422 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



feeding of half starved animals which have acci- 

 deiitly broken into orchards, and brought on dis- 

 ease, fever, arid consequent drying of the milk by 

 immoderate g(jrging — a reason for renouncing such 

 food, would apply to the exclusion of oats from 

 horses, and cold water from men, because they 

 are sometimes injured by an excess of them."' 



We wish farmers, and apple-growers, and pom- 

 ological societies, would turn their attention to 

 this matter, and begin to investigate, and let us 

 hear the results of their researches. 



An acre of land will afford room for forty large 

 apple trees. When fully grown, and in full bear- 

 ing, they ought to yield from two hundred to four 

 hundred bushels of apples, — say two hundred on 

 an average of years. Could an acre of your farm 

 be appropriated to a better and more profitable 

 use? — Maine Farmer. 



HOW TO DRY PEACHES. 



The peach is a palatable and wholesome fruit, 

 the crops will be abundant this year, and large 

 quantities ought to be preserved for winter use, 

 and for use next spring in March, April and May, 

 a period when apples will be scarce, and before 

 the new fruits come in. At the South they are 

 dried as apples usually are, by being spread on 

 boards and placed in the open air. This practice, 

 however, is attended with many inconveniences ; 

 they require a great deal of care to protect them 

 from the rain and dews, and are fed upon by flies, 

 bees, wasps and hornets, beside all the domestic 

 animals that can possibly get at them. The sun 

 is not powerful enough to destroy the egg from 

 which the maggot springs, so that when dried and 

 prepared for market, they have in themselves the 

 element of their destruction, and sometimes be- 

 come worthless and disgusting. 



The Shakers, who usually manage their affairs 

 not only with prudence and economy, but with 

 remarkable neatness, have drying houses construct- 

 ed of stone and heated by a furnace. These are 

 supplied with shallow drawers with bottoms of 

 wire or other gauze, together with movable bars 

 or fine lattice work on racks, where the fruit is 

 spread out thin. All insects are thus kept out 

 and the fruit is continually drying, no matter what 

 the state of the atmosphere may be. 



Once or twice during the process of drying, the 

 heat should be raised to Such a degree as shall de- 

 stroy the vitality of the egg which is deposited in 

 the flesh of the peach, and which we as yet have 

 no possible means of preventing. 



Wo do not yet, in this country, use as much 

 ripe fruit, as an article of food, as would be con- 

 ducive to economy or health. The Yankee tem- 

 perament is sufficiently ardent without the stimu- 

 lant which a constant meat diet affords ; to those 

 accustomed to a large amount of out-door exer- 

 cise, no harm, perhaps, may arise from such a di- 

 et, but to the sedentary, it is supposed to be the 

 source of many diseases. 



But how shall we dry the peaches? Some one, 

 in another paper, has asked the same question, 

 and has been kind enough to answer it himself, so 

 we clap down here what he has said for the ben- 

 efit of all who desire a good supply of this deli- 

 cious fruit : 



"Do your readers know how to dry peaches? — 

 Take those of the best quality, just as they are 

 ripe enough to eat, halve them, remove the stones, 

 and sprinkle over them, in the hollow from which 

 the pit was taken, a little nice sugar ; dry them in 

 a brick oven after the bread, &c., is withdrawn. 



"They are far better than if dried in the sun, 

 retaining their aroma and flavor, and besides are 

 totally free from insects. Prepared in this way, 

 from peaches fully ripe, they need no cooking, but 

 are simply soaked out in cold water. All the su- 

 gar they require (ranging of course with the va- 

 riety) is added while drying. Peaches thus dried 

 and prepared, are only inferior to the fresh fruit, 

 of which they retain the flavor in a remarkable de- 

 gree. If you prefer, take them not quite so ripe, 

 and peel the fruit, but the flavor is not so good 

 as when fully ripe, and is dissipated more in the 

 process of drying." 



I^" We copy from the April number of Hovey's 

 Magazine, the following sensible conversation on 

 the Cultivation of the Pear : 



THE CULTIVATION OF THE PEAR. 



In a series of Conversati(jnal Meetings by the Members of the 

 Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 



Saturday, Feb. 5. — Mr. E. M. Richards being 

 absent, Capt. Lovett was called to the chair. 



Mr. Cabot stated, that, as the last meeting dis- 

 cussed the propriety of heading in pear trees when 

 transplanted, we might hear the opinions of gen- 

 tlemen present in continuation of the same sub- 

 ject. 



Mr. Strong wished to ask INIr. Hovey if he did 

 not advise pruning iu trees as a general thing ; he 

 so understood him, and would therefol€ class him 

 as in favor of heading in. 



Mr. HovEY wished to explain. He did say that 

 he advised pruning in as a general rule, becaiise, 

 as a general rule, trees were badly transplanted, 

 the roots destroyed, or more or less injured. Take, 

 say four-fifths of the trees annually sold, and they 

 would come under this rule, and thousands of 

 worthless trees were annually sold at auction, not 

 worth carrying home,— thousands again were im- 

 ported, and more or less injured on the voyage. — 

 The number of really fine, healthy, well-rooted 

 trees annually transplanted was, therefore, only 

 a small proportion to the whole. Consequently, 

 four-fifths of them needed doctoring, nursing, ex- 

 tra care and pains to make them grow, or rather 

 live, — for a great many of them never would grow. 

 Such being the case, he did advise pruning in, as 

 a general thing. But when, as he had l)efore 

 stated, the trees were what they should bo, he 

 would not prune, on any consideration, the first 

 year. 



Mr. Strong said he should class Mr. llovoy, 

 then, in favor of pruning in tre^s, especially im- 

 ported ones, or those from the forest. He under- 

 stood the views of Mr. Walker to be different, 

 and he believed them untenable. Mr. Strong dis- 



