1847. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



121 



bing up weeds, drawing wall nails, and Irimming roots, are 

 never syen in Ihe hands of a man who understands his busi- 

 ness or attends to it. To a gardener his pnining knife is as 

 much an object of solicitude as his razor. Indeed of the (wo 

 he would rather hack his chin than his plants. Nor is the 

 anxieiy to keep his pruning knife in the higliestordera piece 

 of needless affectation ; work is done fastest witli a keen 

 knife, and best, for the wounds that it inllicts are healed 

 much sooner than those spongy, cottony, slivers which 

 some people mistake for pruning. 



These preliminary remarks will serve to introduce the 

 main body of observations vvhieh we propose to offer upon 

 the subject of pruning; ; not however in the form of general 

 propositions, but of det;uled instructions for each of the 

 kinds of fruit, trees usually cullivaled in tiiis country. Each 

 has its own pcculiaritifs of growth ; each has to be treated 

 with reference to those peculiarities ; and, therefore, each 

 must become the subject of separate consideration. 



We shall continue in future numbers such of 

 the articles alluded to as we may consider to be 

 useful or interesting to our readers. 



THE FRUITS AND FRUIT TREES OF AMERICA : 



By A. .1. Downing. 



The splendid colored edition of this work, 

 which has been long and anxiously expected, 

 will, we are infornaed, be forthcoming immedi- 

 ately. The plates have already been received 

 from Paris, where they have been colored, and 

 the edition will, in all probability, appear some 

 time this montli. We are sure that this will be 

 a welcome item of intelligence to the lovers and 

 growers of fruit throughout the Union. The ap- 

 pearance of such works as these afford pleasant 

 indications of the progress of taste and refine- 

 ment. When we tliink of what the last 10 years 

 has effected, we are half inclined to believe we 

 are dreaming. " Onward " is the motto. 



Successful Planting. — "A Young Farmer,^'' 

 Macon, Mich., — whose inquiries were noticed 

 last month — says : 



" In the iall of 184.5 and spring of 1846. 1 planted .300 fruit 

 irees of the various kinds, and have not lost one out of that 

 number, notwithstanding the drouth so severe here last 

 summer. Some of the apple trees have grown 3 feet, and 

 peaches generally 2 feet — and some 4 to 6 feet. I set them 

 on a piece of rich, new land ; dug the holes from 3,3 to 4.^ 

 feet in diameter, and from 18 to 24 inches deep ; filled them 

 up with rich muck and black sand and loam. The earth 

 that came out of the bottorn was not thrown back. The 

 roots were carefully trimmed, where bruised or broken, be- 

 fore I sot them out." 



Such careful planting as the above can hardly 

 fail of success. We hope such results will in- 

 duce similar treatment. — Ed. 



Rapid Growth op a Plum Graft. — Allow 

 me a small space in your valuable paper, to give 

 the growth of a Washington Plum graft that I 

 set in a wild plum stock, April 17th, 1846. 



I supposed I had noted the growth of it oftener, 

 but on turning to my journal I find but three 

 dates, as follows : July 5th, it measured four feet 

 and two inches — July 26th, five feet and eight 

 inches — September Ist, six feet and four inches, 

 This is one of four shoots — three others from two 

 to four feet, from the two scions. I feel particu- 

 larly proud of it, as it is one of my own grafting. 

 It shows how well a few odd minutes can be oc- 

 cupied. — C, W. M., Fair Place, Onon. Co. 



Tr.'uisaflions of the M^. Horticultural Society. 



Hoiiricui.TUKAL Hall, School Street, ) 

 Boston, March 2o, 1847. S 



The niassachusptis Horticultural Society announce to tiie 

 Public, that its Committee of Publication is preparing to pub- 

 lish the 1st number of a series of Transactions of tlie ^'ociety. 



This puhlicalion has been for some years in contempla- 

 tion, and materials have been collected for this purpose ; 

 but it has been hitherto delayed until the funds of the So- 

 ciety should enable it to be produced in a style of excellence 

 which could not fail lo render it both permanent, and an 

 honor to the advanced slate of the Horticulture of the pres- 

 ent day. 



It is intended that the work shall be in Royal Octavo, 

 and the numbers shall a[)pear as frequently as materials ac- 

 cumulate ; each shall contain from four to six Plates, 

 chieliy of I^'kui rs, but occasionally of Flowers, drawn and 

 colored from nature, by the best talent the country can 

 produce, and also the proceedings of the Society, including 

 the reports of the weekly and annual exhibitions, to the date 

 of publication. 



The Society hopes soon to offer such premiums for able 

 communications on Horticultural subjects, as shall secure to 

 these Transactions papers containing information of great 

 practical value to all interested in this pursuit. 



Although the authors of papers will alone be generally 

 responsible for their contents, yet all accounts and descrip- 

 tions of Fruits will be published under the immediate super- 

 vision of the Fruit Committee, and of Flowers tinder that 

 of the Flower Committee ; so th.it the autAenticity of 

 THE Society will be attached to the most essential por- 

 tions of their Transactions. 



To establish a standard for all the present varieties of 

 fruit, and to fnabl« the public lo judge of the quality of new 

 kinds, as they shall be presented from imported trees, or 

 from varieties originating in this country, will be one of the 

 principal purposes of these Transactions, and will receive the 

 particular attention, not only of the Comitteesof the Society 

 but also of the most experienced of its imlividual members. 



The price to the members of the Society will be about 

 the cost of p.atcs, printing, <Scc., and will not exceed seven- 

 ty-five tienis per number ; to others the charge will be $1. 



All communications intended for publication, may be^ad- 

 dressed to J. E. Teschemacher, Esq., Corresponding Sec- 

 retary of the Society, Boston. 



Orders and subscriptions for these Transactions may be 

 addressed to W. D. Ticknor &. Co.. publishers, corner of 

 Washington and School streets, Boston. 

 J. E. Ti^SCHEMACHER, " 

 C. K. DILLAWAY, 

 EBEN'R WIGHT, 

 SAMUEL WALKER, \ Com. of Publication. 



JOSEPH BRECK, 

 AARON D. WILLIAMS, Jr. 

 E. C. R. WALKER, 



We take pleasure in publishing the above 

 prospectus, and in recommending it to the atten- 

 tion of the readers of this paper. We look upon 

 the commencement of the publication of this 

 series as a new and important era in American 

 Horticulture. This enterprising Institution has 

 already done much for the advancement of the 

 science in this country ; this will greatly extend 

 the field of its influence and usefulness. 



With a fund of material, and an array of tal- 

 ent that no individual enterprise could command 

 — and being beyond even the suspicion of pro- 

 moting any private or personal interests — with a 

 determination to make it a permanent and splen- 

 did work, the Society deserves the confidence 

 and support of the public in an eminent degree. 

 We trust that of the 50,000 readers of the Farm- 

 er, a very great proportion will gladly avail them- 

 selves of the invaluable information which these 

 numbers will contain, on all matters pertaining to 

 frqits and fruit culture, and gardening generally. 



