26 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



sandy soils containing little vegetable matter, are 

 not tliose which are most benefited by lime ; such 

 soils already contain an abundant supply. 



There is one error with respect to the use of 

 lime wliich should by all means be avoided ; that is, 

 the mixing of lime with the manure heap, whether 

 in a fermenting or quiescent state. Ammonia 

 abounds in animal manures, combined with phos 

 phoric, carbonic muriatic or other acids. These 

 salts of ammonia are decomposed by lime, which 

 combine with their acids, and expels the ammo- 

 nia, an element which is of great importance to 

 vegetation. Probably the best methods of apply- 

 ing lime are to spread it upon the soil before plant- 

 ing, and mix it in with the haiTOW, or to sow it 

 as a top dressing, soon after the coming up of the 

 crop. 



Vegetables that contain, in a perfect state a 

 large amount of lime, may attain their full size 

 without an adequate supply, but they will not be 

 perfect plants. Lime is an important ingredient in 

 clover •, it is found chiefly in its cuticle or covering 

 membrane. If this grass is grown upon a soil 

 consisting mostly of vegetable matter, and under 

 the stimulus of animal manure, it will lodge, or 

 break down from its own weight, for want of the 

 strength or stiifness which a due proportion of lime 

 would impart to it. Potatoes contain a large 

 per ceafcage of lime, and there ciiu be no doubt that 

 for some years past those that have been raised 

 under circumstances that precluded a sufficient 

 supply of lime, have been more liable to disease 

 than those that could obtain an abundant supply 

 of ;t. 



Potatoes that Lave grown in lowland where the 

 soil consists largely ot decayed vegetable matter, 

 or which have been raised by animal manures, 

 have been affected by the rot much more than 

 those which have been raised on sandy soils, or by 

 means of plaster, which is sulphate of lime. 



Vegetables that are perfect in their organization, 

 that is, that contain all their normal elements 

 in duo proportion, will better resist disease when 

 exposed to its causes, than those that are deficient 

 in any one element — indeed, this remark may be 

 made more general — it may be applied to all living 

 organized beings. The more perfect they are in 

 structure, and the more normal in growth and 

 proportion, the more perfect will be their health, 

 and tlie greater their power to resist disease, 

 hope not to be misunderstood. I would by no 

 means intimate that the absence of lime has any 

 thing to do with the origin of the potato disease 

 I do not know tliat diseased potatoes have been 

 subjected to chemical analysis, to ascertain wheth- 

 er they are deficient in this element, or that those 

 varieties that are most liable to disease have been 

 comj^ared analytically with those that are less so. 

 The solution of these questions merits the attention 

 of the agricultural chemist, if it has not already 

 received it. But I have no doubt that the dry, 

 mealy potato contains more lime than the wet, 

 soggy one — or that those that have grown on dry 

 land with an abundant supply of lime have rotted 

 less than those that have grown under other cir- 

 cumstances. 



The analysis of soils, and the analysis of plants, 

 requires to be carried on together. 



The cultivator needs to know the composition of 

 the plants which he proposes to cultivate, and the 

 composition of the soil in which he proposes to 



cultivate them, that he may judge of the adapted- 

 ness of the one to the otIicr,and be able to modify 

 the soil to suit the demands of the plant. 



Concord, Mass. j. r. 



For the If ew England Farmer. 

 WARTS ON PLUM TREES. 



Mr. Editor : — I have about 150 young plum 

 trees, and last fall I found a few warts on tliem. 

 I cut them all out and took the precaution to bum 

 them. This last spring and summer I kept watch , 

 and as soon as one appeared I removed and burnt 

 it. In the last of the summer I found most of the 

 trees affected the same way, and some of them, 

 were literally covered with small warts. 



I wish some of your readers more experienced in 

 the culture of the plum would give me a remedy. 

 Yours. w. K. c. 



Remarks. — We can join in the request of our 

 correspondent with as much feeling as he expresses- 

 himself, for we are suffering fi-om the sanje eause^ 

 and can find no remedy, A portion of our jilum 

 trees are nearly whittled away, and the only bene- 

 fit derived from the operation, has been the pleas- 

 ure of whittling with a good sharp knife. The 

 warts insist upon coming, while the tree grows- 

 "beautifully less" every day, 



Barry, in his "Fruit Garden," says the cause- 

 probably originates in an imperfect circulation of 

 the sap, induced by violent changes of temperature- 

 and recommends cutting out the diseased part as 

 a certain cure, and covering the wound with graft- 

 ing wax. But that has been resorted to in a great 

 many cases without the slightest benefit. Wha 

 will study, watch and experiment, and find out 

 the long sought for remedy 1 We trust those that 

 are wise on warts wUl let their light shine on this 

 darkness. 



THE WAY THE RUSSIANS TREAT 

 THEIR HORSES. 



The Russian coachman seldom uses his whipj. 

 and generally only knocks with it upon the foot-» 

 board of the sledge, by way of a gentle admoni 

 tion to his steed, with whom, meanwhile, he keeps 

 up a running colloquj^ seldom giving him harder 

 words than "3fy drolher — my friend — my lit tie 

 white pigeon — my sweetheart.^ ' ' ' Come my pretty 

 pigeon, make use of your legs," he will say. 

 "What now ! art blind ? Come, be brisk ! Take 

 care of that stone there. Dost see it? There, 

 that's right ! Bravo ! hop, hop, hop ? Steady 

 boy, steady ! What art turning thy head for? 

 Look out boldly before thee I Hurra ! Yukh ! 

 Yukh! 



I could not help contrasting this with the offen- 

 sive language we constantly hear in England from 

 carters and boys employed in driving horses. Y^ou 

 are continually shocked by the oaths used. They 

 seem to think the horses will not go unless they 

 swear at them, and boys consider it manly to imi- 

 tate this example, and learn to swear too, and 

 break God's commandments, by taking his holy 

 name in vain. And this while making use of a 

 fine, noble animal he has given for our service and 

 not for abuse. There is much unnecessary cruelty 



