, e.xtend 

 my remarks. Tlie subject cannot be too earnest- 

 ly pressed on the consideration of the fiu'mers in 

 every part of the State. The growth of the com- 

 mon white birch is a source of considerable 

 profit in many parts of the State, as it will gen- 

 erally answer to cut in 7 or 8 year.s. If suffered 

 to stand until twelve years, it is often in a state 

 of decay. Our forests should have as much at- 

 tention as any portion of our husbandry. The 

 cattle, at least in the early growth of the trees, 

 must be effectually excluded from them. On the 

 island of' Nantucket, wliere no wood scarcely is 

 grown, and where the impression prevails gen- 

 erally, that none can be grown, the sheep which 

 run at large over the island, niiitton-hcads as 

 they are, if they could speak, would at once solve 

 the mystery. On the island of Tuckernuck near 

 by, and equally exposed, I saw a flourishing 

 growth of young oaks of seven years old, which 

 as well as I could learn, forttmately for the owner 

 of the lot, the Nantucket sheep "had not seen, 

 unless it were across the water. The exposed 

 situation of such places undoubtedly affects the 

 growth, and especially of detached trees or clump 

 of trees ; but where large plantations are made, 

 if proper pains be taken, all reasonable success 

 may be expected. It may require in the outset 

 much care and expense to get the trees under 

 favorable way; but there is hardly a situation 

 where llley may not be siiccessfidfy cultivated ; 

 and success will abundantly compensate the ex- 

 pense. 



The Power of Kindness, and the Power of the 

 I^aw of Kindness. 



We find this Anecdote of William Lndd in the 

 last number of the Democratic Review : - 



*It was not mere good nature, but the adoii- 

 tion of the Peace principles, wliicli made him 

 thus gemle-hearted. A story which Im often lold 



with peculiar relish, will illustrate this moulding 

 of his character — the gradual progress of his 

 mind in adopting the Peace principles. '1 had,' 

 said he, ' a fine field of grain, growing upon an 

 out-farm some distance from the homestead. — 

 Whenever I rode by I saw neighbor Pulsifer's 

 sheep in the lot, destroying my hopes of a har- 

 vest. These sheep were of the gaunt, long leg- 

 ged kind, active as spaniels : they could spring 

 over the highest fence, and no partition wall 

 could keep them out. 1 complained to neighbor 

 Pulsifer about them, sent him frequent messages, 

 but all without avail. Perhaps they would be 

 kept out for a day or two, but the legs of his 

 sheep were long, and my grain rather more 

 tempting than the adjoining pasture. I rode by 

 again; the sheep were still there ; I became angry, 

 and told my men to set the dogs on them, and if 

 that would not do, I would pay them if they would 

 shoot the sheep.' 



" I rode away much agitated, for I was not so 

 much of a peace man then as I am now, and 

 felt, literally, full of fight. All at once a light 

 flashed in upon me. I asked myself, would it 

 not be well for you to try in your own conduct 

 the Peace principles you are preaching to other 

 I thought it all over, and settled down my mind 

 as to the best course to be pursued. 



" The next day I rode over to see neighbor 

 Pulsifer, I found him chopping wood at his door 

 ' Good morning, neighbor.' No answer. ' Good 

 morning,' I repeated. He gave a kind of grunt, 

 like a hog, without looking up. ' 1 came,' i 

 tinned I, ' to see you about the shee|).' At this, 

 he threw down his axe, and exclaimed in a most 

 angry manner, ' Now aren't you a pretty neigl 

 bor, to tell your men to kill my sheep ! I heard 

 of it — a rich man like you to shoot a poor man'i 

 sheep !' 



" I was wrong, neighbor,' said I ; ' but it won' 

 do to let yoin- sheep" eat up all that grain ; so 1 

 came over to say that I would lake your sheep to 

 my homestead pasture, and put them in with 

 mine, and in tho fall you may take them h 

 and if any one is missing, you may take your 

 pick out of my whole flock.' 



" Pulsifer looked confounded — he did not know 

 how to take me. At last he stammered out, ' now 

 Sqinre, are you in earnest ?' ' Certainly 1 am,' I 

 answered ; It is better for mo to feed your shccii 

 in my pasture on grass, than to feed them here 

 on grain ; and I see the fence can't keep them 

 out.' 



Alter a moment's silence — 'The sheep shan 

 trouble you any tnore,' exclaimed Pulsifer. ' I 

 will fetteV them all. But Pll let you know that 

 when any man talks of shooting, I can shoot too ; 

 and when they are kind and neighborly, I can he 

 kind too.' The sheep never again trespassed oi 

 my lot. ' And my friends,' he would ctttilinue 

 addressing the audience, 'remember that when 

 yon talk of injuring your neighbors, they talk ot 

 injuring you. When nations threaten to fight, 

 other n:!tioMs will he ready too. Love will beget 

 love : a wisli to be at peace will keep you in peace. 

 You can only overcome evil with good. Tliere 

 is no other way.'" 



(t^ William Ladd, the person alluded to above, 

 was a native of Portsmouth, and the son of 

 rich man : he had the means, and he could aflbrd 

 to pasture his neighbor's sheep, without feeling 

 the expense. 



