124 



GENESEE FARMER. 



May„ 



"Hedges' 



and '-'Special Manures." 



[A HORTICULTURAL friend in Cleveland, O.. sends us the 

 foljowing "crude and hasty" suggestions, to use his own 

 terms ; and we publish them, not because they present any 

 new or useful fact or discovery, but that they may in some 

 degree aid in drawing the attention of cultivators to the im- 

 portant subjects treated upon.] 



Messrs. Editors : — It affords me pleasure to 

 see the great improvement that has been made 

 in the late numbers of your paper, and also to 

 discover the evident and rapid changes our agri- 

 cultural journals are effecting with the farming 

 interest, at least in the Siate of Ohio. The two 

 most interesting topics that are engaging my at- 

 tention, in my enfeebled condition, is "Hedging 

 for fences and protection against dogs and loaf- 

 ers," and " Special manuring of fruit trees." 



I have become convinced that on the warm 

 gravelly ridges, running parallel to the south 

 shore of Lake Erie, the Madura (Osage orange,) 

 will prove to be the very article needed. It is 

 here perfectly hardy — is not depredated on by 

 insects — is of rapid growth, and will form a hedge 

 in five years that will save our fields from the 

 intrusion of cattle, our sheep from destruction 

 by dogs, and our fruits from pillaging loafers — 

 all very serious desideratums. On the colder 

 clay soils in Trumbull county this shrub is liable 

 to be killed to the ground every winter ; and 

 hence, in such locations, will not answer the 

 purpose. 



As the phosphate of lime acts so important a 

 part in the nutrition and growth of a pear tree, 

 we should tax our inventions to obtain a supply 

 from every possible source, at least such of us as 

 are attempting to cultivate this tree on soils that 

 do not abound in it. That bones and animal se- 

 cretions and excretions contain a large per cent- 

 age of it, is known to every chemist ; and every 

 horticulturist should know enough of the science 

 of his calling to enable him to employ to the best 

 advantage these various articles. It also abounds 

 in vegetables — some containing a greater quan- 

 tity than others. A French chemist informs the 

 public that, by a certain process, it may be made 

 to coat the surface of the leaves of the Pokeherry 

 (Phytolacca) with minute crystals. If this state- 

 ment be true, this troublesome weed must become 

 an important addition to the compost heap. Oth- 

 er plants and trees contain perhaps as great an 

 amount of this salt. But there is still wanting 

 among practical men a knowledge of the best 

 means of securing and applying the articles in 

 which it is contained. A hint is throwi. out, I 

 think by Liebig, that common salt acts by ren- 

 dering phosphate of lime soluble. 



Chloride of soda is certainly not of itself nu- 

 tritious to vegetation ; but every observing per- 

 son must have noticed, that in due. quantities it 

 occasions a rapid, strong, and healthy growth of 

 certain kinds of vegetation. Its favorable effects 



are very evident on the pear, plum, thorn, and 

 quince tree; also, on the strawberry vine. — 

 Does it not, in such instances, act in the manner 

 suggested by Ljebig, and bring the phosphate of 

 lime into a soluable state, fitted for the immedi- 

 ate wants of the growing tree, shrub, or plant ? 

 If we are correct in our views, lime excites a 

 similar effect on the silicate of potash, in our 

 soils, and converts it from an insoluble to a solu- 

 ble article. In the latter condition it is taken 

 up by the roots of grain and grasses, and forms 

 a large part of their stalks and leaves. We 

 look with deep interest to some of your agricul- 

 tural chemists for a set of rules to guide us in 

 cultivating and enriching our soils for growing 

 different species of fruit trees. 



Anonymous. 



Application of Manure. 



Messrs. Editors : — I have been a subscriber 

 to the Genesee Farmer lor several years, and 

 taken much pleasure in readiug your practical 

 articles. You have said considerable relative to 

 the manner of preparing manure with lime, &c. 

 My way is to get along with as little expense, 

 and as large a profit, as possible. I never want 

 to heap up coarse manure, but get it out as early 

 in the spring as my corn ground is ready to 

 plow — before it loses half its strength — and if 

 it can be plowed in before it gets dry, so much 

 the better. The plow should follow the man that 

 spreads the manure ; and if coarse, do not be in 

 a hurry, plow deep, stop often, and unclog your 

 plow, and the crop will well pay for the trouble. 



By applying it in this manner, 1 am confident 

 I obtain double the profit from manure, that I 

 could from any other mode I ever practiced. It 

 also fits the ground for a wheat crop, either fall 

 or spring, when well plowed and harrowed — and 

 if ^heat can be raised, it is in this way. And if 

 you plant the eight rowed yellow corn, it will 

 grow so large that travelers will thisk it is the 

 large Ohio corn. Wm. Allen, Jr. 



Cazenovia, Dec. 1847. 



Economy in Candles. — If you are without 

 a rush-light, and would burn a candle all night, 

 unless you use the following precaution, it is ten 

 to one an ordinary candle will gutter away in 

 an hour or two, sometimes to the endangering 

 of the house : — "This may be avoided by placing 

 as much common salt, finely powdered, as will 

 reach from the tallow to the bottom of the black 

 part of the wick of a partly burned candle, when, 

 if the same be lit, it will burn very slowly, yield- 

 ing sufficient light for a bedchamber; the salt 

 will gradually sink as the tallow is consun)ed, . 

 the melted tallow being drawn through the salt 

 and corsutned in the wick." 



France. — France produces annually 231,000,- 

 of wheat, and 369,600,000 bushels of mferiar 



Grain 

 000 

 grains. 



