April, 1842. 



THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR 



53 



tliese gentleiuen infoimeil me, that of that small 

 size, tliey had gathered in that year, 700 bushels, 

 by measure, of the itrimatiire fruit. By this judi- 

 cious iiiauagement, while the amount of fruit was 

 but little diminished, eilher in weight or measure, 

 its size and beauty were thus greatly improved, 

 so that their fruit was the handsomest in the 

 Philadelphia market, and during the best of the 

 season, much of It was sold at from $4 50 to $6 

 the basket, of three pecks in measure. Since that 

 period, they have increased their orchards, which 

 now comprise 300 acres. Their trees are usually 

 transplanted at a year's growth from the bud ; 

 they usually )irodnce a full crop of fruit in the 

 fourth year after being transplanted, and from 

 some of their trees two bushels of fruit have been 

 gathered in a single year. 



They prefer a dry soil, light and friable, on a 

 foundation of clay, or gravelly clay — a good, l)ut 

 not a very rich soil. Like all other good cultiva- 

 tors, the whole land is always kept in cultivation. 

 For the first two or three years, corn is raised in 

 the orchard, but afterwards the ti'ees are permit- 

 ted to occupy the whole ground, nothing being 

 suffered to grow beneath their shade, as this 

 would rob the fruit of its nourishment. In Dela- 

 ware, where the climate is warm, and the soil 

 good, twenty feet asimder is the suitable distance 

 recommended by the tree ; while on the eastern 

 or Atlantic side of New-Jersey, sixteen or seven- 

 teen feet asunder are deemed sufficient by some 

 of their most experienced cultivators on good 

 soils ; while liirther north, or on |)oorer soils, a 

 less distance will suffice. Even ten feet asunder 

 finswers well in the latitude of Boston. 



The blossoms of the peach tree, as well as 

 those of the cherry are sometimes liable to be cut 

 off by winter,or by spring frosts, which occurafter 

 the sap has arisen ; the danger in this case being 

 caused by the occurrence of unusually warm 

 weather, either during an open winter, or during 

 the progress of a very early spring, which causes 

 the tree to advance prematurely. Those trees 

 being more especially exposed which are in warn) 

 and sunny expositions, while those trees which 

 are situated on the north sides of hills, the most 

 exposed to cold winds, and on the north sides of 

 fences and of buildings, almost invariably escape. 

 In Switzerland, it has been stated that a mound 

 of earth is sometimes placed over the roots of 

 trees in autumn as a protection from winter frost, 

 which is removed in spring. Completely to pro- 

 tect the tree, and to insure a crop of fruit in all 

 situations and seasons, let the surface of the earth 

 beneath the tree, be covered to the depth of eight 

 or twelve inches either with leaves or coarse 

 strawy manure, or with coarse hay in January 

 and February, and when hard frozen. This will 

 preserve the ground in a frozen state, and effect- 

 ually retard the advancement of the tree till the 

 danger is past, and to a late period in spring. 



The peach flourishes and ripens well its fruit, 

 usually wherever and as far iwrth as the Indian 

 corn or maize will produce a certain crop. But 

 by attending to the above directions, we are per- 

 suaded that it will succeed and flourish, produc- 

 ing fruit perfect and mature, and abundantly, 

 even still further north. It is eminently deserv- 

 ing of trial. — KenricKs J^tw American Orchmdist. 



Cultivation of the Plum. 



In the Magazine of Horticulture, for March, 

 just issued by I. Post, of this city, (says the jV. Y. 

 Eve. Post) is an article by Mr. Downing, of New- 

 burgh, author of the book on Landscape Garden- 

 ing, containing a description of a nmv and very 

 fine variety of plum, called the Columbia Plum, 

 which was recently produced in the city of Hud- 

 son. The soil of that city, and its vicinity, is a 

 stiff, heavy loam, and is exceedingly favorable to 

 large and abundant crops of plums. At the end 

 of Mr. Downing's communication, are some valu- 

 able suggestions as to the manner of destroying 

 the curculio, which makes such havoc with this 

 kind of fruit. 



The curculio is a winged insect, which conies 

 out of the ground when the tree is in blossom, 

 and punctures the fruit as soon as it is formed, 

 laying its eggs in the tender skin of the germ. 