The editor of the Visitor has been troubled to 

 tlie extent of extreme vexation in the same way 

 as named above. He has submitted repeatedly, 

 year after year, to a depredation from two cowg 

 of two neighbors much greater than the value of 

 keeping cows through the season, and for turning 

 them from his field to his yard he lias given of- 

 fence to be repaid with vengeance wherever it 

 could do him iiijin-y. 



Last year we liad a field of twelve acres of rye 

 one mile off that lookcil remarkably promising 

 before the severe drought of the season : the 

 ground was as well fenced as was practicable, 

 ftluch labor had been expended In clearing the 

 ground and getting in the crop. In the same 

 enclosure was a corn-field on wliicli he had laid 

 out great expense. Notice came to us once or 

 twice that a large flock of about one hundred 

 sheep had been in the rye field. Information 

 was brought from the month of one of tlie own- 

 ers that he had turned these sheep into the plains 

 and would there keep them in spite of us, or of 

 any owner of land wlio<;e crops they mitriil dc 



stroy. One of our neighbors had his field an- 

 noyed by the same sheep, and said that he would 

 do almost any thing to be rid of them ; but that 

 such was the obstinacy of the owners he de- 

 spaired of the ability to jirotect his land. AVo 

 informed him that we would make trial of what 

 the law would do for us whenever we had an 

 opportunily of arresting the sheep upon our 

 ground. He said there was always some loop- 

 hole in the law which let the offender off without 

 damage. We had visited our rye field, and found 

 the sheep-tracks in every part : it was in tho 

 month of May, and one acre at least had been 

 cropped oft' near the ground ; and a good judge 

 on the ground made up the opinion that our 

 damage was ten dollars. The next day after our 

 neighbor, who had watched for us as well as for 

 himself, came with information that the great 

 flock was in the rye field. At the distance of 

 one and a half mile was the field in one direc- 

 tion, and about two miles in another was the 

 pound ; but in less than two hours with our own 

 help we had the whole committed to the custody 

 of the pound keeper. The same afternoon per- 

 sons were appointed to assess the damage, at all 

 events not to exceed the actual loss, and the 

 proper notifications were issued. The damage 

 was laid at $8, and the whole expense of im- 

 pounding, &c., was between $13 and $14. 



The next day one of the owners of the sheep, 

 who had been repeatedly treated with kindness 

 under a similar trespass, came forward and said 

 he understood we had his sheep in our custody, 

 and that he presumed we would release them on 

 his engaging to look to them. We informed hitn 

 that the sheep were in the custody of the 

 law, and that he would obtain them only by com- 

 plying with the requisitions of the law. Tho 

 owners waited about the door a few hours, tak- 

 ing care to show themselves when we weiit_ 

 abroad, as if expecting an order for release of 

 their flocks. Finding that course unavailing, all 

 three went to the pound keeper, settled, and 

 paid the whole expense. We had intended to be 

 almost as kind to these sheep-owners as was the 

 great peace-maker, by refunding to them the 

 amount of damage and all the expense of im- 

 pounding saving only the small sum charged by 

 the jiound keeper. But we found in a day or 

 two afterwards that the sheep owners had con- 

 sulted a lawyer in the full confidence that they 

 would recover back the damage, the fees and 

 smart money beside. As the first step, they em- 

 ployed men to go upon the ground for the piir- 

 [)Ose of reporting that the damage assessed was 

 unreasonable and. e.xtravagant. These returned 

 with information that the damage could not fair- 

 ly be lessened ; and, as we presume, by advice of 

 council, the slieeii owners desisted from a fur- 

 ther attempt to recover back what we might 

 have refiinded had they been disposed to treat 

 us fairly. 



Afterwards the sheep were turned out of the 

 great highway upon tho plains of the east side 

 into the proper pastures; and our field was not 

 again troubled by them. Some of our Pembroke 

 neighbors however in the dry season sent their 

 sheep upon the plains; being more accommo- 

 dating, they got oft' with less expense than the 

 first trespassers, and took away their flocks also. 



The peace doctrine of Mr. Ladd may some- 

 times be well apjilied ; but if we had pursued a 

 similar course the place of the hundred tres- 

 passing sheep would have been filled by a thou- 

 sand ; and our neighbors who with ourselves 

 had siift'ercd from repeated depredations will 

 join with us in saying that we did a better service 

 to all concerned by carrying the war to tho ex- 

 tent of the law — that we did more to preserve 

 fiiture pe.ice — than we could have done by the 

 offer to furnish gratuitously a pasture for the 

 sheep for the whole season ! 



Culture of the Peach. 



Tiic most extensive peach orchard which has 

 come to my knowledge, is that belonging to 

 Messrs. Isaac Reeve and Jacob Ridgeway of Phi- 

 ladelphia. It is situated forty-five miles below 

 the city, on the river Delaware, at Delaware city, 

 and contains 200 acres of trees, in iliffereiit stages 

 of growth. In 1839, tliev gathered from this or- 

 chard, 18,000 bushels of "first rate fruit from 170 

 s of trees, whereof only 50 acres were then 

 in ftill bearing. When the fruit has attained the 

 of a small musket ball, it is thinned. One of 



