1853. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



359 



correspondents, something about the harvesting 

 and management of seed clover. It has been tried 

 here on a small scale, and the seed is found to be 

 of a very superior quality, but the greatest diffi- 

 culty seems to be in getting it thrashed and cleansed 

 — some information therefore on that subject would 

 be very acceptable in this quarter. 



In reference to the remarks which you made on 

 my previous eommunicatiun, I must observe that 

 you gave us quite a compliment. My inference is 

 that you seem to be quite satisfied respecting the 

 abilities of our soil, and the superiority of her 

 productions, but that you would like to know 

 something respecting the quality of our men and 

 women. I shall endeavor to gratify your curiosi- 

 ty a little in that particular, but you must excuse 

 me if I do not notice anything aVwut the smartness 

 of our own sex ; suffice it, to give a word or two 

 about the other. I think, sir, if you were to come 

 through here and see our lasses at work about the 

 farm, you would say that they are better stuff 

 than your New England girls. They can plant a 

 bushel of potatoes a day, (in good shape,) dig 25, 

 top an acre of timothy, and reap 24 dozen oats. 

 They can pitch hay, pick stones, pile brush, rake 

 round the stumps, team a horse, and milk the 

 cows. They can wash and dress, and bake and 

 brew, and knit and sew, card, spin and cook, and 

 clean in style, and catch the horse that beat the 

 boys, and drive the sheep to pasture. The girls 

 are very scarce here, people come a long way after 

 them for wives. j. t. 



Harvey, JV.B., via Calais, Me. 

 June Sth, 1853. 



Remarks. — Thank you, "John Taylor." Where 

 persons make a business of raising clover-seed, 

 they have a machine, moved by horse power, which 

 they take into the field and gather the clover 

 heads merely, leaving the stubble on the ground. 

 These heads are generally on the "rowen," or 

 second crop. After being gathered, they are 

 threshed and cleaned up much as other se^ds are. 



Your account of the ladies in "the Harvey Set- 

 tlement," smacks of olden times. As a wife, we 

 don't want one, having the best in "the States" al- 

 ready — but as "a help," gracious, how things 

 would shine at River Cottage, if we had one of your 

 girls! But then, should we feel safe? "Team a 

 horse ! top an acre of timothy ! reap 24 dozen of 

 oats!" and probably bind 24 men if they were to 

 steal a kiss unfairly, from one of these Amazons ! 



But we are glad to hear from them, and may 

 make more particular inquiries, in person, some 

 future day. 



Special Manure for Grapes. — The wine com- 

 mittee, at the exhibition of the Cincinnati Horti- 

 cultural Society, reported that of two specimens 

 of wine, one from grapes to which a special ma- 

 nuring of potash had been given, the wine from 

 the manure grapes was "bright, clear, and mel- 

 low, like an old wine." The other was declared 

 to be les3 matured in all its qualities, nor was it 

 clear. The grapes themselves, from the two por- 

 tions of ground, were also presented to the com- 

 mittee. "Both were delicious and well ripened, 



but it was considered that those from the manured 

 land were sweeter, and that the pulp was softer." 



For the New England Farmer. 

 INDIGENOUS FRUITS AND SHRUBS. 



Mr. Brown : — I desire information on the rear- 

 ing of our indigenous fruit trees and shrubs from 

 seed. All our cultivated varieties of fruit have 

 sprung from wild types, generally of little value. 

 Careful culture, and successive reproduction from 

 seed, have greatly increased their size, and im- 

 proved their flavor. Our wild fruits are equally 

 promising. Their size and flavor are quite equal, 

 and in many instances superior, I believe, to exot- 

 ics of the same genus. Besides, by their hardi- 

 ness or other peculiarities, they are perfectly 

 adapted to our climate. 



The sweet scented crab-apple, (Pyrus corono- 

 ria) figured in the March number of the Farmer, 

 doubtless might be ameliorated, and become a 

 splendid fruit, possessing many valuable character- 

 istics. The choke cherry (0. Virginia of Gray) 

 differ wonderfully in their varieties in size, and 

 flavor ; and I have seen varieties of each growing 

 about the fields, which almost equalled the May 

 Duke in size. I might go on, but these will suffice 

 for examples. It may be objected that the amel- 

 iorating process is the work of an age, — very true ; 

 but we are enjoying the fruit of our ancestors' la- 

 bor. Let us repay to posterity. However the 

 time requisite for the amelioration of many fruits, 

 is perhaps less than is generally believed. My ex- 

 perience is that the Amygdaleep, or almond fami- 

 ly, will fruit in four years from gathering the 

 stones ; the bramble in three years, and the grape 

 in four to five. I have been unsuccessful in pro- 

 ducing the Vacciniae or whortleberry family from 

 the seed. Perhaps yoarself or correspondents can 

 instruct me. I find no information on the subject 

 in the books. J. Griffiths. 



Remarks. — Perhaps Mr. Hyde, of Newton Cen- 

 tre, can throw light on the subject. 



ERGOT IN GRAIN. 



Some time since, while looking over the files of 

 the National Intelligencer, our attention was ar- 

 rested by a communication from a Parisian corres- 

 pondent, in which were detailed some of the pro- 

 ceedings of the Academy of Science, the celebrity 

 of which is too well and generally known to re- 

 quire any remark. The writer, evidently himself 

 a man of science, says: — 



"A paper was received from Mr. Valot, of Dix- 

 on, on the larvce of various insects destructive to 

 plants, such as the coneineth masculala, cimcx 

 circulux, &c., and on the existence of ergot as a 

 disease peculiar to rye, but Mr. Valot announces 

 that he has seen the same disease in barley. Af- 

 ter the reading of this paper M. A. Jussica said 

 that he had recently seen several ears of wheat 

 which had been attacked by the ergot, and that 

 the disease in rye had made great ravages." 

 We are not aware that the disease called ^'ergot" 

 has ever been really destructive in this country. 