 When the frujt has reached a third of its size, the 

 scar of the puncture is perceptible; and some- 

 time after, the egg having become a worm, the 

 fruit falls off. In this way we often see a plum 

 tree, which has promised an abundant crop of 

 fruit, entirely stripped of it? lo.id. After the fruit 



has fallen, in a few days, the worm leaves it for 

 the earth, arid the next'year emerges with wings, 

 to deposite ks eggg, in turn, within the germ of 

 the fruit. — Mr. Downing gives the following di- 

 rections : 



" As it is found that the curculio, though a 

 winged insect, is not a very migratory one, the 

 means taken to destroy it in one garden arc not 

 without efficacy, tho' the neighboring orchards 

 may not receive the same care. As the fruit, 

 when it falls from the tree, contains the larva, it 

 is evident that if we destroy it before the insect 

 has time to find its way into the soil, we shall de- 

 stroy, with it, the curculio. — In small gardens, it 

 is sufficient to gather all the fallen fruit every 

 morning, during the period of its fall from the 

 tree, and throw it into the hog-])eiis, when the 

 whole will be speedily consumed. In large orch- 

 ards, where it is practicable, the hogs may (the 

 trees being protected) be turned in for the short 

 time in the season while the fruit is dropping, 

 and they will most effectually destroy the whole 

 race of insects of the current season. Indeed in 

 large plum orchards, this practice is found a vei-y 

 effectual remedy for the attacks of the curculio. 



In small gardens that have come under our no- 

 tice, formerly much troubled with the attacks of 

 this insect, where the practice of gathering the 

 fruit and destroying it daily for a short period, 

 has been pursued, the insect has failed to make 

 its ajipearance after a couple of years, and the 

 trees have borne abundant crops of fine fruit. In 

 addition to this, we would recommend the appli- 

 cation of clay about the roots of plum trees, in 

 very light sandy soil. 



It is sometimes the case that the plum will be 

 many years in coming into bearing, where the 

 richness of the soil induces too great a luxuriance 

 of growth. When this is the case, the ground 

 should he partially removed from the roots, which 

 should be pruned or reduced in number one-fifth 

 or one-fourth, and the soil replaced. This should 

 be done in the autumn, and will rarely fail in 

 bringing about a profusion of blossom buds and 

 and a good crop of fruit." 



05^ Although the following letter was address- 

 ed to us one year ago, it was not until the last of 

 March, 1842, that it came to our peru.sal. It dis- 

 covers too good a spirit to excuse us for omitting 

 to give it to our readers : 



Conway, Mass., March 15, 1841. 



Hon. Isaac Hill — Dear Sir : — Noticing in the 

 eighth number, volume second of the Farmer's 

 Monthly Visitor, a description of the Scotch Oats, 

 sown by a Mr. Tilton, a friend of mine and a 

 constant reader of yoiu- Visitor, wished me to in- 

 quire of you if any of the above oats could be 

 obtained, a few for seed. He having a. small 

 piece of very steep .side hill to sow this spring, is 

 anxious to get a few ; if you will be to tlie trou- 

 ble to give iiie information where they can be ob- 

 tained, you will ttiuch oblige a subscriber to your 

 Visitor. 



P. S. My having been a sidiscriber to your 

 Visitor for the last year, allow me a few remarks 

 by way of giving my high approval of yotir valu- 

 able work. Since I became a subscriber. I have 

 received much (ileasure in the perusal of the Vis- 

 itor, not on account of its giving me much infor- 

 mation directly about my own avocation, for I am 

 a manufacturer, but for the highly gratifying in- 

 telligence that our New England farmers are 

 turning their attention from western speculation 

 to their own farms, with the firm belief that they 

 can obtain ample sup|)ort for themselves and 

 families from them, by a wise and judicious course 

 of culture, and by which the Visitor in particular 

 will give a large share of such information as 

 will greatly assist them in such a course ; and 

 also for the judicious system you have adopted of 

 inserting much of historical matter, that "mirror 

 of past events," which, laid beside the experi- 

 ments of the present day, gives us ready confir- 

 mation of the best course to he pursued. 



Your Visitor is eminently calculated to give 

 much iiractical information: hence the lively in- 

 terest I have taken in the success of your work, 

 knowing that what enriches the agricultural class 

 in a town enriches the whole town. 



If you will not think me egotistical, I will re- 

 late the manner of your subscription in this place. 

