853. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



321 



YELLOW SIBERIAN CRAB. 



The above beautiful portrait faithfully repre- 

 sents a cluster plucked from a tree in the garden 

 of Mr. Raynolds, one of the proprietors of this 

 paper. The whole tree, fruit and all, was the 

 handsomest we ever saw. Every garden should 

 have a tree of the red and yellow crab apple. The 

 fruit is esteemed for preserving, while the tree is 

 highly ornamental ; the blossoms are white, pro- 

 duced in beautiful profusion in spring, and a large 

 crop of fruit regularly follows. 



Fruit about three-fourths of an inch in diameter 

 very regularly formed and rather flat. Stalk neaii- 

 ly two inches long, and very slender. Calxy small, 

 slightly sunk. Fit for preserving in September. 



For the New England Farmei . 

 CHARCOAL. 



Mr. Editor : — Supposing the readers of the 

 Farmer to have an interest in whatever may cause 

 a more bounteous harvest, by enriching the soil, 

 or destroying the insect tribes which so often flour- 

 ish at the farmer's expense, I thought to give a 

 brief account of the effects of charcoal on grass 

 lands, field crops, garden and fruit trees. It was 

 not pure coal that was used, but fine refuse coal, 

 taken from the hearths where pits had been burned ; 

 and so necessarily mixed with the loam, with 

 which the pits were covered, and a small quantity 

 of ashes. Such old hearths are found in almost 

 every New England town, particularly those at a 



distance from the cities, where wood is plenty and 

 manures scarce ; hence the necessity that every 

 thing "be turned to good account," by being made 

 to assist the cultivator of a somewhat sterile soil, 

 to increase the productive capacity of his farm. 



Some four years since, a piece of grass land was 

 top dressed with coal dust, at the rate of about five 

 cords to the acre. The crop of hay was increased 

 in quantity, and improved in quality. A part of 

 the lot was left undressed, so the efiect was readily 

 seen. It was moist land, and such seems to be 

 most benefited by coal. 



For about ten years, I have used charcoal, com- 

 posted with stable manure, for corn and potatoes. 

 Previous to using it the corn was frequently in- 

 jured, and sometimes destroyed, by worms in the 

 spring ; but now the corn is food for hogs instead 

 of worms. On the same land, where corn was 

 very much injured by worms ten years ago, last 

 season, not a hill was attacked. 



For potatoes, it has been used as for corn, and 

 with equally good results. The wire-worm no 

 longer takes up his winter quarters in this most 

 valuable root. At the table, no special care is now 

 required to distinguish a potato from the pepper- 

 box. Our strong Irish propensity is not checked, 

 at the sight of the animal and vegetable cooked in 

 a little too ne.ir proximity. 



I have somewhere seen it stated, that charcoal 

 would prevent the potato rot, but with us it seems 

 neither to produce nor prevent it. ■ On a neigh- 

 bor's field which I saw, they were equally rotten, 

 in a bed of coal dust, and where there was no 

 coal. 