 Being in the Post Office about the time that our 

 subscription expired, the thought occurred that 

 your snhpcription might easily bp made up to ten 



subscribers, the number which you afford for $6- 

 1 took a slip of paper and wrote in a large and 

 legible hand, "Who will take the F. M. Visitors" 

 and put it in a conspicuous place. Presently in 

 came our worthy Doctor, and wrote directly un- 

 der the above, " I will take one copy," and anoth- 

 er •' so will I" — " so will 1," till the list was soon 

 made up to the number and transferred to your 

 prospectus, which now has I think about fifteen 

 subscribers, a goodly number for a town of our 

 population. 



But, sir, I will not trespass more only simply to 

 express my best wishes for your welfare, both in 

 public and private life. 



Yours resjiecifully, 



J. O. L. 



Oy" Will any friend inform us what has been 

 the fate of the Scotch oats? Have they proved 

 superior to the common oats ? Please inform the 

 editor of the Visitor. 



Auecdote of Catlia and his Horse " Charley." 



The " Westminster Review" for January, in a 

 review of Mr. Catlin's recent work on " The Man- 

 ners, llab'rts. Customs, &c. of the American In- 

 dians," quotes the interesting anecdote subjoin- 

 ed : 



" On this journey, while be and I were twenty- 

 five days alone, we had much time, and the best 

 of circumstances, under which to learn what we 

 had as yet overlooked rn each other's characters, 

 as well as to- draw great pleasure and real benefit 

 from what we already bad learned of each other 

 in oiu- former travels. 



"I generally halted on the bank of some little 

 streatJi, at lia"lf an hour of sun-set, where feed 

 was good for Charley, and where I could get 

 wood to kindle my fire and water for my coffee. 

 The first thing was to undress ' Charley,' and 

 drive down his picket, to which he was fastened, 

 to graze over a circle that he could inscribe at 

 the end of his laso. In this wise be busily fed 

 himself until nightfall ; and after my coffee was 

 made and drank, I uniformly moved him up, with 

 his picket by my head so that I could lay my hand 

 upon his laso in an instant, in case of any alarm 

 that was liable to drive him from me. On one 

 of these evenings when he was grazing as usual, 

 he slipped tho laso over his head, and deliberately 

 took his supper at bis plea«ure, wherever he chose 

 to jirefer it, as he was strolling around. When 

 night approached,I took the laso in hand and en- 

 deavored to catch him, but I soon saw he was de- 

 tcrminedto enjoy a little freedom ; and he contin- 

 ually evaded nie until dark, when I abandoned 

 the pursnif, making up my mind that I should in- 

 evitaWy lose him, and be obliged to perform the 

 rest of my journey on foot. He had led me a 

 chase of half a mile or more, when I left him 

 busily grazing, and returned to my little solitary 

 bivouac, and laid myself on my bear skin and 

 went to sleep. 



In the middle of the night I waked whilst 1 

 was lying on my back, and on half opening my 

 eyes, I was instantly shocked to the soul, by the 

 huge figure (as I thought) of an Indian standing 

 over me, and in tho veiy instant of taking my 

 scalp! The chill of horror that paralyzed iiie, 

 for the first moment, held me still till I saw there 

 was no need of moving— tliat my faithful horse 

 ' Charley' had ' played shy' till he had ' filled his 

 belly,' and' then moved up, from feelings of pure 

 affection, or from instinctive fear, or possibly from 

 a due share of both, and taken his position with 

 his fore feet at the edge of my bed, with his head 

 hanging directly over me, while he was standing 

 fast asleep. 



" My nerves, whfch had been most violently 

 shocked, were soon quieted, and I fell asleep, and 

 so continued until sunrise in the morning, when 

 I waked and beheld my faithful servant at some 

 considerable distance, busily at work picking up 

 his breakfast amongst the cane brake, along the 

 banks of the creek. I went as busily at work 

 preparing my own, which was eaten ; and after 

 it I had another half hour of fruitless endeavors 

 to catch Charley, whilst he seemed mindful of 

 success the evening before, and continually tanta- 

 lized me by turning around and around, and keep- 

 inij out of my reach. I recollected the conclusive 

 evidences of his attachment and dependence 

 which he had voluntarily given in the night, and 

 I thought I would trv them in another way ; so 



